Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Hillary Clinton ‘certainly aware’ of security problems before Benghazi: report
House Republicans on Friday issued a new report that says former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton "was certainly aware" of security problems in Libya ahead of the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi. Published February 7, 2014
Rand Paul demands Democrats return money raised by ‘sexual predator’ Bill Clinton
Sen. Rand Paul, who has been in a bit of a tiff recently with the Clintons, says that any Democrat who has raised campaign money with former President Clinton should return the cash to protest his sexual behavior in the White House. Published February 7, 2014
Boehner says no immigration deal until Obama enforces laws
House Speaker John A. Boehner said Thursday that until President Obama proves he's serious about enforcing immigration laws, it will be difficult to get a bill through the House this year — dealing a potentially fatal blow to the chances for action in 2014. Published February 6, 2014
Boehner, McConnell: Obama turning IRS into ‘partisan tool’
House Speaker John A. Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a joint letter Thursday demanding the IRS withdraw its controversial new rules governing political activities of outside interest groups, arguing they are the next step in the administration’s “intimidation and harassment” of tea party groups. Published February 6, 2014
Anti-Obamacare proves winning strategy in Nebraska GOP race
Want to know the power of opposing Obamacare? Look at the Nebraska Senate race, where Ben Sasse, a political newcomer, has come from out of nowhere to land in a virtual tie in the polls with former state Treasurer Shane Osborne. Published February 6, 2014
Audit finds asylum system rife with fraud; approval laws broken with surge of immigrants
EXCLUSIVE: At least 70 percent of asylum applications showed signs of fraud, according to a secret 2009 internal government audit that found many of those cases had been approved anyway. Published February 5, 2014
IRS email reveals Lerner’s role in tax rule to restrain nonprofits
House Republicans for the first time Wednesday linked new IRS rules designed to clamp down on nonprofits with embattled former IRS employee Lois G. Lerner, saying her involvement taints the entire process and should force the tax agency to cancel its crackdown. Published February 5, 2014
House GOP creates Benghazi-probe website
House Republican leaders still balk at creating an independent investigative committee to look into the Benghazi terrorist attack, but on Wednesday they announced a new website that compiles all of the documents that have been released already. Published February 5, 2014
Republicans increasingly pessimistic on immigration bill in 2014
Conservative Republicans said Wednesday that they don't believe their chamber will tackle an immigration bill this year, saying that while they welcomed the House GOP leaders' principles as a start to a conversation, it's premature to try to pass a bill. Published February 5, 2014
Justice Dept. denies briefing Obama on IRS targeting
President Obama didn't check with the Justice Department before saying there was no corruption at the IRS, the department's deputy told Congress on Tuesday, ahead of several potential showdowns on Capitol Hill this week. Published February 4, 2014
Boehner says immigration still iffy for 2014
House Speaker John A. Boehner said Tuesday that he still hasn't decided whether to move forward with immigration bills this year, saying the timing remains a hot topic within the GOP. Published February 4, 2014
Obamacare will push 2 million workers out of labor market: CBO
Obamacare will push the equivalent of about 2 million workers out of the labor market by 2017 as employees decide either to work fewer hours or drop out altogether, according to the latest estimates Tuesday from the Congressional Budget Office. Published February 4, 2014
GOP principles present dilemma on illegals; Democrats split on legalization or full citizenship
House Republicans' new immigration principles may have complicated the politics of the issue for Democrats and immigrant rights advocates, who may end up having to choose between holding out for citizenship for most illegal immigrants or accepting a less-generous bill that could pass Congress this year. Published February 3, 2014
Obama’s promise of executive action leads to disappointment
President Obama may have raised expectations too high when he vowed last week to take unilateral action to get around Congress — since his speech he has been flooded with requests and complaints from some of his staunchest supporters wondering why he left their issues out of his executive to-do list. Published February 3, 2014
Embattled IRS plans employee bonuses for 2013 work
The IRS's new commissioner said Monday he has decided to pay out millions of dollars in employee bonuses, reversing a decision by his predecessor, who canceled them amid the sequester budget cuts and other belt-tightening moves last year. Published February 3, 2014
Justice bars lawyer from testifying before House panel in IRS probe
The Justice Department said Thursday it is refusing to let a key lawyer testify to the House oversight committee on the criminal investigation into the IRS, saying that to let her brief Congress could potentially skew its probe. Published January 30, 2014
House GOP wants legal status but no citizenship for illegal immigrants
House Republican leaders have ruled out a special pathway to citizenship but do support granting some form of legal status and work permits to most illegal immigrants, according to the broad set of principles GOP leaders released Thursday that pushed the issue back to the political forefront. Published January 30, 2014
Eric Holder to seek death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
Federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the younger of the two Chechen-Americans accused of carrying out last year’s Boston Marathon bombing, the Justice Department announced Thursday. Published January 30, 2014
Immigration officials warn of amnesty ‘overload’
The officers who would be charged with approving millions of applications from illegal immigrants for legal status warned Congress this week that they can't handle the workload, and said the change would guarantee criminals and others would be approved to remain in the country. Published January 30, 2014
GOP offers to cooperate with Obama on limited agenda
Responding to President Obama's State of the Union challenge, House Republican leaders on Thursday offered the White House a list of areas where they believe they can cooperate this year on legislation — focused chiefly on jobs and energy. Published January 30, 2014
