S.A. Miller
Articles by S.A. Miller
Chris Van Hollen, House Democrats push tax increases, wealth redistribution
House Democrats, fresh off massive election losses, say the problem is they didn't make a bold enough case for tax increases and wealth transfer to the poor. They rectified that Monday with a speech by Rep. Chris Van Hollen proposing tax increases on the wealthy with the money going straight to tax cuts for the poor and middle class. Published January 12, 2015
Democrats float tax ‘action plan’ to slap Wall Street, give payouts to workers
The top Democrat on the House Budget Committee unveiled Monday the party's plan to overhaul the tax code by raising taxes on Wall Street and big business and redistributing wealth to working-class American families, saying it would fix a broken system that favors the rich. Published January 12, 2015
Martin O’Malley: ‘My feelings were hurt’ by Maryland voters
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said Thursday that he's still "seriously considering" a run for president but admitted that he was rattled when voters rejected his hand-picked Democratic successor in favor of Republican Larry Hogan. Published January 9, 2015
Progressives push back on fast-track trade deals
The most liberal House Democrats are breaking with President Obama over trade deals, using a coalition that includes unions, teachers, environmentalists and possibly tea party members to try to kill trade legislation that is one of the few areas of agreement between the White House and the Republican-run Congress. Published January 8, 2015
Gridlock in Congress rekindled quickly despite Democrat, Republican calls for cooperation
Four months after they joined Republicans in voting to tweak the Dodd-Frank law, House Democrats reversed themselves and killed similar legislation Wednesday, sending the latest grim signal that the last year's elections did little to break gridlock on Capitol Hill. Published January 7, 2015
Obama’s deportation amnesty trips up AG pick Loretta Lynch in confirmation talks
Federal prosecutor Loretta Lynch, President Obama's pick to be the next attorney general, failed Wednesday to convince Sen. David Vitter that she wouldn't be an accomplice to the president's executive action that could granted deportation amnesty for up to 5 millions of illegal immigrants. Published January 7, 2015
Elizabeth Warren lays out liberal agenda in campaign-style speech to union allies
Sounding ever the presidential contender, liberal firebrand Sen. Elizabeth Warren outlined a sweeping Democratic agenda Wednesday that included raising the minimum wage, breaking up Wall Street banks and raising taxes on big business to help shore up entitlement programs and pay for infrastructure projects. Published January 7, 2015
Obama, Democrats clash with new Republican majority as 114th Congress convenes
The 114th Congress convened at noon Tuesday, and by 1 p.m. Democrats already had thrown a wrench into the works, setting roadblocks in the way of the new Republican majority in the Senate and signaling that midterm election defeats have not chastened President Obama or his top lieutenants on Capitol Hill. Published January 6, 2015
GOP taking wait-and-see approach for rule change
As Republicans took control of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, they grew increasingly comfortable with keeping the rule change known as the "nuclear option" that Democrats imposed to end filibusters of nominations and confirm President Obama's picks. Published January 6, 2015
Harry Reid looks like he went ‘through the windshield of a car,’ Dick Durbin says
The severe injuries that kept Sen. Harry Reid from attending his demotion from majority leader also have left him looking like he'd been thrown "though the windshield of a car," Senate Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin said. Published January 6, 2015
Democrats vow to raise minimum wage despite smaller ranks
They ceded ground in Congress, but Democrats vowed it will not deter them from their call to raise the minimum wage, declaring a $10.10 rate to be the centerpiece of a populist economic agenda designed to stymie the GOP and set the table for a 2016 resurgence. Published January 5, 2015
Gun control groups scrounge for cash, ideas to fight Republican-controlled Congress
Gun control groups are scrounging for money and ideas as they prepare for the Republican-controlled Congress, which they expect will continue to thwart stricter firearm laws and move to expand gun rights. Published January 1, 2015
Martin O’Malley to commute sentences of Maryland’s last four death row inmates
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley announced Wednesday that he intended to commute the sentences of the state's last four inmates on death row, saying it did not "serve the public good" to leave the men in limbo since the state had abolished the death penalty. Published December 31, 2014
Larry Hogan warns Maryland to brace for budget cuts, reduced services
Gov.-elect Larry Hogan warned Marylanders on Tuesday to brace for budget cuts and reduced services as he works to erase massive deficits and rein in out-of-control government spending, budget issues that he said would dominate the upcoming General Assembly session. Published December 30, 2014
Patrick Leahy pushes for more bulletproof vests amid attacks on police
In the wake of a gunman killing two New York City police officers and a series of unprovoked ambushes on police across the country, Sen. Patrick Leahy called Monday for more federal grants to buy bulletproof vets for cops. Published December 29, 2014
Search for missing Malaysian airliner trickles to single ship
A single ship continued a lonely search last week across a vast expanse of the southern Indian Ocean for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that disappeared nearly 10 months ago — no longer listening for "pings" from the black box or subject to around-the-clock coverage by CNN or accompanied by a massive flotilla that once included the U.S. 7th Fleet and helped make it the largest and most expensive search in aviation history. Published December 24, 2014
John Boehner, House Republicans break ‘Pledge to America,’ allow rushed legislation
Republicans won the House in 2010 with their "Pledge to America" vowing a more transparent legislative process, but they broke many of those rules in this month's end-of-year push to pass spending bills and a massive package of land deals. Published December 22, 2014
Tom Coburn rankles Harry Reid in farewell Senate disputes
It takes a certain kind of senator to single-handedly block a bill that supporters say would save veterans from committing suicide. But that's exactly what Sen. Tom Coburn did last week, facing down withering pressure from veterans groups and insinuations from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that he will have the blood of veterans on his hands because he's refusing to let the bill through. Published December 17, 2014
Senate clears $81B tax-break package
Congress cleared dozens of special-interest tax breaks late Tuesday as senators rushed to finish business and close up for the year. Published December 16, 2014
Keystone pipeline will be job No. 1 for GOP-run Senate
A bill to authorize the long-stalled Keystone XL oil pipeline will be the first business taken up next year by the Republican-run Senate, incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Tuesday. Published December 16, 2014