Joint conference Wednesday to discuss security concerns

Congress To Hold Special Conference To Discuss Security For Members
The Hill: The chairman of the House Democratic Caucus said Sunday that lawmakers will meet for a special joint conference on Wednesday to discuss security measures and concerns in the wake of the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in her home district Saturday. Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) spoke to reporters after about 800 lawmakers, Staffers and family members took part in an hour-and-a-half Conference Call Sunday afternoon. Giffords’ Chief of Staff, Pia Carusone, was among th...

Two lawmakers say they'll carry guns
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Two U.S. House members say they will carry guns while visiting their districts after the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Reps. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and Heath Shuler, D-N.C., who both hold conceal and carry permits, told Politico they would not carry the weapons in the District of Columbia. GALLERY: The aftermath of the Rep. Giffords shooting Members of Congress get some protection from the U.S. Capitol Police, but many travel only with unarmed Staffers and ...

House joint caucus conference on security to be held Wednesday
House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (Conn.) told reporters at a Capitol briefing after Sunday's Conference Call that leaders of both parties have scheduled a joint Caucus conference for Wednesday at House Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) request. At Wednesday's meeting, members are expected to be given additional recommendations on security measures, Larson said. "The primary thing here is to make sure that all members are coordinating their efforts with local police officials, which a l...

House To Hold Bipartisan Caucus Meeting For Post-Shooting Safety Info
In the aftermath of the Arizona Shooting Spree, House Republican leaders have cleared the legislative calendar for next week, which means that for the most part U.S. politics will slow to a crawl. Instead, members -- Democrats and Republicans -- will participate in a joint Caucus meeting Wednesday, to be briefed on security precautions in the wake of the shooting. Because of the preponderance of freshman and other junior members, who were not on the Hill during the 9/11 and Anthrax attacks, ma...

House Is Briefed on Giffords
The House of Representatives is out of session for the weekend, but after yesterday's tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona, members were briefed on the shooting during a Conference Call Sunday. Over 800 representatives, staff, and family members joined the call, according to Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson. Members heard from Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Larson, Nancy Pelosi, House Sergeant at Arms Bill Livingood, Capitol Police Chief Bill Morse, Giffords's chief of ...

Members focus on comity, safety of staff and family (Exclusive to Yahoo! News)
By Fawn Johnson National Journal Republicans and Democrats are abandoning Partisanship -- for now. Saturday's massacre by a gunman in Tucson, Ariz., that left six dead and wounded 14 others, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords , D-Ariz., means that House members will spend the coming week making floor tributes to Giffords and discussing, in the most respectful way, how to better ensure that they and their families and staffs are safe inside the Capitol and also in their home districts. The Senat...

Engel 'Shocked' By Attack on Friend, Says Heated Rhetoric and Crosshairs 'Doesn't Help Anything'
After the swearing-in ceremony for state Comptroller Tom Dinapoli yesterday afternoon, Congressman Eliot Engel took a moment to reflect on the attack on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona. "I'm shocked, I'm very sad," he said. "Gabby Giffords is a very close personal friend of mine, one of my best friends in Congress. I've known her since before she ran for Congress. She is about as caring and as nice a person as you can find. It just breaks my heart." Giffords served on the Western H...

House Members Gather by Phone in Giffords' Honor
WASHINGTON -- Members of Congress, their staff and spouses held an 800-person Conference Call Sunday, to discuss Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' medical condition after she was shot in the head in Arizona Saturday, and to talk about their own security. Many of the lawmakers called in from their districts where they had returned after the first short week of the 112th Congress. 'Congress at its Best' Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson, D-Conn., described the Bipartisan call as "Congress at its be...

This Week in Congress
In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader: Leader Cantor Statement on the Legislative Schedule for the Week of January 10th WASHINGTON, DC - Today, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) issued the following statement regarding the legislative schedule for the House of Representatives during the upcoming week: "In consultation with the Speaker and the Democratic Leadership, I have postponed all previously-scheduled Legislation for the coming week to accommodate any ac...

This Week in Congress
In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader: Leader Cantor Statement on the Legislative Schedule for the Week of January 10th WASHINGTON, DC - Today, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) issued the following statement regarding the legislative schedule for the House of Representatives during the upcoming week: "In consultation with the Speaker and the Democratic Leadership, I have postponed all previously-scheduled Legislation for the coming week to accommodate any ac...

House GOP postpones votes for this week
In light of the tragedy that took place in Tucson on Saturday, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) has postponed votes on Legislation for the week, including an planned vote to Repeal the Health Care reform Legislation passed last March: “In consultation with the Speaker and the Democratic Leadership, I have postponed all previously-scheduled Legislation for the coming week to accommodate any action needed in light of yesterday’s tragic events in Arizona. “The House will meet...

Members Of Congress To Get Security Suggestions In Wake Of Arizona Shooting
WASHINGTON — A House Democratic leader says he thinks lawmakers will be taking precautions when meeting with the public in the wake of a congresswoman's shooting in Arizona. Connecticut Rep. John Larson, who heads the House Democratic Caucus, says lawmakers will continue to have open sessions with their constituents. Leaders from both parties held a Conference Call Sunday with the House sergeant at arms to discuss security in the aftermath of the attack that wounded Arizona Democratic Re...

Tucson shooting alters congressional agenda
WASHINGTON - This weekend's shooting in Tucson that killed six and wounded 14, including Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, hasn't just shaken Washington emotionally -- it's also shaken up the congressional agenda. The new Republican leadership in the House had planned an ambitious agenda for the first days of the 112th Congress, following up its adoption of new Budget rules last week with a vote to Repeal the Health Care bill this week. But on Sunday, Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor sent o...

Republican Tom DeLay sentenced to three years in prison
Source: BBC News Former US House Republican Leader Tom DeLay has been sent to Prison for three years on Conspiracy charges. The Texas politician was convicted of conspiring to funnel corporate Campaign Contributions to legislative races in Texas, in violation of state law. DeLay resigned as House Majority Leader five years ago, after his indictment. A Texas jury found him guilty of Money Laundering and Conspiracy in November. DeLay has called the case a political vendetta. Read more: https://www....

Report from the Hill
REPORT FROM THE HILL.... I traded emails today with a Capitol Hill Staffer with whom I speak regularly, and I think the aide's perspective is worth passing along. (I'm republishing the staffer's note in its entirety with permission.) To say hill staff is shook up after the weekend's events would be an understatement. We are family up here and I know I'm not the only who has already gotten requests from family to find another line of work. We have had this in the back of our minds for quite som...

Obama: US grieving, shocked over Ariz. rampage (AP)
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said Monday the nation is still in shock over the shooting rampage in Arizona that left a Democratic congresswoman fighting for her life, but he commended the courage of the people on the scene who rushed to help, saying their actions reflect the "best of America." The president told reporters that Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others injured on Saturday are still fighting to recover. He said he anticipated some type of national memorial that ...

Giffords shooting prompts calls for more security
In the wake of the shooting that critically wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and killed one of her aides, a Federal Judge and four others, U.S. Capitol Police spent the weekend fielding calls from lawmakers with concerns over potential threats and questions about what more should be done to protect Staffers and family members at home. This Story Giffords shooting prompts calls for more security FAQ: Congress and safety U.S. sees evidence of Assassination plot The Law Enforcement agen...

House suspends work on Obamacare after shooting
House Republicans suspended their work this week, including a much-anticipated vote on ObamaCare, in response to the shooting rampage in front of a Tucson, Ariz., Supermarket that left six people dead and Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords clinging to life. In a Conference Call with House Democrats and Republicans, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said he was canceling the regular schedule, including the Wednesday ballot on a bill to Repeal the Health Care reform law. Instead, Cantor said, t...

Moment of silence, 11 a.m. 800+ join Boehner conference call Chaffetz, Shuler to pack heat back home -- Ezra Klein: Don't over
Good Monday morning. THE NARRATIVE – WashPost A9, “Analysis: In caustic political atmosphere, a moment of pause,” by Dan Balz: “Republican House leaders … have announced that they will postpone Wednesday's scheduled vote to Repeal President Obama's health-care law … But the debates over Health Care and other issues that divide Republicans and Democrats will resume, as they must. … Politicians in both parties have said this is not a time for one side t...

House to Honor Giffords on Wednesday
The Wall Street Journal reports: Instead of debating the Repeal of the Controversial health care law, Republicans and Democrats will gather in the House on Wednesday to honor Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and mourn the Victims of the shooting Saturday outside a Tucson, Ariz., Safeway. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.) made the announcement during a rare Conference Call Sunday afternoon with members and staff of both parties and their family members, according to readouts from his and other...

The Substance Of Symbolism
Given all the crimes that have been committed on the floor of the House of Representatives — from the Attempted Murder of five congressmen by Puerto Rican nationalists in 1954, to various cases of Bribery and Extortion, to gay members of both parties soliciting Underage congressional pages — you would think that a simple reading of the U.S. Constitution wouldn’t have provoked so much liberal outrage. The recitation of the Constitution, the first order of business for the new H...

Rep. Michele Bachmann: House Republicans Should Fully Defund Obamacare Under Congress Power of the Purse
Friday, January 07, 2011 By Nicholas Ballasy (CNSNews.com) -- Given that House Republican efforts to “completely” Repeal the Health Care law will face hurdles in the Democrat-controlled Senate or a presidential Veto, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) told CNSNews.com that Republicans should use Congress’ “power of the purse” to “fully defund ObamaCare.” CNSNews.com asked Rep. Bachmann whether she agreed with Rep. Steve King’s (R-Iowa) proposal to include sp

Boehner: Public Service Comes with Risk
Source: Wall Street Journal Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) said Sunday morning that the “inhuman” shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others outside a Tucson, Ariz., Supermarket this weekend “should not and will not deter us from our calling to represent our constituents and fulfill our oaths of office.” “No act . . . must be allowed to stop us from our duty,” Mr. Boehner said during brief remarks at the West Chester, Ohio, Township Hall and Administration Offices. He echo

The Blue Dog Bridge
Blue Dogs tell Roll Call they’re ready to make nice with Republicans: “We have an opportunity that’s the same opportunity the Blue Dogs did with welfare reform,” said Rep. Jim Matheson (Utah), who co-chairs the Blue Dog Coalition’s political action committee and replaced retired Rep. John Tanner (Tenn.) as one of the Democratic Caucus’ chief deputy whips. “They were the bridge and they were the group that held that together in a Bipartisan way to make it happen.R

Obama Leads Moment of Silence
Wall Street Journal reports: President Barack Obama led the nation in a moment of silence Monday morning, gathering with White House staff on the South Lawn to honor the Victims of the Saturday shooting rampage in Arizona. The president and First Lady Michelle Obama emerged from the White House at 11 a.m., walked a few feet forward and stopped, bowed their heads and stood silently for about a minute. A bell chimed three times, a standard Military protocol. The only other sounds were of cameras...