Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
CBO: Obama’s budget doesn’t reach primary balance
Congress' chief scorekeeper says President Obama's budget never achieves primary balance, the key measure the White House said would show the country is living within its means. Published March 18, 2011
Hill extends temporary funding, OKs a vacation
Congress on Thursday pushed a government shutdown back another three weeks then approved taking a vacation next week, leaving the hard work of striking a long-term deal for another day. Published March 17, 2011
Budget-busting station named for Biden
As a thank-you to its most famous customer, Amtrak is renaming the train station in Wilmington, Del., after stimulus "sheriff" Vice President Joseph R. Biden — after the project received $20 million in stimulus money and came in $5.7 million over the initial announced budget. Published March 17, 2011
House votes to strip funding for NPR
The Republican-dominated House on Thursday voted to block taxpayer funding for National Public Radio programming, dealing another blow to the broadcasting network that already is reeling from a yearlong series of missteps. Published March 17, 2011
Congress passes second bill to avert shutdown
Congress on Thursday pushed a government shutdown back another three weeks then approved taking a vacation next week, leaving the hard work of striking a long-term deal for another day. Published March 17, 2011
GAO’s report on waste suddenly a Hill must-read
Move over, Tom Clancy — the newest thriller to go viral, at least by federal government report standards, is the Government Accountability Office's just-published look at waste and duplication in federal agencies. Published March 15, 2011
Democrats key for passage of spending bill
Facing a rebellion among their conservative members, House Republicans had to turn to Democrats on Tuesday to pass a short-term spending bill that will delay a government shutdown by three weeks. Published March 15, 2011
Cutting budget tougher as fiscal year’s funds dwindle
Republicans are finding that the logistics of cutting spending becomes trickier as the fiscal year winds down and more money gets spent. Published March 14, 2011
Napolitano: Slain agent wasn’t unarmed
Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was armed with a pistol and a rifle during the December gunbattle with border bandits that cost him his life, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a letter last week meant to counter lingering questions about the agent's death. Published March 11, 2011
Congress readies new stopgap spending bill
Looking to avert a March 18 government shutdown, Congressional leaders have written another short-term spending bill that moves that deadline back three weeks while cutting additional billions of dollars from last year's spending. Published March 11, 2011
Utah Legislature goes for gold, silver as currency options
The Utah Legislature on Thursday passed a bill allowing gold and silver coins to be used as legal tender in the state — and for the value of their precious metal, not just the face value of the coins. Published March 10, 2011
Senators hail defeat of rival spending cuts as March 18 looms ahead
The Senate on Wednesday first rejected House Republicans' broad spending-cuts bill, then turned around and defeated the much shallower cuts backed by Democrats and President Obama, and both sides said it constituted progress. Published March 9, 2011
In key test, GOP plan bests Democrats’
Republicans' plan to make $57 billion in deep spending cuts won more support than Democrats' $4.7 billion shallow cuts proposal in competing Senate votes Wednesday, though neither gained anywhere near enough support to pass. Published March 9, 2011
Napolitano: Agents can use lethal force
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a congressional panel Wednesday that U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and his fellow agents were not under orders to refrain from using lethal force in a December gunbattle near the Mexican border that resulted in Mr. Terry's death. Published March 9, 2011
Senate set to kill parties’ competing spending-cut bills
House Republicans said Tuesday they will likely have to write another short-term spending bill to avert a government shutdown on March 18, as a deal over funding the final seven months of the fiscal year remained elusive. Published March 8, 2011
U.S. sets $223B deficit record
The federal government posted its largest monthly deficit in history in February, a $223 billion shortfall that put a sharp point on the current fight on Capitol Hill about how deeply to cut this year's spending. Published March 7, 2011
$6 billion budget cut: A ‘limit’ for Democrats, a nick for Republicans
A top Senate Democrat said Sunday that the $6 billion in additional spending cuts that his party offered is the limit Democrats can accept — drawing a line well short of Republicans' goal with less than two weeks to go before a government shutdown if the two sides can't agree. Published March 6, 2011
Senate Democrats offer $6 billion in spending cuts
Senate Democrats introduced a bill Friday calling for an additional $6 billion in spending cuts this year, putting meat to the bones of President Obama's opening offer this week to come to the table and negotiate with House Republicans. Published March 4, 2011
White House antes up $6 billion in cuts
The White House offered its ante in the great spending-cuts debate, saying Thursday it's willing to cut at least another $6 billion in spending this year — which stacks up against House Republicans' $57 billion in cuts. Published March 3, 2011
With government shutdown averted, parties debate next move
With a government shutdown averted, at least for the time being, President Obama on Wednesday invited congressional leaders to sit down and hash out the rest of this year's spending bills — but Republicans said they have done their work and want to see Democrats put their own proposal on the table first. Published March 2, 2011
