January 22, 2015 House Democrat Leadership Press Conference
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi discussed the 2015 State of the Union, a House Republican bill barring federal funding for abortions and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu #39;s March...
By: Roll Call
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January 22, 2015 House Democrat Leadership Press Conference - Video
Democrat reaction Delaware SOTS
Delaware Democrats react to Governor Jack Markell #39;s State of the State Address.
By: NewsWorks
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Democrat reaction Delaware SOTS - Video
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, will be the ranking member of a Senate subcommittee that overseees the Fed.
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) Sen. Elizabeth Warren will have a new leadership role that will give her oversight of federal regulators she often likes to chide notably the Federal Reserve.
Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, will be the ranking member for the Senate Banking Committees Subcommittee on Economic Policy, which has oversight of the Federal Reserve and the Office of Financial Research, which was created under the Dodd-Frank and offers analysis of the financial system.
Warren has frequently criticized regulators for what she sees as their leniency toward banks. She led an ultimately unsuccessful fight earlier this year against a partial rollback of the Dodd-Frank law.
The subcommittee also has oversight of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which was created under the Dodd-Frank law and works to identify risk in the financial system and can deem non-bank institutions as systemically important and subject to more regulation.
The council has already named American International Group AIG, -1.47% Prudential Financial PRU, -1.86% and General Electric GE, +0.82% as systemically important. Earlier this month, MetLife MET, -2.87% announced it would challenge its designation as a systemically important financial institution in court.
Warren will serve alongside Sen. Dean Heller, a Republican from Nevada, who will be chairman of the subcommittee.
Sen. Richard Shelby, a Republican from Alabama, was previously selected as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, is the ranking member.
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Capitol Report: Warren to be top Democrat on Senate panel on economic policy
Harry Reid, the U.S. Senates top Democrat, will have surgery next week to try to restore full vision to his right eye, according to a spokeswoman for the Nevada lawmaker.
The surgery is scheduled for Jan. 26 at George Washington University Hospital and Reid will work from his Washington home for the rest of the week to minimize strain on his eye, spokeswoman Kristen Orthman said in a statement on Wednesday.
Reid suffered three broken ribs, a concussion and broken facial bones near his right eye socket in a New Years Day accident that occurred when he was exercising.
His broken ribs are healing well and he will continue to maintain a busy schedule next week as his right eye heals, Orthman said.
The accident kept Reid from the start of the new session of Congress this month. That meant Reid -- who lost his majority leader post to Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky -- missed the swearing in of 13 newly elected senators, all save one of them Republicans.
He also missed Tuesday nights State of the Union address by President Barack Obama.
Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the chamber, has filled in for Reid on the Senate floor. Reid has been able to work from his Washington office this week, his spokeswoman said.
Reid returned to the Senate Tuesday to attend Democrats weekly caucus lunch. Heading into the lunch, Reid -- whose right eye was covered by a gauze patch -- was asked by reporters whether he would fully regain his vision and responded, Hope so.
The Nevada lawmaker can see only light out of his right eye, said a Senate Democratic leadership aide who asked for anonymity to provide details that havent been made public. The surgery was recommended because doctors think Reid has a chance to regain sight in the eye, the aide said.
In a Jan. 9 interview with Nevadas KNPR radio station, Reid was asked if the accident has caused him to reconsider plans to seek re-election to the Senate in 2016.
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Top Senate Democrat Reid to Have Eye Surgery After Accident
Representative Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the U.S. House, said legislation to give President Barack Obama the ability to win speedy approval of trade accords can pass Congress even with opposition from some party members.
Can it pass? Yes it can, said Hoyer of Maryland, who Tuesday said Obama probably will request trade promotion authority from Congress in his State of the Union address.
The Obama administrations negotiations with 11 governments in the Pacific region would be the first submitted under fast-track authority, which limits Congress to an up-or-down vote and bars amendments on trade agreements.
Democratic lawmakers led by Representatives Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Louise Slaughter of New York oppose granting such authority. They argue it would let a president act without congressional input when negotiating deals they said will kill jobs and threaten food safety and environmental regulations.
First of all, let me point out that division among our party isnt new, Hoyer said.
Hoyer declined to say whether he and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi have a position on fast-track authority legislation. The leaders have told administration officials that Congress needs more information, including potential effects from trade deals on the environment, jobs, consumer protections and safety, he said.
Well have that debate and discussion, he said.
Hoyer said past trade agreements have been good for our country and our workers.
To contact the reporter on this story: Billy House in Washington at bhouse5@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jodi Schneider at jschneider50@bloomberg.net Steve Geimann
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Democrat Says Fast-Track Trade Power Can Overcome Partys Unease