The Senate on Wednesday moved to avert a partial shutdown of the U.S. domestic security agency this weekend, voting to clear the way for a funding bill free of contentious immigration issues. Hurdles remained, with conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives still opposed, and

Sunlight streams into the interior of the U.S. Capitol dome, covered in tarps for repairs, and is seen from the Rotunda in Washington November 6, 2014. The Republican takeover of the U.S. Senate will bring a tough new tone to the debate over Washington's foreign policy, with lawmakers expected use

Republican candidate for the Untied States Senate Scott Brown (L) is joined by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) at a campaign stop in Derry, New Hampshire October 7, 2014. For Republican lawmakers with White House aspirations, control of the U.S. Senate could be a blessing and a curse. If