Vue lecture

Environmental Leader Laments Loss of Bipartisanship on Climate Issues

Gene Karpinski, who retired from leading the League of Conservation Voters after two decades, said the group that once backed G.O.P. candidates now finds it difficult to do so.

© Daniel Brenner for The New York Times

Lake Dillon, in Summit County, Colo., this summer.
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Senate Heads for a ‘Nuclear’ Showdown on Trump Nominees

Republicans say they are preparing to impose rules changes to speed confirmations after Democrats thwarted them before Congress headed into recess.

© Eric Lee for The New York Times

Triggering a rules change through majority muscle is known in the Senate as going nuclear because of the extreme partisan nature of such a move.
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Confirmation Slowdown Forces a Senate Showdown

Under pressure to show they are resisting President Trump, Democrats have insisted on recorded votes on every nominee, creating a bottleneck ahead of the August recess.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

Senator John Thune, the majority leader, has threatened to cancel part of the August recess if Democrats insist on delaying some of President Donald Trump’s nominees.
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Ethics Panel Rebukes Congressman for Wife’s Stock Trade in Firm He Helped

The panel rebuked Representative Mike Kelly, Republican of Pennsylvania, for failing to prevent the appearance of self-dealing and then stonewalling its efforts to investigate.

© Ian Maule for The New York Times

Representative Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania was the subject of a four-year investigation into a stock trade found that he had violated the House’s official code of conduct.
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Ahead of Shutdown Deadline, Democrats Face a Dilemma on Spending

Democrats are leery of supporting Republican spending measures after the White House forced through clawbacks of funding already approved by Congress.

© Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times

“No one wants a shutdown, and the way we avoid that shut down is by working together,” said Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee.
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