Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Obama may be misreading 2008 deportation law, report shows
The Obama administration may be misreading a 2008 law when it says it has to release most illegal immigrant children from Central America who are surging across the border, according to a new report being released Wednesday by the Center for Immigration Studies. Published July 16, 2014
Harry Reid declares border ‘secure’
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pronounced the southwestern border "secure" Tuesday, rejecting a bipartisan push to strengthen enforcement and swiftly deport many of the children surging across the border illegally. Published July 15, 2014
Obama executive actions seen as threat to Constitution
A prominent law professor and avowed supporter of the Obama White House will tell the House on Wednesday that the president has created one of the biggest constitutional crises in the country's history and will endorse House Republicans' effort to sue to rein him in. Published July 15, 2014
Debt from Obama administration will lead to big federal deficits: CBO
Budget cuts and tax increases over the last few years have helped improve the federal government's financial picture for now — but over the next few decades big deficits will return, deepened partly by all of the debt racked up over the last seven years, the Congressional Budget Office reported Tuesday. Published July 15, 2014
Hundreds of millions in bogus claims at VA
The VA's rush to cut a huge backlog of claims from disabled veterans has forced it to cut corners elsewhere, and yet the department is still botching about one out of every 10 claims decisions, top officials and whistleblowers testified to Congress on Monday, signaling that the problems go far beyond the hospital wait times that have plagued it. Published July 14, 2014
Obama seeks brisk passage of border children funding bill
President Obama's new $3.7 billion border spending request will pay for schooling, health care and lawyers for the unaccompanied illegal immigrant children surging across the border. Published July 10, 2014
Democrats take aim at First Amendment rights
The Senate Judiciary Committee took the first step Thursday toward repealing part of the First Amendment, giving an early OK to a new amendment that would give government the power to put strict limits on all political campaign spending. Published July 10, 2014
GOP to sue Obama first over health care employer mandate
House Republicans announced Thursday that their first attempt to sue President Obama for breaching the limits of his executive power will be over his decision to exempt businesses from his health care law's employer mandate. Published July 10, 2014
Stockman wants House to arrest Lerner over IRS case
A Republican congressman filed a motion Thursday asking that the House order the arrest of former IRS employee Lois G. Lerner — though it's unlikely to ever come to the floor for a full vote. Published July 10, 2014
Immigration courts already swamped ahead of surge of illegals
Immigration courts already have their highest caseload ever, with more than 375,000 awaiting resolution, according to new data released Thursday, just as the Obama administration is adding tens of thousands more cases to the workload from the surge of illegal immigrant children across the border. Published July 10, 2014
IRS employee suspended for pro-Obama activities
An IRS employee was suspended for 100 days for using his job at the agency's help line to try to convince callers to vote for President Obama, a government watchdog agency announced Thursday. Published July 10, 2014
McConnell: Border crisis ‘getting worse by the day’
After having a few days to look at President Obama's $3.7 billion border-spending request, congressional Republicans are now skeptical, saying the White House is trying to throw money at the problem of illegal immigrant children rather than fixing the policies that are leading to it. Published July 10, 2014
Industrial accident temporarily shuts down Congress
Parts of the Capitol are shut down Thursday morning due to what officials are calling an "industrial accident" that apparently spilled asbestos. Published July 10, 2014
On border quagmire, Obama passes the buck to Congress
President Obama on Wednesday asked for Congress to give him "flexibility" to deport illegal immigrants from Central America more quickly, saying the solution to the surge of families and children trying to jump the border now lies with Congress, not him. Published July 9, 2014
GOP: Lerner warned IRS employees to hide information from Congress
A newly released email from former IRS employee Lois G. Lerner, sent just as the tea party targeting scandal was erupting, warned colleagues to "be cautious" about what information they put in emails because it could be turned over to Congress. Published July 9, 2014
Fed policy bans asking legal status of parents who claim illegal children
Nearly half of all illegal immigrant children don't show up for their deportation hearings, federal officials testified to Congress on Wednesday, underscoring just how easy it is for those surging across the border right now to disappear into the shadows. Published July 9, 2014
Iraqi who aided U.S. troops now a newly minted American
Khalil Mahmoud was intent on helping the Americans who came to free his home country from Saddam Hussein — and now the U.S. is repaying Mr. Mahmoud by granting him citizenship. Published July 8, 2014
Obama requests $3.7 billion to fight surge of illegals
Federal officials last week paid $584 to buy four versions of Monopoly, five packs of playing cards, a dozen beanbag tosses and other games for illegal immigrant children — a small fraction of what the Obama administration now says it will take to clothe, feed, transport, house and, yes, entertain the children surging across the border. Published July 8, 2014
Harry’s rules: Reid dominates crippled Congress
Harry Reid is one of 100 senators, but so far in 2014, he's been responsible for one-third of all the amendments proposed on the Senate floor — a number that underscores just how much one man has come to dominate the legislative process. Published July 7, 2014
Appeals court rules immigrant ‘dreamers’ can get driver’s licenses
A federal appeals court ruled Monday that young adult illegal immigrants whom President Obama has given tentative permission to be in the country — so-called "dreamers" — are also entitled to driver's licenses, and ordered Arizona to issue them. Published July 7, 2014