David Sherfinski
Articles by David Sherfinski
Congress fails to solve Trump border demand
Congress closed up shop Friday night without a deal to avert a government shutdown at midnight, becoming snared by President Trump's demands for new border wall money. Published December 21, 2018
House passes stopgap bill with border wall funding to avert shutdown
The House on Thursday passed a stopgap funding bill that would keep the federal government running into early February and give President Trump the additional money he's seeking for security along the U.S.-Mexico border. Published December 20, 2018
House passes $99 billion tax package
Amid the ongoing shutdown drama at the Capitol, the House on Thursday approved a $99 billion tax package that includes disaster relief provisions, repeals or delays several health care taxes, and makes changes designed to improve operations at the IRS and boost Americans' retirement savings. Published December 20, 2018
Trump threatens to blow up spending deal
President Trump lashed out at Congress Thursday, blasting lawmakers for failing to fund his border wall demands -- and throwing into doubt the chances of passing a bill to fund the government by Friday's deadline. Published December 20, 2018
Senate approves stopgap bill to fund government, averts federal shutdown
Republicans backed down in their border security fight Wednesday and settled instead for a stopgap spending bill that would keep the government running through early February, avoiding a government shutdown and leaving the big fights for the new Congress. Published December 19, 2018
Stopgap bill averts government shutdown, punts fight to Democrat-controlled House
Republicans backed down in their border security fight Wednesday and settled instead for a stopgap spending bill that would keep the government running through early February, avoiding a government shutdown and leaving the big fights for the new Congress. Published December 19, 2018
Senate teeing up stopgap bill to fund government through Feb. 8
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday announced plans to roll out a stopgap funding bill that would keep the government running through Feb. 8 and avert a pre-Christmas shutdown. Published December 19, 2018
Government shutdown: Trump retreats on border wall, Congress seeks stopgap spending bill
Members of Congress resigned themselves Tuesday to another short-term spending bill to avoid a government shutdown and get the government through the holidays and into the new year after Democrats rejected a new Republican offer to give President Trump half the border wall money he's seeking. Published December 18, 2018
Trump administration moves to ban ‘bump stock’ type devices
The Trump administration announced final steps Tuesday to ban "bump stock" add-ons that help rifles mimic machine guns, saying that even current owners of the devices will either have to hand them in to the government or destroy them. Published December 18, 2018
Sarah Sanders signals White House might accept less than $5 billion for border wall
As lawmakers search for a way out of the latest shutdown showdown, the White House signaled Tuesday that President Trump could get behind legislation that allocates $1.6 billion for border security and that they are exploring other ways to secure the full $5 billion that Mr. Trump is seeking for a U.S.-Mexico border wall. Published December 18, 2018
Government shutdown threatens federal employees’ holiday vacations, but could result in double pay
More than 400,000 essential government employees could be forced to stay on the job throughout a government shutdown -- even if they'd already planned to take holiday vacations. President Trump has demanded that Congress find $5 billion in new money to pay for more sections of his border wall plans. Published December 17, 2018
House conservatives support Trump on border wall funding standoff
House conservatives are cheering President Trump on in his desire for a government shutdown, saying they have his back in the standoff over border wall money. Published December 16, 2018
Federal deficit up 50 percent in new fiscal year
The federal government is already deep in the red just two months into the new fiscal year, with the Treasury Department announcing Thursday that the deficit surged more than 50 percent so far. Published December 13, 2018
House passes farm bill after pro-work provisions dropped
Congressional Republicans fell short Wednesday on their last, best chance to tighten work requirements for people receiving public assistance, after Congress cleared the farm bill without the new rules conservatives had sought. Published December 12, 2018
House moves to derail anti-Trump Saudi efforts
House GOP leaders pushed a measure through their chamber Wednesday that will make it tougher for President Trump's critics to cut off U.S. assistance to the Saudi government in its proxy war in Yemen. Published December 12, 2018
Senate passes $867 billion farm bill
Hemp advocates celebrated Tuesday after congressional negotiators reached a final deal on an $867 billion farm bill that would fully legalize industrial hemp, predicting it will push the U.S. to new heights in an emerging market. Published December 11, 2018
Steny Hoyer predicts bipartisan support to revive earmarks
Rep. Steny Hoyer, the incoming majority leader in the House, said Tuesday he wants to revive the use of earmarks in congressional bills and predicted the move will have bipartisan support in both chambers. Published December 11, 2018
House Republicans roll out revised tax package
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady on Monday released a revised end-of-year tax package that includes tax relief for victims of recent natural disasters, delays or repeals several Obamacare-related taxes, and jettisons the extensions of many expired breaks that had been included in an earlier bill. Published December 11, 2018
Republicans load up spending bill before Democrats take House control
As the clock ticks down in Congress, Republican lawmakers are racing to load up the end-of year spending legislation with their own priorities, figuring this is their last chance to push their agenda while they control both chambers. Published December 9, 2018
Jerrold Nadler says Donald Trump impeachment depends on complicity in felony
The likely chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said Sunday that it would be an impeachable offense if President Trump is found to be complicit in a felony. Published December 9, 2018
