The Hill Articles: December 19, 2011

Former Rep. Lampson will run again in Texas House plans three-step process in Monday night tax votes Senators urge regulator to take a hard look at Google’s search tactics White House treads cautiously after North Korean leader’s death Cantor: ‘We don’t need any more uncertainty’ Dems vow not to cave on payroll tax, upping pressure on Boehner Skype to give air passengers free wireless internet for Christmas Air Force study finds drone pilots face high stress Barney Frank foe prepares to make second House bid First House Republican defects, says he will vote for two-month extension House approves Churchill bust bill after debating other suspensions Gen. Dempsey announces study on military retirement reforms forthcoming STOCK Act sponsor welcomes Cantor’s ‘newfound willingness’ to push bill Schumer calls for vigilance in gift card industry Top House Democrat criticizes Republicans for risking expiration of federal jobless benefits Rockefeller uses payroll tax fight to hit House GOP on FAA bill Pro-Keystone Senate Democrats push House to approve payroll-tax bill Senate GOP to Obama: Don’t make recess appointments to NLRB DAY’S END ROUNDUP Issa: Lawmakers received VIP mortgages Court: ‘Personhood’ measure would limit healthcare access, not just abortion Flake, Cooper introduce anti-earmark bill AT&T abandons T-Mobile merger Hoyer: House GOP in ‘disarray’ GOP holds firm in request for conference on tax bill Ohio senators express concern over China’s new auto tariffs Carney: Voters ‘expect’ House to pass payroll tax bill Ron Paul is the front-runner in Iowa Trade officials continue working toward implementing trade deals Analysts warn new North Korean leader might want to show muscle Rick Perry advocates gun rights in Iowa Gingrich’s wife knocks Romney through Twitter GOP House freshmen hit Senate Republicans for support of tax bill Feds crack down on robocalling company GOP recruit won’t run in Altmire-Critz district White House accuses Speaker Boehner of flip-flopping on Senate tax bill Poll: Paul leads in Iowa, Gingrich slips to fourth Swastikas painted at Kansas senator’s district office White House expected to name Frank Kendall as top Pentagon weapons buyer First candidate enters race to replace Rep. Davis Senate Republicans call on House to pass payroll tax extension Giffords reportedly bonds with restaurant chef Lawmakers want to include holiday greetings in mail to constituents Indecent blogosphere: If the truth matters, why not retract and apologize when you get it wrong? Train vs. plane: Connecticut Dems compare travel notes Ron Paul, Kim Jong Un, and the Iowa GOP caucus House members could turn omnibus vote to campaign advantage DSCC attacks GOP Senate candidates on payroll-tax increase White House changes countdown clock to pin tax blame on House HHS rejects Michigan’s request for MLR adjustment Reid rejects reopening tax talks unless House passes Senate payroll bill Lawmaker obtains commitment to revisit detainee language Sen. Wyden pushes anti-piracy alternative Lawmaker: ‘Anti-democratic’ for Supreme Court to bar cameras Payroll processors lobby against short-term tax cut Poll: Romney dominating in New Hampshire Year ahead: Tax fight, trigger cuts loom large McCain: Kim Jong Il is ‘in a warm corner of hell’ NTSB chief backs cellphone ban in cars even if policy is ‘not popular with folks’ DOJ brought in more than $2 billion in 2011 from healthcare fraud cases GOP’s Lugar: House should pass tax bill for the good of the country Poll: Surging Romney ties Gingrich nationally Pentagon: No signs of unusual North Korean military movements HHS names 32 ‘pioneers’ in key program to cut healthcare costs Former Rep. J.C. Watts set to endorse Gingrich Watchdog: Gingrich Productions may have illegally donated to campaign DCCC unleashing Carville on House GOP Jeb Bush op-ed has Republicans wondering about run Capitol Hill Agenda: Dec. 19, 2011 Tea Party lawmaker: Payroll-tax-cut fight our ‘Braveheart moment’ Panetta, South Korean defense chief confer about North Korea ‘Strong’ ad generates social media buzz for Perry, mostly negative The Hill’s top 10 energy stories of 2011 Radical environmentalism, not Wall Street, sabotaging the American Dream GOP Sen. Brown rips House Republicans for opposing tax cut Homebuilder confidence improves for third straight month Sen. McCain predicts rise of a third political party in 2012 elections Supreme Court sets aside three days for arguments on healthcare reform law New PAC touts Gingrich’s ‘conservative leadership’ in first ad Weyants World: December 19, 2011 GD moves closer to purchase of heavy-combat truck maker Tesla Motors hires first in-house DC lobbyist Aviation, highway funding fights on tap for 2012 Schumer: Obama ‘swallowed hard’ on Keystone pipeline in tax deal Senate moves to vote on anti-piracy bill next month Gingrich wins Tea Party Patriots straw poll Energy battles set to rage into 2012 Boehner predicts House will reject Senate’s payroll-tax-cut extension House GOP pushing for conference with Senate on payroll-tax bill News bites: Saudi prince buys stake in Twitter House returns; recesses subject to the call of the chairman Airports Council to House, in rhyme: ‘Go home’ Comedian Louis C.K. tapped to headline RTCA dinner Democrats surrender (again), Republicans say no (again) Year-Ahead Tipsheet: Budget cuts will again dominate defense debates in 2012 Should we extend the olive branch to North Korea? Dems, White House blame Tea Party, say GOP shifted on tax cut Did George W. Bush destroy America? Will Gingrich? EMILY’s List endorses Bysiewicz for Lieberman’s seat NY lawmaker: GOP taking ‘principled’ stance on payroll tax bill Perry rebuts ‘fracking’ pollution claims Rubio to resume holds on two Western Hemisphere nominees over Cuba News bites: Scientists examine climate consequences of melting permafrost Schumer compares negotiating with Boehner to nailing Jell-O to the wall Des Moines Register editor: Romney can ‘bridge’ partisan divide News bites: Kim Jong Il dies News bites: Concern grows around federal exchange Poll: Gingrich falters in Iowa, Paul takes lead Sen. Kirk to endorse Romney North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Il dead House GOP threatens to kill payroll tax deal in Monday vote Poverty of children demands attention The Hill Poll: Obama more likely to lose than win again, say voters Practical solutions could win it for GOP Battle over road signs reflects Fleischmann’s budget priorities Top 10 Political Stories for 2011 House to vote Monday on payroll tax cut bill Senate rejects Obama’s nominee to head GPO Monday: Payroll tax drama continues Boehner: We’ll take Churchill bust in the Capitol Corzine grilling is political fodder in fight over financial regulations