Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Lawmakers find little guidance from Obama on war resolutions
Republicans and Democrats alike were exasperated this week by the Obama administration's befuddled effort to address the lingering war resolutions in Iraq and Afghanistan, which remain in effect more than a year after President Obama called for them to be rewritten. Published May 22, 2014
Senate Democrats block bill to give Eric Shinseki more power to fire at Veterans Affairs
Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a bill designed to give Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki more leeway to fire senior department executives he believes are responsible for long wait times and care problems at VA medical facilities. Published May 22, 2014
IRS to start over on rules governing tea party groups, other nonprofits
The IRS said Thursday it will go back and rewrite the proposed rules governing nonprofit groups and political activity, bowing to overwhelming opposition from tea party groups and free speech advocates on both ends of the ideological spectrum who feared the tax agency would hurt political debate. Published May 22, 2014
Reid floats immigration delay as way to break gridlock
Seeking to break a deadlock on immigration reform, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday said Congress could pass a legalization bill now but make it effective in 2017, after President Obama leaves office, as a way of earning Republican support. Published May 22, 2014
House votes to shut down NSA phone-snooping
In an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote that would have been unthinkable just a few months ago, the House on Thursday approved a bill to cancel the government's bulk-data collection programs, including the NSA's phone-records snooping. Published May 22, 2014
Boehner says Obama move of New Mexico monument could thwart immigration reform
President Obama's new national monument in New Mexico, which he announced Wednesday, thrilled environmentalists, who said it preserves nearly 500,000 acres of spectacular and pristine lands, but it could also doom his hopes of getting Congress to pass an immigration bill this year. Published May 21, 2014
Democrats push ‘drone judge’ past filibuster
Senate Democrats cleared the path Wednesday to confirm the so-called "drone judge," the lawyer who wrote memos justifying the government's ability to target and kill an American citizen overseas without his first having been convicted by a criminal court. Published May 21, 2014
House votes to prod VA to fire officials for delays
The House voted Wednesday to prod Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to begin firing or demoting senior-level executives within his department who were responsible for long wait lists and poor medical care. Published May 21, 2014
Harry Reid threatens to change Senate filibuster rules again over delay of Obama nominees
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid raised the possibility Tuesday of another rules change to curtail filibusters, saying he is increasingly frustrated that Republicans are sticking to the letter of the rules and delaying action on dozens of President Obama's nominations. Published May 20, 2014
Pentagon looks to enlist illegal immigrants seeking citizenship
The Defense Department said Monday it is looking at expanding its application pool by letting some young illegal immigrants join the military, in what could be another tool for an Obama administration seeking unilateral steps to take on immigration reform. Published May 20, 2014
After Reid refuses amendments, Senate Republicans kill tax cuts package
Saying the foundations of representative government are at stake, Senate Republicans on Thursday filibustered a tax cuts package to protest Democrats' denial of a chance to offer amendments. Published May 15, 2014
Harry Reid says NYT firing of Abramson shows need for pay equality legislation
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took former New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson's case to the Senate floor Thursday, saying her firing is a reason why Congress should pass Democrats' Paycheck Fairness Act, which would give people more avenues to sue over perceived pay discrimination. Published May 15, 2014
Top divorce trick: Divorcees cheat IRS out of millions through alimony
Hundreds of thousands of divorced Americans lie to the IRS every year about their alimony payments, according to a new audit released Thursday that said the falsehood costs the government hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Published May 15, 2014
IRS papers contradict Lois Lerner story as many groups still await tax-exempt reply
A year after a scorching audit revealed that the Internal Revenue Service targeted tea party groups for intrusive scrutiny, and despite an effort to clean house at the agency, many of those groups are still awaiting approval for tax-exempt status. Published May 14, 2014
Tea party leader says now it time for Republicans to fix broken immigration system
One of the original organizers of the tea party movement said Wednesday that the time has come for conservatives to agree to tackle the immigration issue, adding fuel to the push for Republicans to agree to a bill this year. Published May 14, 2014
Tea party favorite Ben Sasse wins bruising Nebraska GOP primary
Ben Sasse won the Republican nomination for Nebraska's open Senate seat Tuesday, besting a crowded, competitive field, leaving him well-positioned to win in November and delivering a win to insurgent conservative groups who said it served as a rebuke to GOP power brokers in Washington. Published May 13, 2014
Questions on racism, drone attacks plague Obama judicial nominees
The White House is facing another tough battle over one of its judicial nominees — only this time President Obama faces opposition from his own party, with his former Senate colleagues accusing one of his picks for a federal judgeship in Georgia of turning a blind eye to racism in a debate over the Confederate symbol on the state's former flag. Published May 13, 2014
IRS is still paying billions in bogus tax credits to the poor
The IRS is still paying more than $10 billion a year in bogus payments to the poor under the Earned Income Tax Credit, the agency's auditor said in a new report released Tuesday that says about a quarter of all payments are improper. Published May 13, 2014
GOP filibuster blocks energy efficiency bill
Fed up with what they see as dictatorial behavior by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Republicans on Monday filibustered to block an energy efficiency bill, dooming it to defeat for a second time in less than a year and signaling just how bad relations have gotten in the upper chamber. Published May 12, 2014
House Speaker John Boehner says he’ll still be speaker next year
House Speaker John A. Boehner said he expects to be speaker again next year, but declined Monday to say he would definitely serve out another full term in Congress. Published May 12, 2014
