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...

Free Market Conservative Kevin Brady Takes Over Ways and Means

By Eric Pianin

Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, a staunch free market conservative and long-time champion of corporate tax relief, was tapped by the House GOP leadership on Wednesday to succeed Speaker Paul D. Ryan as...
Paul Ryan Sends a Signal to the GOP’s Right Wing

By Martin Matishak

Days after coming together to approve a sweeping two-year budget agreement, congressional Republicans and Democrats are bracing for a new fight over federal spending. This time it’s over attaching...
The House Is Giving Itself Some Time Off in 2016. A Lot of Time Off

By Martin Matishak

Campaigns are time-consuming, especially during a high-stakes presidential election year as both national parties strive for supremacy in a battle that has the potential to trickle all the way down...
Revolving Door Between Congress and Lobbyists Is Speeding Up

By Yuval Rosenberg

The revolving door between Congress and lobbyists is spinning faster this year than it has since 2011. Through the first nine months of 2015, 498 people have moved from Congress to the lobbying...
Can Paul Ryan Turn Around the Party of No?

By Eric Pianin

Newly ensconced House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-WI) complained over the weekend that the GOP essentially lacks “the vision thing.” He warned that his party would be permanently consigned to second-...

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