Democrat News

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is hoping to relieve the debt burden of millions of students who have borrowed to pay for their education -- especially New Yorkers, who average nearly $30,000 in student debt.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is aiming this week to pass a landmark immigration bill to secure the border and offer citizenship to millions, setting up a high-stakes debate on the Senate floor.

Outgoing acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller is pictured at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the Internal Revenue Service targeting conservative groups on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 17, 2013.

Thousands of Connecticut commuters should brace for travel chaos on Monday as Metro-North workers repair damage on the United States' busiest rail line caused by the collision of two trains, officials warned on Sunday.

Five months into President Barack Obama's second term, allies and former top aides worry that his overarching goal of economic opportunity has been diminished, partly drowned out by controversies seized upon by Republicans in an effort to weaken him.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Missouri liberal Claire McCaskill called on federal officials to be fired over the IRS conservative targeting scandal.

Rain showers benefit Montana agriculture, but severe weather is another story. Storms should not be taken lightly, as some North Texan residents learned first hand Wednesday evening.

"I don't want wondering or worrying, will today be the day I become a victim of sexual assault?" U.S. Sen.

Former Congressman Barney Frank, left, and his husband, James Ready, were in San Francisco this week for Frank's appearance at the Commonwealth Club Outspoken gay former Congressman Barney Frank was in San Francisco this week and told a gathering of the Commonwealth Club that while he won't consider a presidential run, he predicted the U.S. could ... (more)

Republicans aren't the only ones roiled by internal jostling and recruiting hiccups ahead of next year's midterm elections.

Officials described a devastating scene of shattered cars and other damage where two trains packed with rush-hour commuters collided in Connecticut, saying Saturday it's fortunate that no one was killed and that there weren't even more injuries.

The nation's tax agency has admitted to inappropriately scrutinizing smaller tea party organizations that applied for tax-exempt status, and senior Treasury Department officials were notified in the midst of the 2012 presidential election season that an internal investigation was underway.

Officials in Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's office say the governor will meet with representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board and Connecticut's two U.S. senators at the site of a Metro-North Railroad crash that injured 70 people.

Despite Democratic fears, predictions of the demise of President Barack Obama's agenda appear exaggerated after a week of cascading controversies, political triage by the administration and party leaders in Congress and lack of evidence to date of wrongdoing close to the Oval Office.

Seeking maximum political gain from the string of controversies swirling around the White House, Republicans are on the attack against Democratic lawmakers who accepted donations from the union that represents Internal Revenue Service employees.

President Barack Obama's budget would trim projected federal deficits by $1.1 trillion over the coming decade, using nearly $6 in higher revenues for every $1 in reduced spending to achieve it, Congress' nonpartisan budget analyst said Friday.

Lawmakers are wrestling with changes in the military justice system to improve investigation and prosecution of rape and sexual assault cases, with a push toward handling have sex crimes handled outside the normal chain of command.

"We may see production levels hit at least a million barrels a day we may see it go beyond that in the coming years," Justin Krigstad of the North Dakota Pipeline Authority said Thursday of the oil in that state.

Steven Miller, the outgoing acting commissioner of the IRS, apologized Friday "on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service for mistakes that we made and the poor service we provided." Miller made the remark at a House and Ways and Means Committee hearing over extra scrutiny that the IRS gave to conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.

In this Feb. 22, 2009, file photo, bottles of Heinz organic tomato ketchup are on display inside Costco in Mountain View, Calif.