Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Feds see bleak budget; $897 billion deficit projected in 2019
The government will run a $902 billion deficit this year and will cross the trillion-dollar-per-year mark in 2022, the Congressional Budget Office estimated Monday, delivering a slightly better forecast than last year. Published January 28, 2019
Donald Trump unbowed as dueling government shutdown bids fail in Senate
Senators blocked two different attempts to end the government shutdown Thursday, filibustering one plan from President Trump and another from Democrats, leaving all sides to wonder whether there's a path out of the morass. Published January 24, 2019
White House says no deal without border wall money
As Senate leaders began a new round of negotiations to end the government shutdown Thursday, President Trump said any deal must include at least symbolic money for his border-wall plans. Published January 24, 2019
Census Bureau focus groups find Americans fear citizenship question
Members of key minority communities are convinced that the government wants to ask about citizenship on the 2020 census in order to find and deport illegal immigrants, according to a Census Bureau report that shows the hurdles the administration faces. Published January 24, 2019
Cartels use large groups, sick migrants to distract Border Patrol
The number of illegal immigrants who showed up at the U.S. border in need of medical attention has soared in recent weeks, even as the number of large groups has also surged. Published January 24, 2019
Group launches ‘Draft Ann Coulter’ for president
A political action committee that pushes for stricter immigration controls said Thursday it is launching a campaign to draft conservative writer Ann Coulter to challenge President Trump. Published January 24, 2019
Donald Trump reverses, agrees to Nancy Pelosi’s delay in State of the Union address
President Trump said late Wednesday that he is backing down in his fight with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and will deliver his State of the Union address when the partial government shutdown is over. Published January 23, 2019
Nancy Pelosi revokes Trump invitation for State of the Union
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that she will refuse to allow President Trump to deliver his State of the Union address at the Capitol next week, sending the White House scrambling for other options -- and dragging the shutdown showdown to "petty" new depths. Published January 23, 2019
Sheila Jackson Lee ousted as chair of Congressional Black Caucus Foundation after lawsuit
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee gave up a subcommittee chairman's post and appears to have been ousted as chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation after she was accused of retaliating against an employee who said a foundation supervisor raped her. Published January 23, 2019
House Dems to lay out border battle demands: No new walls, more security manpower
After weeks of refusing to negotiate, House Democrats say they are working on a border security counteroffer that could match President Trump's $5.7 billion request for money -- though it won't include the 230 miles of new fencing he wants. Published January 23, 2019
Supreme Court agrees to hear gun-rights case, rejects DACA one
The Supreme Court ducked taking a major case involving the Obama-era DACA program but did agree Tuesday morning to hear a gun-rights case, in what legal analysts said could be the final word on the court's schedule for this term. Published January 22, 2019
Shutdown showdown votes slated for Thursday
Senate leaders scheduled a showdown on a pair of shutdown votes for Thursday, in what will be the first test of whether President Trump or Democrats have a stronger hand in the negotiations. Published January 22, 2019
DOJ asks Supreme Court to speed census citizenship case
The Trump administration said Tuesday it will ask the Supreme Court to speed an appeal of a lower court's ruling that erased a citizenship question from the 2020 census. Published January 22, 2019
Building Trump’s wall, one pornographic video at a time
An Arizona state representative has come up with a novel way to pay for construction of President Trump's border wall in Arizona -- impose a pornography tax. Published January 22, 2019
Supreme Court takes no action on DACA case; signals no decision this term
The Supreme Court took no action Tuesday on a case involving the Obama-era DACA program, leaving legal experts to conclude that the matter won't be decided before the end of this term in June. Published January 22, 2019
Dreamer immigrant activist: Pledge of Allegiance ‘rooted in … white supremacy’
A prominent immigrant-rights activist launched a drive Tuesday to rewrite the American Pledge of Allegiance, saying as it stands now it's a symbol of "rooted in nativism and white supremacy." Published January 22, 2019
Senate immigration bill includes border wall money, 52,000 detention beds, 750 border agents
Senate Republicans on Monday released the text of their bill to carry out President Trump's new immigration plan to end the government shutdown, saying they're intent on holding an initial vote later this week. Published January 21, 2019
Homeland Security E-Verify workers back with pay during shutdown
Homeland Security has found a way to bring back about 300 people who were furloughed under the government shutdown, finding them alternate jobs they can do until the funding crisis is over. Published January 21, 2019
Terrorism suspect caught at U.S.-Mexico border roils immigration debate
Zabi-Ullah Hemmat wasn't just one of 415,816 illegal immigrants caught at the southwest border in fiscal 2016. Nor was he just another of the 84 people from Afghanistan apprehended by Border Patrol agents that year. Published January 21, 2019
Senate GOP eyes nominations rules change fight next week
Senate Republicans will make an attempt next week to change the chamber's rules to reduce the obstructive power of the filibuster on presidential nominees, one of the party's leaders said Monday. Published January 21, 2019
