Most Maryland House Democrats see new House speaker as extremist, threat to democracy

WASHINGTON – Newly-elected House Speaker Mike Johnson is drawing sharp criticisms from most of Maryland’s House Democrats, who view the Louisiana lawmaker as a political extremist and opponent of democracy. “Speaker Mike Johnson? Anti-choice, anti-LGBTQ, anti-gun safety, anti-democracy. This is…

National Institutes of Health Bethesda facility needs $1.5 billion for repairs

WASHINGTON – The National Institutes of Health has a repair backlog of $1.5 billion at its Bethesda facility, and some help may be coming from Congress, where Maryland lawmakers have urged increased spending for the agency. An Aug. 26 study…

White House Ukraine call summary “damning,” Hoyer, other Democrats, say

WASHINGTON – Democratic lawmakers escalated the partisan furor over the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump Wednesday after the White House released a summary of a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Democrats called “damning.” The president asked…

Pelosi sets formal impeachment inquiry into Trump; Maryland Democrats concur

WASHINGTON – For the fourth time in history, Congress is opening an impeachment inquiry into the president of the United States, an extraordinarily fast-moving development after months of debate among Democrats over whether to proceed with such a constitutionally serious…

Maryland lawmakers blister Trump acts in Mueller report, stop shy of impeachment call

Maryland’s Democratic lawmakers on Thursday expressed outrage at President Donald Trump’s conduct detailed in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report but stopped short of saying whether Congress should initiate impeachment proceedings.

Maryland legislators disappointed with Trump’s State of the Union address

WASHINGTON – Maryland’s Democratic lawmakers were cold to President Donald Trump’s call for unity in Tuesday’s State of the Union, saying it failed to break any new ground. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Mechanicsville, said he didn’t want to call…

Maryland legislators pleased with shutdown deal, but Democrats hit Trump

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced Friday that he has come to an agreement with Democrats to reopen the government for three weeks. Several Maryland lawmakers quickly responded that they hoped to find a path to avoiding another shutdown. Minutes…

Chesapeake farmers target runoff reduction, lawmakers seek conservation funds

MIDDLETOWN, Maryland — A gaggle of excitable white turkeys gobbled and clucked in their pen at Open Book Farm on a chilly afternoon in late October. Most days, the birds roamed free in one of the farm’s pastures, scratching and…

Once in the majority, House Democrats will work through ‘to do’ list

WASHINGTON – Now that they’ve taken over the House, Democrats will try to follow a party blueprint for action that envisions protecting health care, Medicare and Medicaid, funding improvements to the country’s infrastructure, and creating more jobs. And the likely…

Maryland lawmakers will gain power in new Democratic House

WASHINGTON – Now that the Democrats have taken over the House of Representatives, some Maryland legislators stand to hold significantly greater positions of power and influence in the 116th Congress that convenes in January. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Mechanicsville, formally announced…