WASHINGTON, June 7- The strongest criticism of President Barack Obama normally comes from the U.S. Congress, but reports the government engaged in sweeping surveillance of Americans' phone and Internet activity left even many of his critics uncharacteristically supportive.

The White House spent much of the day defending the National Security Agency's secret collection of telephone records from millions of Americans as a "critical tool" for preventing attacks, as critics called the program- first reported by Britain's Guardian newspaper- a heavy-handed move that raised new questions about the extent of the U.S. government's spying on its citizens.

May 15- The ranks of lobbyists are growing in Washington again as Congress flirts with a possible overhaul of the complex U.S. tax code.

WASHINGTON, April 7- South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday became the first prominent Republican to publicly praise, however lukewarmly, the budget proposal the White House outlined last week.

WASHINGTON, April 7- South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday became the first prominent Republican to publicly praise, however lukewarm, the budget proposal the White House outlined last week.

WASHINGTON, Feb 26- The largest U.S. manufacturers' association on Tuesday warned that a potential tax on carbon emissions to fight global warming would cut factory output and could hurt the U.S. economy in other ways.

*Infrastructure, flood insurance, disaster relief vulnerable. *Congressional watchdog report follows Obama's vow to act.

WASHINGTON, Feb 14- Two of the most liberal U.S. senators on Thursday proposed a bill to tax carbon emissions, raising up to $1.2 trillion in revenue over 10 years that would largely be returned consumers.

Senator Jeff Sessions on Thursday warned that President Barack Obama's nominee for Treasury secretary could face a tough time winning confirmation if the White House did not clear up a dispute over the Medicare health program.

Senator Jeff Sessions on Thursday warned that President Barack Obama's nominee for Treasury secretary could face a tough time winning confirmation if the White House did not clear up a dispute over the Medicare health program.

WASHINGTON, Feb 5- The top Democrat on the U.S. Senate's tax committee on Tuesday veered slightly from President Barack Obama's call for quick tax code fixes to avert looming budget cuts, reflecting a split among Democrats on the scope of a possible tax code overhaul.

Jack Lew, Obama's chief of staff, was chosen to lead the Treasury Department as the White House heads into another round of difficult talks with Congress on how to put the nation on a sound fiscal path.