Senate, House Of Representatives | featured news

Republicans enter the final week of a bitter U.S. election campaign as heavy favorites to win control of the House of Representatives and score big Senate gains, dealing a severe blow to President Barack Obama two years after he entered the White House.

House and Senate candidates have already shattered fundraising records for a midterm election and are on their way to surpassing $2 billion in spending for the first time, according to new campaign finance data.

The head of the GOP predicted "an unprecedented wave" on Election Day, even as polls in some states showed Democrats gaining ground.

The Senate is unlikely to take up pending China currency legislation following a weekend promise by the Group of 20 economic powers to shun currency devaluations for trade advantage, analysts said on Sunday.

A Republican majority would threaten policies to stabilize the economy, the president says during a radio interview, part of an effort to rally key Democratic constituencies. A Republican majority in Congress would mean "hand-to-hand combat" on Capitol Hill for the next two years, threatening policies Democrats have enacted to stabilize the economy, President Obama warned Thursday.

If anyone is scorned as much as Democrats these days, it's Republicans - the party that may recapture the House and perhaps the Senate in November's elections.

During Thursday event, GOP will unveil set of proposals that party would look to enact if they gain control of Congress after midterm elections.

People briefed on the matter say Representative Joe Sestak was offered an unpaid advisory position in exchange for ending his challenge to Senator Arlen Specter.

Republicans are on offense in scores of House and Senate races as persistent economic woes and lukewarm support for President Barack Obama continue to weaken Democrats' hold on Congress....

The state Senate this afternoon approved the final bill in a package of laws to ban texting while driving, but designated that fines go to support libraries -- rather than to eliminate some driver penalties as the House wants.