Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Trump predicts ultimate victory in courts on emergency wall declaration
That President Trump will be sued over his emergency declaration to build his border wall is not in doubt. The more pressing questions are whether he'll be able to continue construction while the legal challenges are pending, and whether his emergency powers will trump environmental laws and property rights objections. Published February 15, 2019
Donald Trump’s border emergency: Answers to all your questions
As President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border, claiming powers to shift money within the federal budget to build new walls, his opponents have warned he's breaking the Constitution, setting a dangerous precedent for future presidents and stealing money from other needy projects. Published February 15, 2019
Congress passes $333 billion spending bill to avert government shutdown
Many lawmakers weren't sure what was in the massive spending agreement, but fear of another government shutdown greased the skids as Republicans and Democrats linked arms and voted to approve a bill to fund the government for the rest of fiscal year 2019. Published February 14, 2019
Nancy Pelosi warns Democratic president could declare national emergency on guns
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that if President Trump can declare a national emergency to construct his border wall, a Democratic president can use the same powers to take all sorts of steps the GOP won't like. Published February 14, 2019
2020 Democrats split on spending bill, half vote for shutdown
The new spending deal tied Democrats' potential presidential candidates in knots as they weighed whether to back the agreement to show solidarity with government workers, or oppose it to protest President Trump, the border wall and ICE. Published February 14, 2019
Donald Trump has up to $21 billion to use for emergency wall building
President Trump has a pool of roughly $21 billion in military construction funds he can use to build the border wall by emergency declaration, congressional aides said Thursday -- though much of that is already destined for other projects that would have to be put on hold. Published February 14, 2019
Senate approves spending bill as Trump emergency declaration looms
With President Trump's signature assured, the Senate on Thursday approved the $333 billion spending deal that funds dozens of federal agencies through the rest of the fiscal year, averting another shutdown. Published February 14, 2019
Trump will sign spending bill, declare national emergency for border wall
President Trump will sign the spending bill, but at the same time he will also issue a national emergency declaration to go around Congress and build more border wall, the Senate's top Republican announced Thursday. Published February 14, 2019
U.S. citizens sue after Border Patrol detained them for speaking Spanish
Two women who say they were detained by a Border Patrol agent in Montana for speaking Spanish filed a lawsuit Thursday, saying their constitutional rights were violated. Published February 14, 2019
Deportation amnesty for UAC families tucked inside spending bill
Tucked inside the new spending bill is a new deportation amnesty that security experts fear will lead to a new surge of illegal immigrant children smuggled to the border. Published February 14, 2019
Senate prays that Trump will sign spending bill
As the Senate convened Thursday, senators prayed -- literally -- that President Trump will sign the new spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. Published February 14, 2019
Spending bill details released ahead of shutdown deadline
Congressional negotiators early Thursday released details of the massive spending deal -- giving lawmakers less than 24 hours to read it before they're expected to vote on it. Published February 14, 2019
Voter ID laws don’t depress turnout despite Democrats’ claims, study finds
According to a major new study, they're wrong -- strict voter ID laws have no significant effect on voter turnout, don't keep interested voters from being able to vote, and for that matter don't prevent them from registering. Published February 13, 2019
Democrats sell key spending deal to liberal members
Democrats built support Wednesday for the Homeland Security spending deal, looking to tamp down concerns over border wall money and arguing that another partial government shutdown would be the worst outcome. Published February 13, 2019
Judge Amy Berman Jackson rules Paul Manafort lied to Robert Mueller, voids plea deal
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort intentionally misled the special counsel's investigation, breaking his plea agreement. Published February 13, 2019
United We Dream activists denounce ‘racist’ spending deal
A prominent group of "Dreamer" activists on Wednesday blasted the new spending deal on Capitol Hill, saying it gives too much money to the Trump administration for "racist" border security and deportation policies. Published February 13, 2019
House approves language denouncing anti-Semitism in wake of Ilhan Omar comments
The House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to condemn anti-Semitism, in a vote Republicans orchestrated after freshman Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar posted tweets over the weekend that were deemed anti-Semitic. Published February 13, 2019
Conservatives try to slow push to pass border wall deal
House conservatives on Wednesday demanded Congress slow the rush to approve the homeland security spending bill, and suggested passing a short-term bill to keep the government open while giving all sides more time to digest what's in the deal. Published February 13, 2019
Democracy for America sets up fundraiser to support Rep. Omar after anti-Semitic tweet controversy
A liberal activist group launched a fundraising campaign Wednesday off Rep. Ilhan Omar's anti-Semitic tweet episode, asking supporters to show they stand with the embattled congresswoman by sending her cash. Published February 13, 2019
GOP takes first step toward ‘nuclear’ rules change to speed Trump nominees
Republicans took the first official step Wednesday toward a rule change that would allow the Senate to speed up votes for some of the president's nominees, setting the stage for what is likely to become a "nuclear" confrontation. Published February 13, 2019
