Congress

The Fight Over the 2020 Census Could Determine Which Party Controls Congress

By Jay L. Zagorsky, The Conversation

John H. Thompson, the director of the U.S. Census Bureau, just resigned amid a funding fight over the 2020 Census . Since it comes at the same time that the president fired the director of the FBI ,...
The GOP Health Care Plan Gives Democratic Fundraising a Big Boost

By Maxwell Tani, Business Insider

Following the passage of the American Healthcare Act on Thursday, Democrats expressed outrage at House Republicans — online, in person, and at the bank. In a joint statement released Friday,...
If Ossoff Wins Big in Georgia, Democrats Could Sweep the 2018 Midterms

By Eric Pianin

Republicans are desperately trying to hang onto a Georgia House seat up for grabs in Tuesday’s special election to dampen Democrats’ prospects for establishing a beachhead before the 2018...
Seven Tests That Can Keep Republicans from Screwing Up

By Edward Morrissey

It didn’t take long for Republicans to make their first tin-eared mistake after winning a broad victory in November. In fact, they had barely opened the new session of Congress before performing a...
This Is Exactly Why Paul Ryan Didn't Want to Be Speaker of the House

By Rob Garver

Paul Ryan never wanted to be speaker of the House, and Wednesday was a perfect example of why. The guy who made his reputation as the Republicans’ wonk-in-chief as chairman of the Budget Committee...

The End of Antibiotics? Drug-Resistant Superbug Reaches the US

By LENA H. SUN and Brady Dennis, The Washington Post

For the first time, researchers have found a person in the United States carrying bacteria resistant to antibiotics of last resort, an alarming development that the top U.S. public health official...
As the Debt Hits $19 Trillion, Has the US Reached a Tipping Point?

By Rob Garver and Eric Pianin

For several years, the growing federal debt was ignored as the economic recovery chipped away at once massive spending shortfalls of $1 trillion or more. Now, there’s an uneasy feeling among many...
How to Stem the Feds’ Spending Addiction Before It Cripples Our Economy

By Charles Blahous

At a time when the presidential campaigns seem to be about everything other than the federal budget, the latest projections from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) serve as a stark reminder that...
Tea Party Revolts Against Obama’s Budget as Debt Exceeds $19 Trillion

By Eric Pianin

In what appears to be an extraordinary snub of White House budget director Shaun Donovan, the Republican chairs of the House and Senate Budget Committees announced on Thursday they would not host...
House Report Says Treasury Secretary Misled Congress Over Debt Ceiling Risks

By Eric Pianin

During an October 2013 appearance before the Senate Finance Committee, Lew warned Congress against a “manufactured crisis” over the debt ceiling in Washington. He added that prioritization was “...

What a Tax Break! Make $200M and Pay the IRS Zilch

By Yuval Rosenberg

New numbers from the IRS make clear that while the wealthiest Americans weren’t quite as prosperous in 2009 as they had been before the Great Recession, many of them still benefitted from policies...
Obama’s “Us vs. Them” Strategy Failed in Wisconsin

By Liz Peek

President Obama is convinced that he will be reelected by dividing the country and cherry picking the discontented. He sets poor against rich, women against Republicans, Catholics against Planned...
Outrageous Corporate Earmarks Stage a Comeback

By Merrill Goozner, The Fiscal Times

Despite pledges to end legislative earmarks, the Republican-led House has enacted a spate of bills recently that include provisions that benefit special interests in specific members’ districts.
Why Democrats Are Gloomy About Taking Back the House

By Eric Pianin

The Democrats once held out hope they could win back control of the House this fall provided President Obama could score another big “wave” victory. But the race between Obama and former Republican...
GOP Veepstakes: Ryan’s Budget Plan Gets New Scrutiny

By Eric Pianin

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan has become a rock star of the Republican Party with his controversial budget plans and clarion conservative message. But it’s far from clear whether he would...

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