Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
John Boehner aims to cancel Obama amnesty a year after immigration reform push
The House GOP heads for its annual policy retreat Thursday in a very different place on immigration than just a year ago, when House Speaker John A. Boehner had hoped to use the gathering as a springboard to push his troops to approve a broad bill legalizing illegal immigrants. Published January 13, 2015
Obama Cuba deal sparks surge in immigration attempts, Coast Guard records show
The number of Cubans fleeing to the U.S. has surged since President Obama's diplomatic deal with the island nation, according to statistics that lawmakers on Capitol Hill said suggest the administration was caught off guard. Published January 13, 2015
John Boehner plot: Ohio bartender Michael Hoyt intended to poison, shoot House speaker
An Ohio bartender at House Speaker John A. Boehner's country club plotted to poison him by putting something in his drink, blaming the top Republican for the spread of Ebola and various other problems, federal authorities charged in a recent indictment. Published January 13, 2015
Court rules NSA doesn’t have to divulge what records it has
A federal judge on Tuesday said the National Security Agency is not obligated to confirm nor deny it has someone's specific phone records, shooting down a conservative think tank's effort to try to use the spy agency to reveal secrets that other federal agencies want kept hidden. Published January 13, 2015
John Boehner: Obama amnesty fight isn’t about immigration
House Speaker John A. Boehner said Tuesday that moves to block President Obama's new deportation amnesty are less about immigration than they are about asserting Congress's right to make laws, and pushing back on a runaway executive branch. Published January 13, 2015
IRS keeps Albuquerque Tea Party in limbo 5 years after tax-exempt status application
Before there were the lost Lerner emails, the congressional hearings and the retaliatory budget cuts, there was the Albuquerque Tea Party, a group of politically minded folks in New Mexico who wanted to get together and share ideas for taking back their country. The IRS had other ideas about them. Published January 12, 2015
Keystone clears first filibuster, but lacks votes to overcome veto
The Keystone XL pipeline bill moved a step closer to passage in Congress Monday after the Senate defeated a Democratic-led filibuster. Published January 12, 2015
D.C., Maryland go to court to defend Obama amnesty
The District of Columbia, Maryland and 11 other states went to court Monday to defend President Obama's new deportation amnesty, arguing that allowing illegal immigrants to work legally would actually help the states' budgets. Published January 12, 2015
Obama amnesty for illegal immigrants to impose billions in costs on states
President Obama's new deportation amnesty will impose "billions of dollars in costs" on states, they told a federal court this week — including more than $130 for each Texas driver's license issued to illegal immigrants under the policy. Published January 11, 2015
Obama amnesty at risk as House sets showdown vote for next week
House Republicans announced Friday night that they have set up votes on several different ways to halt President Obama's deportation amnesty, and will bring the fight to the chamber floor next week. Published January 9, 2015
Obama lawyers go to court to fight Redskins over team name
The Obama administration joined a lawsuit opposing the Washington Redskins' team trademark on Friday, filing court papers to defend the federal law that gives the government the power to deny recognition to trademarks it believes to be disparaging. Published January 9, 2015
DHS spending bill to ID sanctuary cities; Obama amnesty fight looms
The House GOP's new homeland security spending bill released Friday would require the Obama administration to name-and-shame so-called sanctuary city jurisdictions that refuse to hold illegal immigrants for federal authorities to deport. Published January 9, 2015
House approves building Keystone pipeline
The Keystone XL pipeline cleared its first hurdle of the new Congress on Friday when the House voted to approve construction of the long-stalled project, just hours after a court in Nebraska cleared a final legal hurdle there. Published January 9, 2015
Terrorism insurance bill passes quickly after Tom Coburn’s exit
It took just two days for the new Senate to leave former Sen. Tom Coburn's legacy behind, quickly passing a terrorism insurance bill that the Oklahoma Republican had single-handedly blocked late last year. Published January 8, 2015
Obama veto threats key to Democrats’ strategy under Republican majority
The 114th Congress isn't even a week old, and the V-word is already dominating the agenda as President Obama stacks up veto threats and Democratic leaders vow to deliver the votes to back him up. Published January 8, 2015
Democrats launch first filibuster of the year on Keystone
Democrats launched the first filibuster of the new Congress on Thursday, objecting to the GOP's effort to try to bring the Keystone XL pipeline bill to the floor early next week. Published January 8, 2015
John Boehner: ‘I’m the most anti-establishment speaker’
House Speaker John A. Boehner bristled at charges he's "a squish" when it comes to his conservative principles, declaring himself Thursday to be "the most anti-establishment speaker we've ever had." Published January 8, 2015
Barbara Boxer to retire at end of 2016
Sen. Barbara Boxer, a liberal champion and California Democrat, announced Thursday she will not seek re-election in 2016, ending a combative career that saw her become one of the country's chief progressive champions. Published January 8, 2015
Nancy Pelosi vows to back Obama on vetoes
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday her troops will be able to sustain President Obama's vetoes on the Keystone XL pipeline and on a bill to tweak the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, as she and her troops adapt to in the minority on both sides of the Capitol. Published January 8, 2015
Gridlock in Congress rekindled quickly despite Democrat, Republican calls for cooperation
Four months after they joined Republicans in voting to tweak the Dodd-Frank law, House Democrats reversed themselves and killed similar legislation Wednesday, sending the latest grim signal that the last year's elections did little to break gridlock on Capitol Hill. Published January 7, 2015
