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Members of Congress on average speak at the same level as high school sophomores and almost a full grade lower than in 2005, a new report says. The independent Sunlight Foundation, a watchdog group, says some people will view its findings as "a dumbing down of Congress" while others will interpret the report as "more effective communications" from lawmakers.

The Washington of conventional wisdom and the real Washington are two entirely different places. The Washington of conventional wisdom is overrun by well-paid insiders — lobbyists, lawyers, publicists — who systematically manipulate government policies to benefit corporations and the rich, defying the “will of the people.” The real Washington has government paid for by the rich and well-to-do. Benefits go mainly to the poor and middle class, while politicians of both parties live in fear that they might offend the “will of the people” — voters.

Relishing a political victory, President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Congress "did the right thing" by extending payroll tax cuts for millions of Americans. He urged lawmakers to push forward on more measures, from assistance to struggling homeowners to increased taxes on the wealthy, saying the looming election was no excuse for inaction in Washington.

One of the main arguments against forcing federal employees to pay more for their pensions is that most rank-and-file feds don’t make bloated, six-figure salaries — as fiscal conservatives and Republican lawmakers often allege.

Three Indian lawmakers resigned Wednesday after they were filmed allegedly watching porn on a cell phone during a heated debate at a state assembly in Bangalore, southern India.

Leaving behind a year of bruising legislative battles, President Barack Obama enters his fourth year in office having calculated that he no longer needs Congress to promote his agenda and may even benefit in his re-election campaign if lawmakers accomplish little in 2012....

President Barack Obama has agreed to delay submitting a debt ceiling increase request to allow lawmakers time to consider it while they are in session, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Friday.

Republicans in the House on Tuesday rejected the Senate's two-month extension of an expiring payroll tax cut, and moved toward initiating formal talks with Democrats on a final deal.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers are locked in an end-of-year fight that threatens a government shutdown, an effective tax hike for 160 million Americans and the loss of benefits for millions of unemployed.

U.S. lawmakers investigating the collapse of futures brokerage MF Global showed frustration with the firm's leaders about what happened to hundreds of millions of dollars in missing customer funds.