*Cuts to Social Security loom. WASHINGTON, April 10- The White House on Wednesday proposed a budget that sharply trims the U.S. deficit over three years by forcing millionaires to pay more in taxes and enacting spending cuts that replace the "sequester" reductions that went into place last month.
*Passage of Senate plan shifts fiscal debate away from deadlines. WASHINGTON, March 23- The U.S. Senate on Saturday narrowly passed its first federal budget in four years, a move that will usher in a relative lull in Washington's fiscal wars until an anticipated summer showdown over raising the debt ceiling.
*Senate signals support for oil pipeline, Internet sales taxes. WASHINGTON, March 22- The U.S. Senate was poised on Friday to pass its first federal budget in four years, a move that will usher in a relative lull in Washington's fiscal wars until an anticipated summer showdown over raising the debt ceiling.
*With fiscal deadlines cleared, Congress to argue over budgets. WASHINGTON, March 22- The U.S. Senate was poised to pass its first budget in four years on Friday, a move that will usher in a relative lull in Washington's fiscal wars until an anticipated summer showdown over raising the debt ceiling.
WASHINGTON, March 21- The U.S. House of Representatives eliminated the threat of a government shutdown next week, approving on Thursday a stop-gap funding bill that eases partisan tensions after months of bitter fights over budgets.
WASHINGTON, March 18- The U.S. Senate on Monday inched closer to passage of a bill to fund federal agencies through Sept. 30 and avoid a government shutdown at the end of this month when existing money runs out.
WASHINGTON, March 17- Leading congressional Republicans said on Sunday a broad deal with President Barack Obama on deficit reduction and entitlement reform remains possible but differed over potential flexibility on taxes, with the House speaker and budget leader not bending.
WASHINGTON, March 13- Vastly different Republican and Democratic budget visions to shrink deficits and invest in the economy debuted this week, including the Senate's first serious budget effort in nearly four years.
WASHINGTON, March 13- Annual U.S. deficits under a new plan from Senate Democrats would be in the $400- 600 billion range for much of the next decade, a level they say would allow stronger near-term job growth than Republicans' balanced-budget vision.
WASHINGTON, March 13- Annual U.S. deficits under a new plan from Senate Democrats would be in the $400- 600 billion range for much of the next decade, a level they say would allow stronger near-term job growth than Republicans' balanced-budget vision.
*President continues wooing members of Congress. WASHINGTON, March 13- President Barack Obama met on Wednesday with his toughest critics in Washington- House of Representatives Republicans- and made little headway in convincing them to accept his demand for tax increases as part of a deficit-reduction deal.
VATICAN CITY- Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected in a surprise choice to be the new leader of the troubled Roman Catholic Church on Wednesday, the first non-European pontiff in nearly 1,300 years, and said he would take the name Francis I.