A growing number within Congress is looking to limit America’s authority to kill suspected terrorists through the drone program, Knoxnews reports. The program has been used to find and kill an unknown number of suspected terrorists, even U.S. citizens, and is expected to be a top topic of debate at a hearing Thursday in which the Senate Intelligence Committee will interview John Brennan, the White House’s pick for CIA chief. The White House defended its lethal drone program by citing the very laws some in Congress once believed were appropriate in the years after the Sept. 11 attacks. "It has to be in the agenda of this Congress to reconsider the scope of action of drones and use of deadly force by the United States around the world because the original authorization of use of force, I think, is being strained to its limits," Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, said in a recent interview.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has reached agreement on principles that could serve as the basis for sweeping overhaul of the nation's immigration laws. The outline calls for creating a “path to citizenship” for undocumented immigrants in the country, securing the border, establishing a better tracking system for visa holders, creating a more secure employment verification system, reforming the green card program, and creating an agricultural worker program. Knoxnews.com has more on the proposal.

U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker of Tennessee have been named the ranking Republican members of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, respectfully, the Tennessean reports.

Republican John Boehner was re-elected House Speaker yesterday at the convening of the 113th Congress, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. While there were grumblings amongst GOP ranks about the embattled Boehner, only 10 Republicans did not vote for him.

State Sen. Jim Tracy announced today he plans to challenge embattled U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais in 2014 for a seat in the 4th Congressional District, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. This will be Tracey’s second campaign for congress, after finishing a close third in the 2010 Republican primary for the 6th Congressional District. Tracey is the first Republican to launch a formal campaign against DesJarlais.

The U.S. Senate has confirmed five more district court judges, for a total of 13 confirmations so far this month, the Legal Times reports, and more votes are possible when lawmakers return to Washington, D.C. tomorrow. That makes December the second most active month for filling the federal bench during this session of Congress, behind the 15 confirmations made in October 2011.

U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan dismissed a legal claim that Senate filibusters, a stalling tactic often used to block judicial nominations, deny majority rule in an unconstitutional fashion, Gavel Grab reports. Judge Sullivan said that Common Cause and other plaintiffs did not have a legal right to litigate the issue, and that it would infringe on the Senate’s power if the court took the case.

The American Bar Association is reporting that unless Congress takes action before Jan. 1, 2013, FDIC insurance available to IOLTA accounts will be $250,000 per owner of the funds (client), per financial institution, assuming that the account is properly designated as a trust account and proper accounting of each client's funds is maintained. Non-interest-bearing trust accounts also will have this level of coverage. For the last two years, IOLTA accounts have enjoyed unlimited FDIC insurance coverage but that protection is set to expire on Dec. 31. The ABA Governmental Affairs Office says it appears unlikely that lawmakers will take any further action on the issue this year. Learn more about the issue from the FDIC.

Republican State Rep. Joe Carr from Lascassas announced today that he is forming an exploratory steering committee to test the viability of a campaign for Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District. That seat currently is held by U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais. Carr said he made the move because voters have told him their trust in DesJarlais has been violated. Chattanoogan.com reported the news.

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee recently unveiled a $60.4 billion supplemental appropriations bill to assist victims of Hurricane Sandy that also includes $1 million for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). The funding matches the request submitted by the White House. Though the funds are for LSC grantees in areas impacted by the storm, inclusion of the provision marks the first time since 1993 that a supplemental appropriations bill has included funding for the LSC following a disaster. Read more about the provision