Congress

Budget Battles

  • Heartland States on High Alert Over Fiscal Cliff

    By Eric Pianin

    In a recent call with reporters, Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa signaled he was willing to let the country topple over the fiscal cliff unless President Obama and Congress strike a deal to force...

  • Guess Which Senator May Be Key on Cliff Talks?

    By Rosalind Helderman, The Washington Post

    Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) may be the most powerful senator a whole lot of people have never heard of outside of the two Washingtons where she lives and works. As chair of her party’s Senate...

  • G.I. Blues: Petraeus, Budget Cuts, Troop Withdrawal

    By Greg Jaffe, The Washington Post

    These are tough times for the Army. The service is facing big budget cuts and hard questions about its future role in a Pentagon defense strategy that emphasizes air and naval power over ground...

  • Krugman's 'Twinkie' Defense of Taxing the Rich

    By Liz Peek

    Some people miss the 1950s because of the era’s simple pleasures like Twinkies and Howdy Doody. Paul Krugman misses the decade’s high tax rates on the rich. In a recent column, he harks back to the...

  • Obama and Business: A Second Chance to Get It Right

    By Eric Pianin

    President Obama now has another four years to fully restore the economy and a chance to correct a fundamental weakness in his administration—it’s strained relationship with the business community...