Budget Battles
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House Votes to Dodge Shutdown, Ditching Trump Demand
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Trump-Approved Spending Plan Goes Down in Flames
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Trump Blows Up Johnson’s Bipartisan Spending Deal
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Republicans Fume Over ‘Dumpster Fire’ Funding Bill
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Congress Struggles to Reach Deal to Avert Government Shutdown
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GOP Hardliners Say Border Bill Should Come Before Tax Cuts
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Senate Tees Up Vote on a Social Security Boost for Millions
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One More Try? Why Obamacare Repeal Is on the Horizon Again
By Rob GarverThe 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...
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Trump Takes on a Powerful Leader, but This Time It’s on Capitol Hill
By Rob GarverPresident 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...
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Heads Up: Health Care Is Still in Trouble
By Rob GarverThe 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...
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Here’s How Trump Could Get Democrats’ Help on Tax Reform
By Rob GarverThe Trump administration has been reaching out to ‘Blue Dog’ Democrats to talk about possible areas of agreement on tax reform.
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Congress Is Constructing a Wall, All Right. But It’s Built Around Trump
By Rob GarverLike 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...
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The US Spends Billions on Cybersecurity — but No One Is Sure Exactly How Much
By Eric PianinThere 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...
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How Could the VA Make $5.5 Billion in Improper Payments Last Year?
By Eric PianinSen. 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...
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Congress Just Handed Trump Bragging Rights on Expanded GI Education Benefits
By Eric PianinFor 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...
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Top GOP Conservative: We Won’t Play Around With the Debt Ceiling
By Rob GarverWhen 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...
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Why Republicans Are Going It Alone on Tax Cuts
By Eric PianinRepublicans 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...
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Three Reasons Why the GOP Tax Reform Effort Could End in Tears
By Rob GarverTaking the same action over and over again in the hopes of achieving a different result is usually seen as a bad strategy, if not a sign of deeper problems, but that doesn’t seem to be deterring the...
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The Entire Republican Agenda Now Hinges on This One Decision
By David DayenIf they want a Republican-only tax bill, they’ll have to give up on seven years of dreams to repeal Obamacare. If they want to keep repeal on the back burner, they’ll have to work with Democrats on...
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The Big Risk Trump Is Taking by Threatening Congress’ Health Insurance
By Eric PianinCongress has an even lower approval rating than the president, and lawmakers frequently have been criticized for putting themselves above the legislation they pass.
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Did Congress Just Break Up the Trump-Putin Bromance?
Despite all the accusations and evidence that Russia hacked the 2016 election (and possibly others), the United States hasn’t retaliated. Until now. The White House said it would sign a Congressional...
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New US Sanctions Could Drive Russia and China Even Closer Together…
The House passed a new sanctions bill Tuesday, and the Senate’s going to pass it soon. This one toughens existing sanctions against Russia and adds new ones against North Korea and Iran. Look out for...