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As members of the agency that oversees offshore drilling confront a potential criminal prosecution for a variety of offenses ranging from lax enforcement to watching porn and coming to work high, the administration official charged with its oversight faced a barrage of criticism on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told the House Natural Resources Committee Wednesday that BP has ...

Washington -- President Barack Obama will deploy up to 1,200 more National Guard troops to the U.S. border with Mexico, an administration official told CNN on Tuesday. In addition, Obama will request $500 million to supplement current spending for enhanced border protection and law enforcement activities, the official said. The National Guard troops will help with drug enforcement efforts and intelligence efforts ...

Washington -- Federal oil industry regulators would have to wait at least two years after leaving government service before going to work for companies they helped regulate under legislation announced Wednesday by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida. Among other things, the bill would bar regulators from accepting gifts from oil companies. It also would require regulators to divest themselves of any stock ...

As the national debt clock ticked past the ignominious $13 trillion mark overnight, Congress pressed to pass a host of supplemental spending bills to, among other things, fund the continuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, ramp up security on the U.S.-Mexico border and prevent teacher layoffs. Taken together, the Democratic-led U.S. Congress is trying to find a way to pass about ...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a clear message on the White House’s plan to change the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy: Don’t wait. Lawmakers, aides and gay rights activists are crediting the California Democrat and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) with forcing the White House, key congressional players and Defense Secretary Robert Gates all to sign off ...

Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Joe Sestak won an ovation at the weekly Senate Democratic lunch in the Capitol Tuesday, even as questions swirled about his allegation that the White House offered him a job several months ago if he would agree to stay out of a primary battle against incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter. "I've already answered the questions," Sestak ...