(Editor's note: Fixes language in second paragraph.) (CNSNews.com) - Republicans claimed victory Wednesday in a flash-pan fight with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) over 185-year-old House rules that allow the minority party to block legislation.Reports suggested that Pelosi would alter the "motion to commit," which allow the minority party to send legislation back to committee before the full House is allowed to vote on it.

(CNSNews.com) - House Republicans on Wednesday introduced an alternative to Democratic proposals for the expansion of a federal children's health insurance program in an effort to prevent what the GOP lawmakers called a "giant leap toward nationalized health insurance."Democrats have proposed more than doubling the funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provides health coverage for children in families with incomes below 200 percent of the poverty level - families with low incomes but not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid.

(CNSNews.com) - A middle school in Portland, Maine, has decided to provide birth control pills and patches to its students, ages 11 to 13, and under the policy, parents may never know if their children get the birth control. Cybercast News Service hit Capitol Hill on Thursday to ask members of Congress whether the federal government should fund public school districts that provide such contraception to kids without parental notification.

(CNSNews.com) - Advocates on both sides of the debate over illegal immigration on Monday threatened a political backlash against elected officials who support the Senate's compromise on comprehensive immigration reform.The Secure Borders, Economic Opportunities and Immigration Reform Act of 2007, presented to members of Congress in draft form late last week, has sparked harsh criticism from groups on all sides of the debate.

(CNSNews.com) - House Republicans said Thursday they hope to block provisions of a Democratic bill to expand health care coverage for poor children that could open up the coverage to illegal immigrants.The Children's Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act would expand the existing State Children's Health Insurance Program - more than doubling it in size - and "improve beneficiary protections under the Medicare, Medicaid and the [SCHIP] program."

(CNSNews.com) - Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on Saturday called on Republicans to stick to conservative principles, and he urged lawmakers across the country to institute conservative reforms."I hope that Republicans here in Washington and across the country don't do what is typical when there's a loss like occurred in November and that's to abandon conservative principles and redefine what it means to be a conservative, to be a little less like Democrats," said Bush. "That never works."

(CNSNews.com) - A Republican congressman on Wednesday wouldn't rule out legislation as a way to prod American consumers to switch from traditional incandescent light bulbs to more efficient modern bulbs.Rep. Don Manzullo (R-Ill.) called legislation a "last choice" but did not rule it out as an option in the long term. Manzullo spoke at a news conference in Washington, D.C., with representatives from the energy industry and environmental interest groups promoting the modern bulbs.

(1st Add: Includes comments from President Bush.) (CNSNews.com) - Conservative grassroots organizers claimed victory in convincing 18 senators to reverse course and vote against cloture on the controversial comprehensive immigration reform bill that died in the Senate Thursday.

(CNSNews.com) - Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said during the Democratic presidential debate Wednesday that combat troops may have to continue fighting in Iraq throughout the next president's first term. When asked by debate moderator Tim Russert if they would have combat troops out of Iraq by the end of their first term, both Clinton and Obama avoided commitment, arguing that troops may remain in a fighting capacity through 2013.