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.

The U.S. Capitol (Photo: Getty Images)

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

By: - January 11, 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 […]

The U.S. Capitol at night. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt / States Newsroom)

U.S. House GOP backs rules plan without disclosing deals made with hard-right members

By: and - January 10, 2023

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House adopted rules for the 118th Congress on Monday, though several of the concessions Speaker Kevin McCarthy made with more conservative members of the Republican Party to secure the gavel weren’t included in the document, or publicly circulated ahead of the vote.  The 55-page rules package the House voted nearly party-line […]

The Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. lit up at night. (Photo: Getty Images)

McCarthy flips GOP holdouts as his campaign for U.S. House speaker gathers speed

By: and - January 6, 2023

WASHINGTON — Kevin McCarthy’s campaign to become speaker of the U.S. House will stretch into at least Friday night, as the California Republican inched ahead in his struggle to unite his divided party around his candidacy and an overhaul of rules under which the chamber will operate. “We’ll come back tonight, and I believe at […]

California Republican U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy heads to the U.S. House chamber just after noon on Jan. 5, 2023, as the House began another day of votes on his bid to become speaker. “We’re just going to keep working until we solve it,” he told reporters. (Photo by Ashley Murray, States Newsroom)

U.S. House stuck for a third day as Republicans struggle to unite around a speaker

By: and - January 5, 2023

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House slogged through more votes for speaker Thursday, with Republicans unable to reach consensus about whether Kevin McCarthy should lead them during the 118th Congress, or if another lawmaker should win the gavel.  Twenty-one Republicans voted against McCarthy during the third day, signaling that ongoing closed-door negotiations and talks on the […]

U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) photographed July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

U.S. House paralyzed following second day of GOP failure to elect a speaker

By: and - January 4, 2023

(This story has been updated to reflect evolving events.) WASHINGTON — The U.S. House adjourned without a speaker for the second day in a row Wednesday as Republicans’ stalemate over who should lead the chamber for the next two years dragged on, with Kevin McCarthy failing to get the votes needed to become speaker on three […]

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 14: 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 Building on December 14, 2022 in Washington, DC. 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)

Conservatives in U.S. House tank McCarthy bid to be speaker on multiple ballots

By: and - January 3, 2023

WASHINGTON — Republican control of the U.S. House got off to a rocky start Tuesday when the party was unable to decide who should become speaker amid a sharp disagreement within the party’s more conservative faction. California Rep. Kevin McCarthy didn’t clinch the backing of the 218 lawmakers he needed to become the head of […]

(Photo: Marissa Demarco, Source NM)

Huge $1.7 trillion spending package passes in U.S. Senate, backed by both parties

By: - December 22, 2022

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate passed a massive $1.7 trillion funding package Thursday that carries emergency aid for natural disaster recovery and the Ukrainian war effort, pushing past disputes over immigration policy and barely meeting a Friday deadline when current funding runs out. The bill, supported by both Democrats and Republicans, now goes to the […]

The $1.7 billion legislation needs to reach the president's desk by midnight Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown. (Art by Getty Images)

Congress rolls out $1.7 trillion spending deal in race to Friday deadline

By: - December 20, 2022

WASHINGTON — Congress unveiled a $1.7 trillion spending package early Tuesday that would fund the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year, completing the annual process that began this spring when President Joe Biden sent lawmakers his budget request.  Biden’s chief budget official in a statement urged Congress to speedily pass the massive […]

TIJUANA, MEXICO - MARCH 26: Children play in the makeshift shelter camps for Central American migrants while awaiting the US authorities to allow them to enter to begin their process of asylum into the country, on March 26, 2021 in Tijuana, Mexico. Following the change of direction in immigration policy, the United States government is once again allowing asylum seekers to cross the border. (Photo by Francisco Vega/Getty Images)

U.S. Supreme Court temporarily keeps Title 42 immigration program in effect

By: - December 20, 2022

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court is keeping Title 42 in place until the justices can review whether the pandemic-era program should be lifted or continue. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in an order on Monday stayed a lower court’s ruling that would have allowed the program, which was put in place by the […]

The U.S. Capitol. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Congress clears one-week bill to fund the government, but many hurdles remain

By: - December 18, 2022

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate sent President Joe Biden a one-week government funding bill late Thursday, giving negotiators a few more days to wrap up talks on what is expected to be a $1.7 trillion package to keep the federal government up and running through September.  The short-term bill is the second time Congress has […]

Cars line up at Nashville's Nissan Stadium for passengers to get COVID-19 testing in 2020. (Photo: John Partipilo)

White House resumes handing out free COVID-19 rapid test kits

By: - December 15, 2022

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is once again offering Americans the opportunity to order free at-home COVID-19 rapid tests from the federal government, a program that it had shuttered amid an ongoing stalemate with Congress over additional funding to address the virus.  The program will allow each household to order four free COVID-19 tests as […]

U.S. Capitol. Photo by Russ Rohde/Getty Images

U.S. House and Senate GOP at odds over massive government spending deal

By: - December 14, 2022

WASHINGTON — Congress is trying to wrap up its remaining must-pass bills before leaving for the holidays — but a split between Senate Republican and House GOP leaders could hamstring the all-important task of funding government operations and averting a partial shutdown. Senate Republicans are working with Democrats in both chambers to negotiate a major […]