WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Wednesday passed a $149 billion package of jobless aid and tax breaks, as Democrats continued efforts to lower the 9.7 percent unemployment rate before congressional elections in November. The measure, approved by a vote of 62 to 36, now heads to the House of Representatives, where many Democrats have pushed for more aggressive job-creation ...

Democrats claimed momentum Wednesday in their drive to enact the sweeping health care legislation sought by President Barack Obama, citing near agreement on crucial issues despite persistent Republican efforts to knock them off stride. Obama himself, rallying support outside Washington for the second time this week, shouted to a crowd in Missouri, "The time for talk is over. It's ...

US President Barack Obama's administration is under pressure from Congress to emphasize labor rights, democratic values and market reforms in talks to forge a trans-Pacific trade deal. Obama's top trade official Ron Kirk met lawmakers for consultations Wednesday ahead of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) linking the United States with an initial group of seven nations -- Australia ...