Stephen Dinan

House GOP bans earmarks for members

House Republicans voted Thursday to ban their members this year from requesting earmarks, or pork-barrel spending projects, in a move to break with Republicans' big-spending past. Published March 11, 2010

Both parties in House start war over pork

Democrats said they'll ban earmarks where the government sends money to for-profit corporations; Republicans will vote on whether to impose a complete one-year moratorium on themselves. Published March 11, 2010

House KOs call for speedy Afghanistan withdrawal

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

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