Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
IRS tea party targeting decision appealed by True the Vote
True the Vote, one of the conservative nonprofits targeted for intrusive scrutiny by the IRS, filed a notice of appeal Thursday signaling it will ask judges to throw out a lower court's ruling that found the IRS's targeting had already stopped, and tossed their case. Published December 18, 2014
Sheriff Arpaio disbands illegal immigration ID fraud unit
Sheriff Joe Arpaio told a federal court in Arizona last Wednesday that he has disbanded his criminal employment unit and will stop enforcing Arizona's identity theft laws against illegal immigrants, in a move that Hispanic advocacy groups said was a major victory for them. Published December 18, 2014
Tom Coburn rankles Harry Reid in farewell Senate disputes
It takes a certain kind of senator to single-handedly block a bill that supporters say would save veterans from committing suicide. But that's exactly what Sen. Tom Coburn did last week, facing down withering pressure from veterans groups and insinuations from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that he will have the blood of veterans on his hands because he's refusing to let the bill through. Published December 17, 2014
Dreamers tell GOP presidential hopefuls to stop deportations
Illegal immigrants who gained tentative legal status under President Obama's 2012 amnesty for so-called Dreamers have issued a challenge to would-be 2016 GOP presidential candidates, demanding to know whether the Republicans would deport the Dreamers and their parents. Published December 17, 2014
Pennsylvania judge’s amnesty ruling reverberates through other challenges
The federal judge's ruling Tuesday that President Obama's deportation amnesty is unconstitutional is already playing out in other court cases, with two different challengers to the new policies telling their judges to pay attention to the Pennsylvania decision. Published December 17, 2014
Senate clears $81B tax-break package
Congress cleared dozens of special-interest tax breaks late Tuesday as senators rushed to finish business and close up for the year. Published December 16, 2014
Obama amnesty is unconstitutional, federal judge finds
A federal judge Tuesday ruled parts of President Obama's deportation amnesty to be unconstitutional, with a scathing memo dismantling the White House's legal reasoning and arguing that Mr. Obama tried to steal Congress' lawmaking powers. Published December 16, 2014
Amnesty fight: Obama admin tells courts they’re powerless to stop executive order
The administration warned a federal judge Monday to stay out of the debate over President Obama's deportation amnesty, saying decisions about whom to deport fall squarely within the executive's job description, "which this court lacks authority to review." Published December 16, 2014
Obama amnesty to be tested by immigration service nominee
The first major showdown over President Obama's deportation amnesty will come Tuesday when the Senate votes on whether to confirm Sarah R. Saldana, the president's pick to run the interior immigration service, who would be charged with seeing through much of his amnesty. Published December 15, 2014
Jeh Johnson: Deportation amnesty allows DHS to get serious about border
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Monday that President Obama's deportation amnesty gives his department a chance to get serious about border security, freeing it up to put more resources on the border instead of tracking illegal immigrants inside the U.S. Published December 15, 2014
Democrats demand better protections for transgender illegal immigrant children
Dozens of congressional Democrats asked federal health officials Monday to take extra steps to protect gay illegal immigrant children from abuse while they're in custody, including ensuring that transgender children are housed with the sex they identify as. Published December 15, 2014
Spending bill battle exposes intraparty rifts among Democrats, Republicans
Congress cleared the $1.1 trillion spending bill over the weekend, overcoming objections from senators on the left and the right in a marathon Saturday session that exposed continued rifts among Democrats and Republicans. Published December 14, 2014
Department of Homeland Security used hazardous building to process illegals
The Department of Homeland Security has been processing illegal immigrants in a dangerous California building for years despite knowing it to be a deadly fire hazard, the department's inspector general said Friday in a memo that said it had ordered the facility shut down immediately. Published December 14, 2014
Congress passes $1.1 trillion spending bill
Congress cleared the $1.1 trillion spending bill late Saturday, ensuring there will be no more budget brinkmanship in fiscal year 2015. Published December 13, 2014
Government shutdown averted: Congress clears short-term funding bill
Congress on Saturday passed a short-term funding bill to keep the government open through the middle of next week while senators work through a string of procedural hurdles that stand in the way of passing the broader $1.1 trillion bill that will fund operations for everything but homeland security through the end of fiscal year 2015. Published December 13, 2014
Nancy Pelosi praises Democrats for opposing Obama in shutdown showdown
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to her House colleagues Friday thanking them for joining her in going toe-to-toe with President Obama on the $1.1 trillion spending bill and nearly defeating it. Published December 12, 2014
DHS processing illegal immigrants at dangerous facility: audit
The Homeland Security Department has been keeping illegal immigrants detained in a dangerous California building for years despite knowing it to be a deadly fire hazard since 2007, the department's inspector general said Friday in a memo that said it had ordered the facility shut down immediately. Published December 12, 2014
Spending bill passes House after pleas from Obama, GOP leaders
A last-minute plea from President Obama and fatigued House GOP leaders overcame rebellions from both conservatives and liberals, clearing the $1.1 trillion spending bill through the House in a dramatic late-night vote. Published December 11, 2014
Spending bill in doubt as GOP searches for votes
President Obama had to plead with fellow Democrats on Thursday night to try to avert a looming government shutdown after his troops in the House rejected the $1.1 trillion spending deal to fund the government Published December 11, 2014
$1 trillion spending bill barely hangs on in first test vote
The $1.1 trillion spending bill narrowly survived its first test Thursday when the House approved rules for debate, bringing the bill to the floor and setting up an afternoon showdown that will expose just how deep the divisions run within the Democratic Party. Published December 11, 2014
