Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Democrats to unflinchingly back Obama on executive amnesty for illegal immigrants
As President Obama prepared to announce a new temporary amnesty for illegal immigrants, congressional Democratic leaders said Wednesday they back him, and said Republicans have themselves to blame for pushing the White House into the move. Published November 19, 2014
Obama immigration action ‘slap in the face,’ top GOP lawmakers say
The top House Republicans who oversee immigration policy called President Obama's expected action this week to grant temporary amnesty to illegal immigrants a "slap in the face to the American people and the Constitution" in a letter sent Wednesday. Published November 19, 2014
Jeh Johnson: U.S. could face new surge of illegals
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson warned Wednesday that the country could face another spike in illegal immigration as the U.S. economy picks up and as seasonal patterns change, though he said they have made major progress in combatting the surge of illegal immigrant children that wrong-footed his department earlier this year. Published November 19, 2014
NSA phone snooping upheld by Senate Republicans’ filibuster
Senate Republicans rose to the defense of the National Security Agency on Tuesday by filibustering a bill that would have halted the agency's phone-snooping program, saying it is now more critical than ever amid advancing terrorism in the Middle East and fears of homegrown terrorism in the U.S. Published November 18, 2014
Keystone XL pipeline: Senate Democrats filibuster, stiff Mary Landrieu for green lobby
Senate Democrats filibustered the Keystone XL pipeline on Tuesday, in a vote that reverberated from Louisiana, where a key senator's career is now likely doomed, to the broader national Democratic Party, where environmentalists have emerged triumphant in a divisive internal battle with labor unions. Published November 18, 2014
Harry Reid urges Obama to act now on immigration
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he has President Obama's back when the White House announces its immigration plans to grant temporary amnesty to illegal immigrants, and defended his own party's lack of action when it had total control of Congress and the White House in 2009 and 2010. Published November 18, 2014
Artesia mayor: 95 percent of families of illegals being released
Almost all of the illegal immigrant families traveling from Central America to the U.S. are being released from the special facility meant to hold them in New Mexico, according to the mayor of the town where the special facility is located. Published November 18, 2014
Senate Democrats keep own immigration bill from House, urge Obama executive action
Senate Democrats say Republicans could head off President Obama's immigration plans by passing the Senate's own immigration bill — the only problem is the Democrats still haven't sent the measure to the House for a vote. Published November 17, 2014
Obama backs bill to end to NSA snooping
The Obama administration "strongly" backs legislation to halt its NSA snooping program, the White House budget office said in a policy statement Monday, a day ahead of a first showdown Senate vote. Published November 17, 2014
Senate Democrats tell Obama: Grant temporary amnesty to illegal immigrants, bypass Congress
Senate Democratic leaders, in a letter to President Obama on Monday, asked him to circumvent Congress and grant legal status to illegal immigrants on his own, saying he must step in where the House GOP has refused to act. Published November 17, 2014
Obama opens door for Central American children to legally come to U.S.
The Obama administration quietly announced a program late last week to create a legal channel for thousands of Central American children to come to the U.S., a move designed to prevent a repeat of this summer's illegal immigrant surge but which Republicans said amounted to "border sabotage." Published November 16, 2014
Fake disability claims cost taypayers billions
Social Security paid out $2 billion in bogus disability claims approved by 44 administrative law judges over the last seven years, the agency's internal auditor said in a report Friday that details some of the problems with fraud in the troubled disability program. Published November 16, 2014
House approves Keystone pipeline, setting up final Senate showdown
House lawmakers, in their first major vote since last week's elections, easily passed a bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline that would bring crude oil from Canada to the U.S., sending the bill over to the Senate which will have a major showdown Tuesday. Published November 14, 2014
Mitch McConnell rules out govt. shutdown to block Obama immigration moves
House Speaker John A. Boehner said Thursday that Republicans could use a spending bill to block President Obama's planned executive action to grant work permits to illegal immigrants, but his Senate counterpart ruled out a government shutdown over it, canceling the one major piece of leverage the GOP has in the fight. Published November 13, 2014
Charles Rangel asks court to overturn House censure, blames racism and lack of due process
Rep. Charles Rangel went to a federal appeals court Thursday to try to have his 2010 censure from fellow members of Congress expunged, arguing the committee that investigated him was racist and violated his constitutional rights. Published November 13, 2014
Immigration causes Medicaid enrollment spike, report shows
Nearly half the growth of Medicaid enrollment from 2011 to 2013 was due to immigration, according to a new study being released Thursday that argues the generous U.S. immigration system is straining the federal safety net. Published November 13, 2014
Terrorists smuggled across U.S. southern border before capture in Texas
Four Turkish men with ties to a U.S.-designated terrorist group were nabbed by Border Patrol agents in Texas after paying $8,000 apiece to be smuggled across the porous U.S.-Mexico border. Published November 12, 2014
NSA phone snooping ban set for Senate vote
Senate Democrats took the first steps Wednesday to set a final vote on a bill to halt the National Security Agency's phone snooping, signaling a developing consensus to try to shut down the program before the end of the year. Published November 12, 2014
Republican pressure builds to block Obama’s unilateral immigration order
Dozens of House Republicans have signed onto a new letter that insists the GOP include language in the upcoming spending bill to prevent President Obama from taking unilateral action on immigration, escalating a simmering fight between Congress and the White House. Published November 12, 2014
Harry Reid vows to cooperate when Dems become Senate minority
Sen. Harry Reid said Wednesday he's seen obstruction from Republicans and has no intention of adopting those tactics when he lands in the minority next year. Published November 12, 2014
