JIM ABRAMS

Associated Press Writer
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Senate hears need for bank overdraft controls

Consumer advocates on Tuesday urged Congress to move forward on legislation to curb bank practices under which a cup of coffee bought with an overextended debit card can turn into a $40 expense.

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House votes to strengthen chem plant security

The House approved legislation Friday aimed at making chemical and water treatment facilities less vulnerable to terrorist attack.

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Congress extends jobless benefits to record levels

Congress on Thursday decisively approved an extension of unemployment benefits for almost two million people out of work nearly a year or more as the U.S. continues to lose jobs.

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Obama signs bill assisting homebuyers, jobless

President Barack Obama signed a $24 billion economic stimulus bill into law Friday, giving tax incentives to prospective homebuyers and additional jobless benefits to those idled by the business slump.

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Senate, White House agree on reporter protections

The White House, key senators and media representatives have reached a compromise on legislation to protect reporters from being forced to disclose their confidential sources in federal court.

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Senate nears vote on jobless aid, housing credit

A major economic relief bill that extends benefits to the jobless and expands a first-time home buyer tax credit took a step forward Monday in the Senate.

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Congress extends hate crime protections to gays

Physical attacks on people based on their sexual orientation will join the list of federal hate crimes in a major expansion of the civil rights-era law Congress approved Thursday and sent to President Barack Obama.

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Congress scrutinizes problems in homebuyer credit

The rush to implement a tax credit for first-time homebuyers opened the program up to potential fraud by people who hadn't bought a home or already owned one, Congress was told Thursday.

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Dodd offers protection from bank overdraft fees

Bank customers who overdraw their checking accounts would get new protections from excessive penalties under legislation proposed Monday by the Senate banking committee chairman.

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Lawmakers seek to extend $8,000 tax credit

Lawmakers are trying to extend and expand an $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time homebuyers, a stimulus-package tax break that many regard as a significant prop for the still-tottering economy.

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House lets states get rid of Iran-linked funds

The House on Wednesday sent a message to Iran that pursuit of nuclear capability will not go unpunished, approving legislation that allows state and local governments to curtail investments in international corporations doing business in Iran's energy sector.

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Lawmaker cusses out fellow Missourian in House

Show me some civility, Republicans cried Friday after a Missouri congressman speaking on the House floor was caught on microphone apparently cussing out a fellow Missourian.

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Senate Democrats agree to extend jobless benefits

Senate Democrats said Thursday they have reached a deal to extend unemployment insurance benefits to the nearly 2 million jobless workers across the country who are in danger of running out of assistance by the end of the year.

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Congress acts to extend hate crimes to cover gays

A House vote Thursday put Congress on the verge of significantly expanding hate crimes law to make it a federal crime to assault people because of their sexual orientation. The legislation would bring major changes to law enacted in the days after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in 1968.

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US Officials: Iran's behavior will bring penalties

Administration officials told impatient lawmakers Tuesday that they are ready to take swift and substantial action against Iran if it disregards current diplomatic efforts to stop its alleged nuclear weapons program.

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Congress poised to act swiftly on Iran if needed

Congress is poised to act swiftly on new penalties against Iran if international talks on Tehran's nuclear program show signs of faltering. And this time lawmakers are talking about trying to block gas and refined petroleum exports to Iran, possibly causing serious disruptions in the lives of ordinary Iranians.

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Jobless benefits extension hits snag in Senate

A House-passed bill to give another 13 weeks of unemployment benefits to people from states where the jobless rate is at least 8.5 percent has bogged down in the Senate because of resistance from lawmakers whose states have lower unemployment and would be left out.

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Hoyer cool to repealing wiretap immunity

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer made clear Tuesday that he would be cool to a Senate proposal to take away the retroactive immunity now given to telecommunications companies that participated in warrantless wiretapping during the George W. Bush administration.

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Senate votes to triple foreign aid to Pakistan

The Senate voted Thursday to triple foreign aid to Pakistan, with lawmakers saying the legislation could change the crisis-driven nature of U.S.-Pakistan relations and create ties based more on long-term interests.

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House votes short-term extension for FAA programs

With Congress distracted by health care and disagreeing over transportation policy, the House was forced Wednesday to take emergency steps to keep key air and highway programs going through the end of the year.

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House bill adds to jobless benefits in 27 states

With no end in sight to the country's job market woes, the House has agreed to give the jobless in a majority of states another 13 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits.

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Lawmaker's 'You lie' outburst draws House rebuke

Bitterly divided along party lines, the House formally rebuked Republican Rep. Joe Wilson Tuesday for shouting "You lie" at President Barack Obama during last week's nationally televised speech to Congress.

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House admonishes Wilson for his 'You lie' outburst

The House has voted to admonish Rep. Joe Wilson over his "You lie" outburst to President Barack Obama during the president's health care speech to Congress last week.

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House near vote to admonish Wilson over 'You lie'

Bitterly divided over an accusatory outburst — "You lie" — lawmakers on Tuesday prepared to admonish one of their own for his jarring interruption of President Barack Obama.

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House near vote to admonish Wilson over 'You lie'

Bitterly divided over an accusatory outburst — "You lie" — lawmakers neared a vote Tuesday on admonishing one of their own for his jarring interruption of President Barack Obama.

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