Congress

One More Try? Why Obamacare Repeal Is on the Horizon Again

By Rob Garver

The effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, which many assumed was dead or at least in a state of suspended animation for the foreseeable future, may be showing some stirring of life...
Trump Takes on a Powerful Leader, but This Time It’s on Capitol Hill

By Rob Garver

President Trump was obviously angry. The target of his ire was a man who has been aggravating him for a long time by ignoring his demands, refusing to work through the president’s chosen...
Heads Up: Health Care Is Still in Trouble

By Rob Garver

The issue of the US health insurance system was taken off the front burner with the evident failure of the Republican effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. But while it may not be in...
Here’s How Trump Could Get Democrats’ Help on Tax Reform

By Rob Garver

The Trump administration has been reaching out to ‘Blue Dog’ Democrats to talk about possible areas of agreement on tax reform.
Congress Is Constructing a Wall, All Right. But It’s Built Around Trump

By Rob Garver

Like a body’s immune system trying to wall off an abscess, the institutions of the federal government seem to be coming together to block, or at least limit, the influence of the president on the...

The US Spends Billions on Cybersecurity — but No One Is Sure Exactly How Much

By Eric Pianin

There is no universally accepted definition of what cybersecurity actually means. Moreover, the public and even lawmakers don’t have a clue as to how much the government is actually spending overall...
How Could the VA Make $5.5 Billion in Improper Payments Last Year?

By Eric Pianin

Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri has been on a tear recently in going after government fraud and waste. The ranking Democrat on the Senate’s chief oversight committee and a former state auditor in...
Congress Just Handed Trump Bragging Rights on Expanded GI Education Benefits

By Eric Pianin

For a chief executive preparing to leave town on a 17-day summer vacation after suffering a humiliating setback on health care reform, President Trump will be able to claim some bragging rights when...
Top GOP Conservative: We Won’t Play Around With the Debt Ceiling

By Rob Garver

When it comes to the perennial fight to raise the federal debt ceiling, it’s usually best to assume that the struggle to give the Treasury Department clearance to actually pay the debts that the...
Why Republicans Are Going It Alone on Tax Cuts

By Eric Pianin

Republicans made it clear on Tuesday that despite their debacle in pressing for health care reform without any Democratic assistance, they would again go their own way in drafting and passing major...

5 Political Blunders that Nearly Killed a Budget Deal

By Elaine S. Povich, The Fiscal Times

As the Obama White House Republican leaders squabble over a new long term deficit reduction plan, we look back at other epic budget summits for lessons on blunders and obstacles to avoided at all...
Issa at Odds with Obama on Campaign Gifts

By EMILY LONG, Government Executive

House lawmakers are at odds with the Obama administration over whether requiring contractors to disclose campaign contributions would increase transparency in the procurement process while insulating...
GOP Position “No New Taxes” Is Rapidly Crumbling

By Bruce Bartlett, The Fiscal Times

Republicans have a problem. The American people are concerned about the budget deficit and know enough basic arithmetic to understand that it can result in higher spending or lower revenues...
Senate Democrats Call Oil Execs on the Carpet

By Jennifer Depaul and Eric Pianin, The Fiscal Times

With soaring gas prices dominating the political debate, executives from five of the biggest oil companies were paraded before the Senate Finance Committee Thursday to respond to Democratic demands...
McConnell Outlines Debt Deal Demands

By Lori Montgomery Wp, The Washington Post

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told President Obama on Thursday that he must agree to cut spending on federal agencies over the next two years and make significant changes to Medicare and...

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