Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
N.C. election official sentenced for urging Mexican citizen to vote in U.S.
Federal prosecutors won a two-month prison sentence against a North Carolina elections official who pushed a Mexican citizen to register and vote in the 2016 election. Published February 8, 2019
House would uphold Trump veto on border wall emergency: Kevin McCarthy
If President Trump were to declare a border emergency and use the Pentagon to build his border wall, Congress wouldn't be able to muster the votes to block him, the top House Republican said Friday. Published February 8, 2019
Cartels using mini-migrant caravans to sneak drugs into U.S.: Border official
Illegal immigration ticked down at the border in January, but officials said Friday the trends are still worrisome, with the number of families trying to sneak into the U.S. still near all-time highs. Published February 8, 2019
Virginia House Democrats: Party’s troubles are problem for ‘all Americans’
Democrats in the Virginia House of Delegates released a statement Thursday night saying that the racist behavior and rape allegations that have struck the state's top leaders -- all Democrats -- is troubling, but insisting it's not a partisan problem. Published February 7, 2019
ICE, shut out of border talks, warns Democrats’ plans would free thousands of criminals
A briefer from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stood outside the closed-door meeting Wednesday while negotiators working on a homeland security spending deal heard from border experts, who made their pitch for a border wall. The ICE briefer never made it in the room, an administration official said. Published February 7, 2019
Matthew Whitaker subpoena approved by House Democrats
After a day of posturing, Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and the House Judiciary Committee came to an understanding that paves the way for him to show up and testify Friday. Published February 7, 2019
Pelosi: Virginia turmoil doesn’t affect national Democrats
The Democratic Party's leadership in Virginia is a mess, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday it doesn't taint the party's prospects at the national level. Published February 7, 2019
Lindsey Graham: Blue slips won’t derail Trump appeals court picks
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said Thursday that he will honor the Senate's "blue slip" tradition for district court judges but not for appeals court nominees, giving Democrats a limited veto over President Trump's judicial picks. Published February 7, 2019
Dems vote to approve subpoena for Trump AG Matthew Whitaker
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker says he's ready to testify Friday to the House Judiciary Committee -- but the panel's Democrats approved a subpoena anyway on Thursday, saying they wanted to put him on record that he could be punished if he doesn't answer all their questions. Published February 7, 2019
Nogales, Arizona demands feds remove border fence barbed wire
A small border town in Arizona declared a public relations war on the Trump administration Wednesday, demanding the feds cut down miles of razor wire that have been attached to the border wall in recent weeks to try to increase security ahead of the migrant caravans. Published February 6, 2019
Federal employees’ salaries: Tens of thousands make more than governor in state where they work
Federal employees are back on the job after the government shutdown -- and many are doing pretty well for themselves, according to a new report that shows nearly 92,000 of them make salaries that match or exceed the governors of the states where they work. Published February 6, 2019
Elizabeth Warren Indian heritage claim; RNC asks Texas to punish senator
The Republican National Committee asked the Texas state Bar to take disciplinary action against Sen. Elizabeth Warren after reports that she claimed Native American heritage on her law license. Published February 6, 2019
Pentagon says 250 troops moved to Texas to confront caravan
The Pentagon confirmed Wednesday that troops have been moved to Eagle Pass, Texas, to counter the threat posed by a new migrant caravan that's arrived on the U.S.-Mexico border. Published February 6, 2019
House Dems will reinvestigate 2016 election, Russia-Trump allegations
The House intelligence committee announced a wide-ranging probe into President Trump's administration Wednesday, questioning whether he, his children or his businesses have been compromised by foreign agents who have "leverage" over him. Published February 6, 2019
House Republicans to push anti-infanticide bill despite Democratic opposition
House Republicans announced a petition drive Wednesday to try to force anti-infanticide legislation to the floor for a vote over the objections of Democrats who control the chamber. Published February 6, 2019
Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, 2020 Democrats, withhold applause for Trump
One of President Trump's opponents in the 2020 campaign could well have been staring back at him from the chamber floor Tuesday night -- and they were not happy with what they saw. Published February 5, 2019
Nearly half of Trump’s Cabinet departed since last State of the Union address
Health Secretary Alex M. Azar II was a newcomer in 2018, having been sworn into office just a day before President Trump addressed Congress for his State of the Union address. Published February 5, 2019
Border wall emergency declaration missing from Donald Trump pitch at State of the Union
Even as President Trump argued the case for his border wall Tuesday, one thing was missing -- the emergency declaration that would allow him to leapfrog over lawmakers and build the barrier even without Congress's approval. Published February 5, 2019
Virginia Dems say Justin Fairfax’s accuser should be heard
State Democrats in Virginia said Tuesday that the woman who has accused Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of rape deserves to be heard. Published February 5, 2019
Senate approves bill to rein in anti-Israel boycotts
Senators approved legislation Tuesday to protect states and localities that refuse to do business with organizations that boycott Israel, in a vote that served as a reminder of the close ties between the Middle East nation and America's elected officials. Published February 5, 2019
