House Vote

The House gave gun rights advocates their first legislative win of the year in a move that some saw as a Republican reversal on protecting states' rights: approval of a federal regulation that would require states that issue concealed-weapons permits to honor such permits from other states. The GOP-led chamber approved the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011, intended to allow gun owners to travel more easily from state to state without worrying about whether their concealed carry permit was valid.

WASHINGTON — In a potential threat to the long-stalled new downtown Los Angeles federal courthouse, the Republican-controlled House voted Wednesday night to prevent the Justice Department from spending money to staff the building. The prohibition, attached to a funding bill, is certain to face resistance in the Senate, where California's Democratic senators have made a new courthouse at 1st and Broadway a priority. Still, the vote signaled Central Valley Republican Rep. Jeff Denham's determination to scuttle a $400-million project he considers unnecessary.

The House of Representatives voted down a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution on Friday, failing to revive a long-held and perpetually elusive goal for the GOP. The vote came 16 years after an amendment failed to pass Congress by just one vote in the Senate, but the intervening years have put the amendment even farther out of reach. In a 261-165 vote, the measure fell well short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass. The White House has said it opposes the amendment.

WASHINGTON -- The White House's threat to veto the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act is prompting more amendments from its supporters as the bill heads toward a planned House vote on Friday. President Obama's senior advisors will recommend he veto the bill if it passes Congress in its current form, the administration said on Wednesday, pointing out that the bill goes too far in releasing companies from liability if their computer networks are not secure and does not include enough oversight to limit how information gathered by the government can be shared.

The House rejected a Senate-brokered compromise to extend a tax cut for working Americans and sent the measure to a conference committee for negotiations. The House's procedural vote fell short of actually voting down the Senate bill, which extends President Obama's payroll tax cut, and other measures, for two months. House Republicans chose the procedural path because many are uneasy with going on record as voting against the compromise package, a move that could leave them looking responsible if no other deal is reached before the tax break expires Dec. 31. But it is unclear whether Tuesday's vote will make any progress toward a deal.

Congressional Republicans on Thursday held fast to support for the Afghanistan war, heavily opposing a troop withdrawal in a vote that tested whether conservative new members would adhere to the party leaders on a significant question of U.S. policy. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio), who put forward the resolution, framed it in fiscal terms, predicting that if troops were not pulled out immediately, the war would last until 2020 and cost an additional $1 trillion. "Are we ready to give up our entire domestic agenda so that we can continue on the path of a war to prop up a corrupt regime?"

Legislation that would have extended unemployment benefits for an additional three months failed to earn the required supermajority in the House of Representatives on Thursday. The final vote was 258-154, ordinarily sufficient to pass legislation. But Democrats brought the measure to the floor using a legislative tactic that required approval from two-thirds of the House. Currently, benefits are set to expire on Nov. 30 for an estimated 4 million Americans. The measure would have allowed those unemployed individuals to continue receiving benefits until Feb. 28, 2011.

WASHINGTON — In a potential threat to the long-stalled new downtown Los Angeles federal courthouse, the Republican-controlled House voted Wednesday night to prevent the Justice Department from spending money to staff the building. The prohibition, attached to a funding bill, is certain to face resistance in the Senate, where California's Democratic senators have made a new courthouse at 1st and Broadway a priority. Still, the vote signaled Central Valley Republican Rep. Jeff Denham's determination to scuttle a $400-million project he considers unnecessary.

There are only three types of people who are against aid for the Contras. They are the Sandinistas, the uninformed and the stupid; 219 members of Congress fit one or more of the above descriptions! NEIL C. REINHARDT El Segundo

Republicans are the party of business and the rich. Democrats are for the working man. That's what my dad always said.   Dad, I think you were on to something. The Times reported Thursday that the Republican-led House approved a 20% business tax break for companies with fewer than 500 employees. Republicans say it will boost the economy, but Democrats say it will add $46 billion to the deficit and that it favors wealthier business owners, celebrities and sports teams.

WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives voted 293 to 132 Friday to extend a payroll tax cut and maintain Medicare reimbursement rates. The bill is expected to be voted on in the Senate  later in the day. In December, a short-term extension was passed, but the new bill faced opposition from House Republicans, who were demanding spending cuts to pay for the measure. This week, House Speaker John Boehner said he was willing to compromise, paving the way for the bill to move ahead.

The Republican-led House began its first full legislative day of the new year by reigniting one of last year's pivotal partisan fights: the debt ceiling debate that helped to define the tea party-powered majority. The House voted largely along party lines Wednesday to deny President Obama an increase in new borrowing authority - a political exercise that is not expected to curtail federal spending or threaten a federal default. The tally was 239 to 176. Because the measure is expected to stall in the Senate, which Democrats control, and is opposed by Obama, it is unlikely to prevent a $1.2-trillion increase in the debt ceiling.

The House rejected a Senate-brokered compromise to extend a tax cut for working Americans and sent the measure to a conference committee for negotiations. The House's procedural vote fell short of actually voting down the Senate bill, which extends President Obama's payroll tax cut, and other measures, for two months. House Republicans chose the procedural path because many are uneasy with going on record as voting against the compromise package, a move that could leave them looking responsible if no other deal is reached before the tax break expires Dec. 31. But it is unclear whether Tuesday's vote will make any progress toward a deal.

The House has passed legislation that would dismantle the system of public financing for presidential campaigns, a key element of post-Watergate reforms aimed at minimizing the role of money in politics. Before the partisan 235-190 vote, the Republican majority hailed the move as a step toward fiscal discipline and an end to a broken and outdated system. Eliminating the system, which is supported by the $3 donations on tax forms, is expected to save roughly $500 million over the next five years.

The House of Representatives voted down a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution on Friday, failing to revive a long-held and perpetually elusive goal for the GOP. The vote came 16 years after an amendment failed to pass Congress by just one vote in the Senate, but the intervening years have put the amendment even farther out of reach. In a 261-165 vote, the measure fell well short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass. The White House has said it opposes the amendment.

The House gave gun rights advocates their first legislative win of the year in a move that some saw as a Republican reversal on protecting states' rights: approval of a federal regulation that would require states that issue concealed-weapons permits to honor such permits from other states. The GOP-led chamber approved the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011, intended to allow gun owners to travel more easily from state to state without worrying about whether their concealed carry permit was valid.

Bringing a tense debate to a quiet close, the House approved legislation Tuesday to fund the government and replenish disaster aid into next month, ending for now the threat of a government shutdown. The House voted 352 to 66 to fund the government through Nov. 18. At that time, Congress is expected to be at a standoff again as conservative Republicans push for deeper cuts and policy changes that will run into resistance from Democrats. House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio)