Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
CBO: Immigration bill only stops 25 percent of illegal immigration
The Senate immigration bill will be a major boost to the federal budget but does relatively little to clamp down on illegal immigration — cutting the future flow by only about 25 percent — according to the Congressional Budget Office analysis of the bill, released Tuesday afternoon. Published June 18, 2013
Senate rejects border fence
Senators on Tuesday rejected building the 700 miles of double-tier border fencing Congress authorized just seven years ago, with a majority of the Senate saying they didn't want to delay granting illegal immigrants legal status while the fence was being built. Published June 18, 2013
Speaker John Boehner: House GOP majority must back any immigration bill
Speaker John A. Boehner said Tuesday that he won't bring an immigration bill to the chamber floor unless it can win the support of a majority of House Republicans, creating hurdles for those hoping to see Congress legalize illegal immigrants. Published June 18, 2013
Senate set to vote on border fence amendment in immigration bill
A week into the immigration debate, the Senate has finally set up showdowns Tuesday afternoon on some of the biggest questions, including whether to build the full 700-mile fence Congress approved seven years ago, but never followed through on. Published June 18, 2013
Supreme Court: Federal law trumps Arizona in voter registration battle
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the federal government can pre-empt a state and require that it use a national voter registration form, in a decision that punctured part of Arizona's far-reaching voter-check laws. Published June 17, 2013
At 24 pounds, immigration bill is too big for many to swallow
At 1,075 pages long, it's not the biggest bill to come through in recent years — that honor still belongs to the health care law — but the immigration legislation pending in the Senate is challenging the ability of voters to get their brains around its complexity. Published June 16, 2013
Senate panel gives Obama flexibility on transferring detainees
The Senate Armed Services Committee voted Thursday to give President Obama more flexibility to transfer detainees from Guantanamo Bay into the U.S. or to other countries, moving to grant some of the powers the administration is seeking. Published June 13, 2013
Obama says Syria has crossed ‘red line’ with chemical weapons, will send weapons
The Syrian government used chemical weapons against rebel forces trying to overthrow the regime, the Obama administration said Thursday, acknowledging that President Bashar Assad has without doubt crossed the "red line" President Obama laid down for U.S. action in the country's bloody civil war. Published June 13, 2013
Senate votes to put immigration legalization before strict border security
Senators voted Thursday to allow illegal immigrants to get legal status before the border with Mexico is fully deemed secure, marking the first vote on changes to the immigration bill and signaling that the core of the deal is holding. Published June 13, 2013
Obama’s vow to cut federal websites in half is still a distant goal
It already has taken twice as long as President Obama ordered, and yet his administration is still only about halfway to meeting his June 2011 vow to cut the number of federal websites in half within a year — one of the marquee pledges in his Campaign to Cut Waste. Published June 12, 2013
Immigration debate bogs down over how to vote on amendments
The immigration debate is getting off to a bad start with Republicans and Democrats already sparring over how to even vote on amendments — with Democrats insisting every vote achieve a 60-vote filibuster-style threshold in order to pass. Published June 12, 2013
Border War: Security at the center of Senate immigration fight
The era of good feelings surrounding the immigration bill collapsed Wednesday, less than 24 hours into the Senate's debate on the issue, after Republicans and Democrats couldn't even agree on how vote on amendments. Published June 12, 2013
Gay-rights amendment could complicate immigration debate
Sen. Patrick J. Leahy introduced an amendment to the immigration bill Tuesday that would extend immigration benefits to gay partners of American citizens, potentially injecting that contentious issue into the middle of the immigration debate. Published June 11, 2013
Poison pills enter bruising Senate battle over immigration reform
Senators headed off a filibuster Tuesday and officially brought the immigration reform bill to the chamber floor, marking the first time since 2007 that the full, thorny issue has been back in front of Congress — and with lawmakers anticipating plenty of hurdles ahead. Published June 11, 2013
Senate moving to make copper theft a federal crime
The Senate is moving to make metal theft a federal crime, with the Judiciary Committee poised to take action later this week on a bill that would impose a 10-year prison sentence on anyone caught stealing metal from telephone or cell towers, highway equipment or other critical infrastructure. Published June 11, 2013
McConnell: Immigration bill has ‘serious flaws’
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that the immigration bill making its way to the chamber floor later in the day has "serious flaws" that must be fixed before the legislation can pass. Published June 11, 2013
Obama to boost immigration in White House speech
President Obama kicks off the immigration debate Tuesday by making a speech at the White House reprising his role as chief cheerleader for the issue — though he will continue to keep at arms length from the actual debate on Capitol Hill. Published June 11, 2013
Lessons of 1986 amnesty loom in immigration debate
As Congress takes up immigration reform, the last major amnesty in 1986 hangs heavily over the debate — a lesson for both sides in the perils of failing on border and employment security, even as they move for another round of legalization. Published June 10, 2013
Border Patrol union quiet on immigration bill debate
They bill themselves as "the real border security experts," but the National Border Patrol Council — the union representing U.S. Border Patrol agents — has been uniquely silent as Congress prepares to debate immigration. Published June 10, 2013
N.M. moves to halt first U.S. horse slaughterhouse
New Mexico's attorney general has ruled that horse meat is an adulterated product, which animal rights advocates said should halt a slaughterhouse that had applied to become the first in the U.S. to resume horse slaughter for human consumption. Published June 10, 2013
