The State Department has drawn down personnel at more U.S. diplomatic missions in and around the Middle East as it comes under increasing but historically familiar criticism for not doing enough to prepare.

President Donald Trump’s “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela’s coast is raising new concerns about the legality of his military campaign in Latin America.

Republican Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas is worried that Russia's escalation in eastern Europe could lead to World War Three.

President Donald Trump is getting praise from his most ardent supporters for withholding some weapons from Ukraine after they recently questioned his commitment to keeping the U.S. out of foreign conflicts.

Marco Rubio has been confirmed by the Senate for secretary of state with unanimous support.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has had hip replacement surgery at a U.S. military hospital in Germany after falling while at an event in Luxembourg with other members of Congress.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been hospitalized after she “sustained an injury” during an official engagement in Luxembourg, according to a spokesman.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has appeared before the House Foreign Affairs Committee to face questions for the last time regarding some of the darkest moments of Joe Biden’s presidency: the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul says he was briefly detained by police at an airport near Washington, D.

House Republicans have voted to condemn President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee have advanced contempt of Congress charges against Secretary of State Antony Blinken following a contentious back-and-forth with the Cabinet secretary over an appearance to testify on the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

First lady Jill Biden invited cast members from “The West Wing” to the White House to mark the 25th anniversary of the hit drama.

The State Department has lashed out at House Republicans over a subpoena for testimony about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, accusing them of repeatedly calling for hearings when they know Secretary of State Antony Blinken is unavailable to appear.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has presented Congress’ highest honor — the Congressional Gold Medal — to 13 U.S. service members who were killed during the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.

House Republicans have issued a subpoena for testimony from Secretary of State Antony Blinken as they finish their investigation into the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

A bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation met with the Dalai Lama at his residence in India’s Dharamshala, sparking anger from China which views the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism as a dangerous separatist.

The Biden administration is due to deliver a first-of-its-kind verdict on whether Israel's conduct of its war in Gaza complies with international and U.S. laws.

Staring down a decision so consequential it could alter the course of history -- but also end his own career -- House Speaker Mike Johnson prayed for guidance.

Iran’s attack against Israel over the weekend has spurred bipartisan legislative action in Congress and sanctions from the Biden administration.

The House has passed a measure that would permanently freeze the $6 billion recently transferred by the U.S. in a prisoner swap with Iran.

Rep. Patrick McHenry is presiding over the House as speaker pro tempore following the unprecedented ouster of Kevin McCarthy.

The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is slamming a fellow Republican in the Senate for waging an unprecedented attempt to change Pentagon abortion policy by holding up hundreds of military nominations and promotions.

Members of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee say Russian President Vladimir Putin is committing genocide in Ukraine.

The House Foreign Affairs chairman has subpoenaed the State Department for classified documents that could indicate whether the U.S. deviated from its plans for sanctioning China after a Chinese surveillance balloon crossed over sensitive military sites across North America.

The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is demanding that the State Department produce more information about the suspension of the U.S. special envoy for Iran's security clearance.

The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee says he is pausing an effort to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress now that the State Department is letting him view a redacted classified cable from U.S. diplomats in Kabul sent shortly before the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The State Department is offering to allow the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to view a classified cable from U.S. diplomats in Kabul sent shortly before the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is threatening to push forward a legislative effort to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress next week.

The State Department says it's “unfortunate” the House Foreign Affairs Committee's chairman has threatened to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress if the department doesn't turn over classified cables related to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Ukraine’s top prosecutor has described for U.S. lawmakers examples of war atrocities that he says are deliberately orchestrated by Russian forces to sow terror among civilians.

China sanctioned a United States lawmaker Thursday for his visit to Taiwan, saying he violated the “One China” principle that says Beijing has sovereignty over the island.

House Republicans plan to deliver a subpoena to Secretary of State Antony Blinken for classified cables related to the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The Senate has voted overwhelmingly to continue congressional authorization for the use of military force in the global fight against terror, turning back an effort by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul to repeal the 2001 measure.

TikTok is dismissing calls for its Chinese owners to sell their stakes in the popular video-sharing app, saying such a move wouldn’t help protect national security.

The House has voted down a bill directing President Joe Biden to remove some 900 U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.

Active-service members and veterans have provided first-hand testimony in the House of Representatives about the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, describing in harrowing detail the carnage and death they witnessed on the ground.

CIA Director William Burns says Russian President Vladimir Putin is being “too confident” in his military’s ability to grind Ukraine into submission.

A handful of congressional Republicans has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a signal of continued U.S. support, even as hard-right members of the party vow to block future aid to the embattled country.

Republicans assuming new positions of leadership in the House and Senate are not waiting for the next funding debate over Ukraine to begin making the case for why the U.S. should continue supporting the war-torn nation.

The U.S. House voted unanimously Thursday to condemn the Beijing government for its balloon surveillance program.

House Republicans are promising aggressive oversight of the Biden administration once they assume the majority next year.

House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy warns that Republicans will not write a “blank check” for Ukraine if they win back the House majority.

The House has passed a $280 billion package to boost the semiconductor industry and scientific research in a bid to create more high-tech jobs in the United States and help it better compete with international rivals, namely China.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launched a political career being tough on China.

After the Capitol riot, longtime Congressman Jim Langevin said he thought for a brief moment that the foolishness and recklessness of dividing the country would finally stop.

Legislation punishing Russia for the war in Ukraine is finally getting a vote in the U.S. Senate.

Just two years ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was at the center of impeachment proceedings that deeply fractured Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip to Warsaw to thank Poland for taking in Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion is taking an unexpected turn.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan says Russia could invade Ukraine “any day," launching a conflict that would come at an “enormous human cost."

Democrats have muscled through legislation in the House that they say positions the U.S. to better compete with China economically by strengthening the domestic semiconductor industry and shoring up strained supply chains.

The U.S. has expressed outrage and demanded an investigation after The Associated Press reported that Myanmar’s military has been torturing detainees in a systemic way across the country.

Texas lawmakers are on the brink of finishing redrawn U.S. House maps that would shore up their eroding dominance as voters peel away from the GOP in the state’s booming suburbs.

The Americans trying to evacuate hundreds of Afghans and American citizens pleaded for action from the Biden administration to get the would-be evacuees aboard charter flights that are standing by to fly them from Afghanistan.

The Americans trying to evacuate hundreds of Afghans and American citizens pleaded for action from the Biden administration Tuesday to get the would-be evacuees aboard charter flights that are standing by to fly them from Afghanistan.

The United States is confirming for the first time that it has helped a U.S. citizen and family members to escape Afghanistan through an overland route to a neighboring country.

Officials say at least four planes chartered to evacuate several hundred people seeking to escape the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan have been unable to leave the country for days.

The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee says some Americans who have been trying to get out of Afghanistan since the U.S. military left are sitting in airplanes at an airport ready to leave but the Taliban are not letting them take off.

Across the county, the offices of members of Congress have become makeshift crisis centers.

Across the county, the offices of members of Congress have become makeshift crisis centers.

Democratic-led congressional committees are vowing to press President Joe Biden’s administration on what went wrong as the Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan.

The Democratic-led House has passed legislation to repeal the 2002 authorization for use of military force in Iraq.

Washington’s special envoy to Afghanistan says predictions that the Taliban will quickly overrun Afghan government forces and conquer Kabul once U.S. and coalition forces have fully withdrawn are unduly pessimistic.

The Biden administration is considering sanctions over China’s alleged use of forced labor in manufacturing of solar panels and other climate-friendly production.

The Biden administration says it has resumed U.S. assistance to the Palestinians, including to the U.N. agency that deals with Palestinian refugees.

A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)WASHINGTON – The Biden administration is scrambling to manage a growing humanitarian and political challenge at the U.S.-Mexico border that threatens to overshadow its ambitious legislative agenda. Biden told reporters Sunday at the White House that “at some point” he would go to the border and that he knows what is going on in the border facilities. There were 18,945 family members and 9,297 unaccompanied children encountered in February — an increase of 168% and 63%, respectively, from the month before, according to the Pew Research Center. Biden has reversed that policy, so immigration officials hope the process will speed up now.

Biden in his early days in office has vowed a dramatic reordering of U.S. foreign policy from his predecessor. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden in his early days in office has vowed a dramatic reordering of U.S. foreign policy from his predecessor. The early preference for caution and incrementalism comes as Biden has repeatedly declared that “America is back.” But in early foreign policy tests, Biden has demonstrated, as many of his predecessors have experienced, that a push away from the previous commander-in-chief's policies is easier said than done. AdSullivan pushes back against the notion that Biden's foreign policy approach has been modulated from his candidacy. On China, Biden has been clear-eyed in seeing Beijing as the United States' most significant competitor.

(Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – After years of Democratic accusations that former President Donald Trump was too soft on Russia, the Biden administration is facing Republican criticism of its approach to Moscow. The Biden administration rejects the criticism, saying it has been clear about penalties for companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and that its goal is to bolster European energy security. Like the Trump administration before it, the Biden administration believes the pipeline will harm European energy security, particularly for countries in Eastern and Central Europe like Ukraine and Poland, which the pipeline bypasses. U.S. officials have long said they fear Russia will use the pipeline as a political tool against its neighbors. The Biden administration suggests more sanctions may be coming.

Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – Worried about continuing threats, the acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police has appealed to congressional leaders to use their influence to keep National Guard troops at the Capitol, two months after the law enforcement breakdowns of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection. Pittman said she needed the leaders' assistance with the three-member Capitol Police Board, which reports to them. Paul Irving, who served on the Capitol Police Board as House sergeant-at-arms, denied that Sund asked him to call the Guard. He ultimately called the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard just before 2 p.m., who in turn testified that the request for help was delayed by the Defense Department. “We have the razor wire, we have the National Guard.

National Guard stand guard at a perimeter fence at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)WASHINGTON – The Latest on a possible threat against the Capitol (all times local):5:50 p.m. Pittman says the board suggested some temporary fencing would be removed starting Friday, and the fencing around the outer perimeter of the Capitol complex would be removed starting March 12. Some fencing is likely to remain as law enforcement officials continue to track an increased number of threats against lawmakers and the Capitol. This comes two months after Trump supporters smashed through windows and doors to try to stop Congress from certifying now-President Joe Biden’s victory.

Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – Worried about continuing threats, the acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police appealed to congressional leaders Thursday to use their influence to keep National Guard troops at the Capitol, two months after the law enforcement breakdowns of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection. Pittman said she needed the leaders' assistance with the three-member Capitol Police Board, which reports to them. Paul Irving, who served on the Capitol Police Board as House sergeant-at-arms, denied that Sund asked him to call the Guard. He ultimately called the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard just before 2 p.m., who in turn testified that the request for help was delayed by the Defense Department. “We have the razor wire, we have the National Guard.

Joggers run down a street empty of cars Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, in Nolensville, Tenn. A second winter storm in a week is bringing more snow to much of Tennessee. A rural hospital in Anahuac, Texas, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Houston, lost both water and power. Memphis, Light, Gas & Water issued a boil-water advisory on Thursday out of concern that low water pressure caused by problems at aging pumping stations and water main ruptures could lead to contamination. That hospital has a water purification system for dialysis and has water reserves for tasks such as cooking and bathing patients, he said. Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare also reported problems at some of its Memphis-area facilities due to water pressure problems and the boil advisory.

But the move was immediately criticized as inadequate by senior Republican lawmakers who noted the administration had not penalized any additional companies or individuals for work on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. U.S. officials have long said they fear Russia will use the pipeline as a political tool against its neighbors. However, congressional Republicans were unimpressed and denounced the administration for failing to impose any sanctions on additional targets, notably people and firms in Germany, which is a strong Nord Stream 2 proponent. “I am deeply troubled and disappointed by the State Department’s report on Nord Stream 2 activities and their decision to forgo additional sanctions on other entities involved in its construction," Risch said. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire has co-sponsored legislation opposing the pipeline with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and has been outspoken in her criticism of Nord Stream 2.

Besides signaling Thursday a willingness to talk with Iran, the administration also reversed Trump’s determination that all U.N. sanctions against Iran had been restored. He's expected to address the U.S. stance on the 2015 multilateral Iran nuclear deal, the war in Afghanistan and the economic and national security challenges posed by Russia and China. The U.S. has not participated in a meeting of those participants since Trump withdrew from the deal and began steadily ramping up sanctions on Iran. The Trump administration had imposed the severe restrictions, which essentially confined them to their U.N. mission and the U.N. headquarters building in New York. “It is concerning the Biden Administration is already making concessions in an apparent attempt to re-enter the flawed Iran deal," he said.

But there’s a smaller category of lawmakers like Peterson and GOP Rep. Steve Chabot of Ohio who also merit attention: long-term incumbents of both parties fighting to preserve their careers. Over 90% of House incumbents are usually reelected, thanks to name recognition and campaign fundraising advantages. “There are people who traditionally voted Republican who don't identify with the current Republican Party," Schroder, 43, a businesswoman and local public health official, said in an interview. Democratic and Republican campaign committees and other organizations allied with party leadership are aiming the bulk of their spending at each others' softest seats and defending vulnerable incumbents. The Congressional Leadership Fund, aligned with House GOP leadership, planned to spend $3.3 million more, which Republicans said could grow.

FILE - In this Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019 file photo Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny speaks during a rally to support political prisoners in Moscow, Russia. The German hospital treating Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny says he has been taking out of an induced coma and is responsive. German chemical weapons experts say tests showed the 44-year-old was poisoned with a Soviet-era nerve agent. Engel and McCaul urged Trump to enact additional sanctions on Russia if its determined that chemical weapons were used against Navalny. Russia has denied that the Kremlin was involved in poisoning Navalny and accused Germany of failing to provide evidence about the poisoning that it requested in late August.

WASHINGTON Eight Republican lawmakers attended a White House briefing about explosive allegations that Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American troops in Afghanistan intelligence the White House insisted the president himself had not been fully read in on. Still, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany insisted Trump had not been briefed on the findings because they hadn't been verified. One official said the administration discussed several potential responses, but the White House has yet to authorize any step. Bolton declined to comment, and the White House did not respond to questions on the matter. The intelligence officials and others with knowledge of the matter insisted on anonymity to discuss the highly sensitive matter.

WASHINGTON The Defense Department is reviewing options to begin pulling about 10,000 troops out of Germany, as directed by President Donald Trump. But even though some may be shifted to neighboring Poland, the withdrawal will still present complex logistical challenges and will not happen fast. Trump has said he is determined to cut the number of troops in Germany from about 35,000 to 25,000. Are they going to build family housing?Most troops in Germany are assigned there, and are not on short-term deployments. The U.S. Air Force has nearly 13,000 troops in Germany, concentrated mainly at two large bases.

WASHINGTON Congress voted Wednesday to toughen the U.S. response to a brutal Chinese crackdown on ethnic minorities, adding another factor to the increasingly stormy relationship between the two countries. Both issues emerged, along with other sore points in the China-U.S. relationship, as Republican and Democratic members of Congress spoke in support of the bill. Congress late last year voted to condemn the crackdown in Xianjiang, where Chinese authorities have detained more than a million people from mostly Muslim ethnic groups that include Uighurs, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz in a vast network of detention centers. This new legislation is intended to increase the pressure by imposing sanctions on specific Chinese officials, such as the Communist Party official who oversees government policy in Xianjiang. It signals that a member of the international community is actually taking some steps to address the problem, Irwin said.

The White HouseWASHINGTON (CNN) - Members of President Donald Trump's own party are privately alarmed at his demeanor this week and his apparent lack of understanding of the consequences of his Syria policy, according to a Republican source familiar with a recent White House meeting. CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on this description. But publicly, the top House Republican offered a different assessment. The California Republican criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's decision to leave the meeting, saying that the speaker had opted to politicize the event. The President's Syria policy has opened a rare rift between Republicans and the White House that comes at a critical time for Trump's presidency as he faces down a House Democratic-led impeachment inquiry.

Copyright 2019 CNN(CNN) - The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a resolution opposing the Trump administration's move to withdraw US forces from Syria. The resolution states that "an abrupt withdrawal of United States military personnel from certain parts of Northeast Syria is beneficial to adversaries of the United States government, including Syria, Iran, and Russia." In the House, it was sponsored by House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel and the committee's top Republican, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas. Since it is a joint resolution, it could come up for a vote in the Senate after the House takes it up. The House resolution calls on the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "to immediately cease unilateral military action in Northeast Syria."

Several Republicans who sit on the key committees say more needs to be learned about Giuliani's role, while also revealing new concerns about the continuing revelations that are emerging. Another Republican House member, who sits on one of the committees leading the impeachment probe, told CNN: "We have to see what his involvement is." Asked if he were unnerved at all about Giuliani's role, McCaul said, "There's a lot that we don't know about." Still, many Republicans continue to downplay Giulani's role. Aides say that members are frustrated with the biggest flashpoint is that Giuliani is causing headaches.

"Americans are weary of war, and have no interest in entering another Middle East conflict, particularly on behalf of Saudi Arabia," Pelosi argued. Saudi Arabia is a sovereign nation perfectly capable of defending their own sovereignty." Now, he insists on sending young Americans to Saudi Arabia and the UAE," Amash tweeted. Pelosi noted that both chambers voted to block arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE earlier this summer. In July, Trump vetoed three joint resolutions prohibiting arms sales to the two countries.