WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday postponed consideration of four bills to curb gun violence after Republicans said they needed more time to study the proposed ban on military-style assault weapons.

The one-week delay by the Democratic-led committee appears unlikely to change the fate of the bills, all of which appear headed to the full Senate for a vote.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The House of Representatives gave final approval on Thursday to a bipartisan bill to renew the landmark 1994 Violence Against Women Act, after rejecting as inadequate an alternative version offered by its Republican leaders.

On a vote of 286-138, the House sent the bill, earlier approved by the Democratic-led Senate, 78-22, to President Barack Obama to sign into law.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The father of a 6-year-old boy who was killed in the shooting massacre at a Connecticut school made a dramatic appeal on Wednesday for President Barack Obama’s uphill bid to ban sales of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Testifying before a divided U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Neil Heslin, whose son Jesse Lewis was murdered in the December 14 shootings that killed 20 children and six adults, joined an emergency room doctor in recalling the damage done by such a weapon. Heslin held up a picture of his son during his testimony and at times his voice choked with emotion.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s fellow Democrats in the Senate have spread his gun-control proposals across four bills in an effort to get at least some of the less controversial measures – such as expanded background checks for gun buyers – passed into law.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote as early as Thursday on the bills, which together amount to an acknowledgement by Democrats that a ban on military-style “assault” weapons is unlikely to clear Congress.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid accused Republicans on Thursday of putting the country at risk by trying to delay a vote to confirm Chuck Hagel as President Barack Obama’s new secretary of defense.

“For the sake of our national security it is time for us to put aside political theater,” Reid said.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – With strong bipartisan support, the Democratic-led Senate on Tuesday passed a White House-backed bill to expand and renew a landmark 1994 law to combat domestic violence.

On a 78-22 vote – with 23 Republicans joining 53 Democrats and two independents – the Senate sent the measure to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act to the Republican-led House of Representative for consideration.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s fellow Democrats in Congress are bringing victims of gun violence to his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, providing faces and voices to the carnage that he wants to curb with new firearms restrictions.

About two dozen victims, including a girl from Newtown, Connecticut – site of the December 14 school massacre that killed 20 children and six adults – will see a divided Congress, uncertain what, if any, new gun laws to pass.

Feb 7 (Reuters) – Facing government spending
cuts that could delay air travelers, pare education programs for
the poor and weaken military readiness, Democrats in the U.S.
Congress this week sought to shift the deficit-reduction burden
to the rich.

Without congressional action, about $85 billion in
across-the-board spending cuts are set to begin on March 1. If
allowed to continue, they could slow economic growth this year,
according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

LEESBURG, Virginia (Reuters) – Facing government spending cuts that could delay air travelers, pare education programs for the poor and weaken military readiness, Democrats in Congress this week sought to shift the deficit-reduction burden to the rich.

Without congressional action, about $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts are set to begin on March 1. If allowed to continue, they could slow economic growth this year, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

LEESBURG, Virginia (Reuters) – Democrats in Congress have always had some gripes with their president, Barack Obama. He doesn’t call. He doesn’t schmooze. He’s not tough enough with Republicans.

But this year, the complaints, as well as the complainers, are fewer than ever, with some of his old critics confessing that they’re starting to come around.