Washington, March 14 (IANS) Democratic lawmakers in the US Congress are pressing the Pentagon for answers after reports that a US strike during Operation Epic Fury hit a girls’ elementary school in Iran, killing at least 175 civilians — many of them children — prompting calls for a full investigation, accountability, and stronger safeguards to prevent civilian casualties.Members of the House and Senate said the incident, which reportedly occurred on February 28 near the town of Minab, coul…
Latest US Congress News & Updates
Washington, March 11 (IANS) A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has urged the Trump administration to make Tibet a priority in its foreign policy, pressing the State Department to advance dialogue on the region’s future, defend religious freedom in the Dalai Lama’s succession, and counter Chinese disinformation about Tibet.In a letter to Riley M. Barnes, the US State Department’s Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, the lawmakers said Washington should strengthen efforts to implement exi…
Washington, March 8 (IANS) The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged the US government to redesignate Pakistan as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. In its 2026 Annual Report, the US federal watchdog recommended that the US government lift the existing waiver that exists for Pakistan, or not issue a waiver, releasing the administration from taking otherwise legislatively mandated action as…
Washington, March 7 (IANS) A US congressional hearing erupted into sharp questioning after lawmakers this week challenged a federal real estate agreement involving Pakistan’s Defence Ministry and the Roosevelt Hotel in New York, asking why Washington is involved in redevelopment discussions around a foreign-owned property.The exchange took place during a hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, exam…
Washington, March 6 (IANS) The rising population of wild horses on US public lands and the high cost of managing them came under scrutiny in the Congress as lawmakers examined proposals to expand fertility control and reduce reliance on costly holding facilities. The discussion came during a hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies on Friday as lawmakers began gathering priorities for the fiscal year 2027 spending bill.”The current approach …
Washington, March 5 (IANS) US lawmakers sparred on Thursday over the role of allies in global security as Congress examined the newly released National Defense Strategy during a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee.The debate highlighted differences between Republicans and Democrats on the extent to which allies should assume greater responsibility for defending their own regions while the United States focuses on major strategic priorities.Opening the hearing, committee chairman Mike R…
Washington, March 5 (IANS) House Democrats and Republicans clashed over President Donald Trump’s military operation against Iran and a funding dispute involving the Department of Homeland Security.At separate weekly news conferences, the two parties offered sharply different views of the conflict and Congress’ role.House Democratic leaders urged passage of a War Powers resolution to limit military action. Republicans defended the operation and accused Democrats of weakening homeland security by …
Male, March 3 (IANS) China’s treatment of religious and spiritual communities has once again come under scrutiny in the US Congress following remarks by a former senior American official who condemned the Chinese Communist Party’s policies as a “war on belief systems”, a report said on Tuesday.Addressing US lawmakers recently, Sam Brownback, former US Ambassador‑at‑Large for International Religious Freedom, accused the Chinese Communist Party of waging a worldwide persecution campaig…
Washington, Feb 27 (IANS) A Republican lawmaker has introduced legislation in the US House of Representatives to authorise the death penalty for individuals convicted of raping children under federal law, declaring there would be “zero mercy for child rapists” and that those who prey on minors should face “the harshest consequence we can deliver.”Unveiling the Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act, Congresswoman Nancy Mace said the proposal would send “an unmistakable message: Child rapi…
Washington, Feb 26 (IANS) Former US Vice President Kamala Harris has sharply criticised President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, calling it “full of lies” and accusing him of misleading Americans on the economy, voting rights, and Iran.A day after Trump’s address, Harris told “The Parnas Perspective” host Aaron Parnas on his substack show on Wednesday (local time) that she watched the speech and found it detached from the realities facing ordinary families.“I watched it…