WASHINGTON, July 11 (Reuters) – Congressional Democrats and
President Barack Obama on Wednesday plotted their legislative
priorities for the months leading up to November’s elections,
showcasing an extension of middle-class tax cuts as well as with
measures to keep government agencies functioning beyond Sept.
30.

Later this month, the Democratic-led Senate is expected to
stage a vote on continuing tax cuts for families earning up to
$250,000 – an election-year initiative that the
Republican-controlled House of Representatives will not go along
with.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Members of Congress from both parties are increasingly mulling the unthinkable: going home in December without acting to avoid the $4 trillion in tax hikes and deep spending cuts known as the fiscal cliff.

Neither Democrats nor Republicans claim this is their preferred option, as it could rattle global financial markets badly and anger their constituents.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Attorney General Eric Holder faced a contempt of Congress charge on Thursday as the Republican-led House of Representatives was poised to strike back at the nation’s top law enforcement officer for refusing to turn over some documents related to a failed gun-running probe.

If the contempt charge is approved later on Thursday, as expected, Holder would become the first sitting attorney general – and the first presidential Cabinet member – to be accused of the crime of contempt by the full House.

WASHINGTON, June 27 (Reuters) – A Republican proposal
forcing quick approval of the Canada-to-U.S. Keystone oil
pipeline will not be part of a massive transportation funding
bill the U.S. Congress is trying to pass by week’s end, a senior
Democratic aide said on Wednesday.

“Keystone is out,” said the aide, who asked not to be
identified. The aide added that while House-Senate negotiators
are close to an overall deal on the transportation bill, they
have not yet wrapped it up.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Congressional leaders said they were optimistic that final hours of talks on Wednesday on a two-year, $109 billion funding package for roads, bridges and mass transit would yield a deal, but warned their work was not yet finished.

Federal funding for highway projects is set to expire on Saturday, but it was still unclear whether lawmakers could reach a compromise on thorny details about environmental regulations and the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline.

WASHINGTON, June 27 (Reuters) – U.S. congressional leaders
said they were optimistic that final hours of talks on Wednesday
on a two-year, $109 billion funding package for roads, bridges
and mass transit would yield a deal, but warned their work was
not yet finished.

Federal funding for highway projects is set to expire on
Saturday, but it was still unclear whether lawmakers could reach
a compromise on thorny details about environmental regulations
and the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said on Tuesday odds are better than even that lawmakers can reach a last-minute compromise on a transportation spending package, but said it is up to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to make the deal happen.

Federal funding for road, bridge and rail projects – and as many as 3 million construction jobs – expires on Saturday, putting lawmakers under pressure to either come to an agreement on a two-year package proposed by the Senate, or craft a short-term extension at current funding levels.

WASHINGTON, June 25 (Reuters) – Senators involved in
marathon talks on a two-year deal for funding U.S. road, bridge
and rail projects said on Monday they were close to a compromise
with House Republicans, although they might need to work through
a Friday deadline to finish negotiations.

They declined to talk about specifics, or address whether
the potential deal would include a measure to approve the
Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL oil pipeline, which has been a major
hurdle.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans in the House of Representatives are insisting that a measure to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline must be part of a transportation funding bill, a stance that could hobble negotiators sprinting to try to reach a deal on the legislation this week.

Federal funding for transportation projects expires on Saturday. As many as 3 million jobs hinge on the legislation, and failure to pass it would have a direct impact on the economy ahead of the November 6 general election.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – In the classic Washington investigation at the highest levels of power, it is never the original offense that leads to trouble. It is who knew what and who said what that powers the probe and brings forth the cry of cover-up.

That script is being followed almost to the letter in the drama that continues this week as the Republican-controlled House of Representatives prepares for a possible vote on contempt of Congress charges against the highest law enforcement official in the country, Attorney General Eric Holder.