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...

GOP House Passes Spending Bill to Avert Shutdown

By Eric Pianin and Jennifer Depaul

The House passes a measure to keep the government running for another two weeks to avert a shutdown, while cutting $4 billion of spending for the remainder of the year.
Bernanke Downplays Impact of $61 Billion in Cuts

By Merrill Goozner, The Fiscal Times

Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, downplayed the economic impact of the $61 billion of spending cuts sought by House Republicans during an appearance on the Hill on Tuesday. He said the...
Poll: Blame for Possible Government Shutdown Is Divided

By JON COHEN and PAUL KANE, The Washington Post

Americans are divided over who would be to blame for a potential government shutdown, with large numbers saying Republicans and President Obama are playing politics with the issue, according to a new...
10 Voices Weigh In on Handling Long-Term Debt

By Michelle Hirsch, The Fiscal Times

Ten politicians and economic experts – veterans of budget warfare as well as relative newcomers – offer their suggestions on what do about the nation’s long-term debt.
Government Shutdown Likely to be Averted – For Now

By Jennifer Depaul, The Fiscal Times

With a Friday deadline looming, Congress and the White House have stepped up negotiations on a major spending bill to avoid a repeat of the government shutdowns in 1995-1996 that cost the country...

Search form