Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Hot off the press: Obsolete bill costs $78,000 to print
Sometimes in Congress, the physical size of the bill matters. Published December 20, 2010
Senate repeals ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’
Setting the stage for a major social change, the Senate voted Saturday to overturn the military's policy banning openly gay and lesbian troops, know as "don't ask, don't tell," sending the repeal to President Obama for his signature. Published December 18, 2010
Senate rejects legalization for illegal immigrant students
In a final showdown on immigration legislation, the Senate on Saturday blocked a bill to grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant children and young adults, likely taking the issue off the table for several years. Published December 18, 2010
House approves tax-cut compromise bill
Staving off the largest tax increase in history, lawmakers Friday morning passed President Obama's tax-cut deal with Republicans through the House after fending off a last-minute effort to increase the estate tax beyond what was proposed. Published December 16, 2010
Reid pulls $1.1T omnibus spending bill
Senate Democrats conceded defeat Thursday and pulled their $1.1 trillion spending bill loaded with earmarks from the chamber floor, stymied by Republicans who unified to block the massive bill in the final days of a contentious session of Congress. Published December 16, 2010
Reid: Earmarks are ‘what we’re supposed to do’
Preparing for a final showdown on the massive $1.1 trillion spending bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid defended the thousands of earmarks in the measure as the basic function of Congress. Published December 16, 2010
Senate votes to begin debate on START
The Senate voted Wednesday to begin debating a nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia in a test vote that signals the treaty — which would cut the number of nuclear weapons that the U.S. and Russia have deployed — has enough support to be ratified. Published December 15, 2010
Senate approves Obama-GOP tax-cut deal
Taking a major step toward staving off the largest tax increase in history, the Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to pass the tax-cut deal President Obama and congressional Republicans struck last week. Published December 15, 2010
Senate strongly backs continued tax cuts
Taking a major step toward staving off the largest tax increase in history, the Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to pass the tax-cut deal President Obama and congressional Republicans struck last week. Published December 15, 2010
Senate’s agenda grows as the clock ticks
Senate Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a broad agenda for an end-of-session sprint that otherwise could be a whole year's worth of activity — including an arms-reduction treaty with Russia, a major immigration reform bill and legislation overturning the ban on openly gay military service members. Published December 14, 2010
Reid threatens to keep Congress into next year
Senate Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a broad agenda for an end-of-session sprint that, in other years, could be a whole year's worth of activity. Published December 14, 2010
Ruling hinged in part on terminology
When Congress was writing the health care bill, lawmakers insisted the individual mandate that consumers buy insurance was backed up by a penalty, not a tax. On Monday, that decision came back to bite them. Published December 13, 2010
Tax-cut deal clears big hurdle in Senate
In an overwhelming bipartisan vote the Senate on Monday cleared a path for the tax-cut deal President Obama struck with Republicans last week, with even former staunch opponents of the Bush-era tax cuts voting for their extension. Published December 13, 2010
Dems’ sales pitch derails health-care law
When Congress was writing the health-care bill, lawmakers insisted the individual mandate that consumers buy insurance was backed up by a penalty, not a tax. On Monday, that decision came back to bite them. Published December 13, 2010
Obama, GOP wrote deal in red ink
Republicans wanted more tax cuts. Democrats wanted more spending. They got both in the tax-cut deal President Obama struck with the GOP, and it's the federal budget that will take the hit. Published December 12, 2010
Senate vote eyed for tax-cut deal
The lame-duck Congress careened Thursday toward a conclusion after lawmakers cleared the nice-but-not-essential bills out of the way and settled down to the serious work on the must-pass tax-cut legislation. Published December 9, 2010
DREAM immigration legislation hits Senate snag
Senate Democrats voted Thursday to block their own immigration legalization bill, dealing a setback to the effort just a day after the House approved a similar bill to grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant children and young adults. Published December 9, 2010
House Democrats push through bill to legalize children of illegals
Riding a late White House push and driven by impassioned pleas by children of illegal immigrants, House Democrats on Wednesday night forced through a bill that would legalize hundreds of thousands of children and young adults brought here illegally by their parents. Published December 8, 2010
House acts to block closing of Gitmo
Congress on Wednesday signaled it won't close the prison at Guantanamo Bay or allow any of its suspected terrorist detainees to be transferred to the U.S., dealing what is likely the final blow to President Obama's campaign pledge to shutter the facility in Cuba. Published December 8, 2010
Obama fights his party to defend tax-cut deal
Facing a backlash from Democrats over the tax-cut deal he struck with the GOP, a fiery President Obama lashed out at members of his own party Tuesday, telling them not to let a partisan fight scuttle the chance to keep taxes low for middle-class Americans. Published December 7, 2010
