Stephen Dinan

In Hill testimony, justices lift high court’s veil

Partially lifting the veil that usually guards their actions, two Supreme Court justices on Wednesday painted the court as a bulwark for the Constitution and said some of today's cynicism about government stems from the public's scanty understanding of the founding document. Published October 5, 2011

Napolitano: U.S. will set record for deportations

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday that the government is poised to set another record for deportations in just-ended fiscal 2011, citing the numbers as proof that the administration is not pursuing a backdoor amnesty for illegal immigrants that critics charge. Published October 5, 2011

Democrat Tomblin hangs on to win West Virginia governor’s election

Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin staved off a challenge by a newcomer Republican candidate. Published October 4, 2011

Obama ends long delay on free-trade agreements

President Obama on Monday finally sent Congress long-delayed free-trade agreements with Panama, South Korea and Colombia, breaking a deadlock that extends back to the George W. Bush administration and setting up a showdown on Capitol Hill. Published October 3, 2011

Senators see GAO budget cuts as payback

Pushed by budget hawks, the Senate Appropriations Committee has been searching in every nook and cranny for spending cuts, but it may have gone too far in calling for slashing nearly 8 percent from the budget of the government's chief watchdog next year. Published October 2, 2011

House acts to avert government shutdown

It took just five minutes for the House to pass a bill that will keep the federal government's basic operations running. Published September 29, 2011

Obama defends handling of illegal immigration

President Obama told a largely Latino audience Wednesday that his administration has not become more aggressive in deporting illegal immigrants, despite statistics to the contrary that he calls misleading. Published September 28, 2011

Watchdog: EPA cut corners on global-warming decision

The EPA's internal watchdog said this week that the Obama administration cut corners in evaluating the science it used to back up its 2009 finding that carbon is a dangerous pollutant and can be regulated under existing federal law. Published September 28, 2011

Key parts of Alabama immigration law upheld

Alabama law enforcement officers were OK'd to check the immigration status of suspected illegals. Published September 28, 2011

House GOP asks for data on abortion spending

House Republicans have begun an investigation into Planned Parenthood's use of federal funds, questioning whether the national network of abortion providers has proper checks in place to prevent violations of federal law. Published September 27, 2011

U.S. spent $10,612 per person in 2010

The federal government spent $10,612 per person domestically last year. Published September 27, 2011

Senate delays jobs bill to take on China

President Obama is still pressing Congress to pass his jobs-stimulus bill immediately, but Democratic Party leaders in the Senate once again have delayed taking a vote on the legislation and instead will take up a bill to punish China over its currency valuation. Published September 27, 2011

Senate OKs stopgap bill to prevent shutdown

The Senate passed a stopgap spending bill Monday night to avert a potential government shutdown after the Obama administration discovered it had enough money in its disaster accounts to last through the end of this month, leaving lawmakers with "nothing to fight about." Published September 26, 2011

Cost offsets that Bunning once pitched catch on

Jim Bunning may be out of the Senate, but the fire he lit still smolders. Published September 25, 2011

Obama stumps for jobs stimulus plan

Declaring himself "a warrior for the middle class," President Obama traveled Thursday to a bridge that connects Ohio to Kentucky — the homes of the two top Republicans in Congress — and said they have the power to kill or pass his jobs-stimulus plan. Published September 22, 2011

E-Verify bill stirs broader immigration debate

House Republicans on Wednesday jump-started the immigration debate, pushing through the Judiciary Committee a key immigration-enforcement measure to require businesses to check new employees' work status against a government database — but the fight highlighted deep divides that make it unlikely any bill clears Congress in the near future. Published September 21, 2011

Obama: U.N. can’t impose Mideast peace

Struggling to head off a divisive showdown on Palestinian statehood at the U.N. later this week, President Obama on Wednesday told the world body there can be "no shortcut" to peace in the Middle East and called on other countries to insist both sides negotiate a solution rather than have it imposed by the international community. Published September 21, 2011

Obama: Libya is international model

Libya's transition provides lessons for how to proceed in the future, President Obama said. Published September 20, 2011

Obama ties Medicare cuts to tax hikes on the rich

Seeking to put his stamp on deficit-reduction talks, President Obama on Monday said he will veto any debt plan that cuts Medicare benefits without also imposing higher taxes on the wealthy, and he embraced a broad call that all millionaires be made to pay an effective higher tax rate on income than middle-class families do. Published September 19, 2011

Obama calls for broad tax increases

President Obama on Monday proposed a deficit reduction plan that calls for about $3 in new tax increases for every dollar in additional spending cuts as he seeks to put his imprint on the ongoing talks with Congress over reducing the government's staggering debt. Published September 18, 2011