Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
John Kelly, DHS chief: Southwest border is ‘gaping wound’ in homeland security
The lack of a border wall is "a gaping wound" in the country's defenses, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly said Tuesday, saying Border Patrol officials in the ground in Texas and Arizona can point to exact spots where fencing is needed right now. Published February 7, 2017
Betsy DeVos wins confirmation as education secretary
Flexing their slim majority, Republicans powered President Trump's education secretary nominee through the Senate on Tuesday, with Vice President Mike Pence casting his first vote to break the tie and officially confirm Betsy DeVos. Published February 7, 2017
John F. Kelly, DHS secretary, takes blame for botched vetting rollout
New Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly took blame for the botched rollout of President Trump's new extreme vetting executive order, saying he should have delayed the implementation "just a bit" to let everyone get up to speed. Published February 7, 2017
Trump calls terror threat very real, pressures judge on travel ban, extreme vetting
President Trump heaped more pressure Monday night on the federal courts to clear the way for his extreme vetting executive order, posting a Twitter message warning that the terrorist threat "is very real." Published February 6, 2017
Businesses, colleges fight Donald Trump vetting to allow foreigners into U.S.
Public colleges and more than 125 American businesses, including many of the titans of the tech industry, have entered the legal battle over President Trump's extreme vetting executive order, insisting they have inherent rights to hire foreign workers and admit foreign students. Published February 6, 2017
Donald Trump lawyers say president has power to block foreign visitors
The White House said it is "absolutely not" backing down on President Trump's extreme vetting executive order as Justice Department attorneys asked an appeals court Monday to lift a restraining order that left the policy in limbo and sparked a major test of the new administration's powers. Published February 6, 2017
White House ‘absolutely not’ planning to drop extreme vetting policy
President Trump is "absolutely not" thinking about canceling his extreme vetting executive order, press secretary Sean Spicer said Monday, saying that once they win the legal battle the policy will go back into place. Published February 6, 2017
Donald Trump facing most obstruction since George Washington: GOP
President Trump is facing the worst treatment of any president dating back to George Washington, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday as he urged Democrats to drop their various blockades. Published February 6, 2017
Donald Trump right to chide judge over ‘ridiculous’ ruling, lawyer says
An activist lawyer on Monday accused the Seattle judge who halted President Trump's extreme vetting executive order of a "dangerous political stunt," saying the president was right in chiding the judge for a "ridiculous" ruling. Published February 6, 2017
IRS employees who cheated on their taxes allowed to keep jobs
More than half of IRS employees found to have intentionally cheated on their taxes last year were allowed to keep their jobs, according to numbers released by the inspector general that suggest the agency is still reluctant to punish its own staffers for breaking tax laws. Published February 5, 2017
Donald Trump says U.S. should ‘GET SMART’ after Louvre attack
President Trump called for the U.S. to "GET SMART" in a Twitter post Friday morning after an attack at the Louvre museum in Paris that authorities there suspect is terrorist-related. Published February 3, 2017
Betsy DeVos: Senate advances nomination for education secretary
President Trump's out-of-the-box pick to lead the Education Department survived another hurdle, overcoming an attempted Democratic filibuster in a rare pre-dawn vote Friday. Published February 3, 2017
Jeff Sessions, Steven Mnuchin, Tom Price pass first test votes in Senate
President Trump's picks to lead the Justice, Treasury and Health and Human Services departments -- some of his most controversial nominations -- survived their first test votes on the Senate floor Thursday, putting each of them on track to win full confirmation over the next couple of weeks. Published February 2, 2017
Congress votes to nix Barack Obama’s anti-coal regulation
Congress nixed an Obama-era anti-coal regulation Thursday, erasing the first of what's expected to be a long series of rules the former president rolled out in his final days in office. Published February 2, 2017
Jeff Sessions clears first floor vote, poised for confirmation next week
Sen. Jeff Sessions survived his first test floor vote Thursday, putting him on the path to win confirmation as the next attorney general. Published February 2, 2017
Donald Trump budget pick clears hurdles; defense spending snag looms
Two Senate committees voted Thursday to approve President Trump's pick for budget director, setting up a floor showdown later this month on the man who will be tasked with doing the government reorganization and budget-cutting Mr. Trump called for in the campaign. Published February 2, 2017
Homeland Security inspector general will probe Trump’s extreme vetting
Homeland Security's inspector general announced late Wednesday that he will open an investigation into President Trump's new extreme vetting executive order, beginning the first official watchdog review of the new administration. Published February 1, 2017
Judge Andre Birotte orders Donald Trump to end Muslim travel ban
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration this week to stop blocking travelers trying to reach the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority countries, delivering the latest and largest blow yet to the president's new extreme vetting policy. Published February 1, 2017
Betsy DeVos, Trump’s education pick, on thin ice after GOP defections
Two Republicans announced Wednesday that they will vote against confirming Betsy DeVos to be the next secretary at the Education Department, leaving her nomination on very thin ice. Published February 1, 2017
Trump urges GOP to ‘go nuclear’ if Dems filibuster Gorsuch
If Democrats do obstruct new Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch GOP senators should trigger the nuclear option to push him through, President Trump said Wednesday. Published February 1, 2017
