Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Democrats grapple with filibuster option for Neil Gorsuch
Eleven years ago this week, Democrats made history by attempting the first -- and to date only -- partisan filibuster of a Supreme Court nominee. Published January 31, 2017
Neil Gorsuch filibuster announced by Senate Democrats
Democrats have already decided they will force a filibuster on Judge Neil Gorsuch, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said Tuesday, just minutes after President Trump announced the pick. Published January 31, 2017
DHS acknowledges problems with extreme vetting rollout
Homeland Security publicly acknowledged Tuesday that the rollout of the extreme vetting executive order was troubled and Iraqi translators who aided the U.S. war effort were denied entry, contradicting the White House, which said things had gone exactly as planned. Published January 31, 2017
Paul Ryan defends Trump’s vetting policy, says confusion was ‘regrettable’
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Tuesday that the rollout of President Trump's extreme vetting executive order was "regrettable," but said the new policy is not only legal, but the right thing to do to try to head off a future terrorist attack. Published January 31, 2017
Sally Yates, acting Attorney General, fired by Trump
President Trump on Monday fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates, an Obama administration holdover, after she "betrayed the Department of Justice" by refusing to defend his executive order for extreme vetting, according to the White House. Published January 30, 2017
Elaine Duke picked as Homeland Security deputy secretary
President Trump picked a little-known bureaucrat Monday with a long history in government management to be his deputy secretary at Homeland Security, disappointing immigration crackdown advocates who'd been anticipating a more prominent figure. Published January 30, 2017
Congress asks for travel-ban waiver to let Iraqi translators into U.S.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pleaded with President Trump on Monday to carve out an exception to his new executive order for Iraqi citizens who contributed to the U.S. war effort, and are now in danger of being left in danger in that war-torn country. Published January 30, 2017
Lawsuits pile up against Trump’s vetting policy for seven Muslim nations
High-powered lawyers lobbed new legal grenades Monday at President Trump's executive order stopping travel from seven majority-Muslim countries, asking federal courts to go beyond this weekend's ruling and declare broad parts of the new policy unconstitutional. Published January 30, 2017
Charles Schumer to punish Donald Trump by opposing Cabinet picks
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said Monday he'll vote against a slate of President Trump's Cabinet nominees, saying he feels compelled to send a signal of defiance to the new administration. Published January 30, 2017
Voters back idea of Trump’s travel halt for Iraq, Syria, five other Muslim countries
A majority of voters back the concept of halting admissions from seven terrorist-connected countries, according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll Monday that found general broad support for the kind of executive order President Trump signed on Friday. Published January 30, 2017
Donald Trump says he’s already tamed F-35, Lockheed Martin
President Trump said Monday he's already set the troubled F-35 jet program on firmer footing, just weeks after he attacked Lockheed Martin's leadership of the program and invited Boeing to price out an alternative with its F-18. Published January 30, 2017
Donald Trump: ‘5 percent chance’ Charles Schumer’s tears were real
President Trump said Monday that there's only a "5 percent chance" that Sen. Charles E. Schumer's tears were real a day earlier, when the New York Democrat held a news conference to complain about the administration's new "extreme vetting" policy. Published January 30, 2017
John Kelly Homeland Security Secretary issues waiver to let green card holders avoid travel ban
Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly issued a blanket waiver Sunday allowing immigrants holding green cards, or entitled to permanent residence in the U.S., to enter the country, despite President Trump's new executive order. Published January 29, 2017
Trump says extreme vetting pause is same as Obama’s 2011 Iraq policy
President Trump defended his new extreme vetting policy Sunday in the face of severe pushback from judges, members of Congress and the press, saying President Obama did much the same thing when he put a pause on Iraqi refugees for six months in 2011. Published January 29, 2017
White House says ‘extreme vetting’ order remains in place despite judge’s ruling
Despite confusion at airports and a judicial spanking, the White House said Sunday that President Trump's "extreme vetting" executive order remains in effect and is working as the administration had hoped, halting almost all travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries with histories of terrorism. Published January 29, 2017
White House says U.S. still most open immigration system even after Trump orders
The U.S. will still be the most open country in the world for foreign visitors even after President Trump's new executive order hitting pause on the refugee program and the Visa Waiver program and suspending visits from a half-dozen war-torn countries, administration officials insisted Saturday. Published January 28, 2017
First lawsuit filed to challenge Trump’s refugee policy
Civil liberties groups filed the first lawsuit Saturday morning challenging President Trump's pause on migration from countries troubled by terrorism, saying the halt has already snared two Iraqis who'd already been approved to come to the U.S., and who fear for their lives back home. Published January 28, 2017
Trump hits pause button on refugees, puts immigration from terror regions on hold
President Trump imposed a pause Friday on the U.S. refugee program, suspended the visa waiver program and halted all arrivals from some countries with a history of terrorism, in a broad executive order fulfilling one of his more controversial campaign pledges. Published January 27, 2017
California to give lawyers to illegal immigrant students to stop deportations
The University of California will provide lawyers to any of its illegal immigrant students who get detained by agents, system President Janet Napolitano said Friday. Published January 27, 2017
Donald Trump’s border wall hits budget woes
The bean counters are registering their own disapproval of President Trump's border wall, saying the cost alone makes it a bad idea. Published January 27, 2017
