Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
For federal employees, office closed 25% of fiscal year, so far
Between snow days, official holidays and the government shutdown, federal employees have worked a normal business day less than 75 percent of the time since Oct. 1, marking a startlingly chaotic beginning to the fiscal year. Published February 18, 2014
Minimum wage hike would kill a half-million jobs: CBO
Raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour will cost the U.S. economy a half-million jobs by 2016 but will substantially boost wages for most low-income workers, according to a Congressional Budget Office report released Tuesday that adds a significant hurdle to Democrats' push for an increase. Published February 18, 2014
Increasing anti-deportation protests show down side of immigration issue for Democrats
Immigrant rights activists, including some self-identified illegal immigrants, were arrested outside the White House on Monday as part of a protest against President Obama's deportation policies, signaling that even as Republicans take blame for halting legalization legislation, Democrats face political peril, too. Published February 17, 2014
High rate of approval for ‘dreamers’ vexes critics of immigration reform
The test run for immigration legalization — the 2012 program to grant tentative legal status to young illegal immigrants — has exposed some serious problems that likely would need to be solved if Congress approves a broad immigration reform bill. Published February 16, 2014
Banks allowed to do business with legal marijuana dealers
Banks can do business with marijuana sellers in states where use has been legalized either for recreational or medicinal purposes, under a new policy the Obama administration announced Friday. Published February 16, 2014
Obama admin. says banks can do business with marijuana sellers
Banks can do business with marijuana sellers in states where use has been legalized either for recreational or medicinal purposes, under a new policy the Obama administration announced Friday. Published February 14, 2014
EPA’s use of secret email addresses was widespread: report
Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee said their findings call into question the work of the EPA's inspector general, who in September issued a report clearing the EPA of wrongdoing in the email scandal. Published February 13, 2014
Democrats seek to force votes on minimum wage, immigration
House Democrats said Thursday they’ll soon launch an official petition drive to try to force the Republican majority to vote on Democrats’ immigration bill — after they try to force a vote on a minimum-wage increase, another top party priority. Published February 13, 2014
Rep. Doc Hastings to retire after 10 terms in House
He's the latest senior lawmaker from either party to announce a retirement, as House members elected as far back as the Watergate era have decided they've had enough of Washington. Published February 13, 2014
Congress reverses military pension cuts
Congress congratulated itself this week after voting to restore full cost-of-living increases for military retirement benefits — but the bipartisan unity showed just how difficult it will be to tackle the major spending challenges that lie ahead. Published February 12, 2014
Mitch McConnell helps Senate pass hike in debt limit
Congress approved a massive increase in the federal debt Wednesday, with Republican leaders linking arms and jumping together to help Democrats OK a play that will let President Obama borrow as much money as is needed to cover federal obligations for the next 13 months. Published February 12, 2014
NSA snooping violates separation of powers, congressmen say
Deputy Attorney General James Cole may have misled Congress earlier this month when he said the National Security Agency doesn't look at phone data it collects from members of Congress, three lawmakers wrote in a letter on Wednesday. Published February 12, 2014
Pressure on police sought for federal background check help
Administration officials said Tuesday that they would welcome steps to force local police departments to cooperate with federal background investigations, saying it could help spot red flags that should prevent some people from getting approved for "secret" or "top secret" access. Published February 11, 2014
Fractured House approves debt ceiling hike; ‘clean’ bill drops all GOP demands
The House passed a "clean" debt ceiling increase Tuesday granting President Obama power to borrow as much as the government needs for the next 13 months, after House Republican leaders surrendered their longstanding vow to demand concessions in exchange for any debt hike. Published February 11, 2014
House votes to cancel cuts to military benefits
Acting to appease furious veterans' groups, the House passed a bill Tuesday to undo about $6 billion worth of cuts to military retirement benefits. Published February 11, 2014
Boehner: GOP’s reversal on debt is ‘disappointing moment’
House Speaker John A. Boehner called it a "disappointing moment" Tuesday after he reversed course again and said he will ask his colleagues to pass a "clean" debt ceiling increase — admitting defeat and turning to Democrats to supply the votes needed to get it done. Published February 11, 2014
Local police block feds from doing full security clearances, Navy Yard review finds
Many of the country's biggest cities — including Washington, New York and Los Angeles — refuse to cooperate with federal security clearance investigators, often leaving them in the dark about potential red flags, according to a report Tuesday that says the lack of cooperation contributed to last year's Navy Yard shooting. Published February 11, 2014
Obama changes rules for refugees, further breaches trust in Congress
The same week the White House was assuring Republicans they could trust him to enforce immigration laws, the Obama administration quietly announced that it was reinterpreting the rules for refugees and asylum seekers so applicants could be approved even if they had given "limited" material support for terrorism. Published February 9, 2014
New Homeland chief: Agency will be ready for legalization of immigrants
New Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Friday he has tapped his deputy, Alejandro Mayorkas, to prepare the department for an eventual legalization program that would oversee the processing of millions of illegal immigrants into future citizens. Published February 7, 2014
Backlash against immigration plan floods Boehner’s website
When House Speaker John A. Boehner posted online the GOP's new immigration principles, including legalizing most illegal immigrants, he allowed comments. And they are brutal. Published February 7, 2014
