Sadly, no. But this affects all of us! Democracy, or at least some twisted semblance of it, is important, and this morning, a federal magistrate judge unveiled a proposal that redraws the map in some some key Congressional districts across the state, and promises to stir up some hyper-partisan hyperbole. more ›

It was less than a year ago that the House of Representatives voted to censure longtime Harlem Congressman Charles Rangel for a series of ethic violations, which Rangel called "embarrassing" and "painful." Yesterday, Rangel chortled, "Anyone who wants to ask about the Ethics Committee, I'm not answering any questions," when his portrait was unveiled at the Capitol yesterday (the Daily News said that line was greeted with "applause and laughter"). more ›

The House of Representatives passed the bill to raise the debt ceiling in a 269 to 161 vote. The Washington Post has a graphic of the "recalcitrant Republicans and disappointed Democrats [who] rallied around a measure to avert a government default" as well as the House members who voted against the effort, but the real news was that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona), who was shot in the head at the beginning of the year, made a surprise appearance to cast her vote in support. more ›

Last week the House of Representatives approved a series of budget cuts which would include defunding Planned Parenthood. The funding legally cannot go toward abortion, so instead it would defund things like free pelvic and breast exams, family planning and HIV tests. And now, Bloomberg is getting in on the fight. more ›

Early this morning the House of Representatives approved $60 billion in cuts in federal spending, including blocking all federal Title X funding for Planned Parenthood. And that's causing a bit of an uproar. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said, “The time has come to respect the wishes of the majority of Americans who adamantly oppose using taxpayer dollars for abortions.” However, by law no Title X funds can be used for abortion. Instead, it would make things like free HIV testing, breast and cervical cancer screening, family planning and prenatal care out of reach for many Americans. more ›

Charlie Rangel is not planning on leaving anytime soon. Despite a rough past few years (did somebody say ethics violations?) the 80-year-old Harlem Democrat filed the paperwork to seek a 22nd term in 2012. Because of his age, many suspected this would be Rangel's last term, but Rangel apparently filed the surprise paperwork so early to get a jump on fundraising—he's got a March 2 event already lined up. Those looking to toast with the "dean of the NY delegation" will need to pony up $1,000-$5,000 a ticket. more ›

With news that the state could be losing two House seats due to a population shift, the once-every-ten-years focus on gerrymandering (drawing district lines to include who you want) has returned yet again. Dick Dadey of the group Citizens Union told NY1 the problem is "partisan gerrymandering essentially allows the legislators to choose their voters before the voters actually elect them to office." The process is controlled by the Assembly speaker and the leader of the State Senate, and Senate President Pro Tempore Malcolm Smith previously told Democrats, "We are going to draw the lines so that Republicans will be in oblivion in the State of New York for the next 20 years." Does that plan involve the prisoners? more ›

Aaaand the Census results come home to roost. According to Politico, an early estimate of House reappointments based on this year's Census has Florida gaining two seats and New York losing two. Election Data Services president Kimball Brace says, "We were most surprised at the shift of an additional district out of New York and down to Florida, even though that follows the population movement in this country since World War II." Jokes about your Jewish grandparents aside, the shift could have big consequences for the state. more ›

Last night, the House of Representatives passed the changes to some language in the health care reform reconciliation package in a 220-207 vote. President Obama is expected to sign it into law next week. Lawmakers now have a two week recess and the Washington Post reports, "Lawmakers are leaving Washington on a rancorous note. Members of both parties seethed over the political response to threats of violence against a number of House Democrats, and senators belittled one another during amendment votes that lasted nearly 21 straight hours." Yay, democracy! more ›

Early this morning, Senate Republicans forced the health care reform reconciliation bill back to the House for another vote after identifying some issues with two provisions. CNN calls them "violations," the NY Times calls them "parliamentary problems" and adds, "The successful parliamentary challenge did not appear to endanger the eventual adoption of the changes to the health care legislation. And Mr. Obama on Tuesday already signed the main health care bill into law." more ›

The House of Representatives passed health care reform legislation by a vote of 219 to 212. Thirty-four Democrats voted against the measure, and no Republicans voted for it. The NY Times writes, "Congress gave final approval on Sunday to legislation that would provide medical coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and remake the nation’s health care system along the lines proposed by President Obama." more ›

Today, the House of Representatives "approved the most sweeping overhaul of the nation's financial regulatory system since the Great Depression," according to the Washington Post. The NY Times reports the vote, which was 223-202, created the Consumer Financial Protection Agency which would oversee lending, "establishes new rules for transactions that contributed to the meltdown, and seeks to reduce the threat that one or two huge companies on the verge of collapse could bring down the economy." more ›

A House Republican joined 219 Democrats to vote for the landmark health care reform bill last night in the House of Representatives, enabling the bill to pass 220 votes to 215. Rep. John Dingell (D-Michigan), who has"> introduced national health insurance in every Congress since taking office 1955, said, "It provides coverage for 96 percent of Americans. It offers everyone, regardless of health or income, the peace of mind that comes from knowing they will have access to affordable health care when they need it." more ›

Quickly after the House of Representatives passed the $700 billion bailout package, President Bush signed H.R. 1424 into law, authorizing "the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a Troubled Assets Relief Program to purchase troubled assets from financial institutions; provides Alternative Minimum Tax relief; extends expiring tax provisions and establishes energy tax incentives; and temporarily increases Federal Deposit Insurance limits." more ›

All but one of NYC's representatives in Congress voted for the $700 billion bailout package that failed in the House of Representatives yesterday (Bronx Democrat Jose Serrano voted against it). more ›

While the House of Representatives voted against a measure to strip Representative Charles Rangel of chairing the House Ways and Means Committee, House leaders are planning an investigation of Rangel's ethical issues--you know, the lack of reporting income on his returns, his rent-stabilized apartments, using House letterhead to solicit donations for a center being built in his name. This comes as his 1972 Mercedes Benz, long unused, was towed from a House parking garage! more ›