WASHINGTON (AP) — A Democratic plan to impose a fee on methane emissions from oil and gas wells has cleared a key hurdle, but it faces strong opposition from the oil and gas industry and criticism by centrist Sen. Joe Manchin. The proposed fee on methane — a powerful pollutant that contributes to global warming — was included in […]
NEW YORK (AP) — As political muscle goes, bigger doesn’t always mean better. Just ask New York, Los Angeles and Chicago every four years, when those cities become mostly irrelevant blips on the Electoral College map. But as congressional redistricting gets underway, some of the country’s most populous cities are taking prominent roles in reshaping […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House and congressional Democrats have agreed to a “framework” to pay for their huge, emerging social and environment bill, top Democrats said Thursday, but they offered no details and the significance was unclear. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California announced the […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — One side is energized by the prospect of the greatest expansion of government support since the New Deal nearly a century ago. The other is fearful about dramatically expanding Washington’s reach at an enormous cost. They’re all Democrats. Yet each side is taking vastly different approaches to guiding the massive $3.5 trillion […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats unveiled a sweeping proposal Monday for tax hikes on big corporations and the wealthy to fund President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion rebuilding plan, as Congress speeds ahead to shape the far-reaching package that touches almost all aspects of domestic life. The proposed top tax rate would revert to 39.6% on individuals earning […]
Image: Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan on August 19, 2021, immediately after enough House Democrats returned to establish a quorum. BREAKING NEWS! Austin, August 19 — A standoff in Texas over new voting restrictions that gridlocked the state Capitol for 38 consecutive days ended Thursday when some Democrats who fled to Washington, D.C., dropped their […]
The Golden Hammer Staff Reports Austin, August 18 – The Texas Supreme Court made a full and final ruling that Texas House of Representatives Speaker may cause the arrest of absent Texas House Democrats and that any district judge who attempts to restrain enforcement of the arrest warrants has abused his or her discretion. Justice […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats unwrapped a budget resolution Monday envisioning a massive $3.5 trillion, 10-year cascade of federal resources, aiming historic sums at family support, health and education programs and an aggressive drive to heal the climate. The measure is a pivotal first step in what will likely be a tumultuous, months-long Democratic legislative […]
BREAKING NEWS! The Golden Hammer Staff Reports Austin, August 9 – The Texas Supreme Court rejected Democrats’ request for a petition for writ of mandamus to overturn Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s veto of funding for the Legislative Branch after Abbott made clear he was dissatisfied with the job performance of legislators during the Regular Session […]
The Golden Hammer Staff Reports Austin and The Woodlands – On Thursday, August 5, 2021, State Representative Steve Toth (Republican of The Woodlands) announced he had filed House Bill 310 and would refile it in the second special session to penalize lawmakers who abandon their official duties. HB 310 would remove a habitually absent Representative […]