Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Harry Reid stops Senate immigration bill at House border; deal loses momentum
The immigration bill passed the Senate more than a month ago but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is refusing to send the bill to the House — just one of the hurdles that has sapped momentum and dimmed the chances for an immigration deal this year. Published July 29, 2013
Sen. Rand Paul is lone dissenter as James Comey confirmed for FBI post
The Senate on Monday approved James B. Comey to become the director of the FBI, giving an overwhelming bipartisan boost of approval to someone who has served presidents of both parties. Published July 29, 2013
Senate approves Comey as new FBI chief
The Senate on Monday approved James B. Comey Jr. to become the new director of the FBI, giving an overwhelming bipartisan boost of approval to someone who has served presidents of both parties. Published July 29, 2013
FBI says it doesn’t need warrant to use drones
The FBI has told Congress it does not need to get a warrant to conduct surveillance with drones, in a letter laying out some of the top federal law enforcement agency's policies for how it uses unmanned aerial vehicles. Published July 29, 2013
White House: Illegal immigrants key to rural economy
The White House warned Monday that U.S. farmers could experience a shortage of workers if the administration were to begin enforcing immigration laws, and President Obama made another push to rejuvenate the faltering prospects for passing an immigration bill this year. Published July 29, 2013
Govt. pays millions in benefits to dead farmers
The federal government is still paying out millions of dollars a year in subsidies to dead farmers, according to a new government audit released Monday that said the Agriculture Department doesn't do routine checks required to make sure it is paying benefits to the right people. Published July 29, 2013
Obama says Korean War has lessons for post-Afghanistan conflict
Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the armistice on Saturday that ended the Korean War, President Obama referred to the conflict as "the forgotten victory" and said it has lessons as he tries to end the war in Afghanistan. Published July 27, 2013
Support of voter ID law affirmed
Democrats and Republicans vowed this week to work together in rewriting the Voting Rights Act after last month's Supreme Court decision punctured the iconic civil rights law, but some lawmakers warned they will seek to protect voter ID laws as part of any eventual deal. Published July 18, 2013
Obama’s administration finds flexibility in sequesters; budget warnings overblown
Even as it warns that the across-the-board budget cuts are still biting, the Obama administration has found ways to soften the impact of the sequester — rethinking planned worker furloughs and restoring military operations that had been cut. Published July 18, 2013
Rep. Issa calls out Justice inaction on tax snooping, sees dangers in health care law
House oversight committee Chairman Darrell E. Issa said Thursday he's baffled that the Justice Department declined to prosecute a government employee who apparently knowingly pried into tax records of a political candidate or donor, and said there should be a way for victims to know their rights have been violated. Published July 18, 2013
Obama wins nominee battle with Senate GOP
The Senate confirmed President Obama’s nominees to head the Labor Department and the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, clearing the decks of the controversial nominees that had threatened to push the Senate into a parliamentary meltdown just two days ago. Published July 18, 2013
Obama loses 3rd ruling on recess moves
A third federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that President Obama violated the Constitution last year when he made recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board, adding more weight to the case as it goes before the Supreme Court in the justices' next session. Published July 17, 2013
Third court overturns Obama recess appointments
A third federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that President Obama violated the Constitution last year when he made recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board, adding more weight to the case as it goes before the Supreme Court in the justices' next session. Published July 17, 2013
Obama loses support for renewal of surveillance; NSA phone program will expire next year
The lawmaker who wrote the USA Patriot Act said Wednesday that, as it stands, the House will never renew the provisions that the Obama administration uses to collect Americans' phone records, meaning the government's surveillance program will be cut off some time next year. Published July 17, 2013
IRS officials in Washington ordered special scrutiny: congressional investigation finds
IRS employees have told congressional investigators that they were ordered by the agency's Washington office to give extra scrutiny to tea party groups' applications for tax-exempt status, according to excerpts from interviews with the employees that were released by House committee chairmen Wednesday. Published July 17, 2013
Senate Democrats win votes on four nominees in ‘nuclear option’ showdown
Bowing to an ultimatum, Senate Republicans agreed Tuesday to drop objections to key Obama administration nominees, delivering a victory to Senate Democrats who said they will shelve — for now — their own plans to change the rules and curtail filibusters. Published July 16, 2013
Senate ‘nuclear option’ on filibusters defused — for now
The "nuclear option" has been defused — for now — after Republican senators said Tuesday they would drop their blockade of Richard Cordray to be the new head of a consumer protection bureau, ending for now what had appeared to be a major crisis over the filibuster and minority rights in the Senate. Published July 16, 2013
Senators fail in final attempt to avoid ‘nuclear option’ on filibuster rules
Last-minute negotiations failed to break through the Senate's impasse on nominees, leaving Democrats prepared to ignite the "nuclear option" Tuesday and use a shortcut to change the chamber's filibuster rules, allowing them to push easily through President Obama's appointments. Published July 15, 2013
Filibuster fights play both ways and nominees from both parties know it
C. Boyden Gray has seen the filibuster fight from both sides, serving as chief cheerleader for President George W. Bush's judicial nominations when they were being blocked by Democrats, and then watching Democrats block his own nomination when Mr. Bush tapped him to be an ambassador. Published July 15, 2013
Sen. Harry Reid: Founding Fathers didn’t want filibusters
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday that the men who wrote the Constitution intended for the president's nominees to be subject to only a majority vote, and said filibusters of nominees were never envisioned. Published July 15, 2013
