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 “...

McCain Discusses Campaign Cash

By ALINA SELYUKH, Reuters

The U.S. campaign finance system is so heavily influenced by big-spending interest groups and wealthy individuals that it will take "huge scandals" to change it, and those scandals are looming,...
Senate Race is No Longer a Republican Slam Dunk

By Eric Pianin

It once was a given the Republicans would take back control of the Senate in November, But an improving economy and several political turnabouts in Maine and Nebraska may change that outcome.
The Ryan Budget Plan: More Fantasy than Reality

By Bruce Bartlett, The Fiscal Times

On Tuesday, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) introduced a budget for fiscal year 2013 . It proposes massive changes not merely in the path of federal spending, but the very nature of...
5 Things You Don’t Know about Paul Ryan’s Budget

By Eric Pianin and Michelle Hirsch

A guide to some of the least obvious components of the House Republican budget proposal released yesterday by Paul Ryan.
Ryan’s Plan Could Decimate the Social Safety Net

By Eric Pianin

Pieces of the social safety net could well be shredded if House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s new budget plan ever gains support. Ryan is calling for deep cuts in Medicaid, food stamps and...

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