Bill to help small firms raise money stalls

UPDATE: *HOUSE HAS VOTES FOR U.S. AID TO SYRIAN REBELS; VOTE CONTINUING Those sneaky politicians... The House has just begun voting on whether to amend the US Spending Bill to enable funding for Obama's grand strategy of training "moderate Syrian rebels.

REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

Democrats Throw Obama Under the BusIn rare political reverse alignment, Senate republicans voted for Obama's Fast Track proposal while Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., was the only Democrat to vote with Republicans.To proceed, the bill needed a super-majority of 60 votes. In a vote likely to shock president Obama, Fast Track Failed 52-45

WASHINGTON — In a victory for Democrats, the Senate has voted to weaken filibusters and make it harder for Republicans to block confirmation of the president’s nominees for judges and other top posts. The mostly party-line vote was 52-48. It came Thursday after a series of procedural moves and angry accusations from both parties’ leaders. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid complains that Republican gridlock has prevented the chamber from functioning.

Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats late Thursday blocked a quick vote on a short-term spending bill to keep the government open, roiling Washington with brinkmanship less than 30 hours before a midnight Friday deadline for a shutdown and President Donald Trump's 100th day in office.

Today brings Round 2 in "the most transparent administration ever"'s attempt to pass the incredibly opaque Fast-Track Authority enabling Obama to negotiate the Trans-Pacific-Partnership corporate coup d'etat (and all the other trade deals currently floating around) without fear of irritation from any outsiders.

By Richard CowanWASHINGTON (Reuters) - An expansion of healthcare and education programs for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan cleared its first procedural hurdle on Tuesday, as Democrats in the U.S. Senate attempted to win passage of the legislation this week.By a vote of 99-0, the Senate laid the groundwork for debating a bill that would create 27 new medical facilities in 18 states and Puerto Rico to help meet the growing needs of veterans of the long combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.