Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
GAO: Tax cheats get millions in Medicaid money
One in every 20 health care providers getting taxpayer money from Medicaid is delinquent on federal taxes, and in some cases the tax cheats are years behind in paying the Internal Revenue Service, according to an audit by congressional investigators. Published August 2, 2012
House reprimands California congresswoman
The House prolonged its three-year ethics investigation of one California Democrat while officially voting to reprimand and fine another. Published August 2, 2012
Vietnam threatens trade war over U.S. catfish laws
Vietnam's ambassador to the U.S. pointedly warned the House this week that lawmakers are inviting a battle over free trade if it continues to protect a catfish inspection program that even Congress's own investigators say is useless. Published August 1, 2012
Rubio bill eliminates federal tax on Olympic medals
Sen. Marco Rubio introduced a bill Wednesday to eliminate the federal government's tax on Olympic medals, saying the levy amounted to yet another way the government tries to punish those who succeed. Published August 1, 2012
Democrats: Doomsday; Republicans: Your fault
President Obama's budget director told Congress Wednesday that automatic spending cuts will slash funding for 16,000 school employees, cut the U.S. Border Patrol and kick 100,000 children out of the Head Start program as the White House sought to up the political pain for lawmakers bickering over how to stave off the cuts. Published August 1, 2012
GOP: White House pressuring defense industry not to warn of layoffs
Republicans on Tuesday accused the White House of trying to "intimidate" defense companies into keeping silent about major job losses if automatic military spending cuts take effect early next year, after the administration said Monday that it would be "inappropriate" for employers to warn workers of layoffs. Published July 31, 2012
House, Senate leaders avoid government shutdown with spending stopgap
Congressional leaders announced Tuesday that they will yet again miss the September deadline for passing spending bills, and instead they will keep the government running into next year with a stopgap measure. Published July 31, 2012
Report cites killings blamed on non-deported illegals
The Obama administration released illegal immigrants who went on to commit more crimes, including charges of 19 murders, 3 attempted murders and 142 sex crimes, the House Judiciary Committee said in a report Tuesday. Published July 31, 2012
Democratic platform to endorse gay marriage
Democrats said Monday their party's platform will support extending marriage rights to gay couples, marking the first time one of the two major parties has endorsed it. Published July 30, 2012
Va. Gov. McDonnell sees Paul platform influence
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said the rise of the tea party and Rep. Ron Paul's supporters within the Republican Party will push the GOP platform this year to focus more on matters such as the deficit and constitutional liberties. Published July 29, 2012
White House downgrades GDP numbers
President Obama quietly downgraded his own evaluation of the U.S. economy last week, issuing an updated budget that showed slower growth than he'd projected just five months ago — a striking acknowledgment of what he called economic "head winds." Published July 29, 2012
Federal deficit to reach $1 trillion for fifth straight year
The federal government will flirt with its fifth-straight trillion-dollar deficit next year and is still on track to notch $25 billion in debt within a decade, the Obama administration predicted on Friday as it released an update of the country's fiscal picture. Published July 27, 2012
Democrats fume after Coburn stops spending bill
For years, it's been the budget secret of Washington — the rules allow Congress to spend money in one year and then take 10 years to refill the government's coffers, all the while piling up the national debt because the money has to be borrowed. Published July 26, 2012
Congress pressures Obama to lay out spending cuts
Senators on Wednesday passed and sent to President Obama a bill that would force him to lay out exactly which federal programs he would cut if the automatic trims put in place by last year’s debt deal go into effect in January. Published July 25, 2012
House passes Ron Paul’s Fed audit measure
In a move that serves as a capstone to Rep. Ron Paul's colorful career, the House on Wednesday voted to have Congress' chief investigators conduct a full audit of the Federal Reserve's shrouded decision-making process. Published July 25, 2012
Senate succeeds at something: Futility
In terms of basic legislating, this year's Senate isn't the worst on record — but it is the second-worst, trailing only last year's historic calcification, according to The Washington Times' third semiannual Legislative Futility Index. Published July 24, 2012
Johnson to voters: Give Libertarian a chance
Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson said Monday that he won't release his tax returns, joining his voice to that of presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney, who has declined to release more than the two most recent years. Published July 23, 2012
Homeland Security deletes immigration enforcement success stories from website
Homeland Security Secretary Janet A. Napolitano is not a fan of a key provision of the federal program that allows state and local police to enforce federal immigration laws — but until Thursday her department's website hadn't gotten the message. Published July 19, 2012
NFL, NBA and NASCAR fight for federal dollars
Fast cars, young — mainly — men and the U.S. military. For years, America's armed forces counted on that combination to boost recruitment, spending tens of millions of dollars to sponsor NASCAR teams to get its brand name in front of the kinds of young men who provide the backbone of the country's fighting forces. Published July 17, 2012
Federal obstacles hamper battle on wildfires
The fire didn't care what kind of federal land it was burning, but for sheriff's deputies hovering over a blaze in northwestern Nevada last week, it made all the difference: If it was Bureau of Land Management property, they could legally drop the water they were carrying, but if it was Forest Service land, they were out of luck. Published July 12, 2012
