In the News

by Amanda Terkel

Despite campaigning on a platform of creating jobs and boosting the economy, some of the first pieces of legislation Republicans have taken up in the 112th Congress are measures that would restrict women's access to abortion and family planning services.

by Clarens Renois

Haiti's fraud-tainted ruling party candidate was pulled from the presidential race on Thursday in a move widely welcomed as good for stability after months of deep political uncertainty.

The decision to reverse the results of disputed first round polls in November was met with calm on the streets of the quake-hit Caribbean nation, which has endured decades of political upheaval, dictatorship and bloodshed.

Haiti's decision to eliminate the government-backed candidate from a presidential runoff won praise from foreign powers Thursday, and the U.S. and others signaled they would agree with President Rene Preval staying in office for a few months past the end of his term.

By Jon Prior

The Mortgage Bankers Association and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) thanked the Federal Reserve for delaying three new rule proposals [1] Tuesday under Regulation Z.

The Fed was granted rulemaking authority under Reg Z, which took affect over the weekend and proposed the rules last year to clarify mortgage disclosures under Truth in Lending Act. The Fed said it delayed finalizing the rules, because the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is required to review and possibly revise them again once it opens in July.

By JACQUELINE CHARLES

Haitian presidential candidate Jude Célestin is resisting pressure from his political coalition to withdraw from the race and break an electoral impasse.

In a communiqué issued Wednesday, the coalition cited international pressure for the decision and said they remain convinced that Célestin won enough votes to advance into a second round of voting but that they decided not to provoke the international community.

By Bernie Becker
 
The Congressional Black Caucus, not totally satisfied with recent commissions focused on reducing the national debt, has set up one of its own.

The newly formed commission had its first – and, at this time, only scheduled – meeting Friday, where it discussed how proposals from groups like the president's bipartisan fiscal commission would have an impact on minority communities.

by John R. Parkinson

House representatives from both parties overwhelmingly told ABC News that President Obama's State of the Union address tonight should focus on one central front: jobs and the economy.

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, imagined how he would write the State of the Union address if he were the president's chief speech writer.

by Richard Simon

Perhaps this will bump up the TV ratings: liberal Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and conservative Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas), who are far apart politically, will sit together for President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night.

A number of members of California's famously fractured congressional delegation, which last held a bipartisan meeting nearly a year ago, plan to sit with members of the opposing party in response to the calls for civility in hyper-partisan Washington.