Marion VA Medical Center

WASHINGTON — Veterans’ Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki will walk into a room of angry Illinois members of Congress Wednesday morning.

Shinseki will meet with Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and other livid Illinois elected officials in Washington to address persistent…

Ben Chandler, D-KY., scores a run during the Roll Call Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park in Washington Credit: Douglas Graham/Roll Call

WASHINGTON — Democrats’ fortunes have shifted from the electoral sweep on Capitol Hill and the White House to the…

Rep. John Shimkus

WASHINGTON — On Capitol Hill, Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., and green lawmakers like Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., aren’t exactly peas and carrots on environmental issues — in fact, they’re more like oil and water.

Matsui believes in global warming.…

Rep. John Shimkus

WASHINGTON — In the first day of what will be House Republicans last chance to fight a controversial climate change bill before it hits the floor, Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, came out swinging.

The Waxman-Markey energy bill, which would…

Rep. John Shimkus

WASHINGTON — As Democrats met in the White House today discussing a climate change bill, Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, and other House Republicans countered with a fresh campaign against the legislation.

The American Energy Solutions Group, which Shimkus co-chairs,…

WASHINGTON — After the last automatic pay hike, we’re now paying rank-and-file members of Congress $174,000. Leaders get more.

That base salary jump up to a shade under $180k under an automatic raise scheduled to go into effect next year.

Are these pay…

U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, and U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, our local GOP congressman from Collinsville, stopped in the office today to chat about politics.

Blackburn, a rising star in the GOP, is a fervent defender of both Sen. John McCain…

ST. PAUL – U.S. Rep. John Shimkus of Southern Illinois, an early John McCain supporter, was thrilled with running mate Sarah Palin’s speech tonight.

“I was so pleased,” Shimkus said. “She’s got this sarcastic little wit that I think she can stand up to…

ST. PAUL — U.S. Rep. John Shimkus from Southern Illinois criticizes the Dems during an interview from the GOP Convention.

U.S. Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond, R-Mo., sent out the release — but his Democratic counterpart, Sen. Claire McCaskill — is on the same side on this issue.

Both are involved in what Bond called “a bipartisan group of Senate and House members…