Congress convenes its new two-year session in early January, and the Tampa Bay area's federal lawmakers agree that the ailing economy and Americans' dwindling access to health care are priorities. ...more

December 29, 2008

Here's a few of the dozens of commemorative resolutions sponsored or co-sponsored this session by Florida's two U.S. senators and the Tampa Bay area members of the U.S. House. ...more

December 26, 2008

With the economy teetering and thousands of Floridians and other Americans losing their jobs, three Florida members of Congress say they would vote to give up their automatic $4,700 pay raise next year. ...more

December 25, 2008

With the economy teetering and thousands of Floridians and other Americans losing their jobs, three Tampa Bay members of Congress say they would vote to give up their automatic $4,700 pay raise next year. ...more

December 24, 2008

He could fill a Republican leadership void in Washington. He could steer the national agenda in his own conservative direction. ...more

December 12, 2008

When Sen. Mel Martinez published his autobiography earlier this year, the 240-page book said very little about his life in Washington. ...more

December 4, 2008

Florida's U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez announced this week that he won't seek a second term. His announcement left a lot of political players scrambling to position themselves for the prized seat. We believe whomever lands his seat in 2010 will be an improvement over Martinez. ...more

December 4, 2008

Still popular in Florida, former Gov. Jeb Bush said Wednesday that he's interested in the seat Sen. Mel Martinez is giving up, and the field of possible candidates could quickly narrow to make way for the president's younger brother. ...more

December 3, 2008

Florida's Republican U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez announced Tuesday that he won't run for re-election when his first term ends in 2010, setting off what's likely to be a political donnybrook to replace him. ...more

December 3, 2008

Gov. Charlie Crist will be heavily favored if he runs for re-election in 2010, no matter who becomes the Democrat nominee for governor, a poll of Florida voters released today shows. ...more

November 18, 2008