CONGRESS

The U.S. Post Office is warning it could default on payments to the federal government if Congress does not step in with help.

Disgusted with a U.S. debt deal battle that had the nation teetering on the edge of default, Americans registered their highest ever disapproval rating for Congress and said the focus needs to shift from deficit reduction to generating jobs.

Congressional leaders struck a deal on Thursday to resolve a partisan dispute and end a partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration that has halted airport projects and threatened thousands of jobs.

A record 82 percent of Americans say that they disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job, compared with 14 percent who approve, according to a New York Times/CBS News public opinion poll published on Thursday.

Disapproval of Congress rose to an all-time high after weeks of rancorous partisan battles over raising the U.S. debt ceiling took the country to the brink of default, according a New York Times/CBS News public opinion poll published on Thursday.

Congressional leaders struck a deal on Thursday to resolve a partisan dispute and end a partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration that has halted airport projects and threatened thousands of jobs.

In the largest one-day hike in history, U.S. Government debt shot up to $239 billion.

It is not known where she has gone for surgery

The U.S. Postal Service, like much of the U.S. Government these days, is in belt-tightening mode. What's that mean for your local post office?

"Austerity" and "balance the federal budget" are the dominant themes in today's Washington political culture. Name a wasteful, inefficient federal program and that's a program this Congress may zero-in on for elimination...unless it's a U.S. post office.

Congress buried the specter of a U.S. debt default by finally passing a deficit-cutting package on Tuesday, but uncertainties lingered over a possible painful downgrade of the top-notch American credit rating.

Stocks dropped on Tuesday on worries about a possible downgrade of the United States' top credit rating and signs of economic weakness even as Congress passed a bill to avoid a debt default.

Gabrielle Giffords returned to the House of Representatives to cast her vote on the historic debt-limit bill in Washington.

U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords reminded Washington and the rest of America and watching world that yes, miracles do happen. Her arrival on the scene to cast a vote for the debt-limit bill came at just the right moment.

Turning a new page in her post-shooting life, U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords attended Congress last night to take part in the voting on the debt deal.

The Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) estimate that the deal deal will cut the deficit by at least $2.1 trillion may not only save the debt deal -- it may save the nation's two, major political parties.

Even though the congressional leaders had all the time in the world to strike a deal on the issue of debt-ceiling raise, they seem to be shamelessly waiting for an 11th hour drama. Technically speaking, Aug. 2 is the end of grace period for extraordinary measures and the U.S. borrowing limit, currently at $14.29 trillion, was reached on May 16 this year. Instead of getting things done Democrats and the Republicans seem to get a kick out of the 'blamestorming game'.

Americans took to the phone lines and the Internet on Friday after President Barack Obama urged them again to call lawmakers and weigh in on a war over raising the U.S. debt limit that has sharply divided Congress.

With four days remaining until the United States hits its debt limit, President Barack Obama on Friday told deeply divided Republicans and Democrats to stop bickering and find a way "out of this mess."

President Barack Obama is deeply involved in trying to win a debt deal and his White House was working flat out, aides said, pushing back against any impression Congress had sidelined the administration.

The U.S. Congress, known for moving painfully slowly, can kick into high gear when it is staring down a deadline important to the entire country -- or when lawmakers are approaching their cherished August recess.