Tea Party Circles the Wagons Around Justin Amash

No House Republican enrages the business-friendly wing of the GOP more than Justin Amash. But members and operatives who hoped to end his political career are running out of time and moxie before Michigan’s Aug. 5 primary.

Boehner Aide on Pfeiffer Impeachment Talk: 'Political Games'

A spokesman for Speaker John A. Boehner is dismissing Friday comments from senior White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer about the White House taking the threat of impeachment “very seriously.”

D.C. Activists Enlist Andy Harris for Help With Porta-Potty

Activists from the District of Columbia crowded the hallway outside Rep. Andy Harris’ office on Thursday to lobby the Maryland Republican for help with local issues.

Republicans Unite in Tossup New York House Race

New York Republican Matt Doheny endorsed Elise Stefanik at a press conference Friday, more than a month after losing to her in a House race primary.

VA Talks Collapse (Updated)

Updated 1:08 p.m. | Talks on a fix for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ health care crisis have collapsed, after the lead Senate Democratic negotiator accused the top House GOP negotiator of a “take-it-or-leave-it gambit.”

• Sanders Says Money Is Stalling VA Conference
• Miller Fires Back at Sanders
• Boehner Still Pushing on Border Supplemental, VA Crisis (Video)

Banana Terrorism Case Thrown Out

A seven-year legal battle to hold Chiquita responsible for killings in Colombia stemming from payments to a U.S.-labeled terrorist group might have come to an end late Thursday when a court dismissed a suit against the banana and produce giant.

After Fights Over Cuckoo Clocks and Billable Hours, Rules Panel Backs Resolution Allowing House to Sue Obama

The House Rules Committee, already known for not being a bastion of cross-party comity, devolved into significant partisan rancor Thursday morning over a resolution to allow the House to sue the president of the United States.

Ethics Investigations Since 2009 — in One Chart

The Office of Congressional Ethics recently released its second-quarter report for 2014, and in the middle is a pie graph that gives congressional nerds some insight into what ethical lapses the OCE has been looking into since its inception.

Durbin Puts His Mark on Defense Bill

Waging war on smoking, for-profit colleges and tax loopholes may sound like odd subjects for the military spending bill, but not when you consider who is wielding the gavel.

Quirky Ex-Senator Stomps on Democrats' S.D. Hopes

South Dakota Democrats are playing a tough hand in the Senate race, but they thought they could count on a wild card — former Sen. Larry Pressler — to help the contest break their way.

Why a Namesake Post Office Is All Barry Goldwater Might Get This Year

Few things Congress does come in for more ridicule than its penchant for naming post offices. While the exercise soaks up some floor time and keeps the clerks busy, it alters public policy not one bit. Instead, each new honorific provides lawmakers with nothing beyond a sliver of feel-good accomplishment.

Ratings Change: Montana Senate

As Roll Call was preparing to post my column yesterday on the Montana Senate race and recent Democratic polls showing the contest “closing,” a report surfaced in the New York Times about appointed Senator John Walsh’s plagiarism in his master’s thesis.

• Montana Senate: A Real Race or Simply Manufactured Buzz?
• John Walsh, Your Canned Response Is Ready

Pork Executive Was Carrying 'Fully Functional' Pistol, Police Say

The South Carolina man arrested Wednesday after carrying a firearm into the Cannon House Office building had a loaded Ruger LC9 semi-automatic pistol and a magazine with six rounds of ammunition, court documents state.

• Capitol Police Stop Another Gun From Entering Cannon

Art and Soul Toques Revere Shared Past, Anticipate Promising Futures

There’ll be a changing of the culinary guard in the Art and Soul kitchen at the end of this month, as Wes Morton hands control of the thriving Hillside dining operation to incoming Executive Chef Doug Alexander.

For D.C. Statehood Activists, Obama's Actions Leave 'a Lot to Be Desired'

When voters elected Barack Obama in 2008, District of Columbia residents were thrilled to see a senator who backed a bill to give them voting rights in Congress head to the White House.

Key Senator Warns He Might Block Iraq Arms Sales Again

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Robert Menendez, D-N.J., feuded with the administration over a $6 billion sale of Apache helicopters to Iraq earlier this year, when he played a key role in blocking the deal for a while. On Thursday, he threatened that he might hold up potential future deals — but for a slightly different reason this time.

Internet Sales Tax Bill Dealt a Blow; Wyden Cheers

Majority Leader Harry Reid is quietly stepping back from his intention to bundle an Internet tax moratorium with a more contentious proposal to allow states to collect online sales taxes, at least for now.

Number of Potential Senators in the House Dwindles

Rep. Jack Kingston’s Tuesday defeat in a Senate primary runoff means no more than nine House members could join the ranks of the Senate in the 114th Congress — and that number could shrink again next month.

Spending Impasse Solidifies With Midterm Results Holding Next Move

This week notwithstanding, this summer on the Hill has been less sticky than usual. But it’s shaping up to be as somnolent as ever.

Senate Democrats Count on Bulging War Chests for Final Months

If Senate Democrats lose the majority, it won’t be for lack of cash-flush campaigns. Facing a daunting map, Democrats turned in solid — sometimes eye-popping — second-quarter fundraising totals for the midterms.

House Could Vote on Stopgap Before August Recess

House leaders may consider moving as early as next week a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through the first months of fiscal 2015, according to two House Republican aides and one Democratic aide.

Chris McDaniel Finished Mississippi Senate Runoff With $386,000

Chris McDaniel, who may soon launch an official challenge to the results of the Mississippi Republican Senate runoff, still had $386,000 in his campaign coffers a week after the late June election, according to his July quarterly report filed with the Federal Election Commission.

How to Suffer Fools Gladly | Hill Navigator

Every office has one: The person whom you aren’t quite sure how he landed a job. Or how she graduated college. Or managed to wear matching shoes.

Reid: 'Absurd' Obamacare Decision Vindicates 'Nuclear Option' (Video)

Senate Democrats are hoping their use of the “nuclear option” to end a Republican blockade of circuit court nominees last year will help overturn a 2-1 appeals court ruling with the potential to gut Obamacare tax subsidies for millions.

• Boehner on Obamacare: 'It Cannot Be Fixed'
• Obamacare Ruling a Balm to Boehner, Headache for Obama

D.C. Residents Keep Facing Questions About Identification

A District of Columbia driver’s license should be enough identification to allow citizens to board a plane or enter a federal building, according to federal and local officials. So how come there’s so much confusion on the topic?

GOP Struggles With Fundraising for Women's Initiatives

It’s been a promising year for Republican women who have set out to fix their party’s “woman problem,” but not good enough for their bank accounts.

Chaffetz on Oversight: More Results, Less Confrontation

In the past 89 years, there have been four members of Congress who became committee chairmen in their fourth term. Rep. Jason Chaffetz is trying to become the fifth.

Senate Needs 'Magic' to Complete Pre-Recess Agenda (Video)

The Senate might just have too much to do before departing for August recess.

Tennessee Man Arrested for Threatening to Kill Obama, Romney, Paul Ryan

Police have arrested a Tennessee man who allegedly threatened to kill President Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Rep. Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., and shoot other national and local officials.

Democratic Poll: The Issues That Resonate With Single Women Voters

A new poll of likely voters in 12 Senate battleground states suggests a populist economic message and focus on women’s health issues could help Democrats improve their standing with unmarried women voters in advance of the midterm elections.

When Is a Tweet an Ethics Violation? | A Question of Ethics

It’s not really against the rules for staffers to tweet endorsements of other candidates, is it?

Nomination Backlog Frustrates Administration, Democrats as August Looms

A pileup of nominations — particularly for scores of would-be U.S. ambassadors — has the Obama administration pushing hard for Senate action ahead of the August recess, while senators want to get home to campaign before the midterms.

Back in the Beltway and Looking for a Capitol Hill Job

Sometimes it takes time away from D.C. to realize this is where you want to be. But how do you get back on the job market after you return? Hill Navigator discusses.

Federal Judge Tosses Ron Johnson's Obamacare Lawsuit

A federal judge based in Green Bay has tossed a Sen. Ron Johnson’s Obamacare lawsuit targeting the health benefits for members of Congress and their staff.

The Re-Education of Rick Nolan

Minnesota Democrats have two problems: The 8th District has changed, and Rep. Rick Nolan doesn’t want to change with it.

'Simple' Doesn’t Equal 'Easy' in N.H. Senate Race

Having written about House and Senate races for the past 30 years, I’ve seen plenty of press releases, polling memos and campaign strategy emails. But rarely have I received anything as silly as a July 9 press release from New Hampshire Republican Senate hopeful Scott P. Brown’s campaign, which presented the challenger’s alleged “Path To Victory.”

Dads on Capitol Hill: House Paternity Leave Varies Widely

Matt Dennis wasn’t used to making reporters wait for a response. But when he was on paternity leave, his newborn son Jonah took priority over his boss, Democratic Rep. Nita M. Lowey of New York, so he put the BlackBerry aside.

• Experts Weigh In on Capitol Hill Paternity Leave Policy

Ryan Shucard Case Highlights Gun Law Discrepancies

Staff in Rep. Tom Marino’s office are convinced that Ryan Shucard, the press secretary that arrived at the Cannon House Office building toting a 9 mm handgun on Friday morning, was not planning to harm anyone with the gun.