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...

Congress Pushes Back as Trump Spurs Anti-Vaccine Movement

By Eric Pianin

Alarmed by the growing anti-vaccination movement, congressional lawmakers sent a letter to their colleagues this week in an effort to bring the discussion back into the realm of scientific research.
Republican Hopes for Tax Reform Hinge on a Trillion-Dollar Gimmick

By David Dayen

Republicans are not so much a political party as a loose affiliation of people interested in giving tax breaks to the wealthy. Grover Norquist genetically manufactured the entire caucus in a lab to...
The $1 Trillion Border Tax Could Sink Paul Ryan’s Fiscal Plan

By Eric Pianin

For House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), slashing tax rates is second in importance only to repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. A House GOP “Better Way” plan unveiled by Ryan last year would...
Why Health Care Spending Could Rise Even Faster in the Next 10 Years

By Eric Pianin

National health care spending will rise at an annual average rate of 5.6 percent of GDP over the coming decade, nearly four times the current rate of inflation, according to a new government study...
Are Republicans Losing Momentum on Obamacare Repeal?

By Eric Pianin

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and his top lieutenants put on their best game face Tuesday morning, insisting that they and the Trump administration were well on track to repeal and replace the...

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