Texans could save a combined $13.7 billion on their utility bills and create 96,300 jobs in the next decade if all residents were to use energy-saving appliances and tactics, according to the study by Georgia Tech and Duke University's Nicholas Institute. more

Vice President Joe Biden, in a visit to George W. Bush's hometown, said Friday that President Barack Obama's ability to sell his agenda to Americans has been hampered by the failures of his predecessor. more

WASHINGTON – Rep. Pete Sessions' Dallas-area district has the highest rate of residents lacking health insurance of any Republican-controlled district in the country, according to census data. No other red districts are even in the top 10 of that unlucky club. more

People often dislike the institution of Congress but usually support their own representatives. But not this year. Half said they wanted to elect someone other than their current congressman; only 40 percent wanted to re-elect their lawmaker. more

The powerful House Appropriations Committee announced Wednesday it will no longer approve earmarks directed at for-profit companies. more

When primary voters go to the polls in Texas, it could serve as an early gauge of anti-Washington, D.C., sentiment in the 2010 elections more

From the post-Civil War period until the rise of George W. Bush, the Republican Party was seen as the party of business and the economy. It stood for prosperity, balanced budgets, and fiscal responsibility. No more. more

Yet rarely has the political system seemed more polarized and less able to solve big problems that involve trust, tough choices and little short-term gain. The main urgency for both parties seems to be about pinning blame on the other, before November’s elections, for deficits now averaging $1 trillion a year, the largest since World War II relative to the size of the economy. more

The party's House campaign arm, run by U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions of Dallas, has struggled to raise funds, leaving Democrats with a 6-1 advantage. The GOP's cash stockpile hasn't been this low at the start of an election year since 1998. It has barely enough to help a handful of promising challengers buy a TV blitz. more

Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) will appear at a fundraising reception Thursday afternoon at the Dallas law firm of Grier Raggio, who will be the Democratic nominee in the 32nd district Sessions is defending. more