WASHINGTON (AP) – House Speaker Paul Ryan announced Wednesday he will retire rather than seek another term in Congress as the steady if reluctant wingman for President Donald Trump, sending ripples through a Washington already on edge and spreading new uncertainty through a party bracing for a rough election year.

2. Study Shows Employers Shifting More Medical Costs to Workers - Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Employers are leaving a bigger chunk of the bill for care to workers who use their health insurance, and benefits experts see few signs of this trend slowing.

Most companies now offer health coverage that requires employees to pay an annual deductible before insurance kicks in, and the size of that deductible has soared in the past decade, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research & Educational Trust.

3. Senate Candidate Ball to Spend $400,000 on Ads - Saturday, June 21, 2014

U.S. Senate candidate Gordon Ball says he is pouring up to $400,000 of his own money into a statewide television advertising campaign to bolster his bid for the Democratic nomination.

4. Senate Candidate Ball to Spend $400,000 on Ads - Monday, June 16, 2014

U.S. Senate candidate Gordon Ball says he is pouring up to $400,000 of his own money into a statewide television advertising campaign to bolster his bid for the Democratic nomination.

5. House Approves Bill to Stop Cut to Medicare Docs - Friday, March 28, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House on Thursday passed legislation to give doctors a yearlong reprieve from a looming 24 percent cut in their payments from Medicare.

The bill passed on a surprise voice vote and advanced to the Senate, which hopes to pass it before a Monday deadline. The vote was delayed by an hour amid doubt that the measure could muster the two-thirds vote required under fast-track procedures.

6. Congress Confronts Medicare Cuts to Doctors' Fees - Monday, March 24, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) – Hope is fading for a Capitol Hill drive to permanently fix Medicare's outdated payment formula and spare doctors from automatic cuts in their fees next month. Now the question is whether lawmakers can regroup and come up with a short-term solution when the current patch expires.

7. Farm Bill Deal Would Cut Food Stamps by 1 Percent - Wednesday, January 29, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) – Farm-state lawmakers are lobbying colleagues member by member, vote by vote as they push for House passage of a massive, five year farm bill that would make cuts to food stamps and continue generous subsidies for farmers.

8. Lawmakers Push to Delay Huge Flood Insurance Hikes - Wednesday, October 30, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – A bipartisan group of lawmakers Tuesday unveiled legislation that would delay for about four years several changes to the federal government's flood insurance program that are threatening to sock thousands of people with unaffordable premium hikes.

9. Obama Says Talks OK – After Default Threat Averted - Wednesday, October 9, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – After weeks of gridlock, House Republicans floated broad hints Tuesday they might be willing to pass short-term legislation re-opening the government and averting a default in exchange for immediate talks with the Obama administration on reducing deficits and changing the three-year-old health care law.

10. Shutdown in Third Day With Debt Trouble Looming - Friday, October 4, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Efforts to resolve the government shutdown were at a standstill Thursday as President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner traded barbs, the Treasury warned of a dire risk to the economy ahead and work in the Capitol was briefly halted because of gunshots outside.

11. GOP House: Keep Government Open, Hit 'Obamacare' - Monday, September 23, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Charting a collision course with the White House, the Republican-controlled House approved legislation Friday to wipe out the three-year-old health care law that President Barack Obama has vowed to preserve – and simultaneously prevent a partial government shutdown that neither party claims to want.

12. Dodge Default, Defund Obamacare, GOP Leaders Say - Thursday, September 19, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republicans vowed Wednesday to pass legislation that would prevent a partial government shutdown and avoid a historic national default while simultaneously canceling out Obamacare, inaugurating a new round of political brinkmanship as critical deadlines approach.

13. House GOP, Democrats Clash Over Immigration - Wednesday, July 24, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republicans took a tentative step toward offering citizenship to some unauthorized immigrants Tuesday, but hit an immediate wall of resistance from the White House on down as Democrats said it wasn't enough.

14. IRS Apologizes for Targeting Tea Party Groups - Monday, May 13, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Internal Revenue Service apologized Friday for what it acknowledged was "inappropriate" targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status.

15. House Bill Shifts Funds in Health Care Law - Thursday, April 25, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – After dozens of attempts to overturn the new health care law, House Republicans on Wednesday took a different tack, promoting legislation that would come to the rescue of a prominent program in the new law at the expense of another vital element of the law.

16. Senate Bill Would Extend Deposit Insurance Program - Tuesday, December 11, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — To prevent a possible run on banks at the height of the financial crisis four years ago, Congress expanded government insurance for certain bank deposits to include totals above the usual $250,000 limit. Now that the ceiling is about to be re-imposed, community banks fear they'll lose customers to bigger banks and want Congress to come to their rescue.

17. Obama Warns Against Another Debt Ceiling Fight - Thursday, December 6, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama warned Republicans on Wednesday against picking another fight over the nation's debt ceiling, telling business leaders that it's "not a game that I will play."

18. Analysts: Recession Likely Without Budget Accord - Thursday, August 23, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – A new recession is likely if a stalemate over tax and spending cuts continues between Democrats and Republicans, according to dire projections by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on one of the this year's defining campaign issues.

19. House Leaders Wary of Farm, Postal Bill Showdowns - Tuesday, July 24, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate-passed bills to cut farm subsidies and food stamps and overhaul the financially teetering Postal Service have been put on hold by House Republican leaders wary of igniting internal party fights or risking voters' ire three months before the election.

20. Lawmakers Seize on Report Detailing Impact of Cuts - Wednesday, July 18, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans and Democrats seized on a new report estimating that automatic budget cuts will cost the economy 2 million jobs to level election-year charges that underscored the deep political divide over how to avert the looming crisis.

21. Senate Rejects Dem, GOP Business Tax Cut Bills - Friday, July 13, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday rejected rival Democratic and Republican plans for cutting taxes on businesses, with both parties refusing to yield ground in their election-year struggle over how best to spark the economy.

22. Lawmakers Try to Save Stalled Transportation Bill - Wednesday, June 20, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – House and Senate leaders are making a last-ditch effort to revive stalled legislation to overhaul federal transportation programs – Congress' best bet for passage of a major jobs bill this year – but prospects for passage before the November election are dimming.

23. Senate Democrats Unveil Business Tax Breaks - Tuesday, March 27, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Democrats Monday unveiled a $26 billion temporary tax cut for businesses to boost their payrolls and encourage investment in new equipment.

The legislation would award businesses a tax credit of 10 percent on the salaries of new hires or for pay raises given to existing workers. Businesses that make major new capital investments in new equipment and machinery would be able to write off those investments immediately rather than over several years.

24. Senate Passes Small Business Investment Bill - Friday, March 23, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Legislation to help startup companies raise capital by reducing some federal regulations won easy passage in the Senate Thursday despite warnings from some Democrats that less government oversight would mean more abuse and scams.

25. Popular Small Business Bill Hits Senate Obstacles - Friday, March 16, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – It might seem a recipe for success: Legislation to help small businesses raise capital passed the House last week with 95 percent of lawmakers voting for it and President Barack Obama's support. But in today's Congress, nothing comes easy.

26. House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Help Startups - Friday, March 9, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Showing that they can on occasion work together, House lawmakers on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a package of bills making it easier for small businesses and startups to raise the capital they need to grow and hire new workers.

27. GOP Promotes Plan to Help Small Businesses - Wednesday, February 29, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republican leaders are introducing a package of largely uncontroversial bills aimed at helping small businesses succeed and showing voters that Congress can on occasion move beyond its partisan divisions.

28. Obama's Proposed Tax Hikes at Odds With GOP Rivals - Tuesday, February 14, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama proposed tax increases on wealthy individuals and some corporations Monday, setting the stage for an ideological battle that won't be resolved until after the November election – if then.

29. House Ready to Consider Insider Trading Ban - Monday, February 6, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Legislation that would ban insider trading by lawmakers and thousands of executive branch officials headed for what could be a more contentious debate in the House after sailing through the Senate on a 96-3 vote.

30. House GOP Bill Would Cut Small Business Taxes - Thursday, February 2, 2012

U.S. House Republicans plan legislation to cut small business taxes by 20 percent, a GOP leader said Wednesday, Feb. 1, as the party stepped up its election-year competition with President Barack Obama over who is doing the most to create jobs.

31. Federal Budget Deficit to Dip to $1.1T, CBO Says - Wednesday, February 1, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The government will run a $1.1 trillion deficit in the fiscal year that ends in September, a slight dip from last year but still very high by any measure, according to a budget report released Tuesday.

32. White House Delays Release of 2013 Budget - Tuesday, January 24, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House said Monday that it's delaying for one week the release of President Barack Obama's budget for the 2013 fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.

The budget is traditionally released on the first Monday in February – which is Feb. 6 – but the administration has pushed the release to Feb. 13. An administration official said the later date was "determined based on the need to finalize decisions and technical details of the document."

33. Tax Cut Lives: Congress Gives Last-Minute Approval - Monday, December 26, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – After weeks of bickering and doubt, Congress delivered a last-minute holiday tax cut extension to 160 million workers Friday along with further unemployment benefits for millions laid off in the nation's fierce recession and weak economic recovery. It was a convincing victory for President Barack Obama, a humbling retreat for House Republicans.

34. House, Senate at Odds Over Payroll Tax Cut - Tuesday, December 20, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House and Senate barreled toward a collision Monday over some of the chief ingredients of President Barack Obama's recipe for reviving the economy, with tax increases and jobless benefit cuts awaiting millions of Americans on New Year's Day if the dispute is not resolved.

35. Republicans Plan House OK of Payroll Tax Cut Bill - Wednesday, December 14, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House promised a veto Tuesday for a Republican bill renewing a payroll tax cut next year for 160 million workers, complaining that spending cuts that pay for the measure would whack the middle class and require no sacrifice from the rich.

36. House GOP Introduces Bill Renewing Payroll Tax Cut - Monday, December 12, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republicans introduced legislation Friday that would extend the Social Security payroll tax cut through 2012 and trim extra benefits for the long-term unemployed.

37. Obama's Medicare Nominee Gets GOP Leader's Support - Wednesday, November 30, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama's Medicare nominee Tuesday got unexpected support from one of Congress' Republican stars. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor told The Associated Press that Marilyn Tavenner is "eminently qualified" to run Medicare.

38. Democrats, Republicans Far Apart on Deficit Deal - Thursday, November 17, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – A Democrat on a special deficit-cutting "supercommittee" Wednesday questioned whether Republicans are still interested in negotiating after the panel's top GOP member said Republicans have "gone as far as we feel we can go" on tax hikes.

39. Cantor Backs Off Calling Protesters ‘Mobs’ - Wednesday, October 12, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is no longer saying that Occupy Wall Street protesters amount to "mobs," but he says they're divisive in ways that tea partyers are not.

40. Obama Knocks GOP Leader, Says GOP Blocks Jobs Vote - Wednesday, October 5, 2011

DALLAS (AP) – President Barack Obama is criticizing House Majority Leader Eric Cantor for saying the president's $447 billion jobs bill will not get a vote in its entirety in the Republican-led House.

41. Obama: Congress Should Vote on Jobs Bill in Oct. - Tuesday, October 4, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama demanded Monday that Congress vote on his jobs legislation package this month despite signs that the full measure faces stiff resistance. "I'm ready to sign it," the president said.

42. Obama, GOP Trumpet Jobs Plans in Silicon Valley - Tuesday, September 27, 2011

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) – The debate over how to create jobs has moved to Silicon Valley, where the president and Republican leaders were each taking to the Internet to trumpet their agendas and win over young voters.

43. Obama Challenges Boehner, McConnell on Home Turf - Friday, September 23, 2011

CINCINNATI (AP) – Employing in-your-face politics, President Barack Obama sold his jobs plan Thursday from the turf of the top Republicans on Capitol Hill, combatively calling them out by name to demand action.

44. House Disaster Vote Sets up Showdown With Senate - Thursday, September 22, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Despite opposition from Democrats and some tea party Republicans, the GOP-controlled House on Wednesday took up $3.7 billion in disaster relief as part of a bill to avert a government shutdown at the end of the month.

45. Disaster Aid Showdown Looms on Capitol Hill - Wednesday, September 21, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Democratic leader of the Senate says he'll try this week to add almost $7 billion in disaster aid to must-pass legislation to avert a government shutdown.

The move by Nevada Democrat Harry Reid would force GOP supporters of a Senate disaster relief bill to choose whether to stick with the Senate disaster package or opt for a less generous House version. The House version is partially "paid for" with a $1.5 billion cut to a federal program that subsidizes low interest loans to car companies to build more fuel efficient vehicles.

46. Obama: Congress Has No Reason to Wait on Jobs Bill - Wednesday, September 14, 2011

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Imploring Congress to follow his lead, President Barack Obama on Tuesday lobbied lawmakers to adopt his nearly $450 billion jobs plan, promising it would help workers in the construction industry and rebuild schools in crumbling condition. Said Obama: "My question to Congress is, what on earth are we waiting for?"

47. Obama Would Hike Taxes to Pay for his Jobs Bill - Tuesday, September 13, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – In a sharp challenge to the GOP, President Barack Obama proposed paying for his costly new jobs plan Monday with tax hikes that Republicans have already rejected, and he accused them of political motives if they still refuse to go along.

48. Obama Tax Cut Would Boost Typical Pay by $1,500 - Monday, September 12, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Typical workers would get an extra $1,500 in their paychecks next year under a plan by President Barack Obama to expand a payroll tax cut that is scheduled expire at the end of the year. Higher paid workers would get more, and businesses would get tax breaks, too.

49. House GOP Plan Would Cut FAA's Budget 5 Percent - Monday, September 12, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republicans plan to attach a 5 percent cut in the Federal Aviation Administration's budget to legislation necessary to prevent another shutdown of the agency, according to a GOP summary of the bill provided to lobbyists.

50. Obama Completes Economy Team Ahead of Jobs Speech - Tuesday, August 30, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama tapped labor economist Alan Krueger for a top administration post Monday as the White House scrambles for solutions to repair an ailing U.S. economy ahead of the 2012 election.

51. House GOP to Spike Rules as Part of Jobs Agenda - Tuesday, August 30, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House Republican agenda this fall will focus on repealing environmental and labor regulations that GOP lawmakers say are driving up the cost of doing business and discouraging employers from hiring new workers.

52. Administration Moves Plan to Ax Hundreds of Rules - Wednesday, August 24, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Obama administration disclosed plans Tuesday to cut or roll back hundreds of federal regulations, including some that will streamline tax forms at the Internal Revenue Service, let railroad companies pass on installing expensive new technology, and speed up the visa process for low-risk visitors to the U.S.

53. Obama to Lay Out New Jobs Plan in Sept. Speech - Thursday, August 18, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Seeking to jolt the economy, President Barack Obama will propose new ideas to create jobs and help the struggling poor and middle class in a major speech after Labor Day. And then he will try to seize political advantage by spending the fall pressuring Congress to act on his plan.

54. Debt-Limit Votes: Senate Momentum, House Concerns - Tuesday, August 2, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House began debate Monday on the hard-bargained plan to avert a national financial default, even as the White House and congressional leaders struggled to round up enough votes to approve it. Supporters said momentum for the deficit-reduction compromise was on their side, but resistance from both liberals and conservatives made the outcome unclear.

55. White House Threatens to Veto Boehner's House Plan - Wednesday, July 27, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House threatened on Tuesday to veto emergency House legislation that aims to avert a threatened national default, a pre-emptive strike issued as Republican Speaker John Boehner labored to line up enough votes in his own party to pass the measure.

56. Bipartisan Tax Plan Trims Mortgage Deduction - Thursday, July 21, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new bipartisan plan to reduce government borrowing would target some of the most cherished tax breaks enjoyed by millions of families — those promoting health insurance, home ownership, charitable giving and retirement savings — in exchange for lowering overall tax rates for everyone.

57. Tea Party Takes its Turn in Debt Battle - Tuesday, July 19, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House weighed in with a veto threat Monday against a tea party-backed plan to let the government borrow another $2.4 trillion, a measure conditioned on big and immediate spending cuts and adoption by Congress of a constitutional amendment to balance the federal budget.

58. Obama Challenges Congress: Do ‘Something Big’ - Monday, July 18, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama on Friday challenged Congress to compromise and "do something big" to reduce long-term deficits, insisting he was willing to make his own tough choices including trimming benefits for wealthy Medicare recipients. Facing a critical Aug. 2 deadline to raise the nation's debt limit, Obama said the public was on his side but "we're running out of time."

59. Grim Jobs Report Casts Shadow Over Debt Talks - Monday, July 11, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Beset by a weak jobs report, President Barack Obama on Friday called for swift action by Congress to raise the nation's borrowing limit, saying the uncertainty over the debt ceiling has hindered hiring in the private sector.

60. Obama Calls Meeting With Leaders ‘Constructive’ - Friday, July 8, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Deadline approaching, President Barack Obama said he and congressional leaders worked through a "very constructive" debt-crisis session Thursday with congressional leaders but the parties were still far apart on deficit reduction proposals. He said he would reconvene the negotiators on Sunday.

61. The Good, Bad and Ugly - Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Good FedEx: FedEx had a robust earnings report, as the company announced a 33 percent profit surge for its most recent quarter, with revenues increasing by 12 percent. Rebounding U.S. industrial production and continued growth in India and China caused the company to remain bullish on global economic growth. Could FedEx’s strong showing be a sign of things to come when earnings season kicks off in full force early next month, or will their earnings prove to be the exception, rather than the rule?

62. Obama Invites Top US Senators for Debt Talks - Monday, June 27, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Stepping directly into stalled debt talks, President Barack Obama is inviting the two leaders of the U.S. Senate to separate meetings Monday, shifting the negotiations to the highest levels.

63. Republicans Bail on Budget Talks, Blame Democrats - Friday, June 24, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans pulled out of debt-reduction talks led by Vice President Joe Biden with a flourish on Thursday, blaming Democrats for demanding tax increases as part of a deal rather than accepting more than $1 trillion in cuts to Medicare and other government programs.

64. Biden-Led Budget Talks Resume on Capitol Hill - Friday, June 10, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – With an early August deadline looming, Vice President Joe Biden and top lawmakers met for the sixth time Thursday on legislation blending $1 trillion or more in spending cuts with a must-do measure to allow the government to resume borrowing more than $100 billion a month to pay its bills.

65. GOP Leader 'Cautiously Optimistic' on Debt Talks - Wednesday, June 8, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The No. 2 Republican in the House says he's "cautiously optimistic" that ongoing budget talks led by Vice President Joe Biden will produce an agreement on budget cuts at least as large as the accompanying increase in the government's ability to borrow.

66. House to Reject Debt Limit Increase Without Cuts - Wednesday, June 1, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republicans lined up to reject their own proposed $2.4 trillion increase in the nation's debt limit Tuesday, a political gambit designed to reinforce a demand for spending cuts to accompany any increase in government borrowing.

67. Medicare Overhaul Proposal Causing GOP Stress - Thursday, May 26, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Little more than a month after they backed sweeping changes to Medicare, Republicans are on the political defensive, losing a House seat long in their possession and exhibiting significant internal strains for the first time since last fall's election gains.

68. House to Vote on Debt Limit Next Week - Wednesday, May 25, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans intend to stage a vote in the House next week on legislation to raise the nation's debt limit without requiring spending cuts, a measure expected to fail.

69. Obama Focusing on Debt in Meeting With Democrats - Thursday, May 12, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama is wading into the swirl of deficit-trimming budget plans, looking to cast himself as a broker in the struggle to tame the federal debt.

The White House and congressional Democrats and Republicans are working to sort out what debt-fighting measures they can embrace now and which ones will be left for later, probably after the 2012 presidential and congressional elections.

70. GOP Concedes Medicare Vouchers Unlikely to Advance - Friday, May 6, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The GOP plan to replace Medicare with vouchers will have to wait, party leaders acknowledged Thursday as lawmakers and the White House bowed to political realities in pursuing a deal to allow more government borrowing in exchange for big spending cuts.

71. House GOP Budget Retains Democratic Medicare Cuts - Thursday, April 14, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – In a postelection reversal, House Republicans are supporting nearly $450 billion in Medicare cuts that they criticized vigorously last fall after Democrats and President Barack Obama passed them as part of their controversial health care law.

72. White House: Obama to Lay Out Spending Plan - Tuesday, April 12, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama this week will outline a broad plan to reduce the nation's deficit, shifting from immediate budget concerns to the debate over the nation's long-term economic health. Obama is expected to call for cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and tax hikes for the wealthy.

73. House Votes to Cut Off Federal Funds for NPR - Friday, March 18, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House on Thursday voted to end federal funding to National Public Radio. Republican supporters said it made good fiscal sense, and Democratic opponents called it an ideological attack that would deprive local stations of access to programs such as "Car Talk" and "All Things Considered."

74. Democrats Turn 'Where are the Jobs?' Chant on GOP - Friday, February 18, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans won sweeping victories last November by taunting Democrats with "Where are the jobs?" Democrats are now throwing those taunts back, saying it's Republicans who will knock thousands of Americans out of work with their demands for deep cuts in federal spending.

75. Obama: Talks on Entitlements 'Have Already Begun' - Friday, February 18, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama said Wednesday that difficult debates on how to address the costs of Social Security and Medicare are "starting now," even though his 2012 budget blueprint lacked any major changes to the large benefit programs.

76. Obama Orders Review of Rules to Boost Economy - Wednesday, January 19, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama, in another move to smooth frayed ties with corporate America, ordered a far-reaching review of federal regulations Tuesday with the goal of weeding out rules that hurt job growth and creation. Republicans and business groups welcomed the step but suggested he do even more.

77. Obama, Hill Leaders Meet: Taxes, Treaty on Tap - Wednesday, December 1, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – House and Senate leaders from both parties sat down Tuesday for their first postelection meeting with President Barack Obama in an atmosphere charged with tension over taxes and a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia.

78. TSA: Some Gov't Officials to Skip Airport Security - Friday, November 26, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Cabinet secretaries, top congressional leaders and an exclusive group of senior U.S. officials are exempt from toughened new airport screening procedures when they fly commercially with government-approved federal security details.

79. Hobbled Dems, Eager GOP Back for Lame-Duck Session - Tuesday, November 16, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Dejected Democrats and invigorated Republicans returned to the Capitol Monday to face a mountain of unfinished business and greet more than 100 mainly Republican freshmen-elect lawmakers determined to change how they do that business.

80. Cantor Says House Will Focus on Overseeing Govt - Friday, November 5, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Virginia congressman expected to be the next House majority leader says Republican-led committees will devote more time investigating and exposing lapses by the Obama administration and problems with its programs, including bringing critical oversight reports to the House floor for very public debates.

81. White House Doubts Need to Halt All Foreclosures - Tuesday, October 12, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – A top White House adviser questioned the need Sunday for a blanket stoppage of all home foreclosures, even as pressure grows on the Obama administration to do something about mounting evidence that banks have used inaccurate documents to evict homeowners.

82. 47 House Dems Want to Extend Investment Tax Cuts - Wednesday, September 29, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of 47 House Democrats are telling party leaders they want to continue Bush-era tax cuts on investment income, breaking ranks with President Barack Obama and exposing divisions among Democrats over their party's pre-election message about taxes.

83. Obama Report: 95,000 Jobs To Come Each Month - Friday, February 12, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. is likely to average 95,000 more jobs each month this year, while personal savings will remain high as credit remains tight, according to a White House report released Thursday.

84. GOP's Stephen Fincher Nets $320K for Congress Bid - Thursday, January 7, 2010

DYERSBURG, Tenn. (AP) - Republican congressional candidate Stephen Fincher's campaign announced Wednesday it raised about $320,000 in the fourth quarter.

Fincher is seeking to replace Democratic Rep. John Tanner, who announced in December he won't seek a 12th term.

85. Democrats May Go It Alone on Gov't Insurance Plan - Tuesday, June 23, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats generally are standing behind their position that a health care system overhaul must include a government-sponsored plan that would be available to middle-class workers and their families.

86. Administration Moves Against Bad Bank Assets - Tuesday, March 24, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration aimed squarely at the crisis clogging the nation's credit system Monday with a plan to take over up to $1 trillion in sour mortgage securities with the help of private investors. For once, Wall Street cheered.

87. Obama Defends Tackling Many Problems at Same Time - Wednesday, March 18, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama pushed back Tuesday against criticism that he's trying to take on too many issues at once, defending a $3.6 trillion budget that seeks to shore up the economy while also overhauling health care, energy and education.

88. Financial Bailout Agreement Reached - Friday, September 26, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) – Warned of a possible financial panic, key Republicans and Democrats reported agreement in principle Thursday to a $700 billion bailout of the financial industry and said they would present it to the Bush administration in hopes of a vote within days.