Lawmakers voiced their confusion and concern over the sweeping secret surveillance programs revealed recently, after receiving an unusual briefing on the government's yearslong collection of phone records and Internet usage.
Backers of far-reaching immigration legislation are turning their attention to courting support and counting votes after the Senate pushed the contentious bill over early procedural hurdles.
Vice President Joe Biden says Senate Republicans are scared of two of their freshmen: Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky.
The American Civil Liberties Union sued the Obama administration Tuesday, asking the government to halt a phone-tracking program that collects the telephone records of millions of Americans and that it says is unconstitutional.
The Senate voted Tuesday to advance a landmark immigration bill, clearing away the first procedural hurdle in front of legislation opening the door to citizenship for millions.
Sen. Ron Wyden says Director of National Intelligence James Clapper had a day to prepare his answer to Congress that there was no widespread collection of Americans' phone records.
The Obama administration faced fresh anger Monday at home and abroad over U.S. spy programs that track phone and Internet messages around the world in the hope of thwarting terrorist threats. But a senior intelligence official said there are no plans to end the secretive surveillance systems.
People like Edward Snowden — nearly 500,000 employees of private firms with access to the government's most sensitive secrets — play a crucial role: They help monitor threats to national security.
The Senate on Monday passed a five-year, half-trillion-dollar farm bill that expands government subsidies for crop insurance, rice and peanuts while making small cuts to food stamps.
Sen. Ron Wyden said Friday in a statement that "after years of review, we believe statements that this very broad Patriot Act collection has been “a critical tool in protecting the nation” do not appear to hold up under close scrutiny."
A leaked document has laid bare the monumental scope of the government's surveillance of Americans' phone records — hundreds of millions of calls — in the first hard evidence of a massive data collection program aimed at combating terrorism under powers granted by Congress after the 9/11 attacks.
The Republican-controlled House voted Thursday to resume the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children.
U.S. senators dressed down senior military leaders Tuesday, led by female lawmakers, combat veterans and former prosecutors who insisted that sexual assault in the ranks has cost the services the trust and respect of the American people as well as the nation's men and women in uniform.
Some of President Barack Obama's political appointees, including the secretary for Health and Human Services, are using secret government email accounts they say are necessary to prevent their inboxes from being overwhelmed with unwanted messages, according to a review by The Associated Press.
Issuing a forceful challenge to Senate Republicans, President Barack Obama nominated three judges to the influential federal appeals court in Washington, declaring that the GOP has "cynically used Senate rules and procedures" to delay and block past nominees.
White House threatens veto of anti-abortion bill
Dual government? U.S. operates in sunshine and in shadow
Wyden's standard: Secret programs must provide 'unique value'
Lawmakers concerned over U.S. surveillance programs
Attention turns to vote-counting on immigration
Biden: Senate GOP cowers to Ted Cruz, Rand Paul
ACLU sues Obama admin. over NSA phone records program
Immigration bill advances in Senate
Wyden calls out national intelligence director for answer on spying
US spy programs raise ire both home and abroad
Private contractors' key role at issue in NSA leak
Senate passes half-trillion dollar farm bill
Wyden questions the value of NSA phone data collection
Monumental phone-records monitoring is laid bare
U.S. House votes to resume deporting young immigrants
Senators blast military response to sex assaults
Top political appointees use secret email accounts
Obama nominates 3 to appeals court, testing GOP