Author

Jennifer Shutt

Jennifer Shutt

Jennifer covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include congressional policy, politics and legal challenges with a focus on health care, unemployment, housing and aid to families.

Minnesotat Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (center) was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee a party-line vote Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. Shes seen her with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (left), also a Minnesota Democrat and Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-New York) in this 2021 photo. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

U.S. House GOP votes to oust Rep. Omar from foreign affairs panel for past antisemitic remarks

By: - February 2, 2023

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House voted along party lines Thursday to remove Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee for past antisemitic statements.  The removal, the first for a Democrat during this session of Congress, followed Democrats’ vote to strip two Republicans of all their committee assignments last Congress for making threats […]

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy answers questions from reporters at the U.S. Capitol about debt limit talks at the White House, on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

Biden, McCarthy hold ‘productive’ and ‘frank’ debt limit talks as fiscal cliffs loom

By: - February 1, 2023

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy huddled behind closed doors at the White House on Wednesday in the first of what will likely be several conversations as the country approaches two fiscal cliffs this year amid divided government.  The top issue at the moment is when and how to address […]

Of more than 7,500 threats against members of Congress in 2022, just 22 prosecuted

By: - February 1, 2023

WASHINGTON —  Members of Congress receive thousands of threats a year, though just a fraction of the people who call, mail or email will ever be prosecuted — a situation that’s of great concern to the police who guard members. Just 22 of the 7,501 threats lobbed at members during 2022 led to prosecution, the […]

A Democratic National Committee panel has given New Hampshire and Georgia more time to change their presidential primary election dates as the party moves to make South Carolina the first-in-the-nation primary. This 2020 photo shows poll workers in New Hampshire checking in voters in what was then the first primary in the election cycle.(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

National Dems give New Hampshire, Georgia more time to change 2024 primary dates

By: - January 26, 2023

WASHINGTON — New Hampshire and Georgia will have a bit longer to implement key changes to when and how they hold Democratic presidential primaries, under an extension a Democratic National Committee panel approved Wednesday.  Election officials will have until June 3 to move New Hampshire’s 2024 Democratic presidential primary to Feb. 13 and Georgia’s to […]

Biden, Democrats to U.S. House Republicans: Show us your debt limit plan

By: - January 24, 2023

WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders huddled with President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday, ahead of what will be a tumultuous few months, with lawmakers sharply divided on the debt limit and short on time.  “I have no intention of letting the Republicans wreck our economy, nor does anybody around this table,” Biden said […]

Federal judge could decide as soon as February to yank abortion pill nationwide

By: - January 23, 2023

WASHINGTON — A Texas judge could decide as soon as next month whether to force the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to pull its two-decade-old approval of the abortion pill, which accounts for more than half of pregnancy terminations in the United States.  A nationwide injunction in the case, as requested by anti-abortion groups, would […]

The facade of the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D.C.

U.S. hits debt limit and Treasury Department begins ‘extraordinary measures’

By: - January 19, 2023

WASHINGTON — The nation reached its debt limit Thursday, beginning the uncertain process known as extraordinary measures, in which the U.S. Treasury Department uses accounting maneuvers to avoid defaulting on the debt.  The often-used practice is intended to give the Republican House, Democratic Senate and Biden administration time to negotiate a bipartisan agreement to raise […]

Robert K. Hur, former U.S. attorney for Maryland, spoke at a press conference in the Maryland State House in November 2021. Hur has been appointed special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland to head up an investigation into President Joe Biden's handing of classified documents found at his Wilmington, Del., residence and at a pre-presidential office in Washington, D.C. (Photo from the Executive Office of the Governor of Maryland)

White House defends delay in revealing classified documents at Biden private office, home

By: - January 17, 2023

WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday defended sitting on information about Obama administration classified documents found at President Joe Biden’s private residence and a think tank, saying officials are attempting to balance working with the Justice Department and sharing information publicly.  “We understand that there’s a tension between the need to be cooperative with […]

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen gives a speech on the economy at Fords Rouge Electric Vehicle Center on September 8, 2022 in Dearborn, Michigan.

U.S. to hit debt limit much sooner than expected, thrusting Congress into showdown

By: - January 13, 2023

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government will hit its borrowing limit next week, forcing the new, divided Congress into negotiations over the debt limit much sooner than expected, though a potential date for the nation to default isn’t expected until this summer. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrote to Congress on Friday afternoon, telling leaders the United […]

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announces on Jan. 12, 2023, the appointment of former U.S. Attorney for Maryland Robert Hur to investigate the discovery of classified documents held by President Joe Biden at an office and his home. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

U.S. attorney general names special counsel for classified docs found in Biden’s garage

By: and - January 12, 2023

WASHINGTON — The White House revealed Thursday morning that more classified documents from President Joe Biden’s time as vice president were discovered outside of secure government facilities, this time in the garage at his Wilmington, Delaware home.  The files have since been turned over to the U.S. Justice Department, which opened a special counsel investigation […]

U.S. House Republicans push through two anti-abortion measures in first work week

By: - January 11, 2023

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Wednesday approved its first abortion-related measures under a new Republican majority, eliciting strong support from GOP members and opposition from Democrats, who rejected the legislation as misleading and incomplete.  Republicans, who secured a four-seat majority during the November midterm elections, said the bill setting medical standards on a national […]

House Minority Leader speaks Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks with House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) during a press conference on the 2023 Fiscal Year at the U.S Capitol on Dec. 14, 2022. During the news conference, House Republicans called on Congress to vote on a short-term spending bill for the government, which would allow them to pass further funding in the 118th Congress when Republicans hold the majority. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

U.S. House GOP plan calls for federal spending cuts, conditions on debt limit increase

By: and - January 10, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republican leaders during a closed-door meeting Tuesday shared more details of the secret agreements Speaker Kevin McCarthy made with conservative lawmakers last week to secure the votes he needed to hold the gavel.  The so-called handshake deal, displayed on slides during the GOP weekly conference meeting, if adhered to could have […]