The nation in brief

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Much of the legal landscape has

changed in the 15 years since Congress

passed DOMA.”

Attorney General Eric Holder,

after President Barack Obama decided that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and will no longer defend it in court Article, 1AGOP spending bill good for 2 weeks

WASHINGTON - Republicans controlling the House will advance a temporary funding bill to keep the government open for two weeks after a deadline expires March 4, a spokesman for Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday.

The Ohio Republican wants about $4 billion in spending cuts in the temporary bill, the latest salvo in a continuing battle with Democrats running the Senate.

The $4 billion figure is roughly equal to the pace of cuts in a bigger bill passed by Republicans last week that pares $61 billion from the budget over the remaining seven months of the current fiscal year.

Boehner’s idea was immediately rejected by Senate Democrats.

The exchange comes a day after Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said that Senate Democrats will try to pass a 30-day measure to keep the government frozen at last year’s budget levels.

Boehner flatly rejected the idea and insisted on immediate cuts.

On March 4 a current stopgap measure expires, and unless another one is passed, nonessential government programs will temporarily close down.

States: Deny bid on U.S. health suit

Twenty-six states that won a U.S. judge’s ruling striking down President Barack Obama’s health-care legislation told the judge he should deny a U.S. request to clarify his Jan. 31 decision.

The states, in a filing with U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson in Pensacola, Fla., on Wednesday, said the court has no need to explain its finding that Congress exceeded its legislative power under the Constitution when it mandated people should obtain minimal health-insurance coverage beginning in 2014.

Vinson, who was nominated to the federal bench by former President Ronald Reagan, is one of two U.S.

judges who have concluded that the insurance mandate exceeds the legislative power allocated to Congress under the Constitution.

Three U.S. judges appointed by President Bill Clinton have ruled the legislation was constitutional.

General cleared in sex inquiry

WASHINGTON - A Marine Corps general who is among a small number of senior officers in the running to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has been cleared of allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a subordinate, according to documents released Wednesday.

The Pentagon inspector general’s office, which conducted the probe, found no evidence that Gen. James Cartwright had any kind of romantic relationship with the officer. The inspector general, however, did criticize the general for failing to discipline the woman, who was found to have behaved in an unprofessional manner after having too much to drink.

Ray Mabus, the Navy secretary, discarded the inspector general’s recommendation that administrative action be taken against Cartwright in connection with the probe’s findings.

Front Section, Pages 3 on 02/24/2011

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