DC BUREAU

Our Washington, D.C., bureau reports on congressional delegations and key Supreme Court and administrative decisions that affect our state.

STAFF

Jane Norman

DC Bureau Chief

Jane directs national coverage, managing staff and freelance reporters in the nation’s capital and assigning and editing state-specific daily and enterprise stories.

Jacob Fischler

DC Bureau Senior Reporter

Jacob covers federal policy as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Based in Oregon, he focuses on Western issues. His coverage areas include climate, energy development, public lands and infrastructure.

Ashley Murray

DC Bureau Senior Reporter

Ashley Murray covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include domestic policy and appropriations.

Jennifer Shutt

DC Bureau Senior Reporter

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.

Ariana Figueroa

DC Bureau Reporter

Ariana covers the nation's capital for States Newsroom. Her areas of coverage include politics and policy, lobbying, elections and campaign finance.

STORIES

A screenshot of President Joe Biden signing the Inflation Reduction Act, a climate, health care and tax package.

Biden signs into law Democrats’ wide-ranging climate change, health care and tax bill

BY: - August 16, 2022

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed his party’s signature climate, health care and tax package into law Tuesday, capping off more than a year of tumultuous negotiations that saw his original proposal to Congress slimmed down considerably. Flanked by a handful of Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and […]

(Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

U.S. House Democrats send sweeping climate, health and tax legislation to Biden

BY: - August 12, 2022

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Friday cleared Democrats’ long-sought climate, health care and tax package, sending it to President Joe Biden for his signature.  The roughly $750 billion measure is much smaller than the $2 trillion reconciliation package the House originally sent to the Senate in November. The final product left out dozens of […]

Former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Published reports indicate that possible classified material was among documents recovered by the National Archives in January from the Mar-a-Lago home. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

U.S. attorney general says DOJ asked for public release of search warrant for Trump estate

BY: - August 11, 2022

WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the U.S. Department of Justice moved Thursday to release the search warrant a federal judge issued earlier this week that allowed federal agents to enter former President Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.   DOJ, Garland said, has ​​filed a motion in the Southern District of Florida […]

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is sponsoring a bill in Congress to place a monument to women's suffrage on the National Mall. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Republicans in Congress line up behind Trump after he says FBI searched Mar-a-Lago

BY: - August 10, 2022

Republicans in Congress fumed Tuesday in reaction to former President Donald Trump’s Monday evening statement that the FBI executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, his home in Palm Beach, Florida. Democrats had little to say Tuesday about the apparent search, though some defended the execution of justice regardless of a person’s political power. The massive […]

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York), gives the thumbs up as he leaves the Senate chamber after passage of the Inflation Reduction Act on Sunday. Getty Images photo by Drew Angerer.

U.S. Senate passes major health, tax and climate bill in boost for Democrats

BY: and - August 7, 2022

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate, along party lines, passed a sweeping energy, health care, climate and tax package Sunday afternoon, following an overnight marathon of votes that resulted in just a handful of notable changes to the legislation. The 755-page bill was passed after Vice President Kamala Harris broke a 50-50 tie in the evenly […]

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 29: Brielle Robinson, daughter of the late Army Sgt. First Class Heath Robinson, joins veterans advocacy groups, activists, politicians and fellow victims' families during a news conference about military burn pits legislation outside the U.S. Capitol on March 29, 2022 in Washington, DC. The legislation, called the SFC Heath Robinson Burn Pit Transparency Act passed the House of Representatives and is aimed at addressing issues impacting toxic-exposed veterans’ access to earned benefits and care. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

U.S. Senate in turnaround backs aid for veterans exposed to burn pits

BY: and - August 3, 2022

WASHINGTON —  The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed bipartisan legislation that would provide health care and benefits to millions of veterans exposed to toxic substances while deployed overseas, after many Republicans switched their votes and decided to once again back the legislation. The shift came after days of protest and vigils outside the U.S. Capitol, […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — People protest in response to the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Four members of U.S. Senate unveil bipartisan bill ensuring nationwide abortion rights

BY: - August 2, 2022

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of U.S. senators released legislation Monday that would codify Roe v. Wade, ensuring pregnant patients throughout the country once again have the right to an abortion.  Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Arizona Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said the measure, […]

Lindsay Church, in dark shirt on left, executive director and co-founder of Minority Veterans of America, and a veterans advocate protest outside the U.S. Capitol on Aug. 1, 2022. The individual on the right did not want to be identified. The table is a memorial to fallen comrades. (Photo: Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

Stalled U.S. Senate bill on veterans’ burn pit exposure could be revived this week

BY: - August 1, 2022

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate could be on track to advance a bill as soon as Tuesday that would provide veterans exposed to toxic substances overseas with health care and benefits, after a weekend in which outraged veterans camped out on the steps of the Capitol to protest a delay in the legislation.  A Senate […]

Monkeypox has been detected in almost every state. (Photo Courtesy of CDC/Getty Images)

Congress mostly silent as states struggle to contain monkeypox

BY: - July 31, 2022

WASHINGTON — Two months after doctors diagnosed the first case of monkeypox in the United States, Congress has yet to hold a hearing, or give any significant attention to the painful and debilitating virus that’s spread to more than 4,600 people.  Public health officials in the Biden administration have held several briefings, expanded testing capacity […]

Jon Stewart, celebrity comedian and longtime advocate for veterans, urged members of Congress to stay in Washington, D.C. until a bill that would expand health care and benefits to veterans exposed to burn pits during their deployments is on its way to President Joe Biden. Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom

‘These people don’t care’: U.S. Senate GOP stalls bill for veterans exposed to burn pit

BY: - July 29, 2022

WASHINGTON — Veterans and their advocates gathered outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday for what was supposed to be a celebration, one day after a crucial Senate vote on bipartisan legislation that would expand health care and benefits to 3.5 million veterans exposed to burn pits during their deployments.  The gathering instead became a forum […]

Members of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division Division returning to Ft. Campbell after a deployment to the Middle East. (Photo: U.S. Army Ft. Campbell)

U.S. Senate fails to advance burn pits bill for veterans in dispute over spending

BY: - July 28, 2022

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate came up short Wednesday in trying to move ahead on legislation that would provide health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits overseas. The bill, from Montana Democratic Sen. John Tester and Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, has been bogged down for nearly two months as U.S. lawmakers […]

Metro Nashville motorcycle police photographed on Oct. 22, 2020 at the Belmont University Presidential Debate. (Photo: Metro Nashville Police)

‘Defund the police’ slogan and anti-cop violence debated at U.S. Senate hearing

BY: - July 27, 2022

Republicans on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and law enforcement witnesses at a Tuesday hearing blamed recent violence against officers on anti-police rhetoric, while Democrats distanced themselves from the “defund the police” slogan and said an oversupply of guns made law enforcement jobs more dangerous. Republicans on the panel raised complaints about general attitudes toward […]