Todd Zwillich

There has been a lot of lofty rhetoric this week about toning down the inflamatory political discussions around the country, and showing respect to the dead and wounded from the attack in Arizona by being more civil on the airwaves and in Washington. But when lawmakers head back to congress next week, will the tone of discourse really change? Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich helps us try to answer this question. We also speak with Todd about Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's announcement yesterday that she won't run for re-election.

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.) is reportedly writing a bill that would allow congressmembers to carry concealed weapons in Washington D.C. Carrying a concealed weapon is currently illegal in D.C., but is not illegal for members of Congress on Capitol grounds. The news of this bill comes after twenty people were shot in Arizona over this past weekend, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who is still in the hospital recovering. Will more guns mean less senseless acts of violence? 

The shooting of Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson on Saturday rocked the country this weekend. The Takeaway’s Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich and Callie Crossley, host of The Callie Crossley Show on WGBH in Boston, take a look at how the shooting has changed the national agenda and what else we can expect this week. 

It's been a big week as Washington gets back to work. There are questions about whether the Republican-dominated House can actually repeal the health care plan. Meanwhile, Democrats are finally "finding their voice" on health care, says Takeaway Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, as they prepare to counter GOP claims about the bill.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi has passed the House Speaker's gavel to Ohio's Rep. John Boehner, who was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives yesterday. Boehner emphasized more openness and more room for debate with Democrats in his speech. Pelosi, on the other hand, embraced her new role as minority leader and took some swings at Republicans, which she couldn't do as Speaker.

Lawmakers get back to work as the 112th Congress begins today. Republicans take the majority in the House of Representatives and Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), gets sworn in as its new Speaker of the House. At the same time, there is a move in the Senate to change the filibuster rule. The first day of Congress is the only day that lawmakers can change the rules with only 51 votes and some Democrats hope to use this to their advantage. The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, looks at the new Congress and the top five things to watch out for in 2011.

The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich brings the latest from the Beltway, where William Daley, former Commerce Secretary and a senior JPMorgan Chase executive is being talked about as a new Chief of Staff. Although he has business experience, it remains to be seen if he can cut deals with the Senate.

The 112th Congress begins this week, and with the House under Republican control while Democrats still hold a slim majority in the Senate, many are expecting gridlock for the next two years. Todd Zwillich, The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, and Charlie Herman, economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC, look at what's in store for Congress in the upcoming days, weeks, and even years. They also discuss the obstacles President Obama's health care plan may face this year: Will the plan as implemented look the same in 2012 as it does today?

When the 112th Congress convenes next week, it will be the first class of legislators in nearly fifty years that does not include a member of the Kennedy clan. From Jack to Bobby to Ted to Joseph, and finally to Patrick — who decided against running for reelection this year as representative from Rhode Island  — the Kennedys have been a mainstay in Washington D.C. for decades.

• Business Takeout: To finance the war effort, Secretary of Defense Henry Morgenthau brought in a new public investment that appealed to American patriotism. They're called "War Bonds," and everyone is being asked to invest. Takeaway contributor Louise Story tells us how it works and how Americans take part.
• Washington Takeout: After the Pearl Harbor attacks, Congress needed no debate to pass a declaration of war at Roosevelt's urging. But what actually happens when a state of war is declared? Takeaway Washington contributor Todd Zwillich investigates.
• Reaction Takeout: We hear more reaction from ordinary people on the country going to war. Not everyone was in favor.

With Christmas just days away, the lame-duck Congress has been working around the clock to get promised pieces of legislation pushed through. But one notable bill that hasn't been checked off the to-do list is the 9/11 First Responders' Bill. If passed, it would provide health care to thousands of firefighters, policemen and emergency workers who suffer health problems because of their work at Ground Zero. Will Congress deliver?

The Senate voted to repeal "don't ask, don't tell," over the weekend. The law, enacted 17 years ago by President Bill Clinton, allowed gays to serve in the military, as long as they did not reveal their sexual orientation. Todd Zwillich, The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, looks at what's next for the repeal. Meanwhile, a number of economic indicators come out this week, and Charlie Herman, economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC, looks at the upcoming third quarter GDP numbers due out Wednesday, along with existing home sales numbers, and new home sales numbers on Thursday.

A lot happened on Capitol Hill last night.

The House stayed late to vote on the compromise tax package that President Obama negotiated with Republicans. Before the vote, Democratic House majority leader Steny Hoyer commented, "There probably is nobody on this floor who likes this bill, therefore the judgment is, is it's better than doing nothing."

And in a major setback to Democrats, Republicans managed to halt Senate progress on an omnibus government funding bill, forcing Democrats to consider GOP demands or face shutting down the federal government. Majority Leader Harry Reid will likely bring a shorter duration bill to fund government through January, when a Republican-controlled House can put its imprimatur on spending requests. Reid has scheduled votes over the weekend to enact the "Dream Act" and attempt, again, to repeal "don't ask, don't tell." Meanwhile, the House passed the nearly $1 trillion tax cut bill despite a loud minority of critics in both parties. 

The House looks likely to pass a stripped-down bill repealing "don't ask, don't tell," and will move on to the controversial tax cuts and unemployment bill which passed in the Senate yesterday. Wrangling between Senate Democrats and Republicans over the timing of the START agreement with Russia continues, and the end of year recess ticks ever closer. Todd Zwillich, Takeaway Washington correspondent, walks us through all the last minute votes and politicking, including Harry Reid threatening to keep the Senate working right up through Christmas. 

As this Congress's lame duck period winds on, the last Democratic priorities come to the chambers' floors for consideration. With guarded encouragement from Senate centrists, the House of Representatives plans to take up a simple bill to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, while the Senate considers confirming the START agreement with Russia. Todd Zwillich joins us to talk about the chances of these bills in the House and Senate. 

The White House/GOP deal to extend both the across-the-board Bush-era tax cuts and unemployment benefits passed the Senate yesterday. Next stop: the House of Representatives. But unlike the Senate, the House's members on both sides are further out on the fringes, making a "yea" vote for the deal more difficult to garner. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich joins us to look ahead at the wrangling to come.

Senate Republicans blocked what may have been one of the last real attempts to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy before Republicans take control of the House next year. But all is not lost for those supporting repeal. Yesterday outgoing speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted: "An army of allies stands ready to pass standalone repeal in House." Currently, Democrats need only two GOP Senators to reach the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. In January, they will need the support of at least seven Republicans. Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich explains why this is such a crucial moment for Democrats to push through a repeal of the policy.

There are a lot of items on the agenda today for Congress: votes on the so-called Dream Act, a repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the military, and tax cuts. But will any of them pass? We speak with Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich to get a better idea of what might actually get through Congress and what's likely to be dead on arrival. 

The White House and Senate Republicans reached a tentative agreement yesterday that would see a GOP priority, Bush-era tax cuts extended for rich and poor alike, accepted in return for a Democratic priority: extending unemployment benefits to help keep the economy moving. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich watched the deal in the making.

Will we or will we not see an extension to the Bush-era tax cuts? That is what we’re all waiting to see play out this week. Democrats want to return to Clinton-era taxes on the wealthy, and Republicans are holding out for preserving the status quo. But President Obama and Democrats may be backing off on their stance, as a compromise looks like it could be in the works. The Bush-era cuts would be temporarily extended to everyone, rich and poor, for two years...if unemployment benefits are extended as well.