Tom Harkin

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, a liberal Democrat and a champion for Americans with disabilities, announced Saturday that he will not run for reelection next year, deciding that 40 years in Congress is enough. Harkin’s retirement gives Republicans a chance...

For Martin O'Malley, the next 90 days will likely be the most important that remain in his tenure as Maryland's governor. As the General Assembly opens its 2013 session Wednesday, O'Malley will be looking to cap a record that many people believe he...

WASHINGTON – Senate leaders remain shy of a deal to avert the automatic tax increases due to take effect at midnight on New Year’s Eve, despite conversations that continued overnight between Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Republican...

Hours before a midnight deadline Monday, the White House reached a tentative deal with Congress to stop an enormous tax hike for all but the wealthiest households and to postpone for two months tough decisions on how to cut federal spending. After a rare...

Behind-the-scenes jostling for committee chairmanships in the U.S. Senate has left Maryland Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski poised to take over the Senate Intelligence Committee — a move experts said Tuesday could bolster the role cybersecurity plays in...

WASHINGTON – Details of the emerging “fiscal cliff” deal ricocheted through the Capitol on Monday, appearing to please almost no one from either political party, as President Obama urged negotiators toward a conclusion. A House vote...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hovering in the background of the "fiscal cliff" debate is the prospect of 2 million people losing their unemployment benefits four days after Christmas. "This is the real cliff," said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. He's been leading the...

In an unexpected move that could have significant implications for Maryland, Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski will be named the first female chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday. The Baltimore native and Maryland Democrat, who had...

The first signs of bipartisan support for overhauling the nation's chemical safety law emerged Monday, as three Republicans joined 23 other senators calling for tough restrictions on toxic flame retardants. Citing the Tribune's "Playing With Fire"...

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley was in this first-in-the-nation caucus state Sunday to give the keynote address to hundreds at a Democratic barbecue — a role frequently reserved for likely presidential candidates. The invitation, and decision to...

On July 26, 1990, when President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on the lawn of the White House, I was too young be in attendance, or even understand the impact that this monumental law would have on the United States by...

Looming federal budget cuts the nation faces in January could strike a body blow to Maryland's economy, taking $2.5 billion in personal income out of residents' pockets and crimping social programs in health and human services, education, and workforce...