Stephen Dinan

Bipartisan blowout blocks Afghanistan withdrawal

The House on Wednesday soundly defeated a resolution setting a timetable for withdrawal, marking the chamber's first debate on that war since the surge was announced. Published March 11, 2010

Feds pay to ferret out stimulus fraud

Federal investigators have received more than 730 allegations of waste or fraud in stimulus act funding, canceled contracts of some bad actors and sent dozens of cases to prosecutors. Published March 10, 2010

Activists tell Obama to protect illegals

Immigrant rights groups on Monday demanded that President Obama impose a full moratorium on deportations of illegal immigrants, arguing that his policies have been worse for their cause than those of his Republican predecessor. Published March 9, 2010

Reid’s gaffe undercuts momentum

It had been a good two weeks for Majority Leader Harry Reid, who used tough parliamentary tactics to push through the Senate three measures, all of which could be described as "jobs bills." Published March 8, 2010

Climate scientists to fight back at skeptics

Undaunted by a rash of scandals over the science underpinning climate change, top climate researchers are plotting to respond with what one scientist involved said needs to be "an outlandishly aggressively partisan approach" to gut the credibility of skeptics. Published March 5, 2010

Monthly deficit hits record $223B in Feb.

The federal government recorded its biggest monthly deficit ever in February, topping $200 billion for the first time in history and marking a record 17th straight month the government has ended in the hole. Published March 5, 2010

Rep. Deal to stay to vote against health bill

Mr. Deal, Georgia Republican will delay his resignation from the House until March 31 -- underscoring the stakes in the health care debate. Published March 4, 2010

Stark out, Levin in at Ways and Means

The fallout from the ethical troubles of Rep. Charles B. Rangel continued Thursday as his successor chairman on the Ways and Means Committee stepped down just a day after becoming acting chairman. Published March 4, 2010

Both sides seek to rewrite stimulus law

Though bruised and battered in the public, more than a year into its existence the stimulus bill remains essentially intact - but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle this week are launching bids to rewrite major parts of the $862 billion law. Published March 4, 2010

Lawmakers cry ‘jobs’ to push through bills

It was a modest measure to designate several thousand beachfront acres of St. Croix as a National Historic Site, but in the hands of a skilled congressman such as Rep. Nick J. Rahall II, it became yet another jobs bill. Published March 3, 2010

Senators find way around Bunning

Anxious senators found an escape route late Tuesday from the devastating political crossfire brought on by a single Republican's near weeklong blockade that held up the extension of already-expired unemployment benefits and other federal aid. Published March 3, 2010

Bunning relents; jobless bill passes

The Senate on Tuesday passed a $10 billion short-term extension of unemployment benefits and other government aid after a Republican senator ended his nearly week-long blockade. Published March 2, 2010

GOP senators join criticism of Bunning

Senate Republicans now are battling publicly with Sen. Jim Bunning to try to force him to relent and allow an extension of unemployment benefits and other government aid that lapsed over the weekend. Published March 2, 2010

Arkansas lt. governor to challenge Lincoln

Sen. Blanche Lincoln, already one of the most endangered Democrats in the upcoming election, now has drawn a primary challenge from Arkansas Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. Published March 1, 2010

‘Bipartisanship’ in Congress: Good or bad?

From a bipartisan commission on debt to a bipartisan health care bill, the B-word has become the defining goal of Washington this year - but those on both sides have a tough time defining it. Published March 1, 2010

Tea party seeks recall of Dem. senators

Some conservative activists are pushing to force more Democrats, such as Sen. Robert Menendez, onto the ballot in November by trying to recall them. Published February 26, 2010

Senate breaks rule, OKs jobs bill

Opponents of the $15 billion job-creation bill - mostly Republicans - said it doesn't do enough, shuts out other Republican ideas and violates the recently passed "pay-go" spending rules. Published February 25, 2010

Senate skirts new rules to pass jobs bill

It took less than two weeks for lawmakers to vote to break new rules requiring that new spending be offset elsewhere in the budget, waiving the requirement just minutes before a strong bipartisan majority passed a $15 billion job-creation bill in the Senate on Wednesday. Published February 24, 2010

Stimulus created jobs, but no real optimism

A new government analysis says the stimulus act funded between 1 million and 2.1 million jobs as of December and kept the economy humming at a faster rate than it would otherwise, but consumer confidence has tumbled anyway - potentially hindering the continued recovery. Published February 24, 2010

CBO sees big job boost from stimulus

The stimulus act added at least 1 million new jobs and possibly as many as 2.1 million jobs in the final three months of last year, and lowered the unemployment rate by at least a half a percentage point, according to a new analysis from Congress's official scorekeeper. Published February 23, 2010