mandatory

Louisiana GOP Rep. Garret Graves, left, and North Carolina Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry speak with reporters about debt limit and government spending negotiations outside the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

Treasury secretary pinpoints June 5 as earliest date for U.S. debt default

BY: - May 26, 2023

This story was updated to include Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s latest estimates on a debt limit deadline. WASHINGTON — Republicans in Congress and the Biden administration have until at least June 5 to broker and enact a debt limit bill under new estimates from the Treasury Department, giving negotiators a few more days before the […]

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 […]

U.S. Supreme Court wrestles over Biden’s immigration enforcement policy

BY: - November 29, 2022

“U.S. Supreme Court wrestles over Biden’s immigration enforcement policy” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.   The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on whether the Biden administration has the right to […]

The Tennessee Supreme Court Building in Nashville, Tennessee, is the historic building that houses the Tennessee Supreme Court offices and where the court meets when it is in session in Nashville. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. (Getty Images)

Mandatory life sentences for juveniles unconstitutional, Tenn. high court declares

BY: - November 21, 2022

In a landmark decision, a majority panel of the Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday struck down as unconstitutional mandatory life sentences for juveniles. “In fulfilling our duty to decide constitutional issues, we hold that an automatic life sentence when imposed on a juvenile homicide offender with no consideration of the juvenile’s age or other circumstances […]