Republicans took control of the House and their leader, John A. Boehner took the Speaker’s gavel Wednesday, promising conservatives they would stay true to their roots, cut spending and attempt to shrink the size of government. For Boehner that means he will try to be the same man with the same goals, but with a brand new title.

Fighting through his emotions, and visibly crying as he made his way through the House chamber, Boehner raised his hand and took the oath of office, sworn in by Michigan Democrat John Dingell, the longest serving member of Congress.

WASHINGTON — House Republicans are trying to use the tax code to curb abortions by limiting tax breaks for insurance policies that cover the procedure.                                                           The House Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to vote on a bill
Thursday that would prevent taxpayers from deducting the cost of an
abortion from their taxable income. It would also prevent small
businesses and taxpayers from using tax credits in the new health care
law to provide or pay for insurance policies that cover the procedure.

House leaders decided Saturday to stage a vote on the Senate’s health-care bill, dropping a much-criticized strategy of allowing lawmakers to “deem” the landmark legislation into law. But the outcome of that vote remained in doubt as a pivotal bloc of Democrats continued to withhold its support over fears that the bill would open the door to the federal funding of abortion.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Buoyed by a presidential pep talk and intense rounds of negotiations, Senate Democrats hope to move closer to embracing a major health care bill this week by tackling the nettlesome issue of abortion.

Anti-abortion lawmakers in both parties have insisted that taxpayer funds not be used to pay for abortions in government-run health programs. But some liberals say proposed restrictions go too far by barring federally subsidized health insurance plans from covering abortion even if the procedures were entirely paid for with customers’ premiums.

That’s the language the House adopted last month, angering liberal groups. A prominent anti-abortion Democratic senator, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, plans to urge the Senate to follow suit.