Here are the latest reports from The Washington Posts ‘Power Post’.
Access to care ‘my No. 1 imperative,’ top VA doctor says
In the week since the Department of Veterans Affairs proposed a regulation that would dramatically expand the authority of nurses to treat patients without a doctor’s supervision, supporters and opponents of the change have weighed in with more than 10,000 comments. And the public has 53 more days to tell VA what it thinks. David J. Shulkin, who […]
What 30 years of C-Span’s Senate broadcasts have taught the American public
In December 1995, Senate Majority Leader Robert J. Dole delivered a forceful speech on the Senate floor in which he threw his weight behind President Clinton’s push to send U.S. troops to Bosnia. Dole cited his work with Arizona Sen. John McCain (R) as the reason for backing the Democratic president, and recalled how he […]
Senate report hits ‘inferior’ FBI whistleblower procedures, citing ‘numerous deficiencies’
The irony is the FBI relies on informants to fight crime. Yet when it comes to in-house wrongdoing, the nation’s most celebrated law enforcement agency too often punishes its own whistleblowers. Legislation approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee aims to fix that. A committee report issued last week outlines how an agency charged with capturing […]
Rep. Levin: Republican poverty blueprint shouldn’t attack poor families
The Outrage Machine is regular opinion column by voices from the left and right on Washington. Fifty years ago, we as a nation declared a war on poverty and began our mission to create policies that help lift families out of poverty, improve nutrition and health care, and promote work. This effort has succeeded in reducing poverty […]
Environmental groups reject Rep. Lamar Smith’s request for information on Exxon Mobil climate case
The battle over Exxon Mobil and the issue of climate change took a new turn Wednesday. Environmental groups, citing constitutional rights, said they would not comply with a sweeping request for information from the House Committee on Space, Science and Technology led by Chairman Lamar S. Smith (R-Tex.). The environmental groups and foundations said the […]
No privacy for biometric data; wounded troops not in active combat against ISIS; and systemic failures at VA
NO PRIVACY FOR BIOMETRIC DATA. The FBI wants an exemption for the biometric data it keeps in a giant, growing database. The move would prevent Americans from suing to know whether the bureau is keeping information on them or making sure the information is correct. The proposed exemption from the Privacy Act has riled up […]
There’s a #FrenchRevolution on Twitter — for David French, that is
It might be short-lived, but the #FrenchRevolution is taking shape on Twitter. Overnight, that hashtag has become home for commentary favoring David French, the conservative writer and Iraq war veteran who is conservatives’ latest last best hope for someone to challenge Donald Trump as an independent candidate. Mounting a bid at this stage would be […]
Environmental groups reject Rep. Lamar Smith’s request for information on Exxon Mobil climate case
The battle over Exxon Mobil and the issue of climate change took a new turn Wednesday. Environmental groups, citing constitutional rights, said they would not comply with a sweeping request for information from the House Committee on Space, Science and Technology led by Chairman Lamar S. Smith (R-Tex.). The environmental groups and foundations said the […]
FBI wants fingerprints exempt from privacy rules; court rules on ‘cell site’ location data release; dozens of cyber breaches at the Fed
STIRRING CONTROVERSY: “The FBI wants to exempt its burgeoning national database of fingerprints and facial photos from a federal law that gives Americans the right to sue for government violations of the Privacy Act, such as refusing to tell a person if he or she is in the system,” our colleague Ellen Nakashima reports. “The […]
Former Guantanamo prosecutor settles free speech case for $100,000
The Library of Congress will pay the former chief military prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay $100,000 and correct his personnel file to settle his claim that he was wrongly fired for criticizing military commissions for detainees. The deal announced Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented retired Air Force colonel Morris Davis, marks the end […]
Senator Perdue: Donald Trump proves it’s time for an outsider
The Outrage Machine is regular opinion column by voices from the left and right on Washington. Republican voters have sent the Washington establishment a message in the form of our presidential nominee. It is loud, and it should be clear. Yet, a small enclave of career politicians within our party is still struggling to understand the mass appeal […]
Reports: Homeless, foster kids face enormous hurdles in trying to get to college
While the path from kindergarten through college can be tough for anyone, two government reports released this month outline the particular difficulties facing poor black and Hispanic students, as well as the higher education hurdles confronting homeless and foster youth. One Government Accountability Office (GAO) study shows increasing isolation of poor students of color in […]
‘Combat’ deaths, NATO building up Poland presence, and Brexit looms
‘COMBAT’ DEATHS Officially, the U.S. military involvement in the campaign against the Islamic State is in serving an advisory and training function, though the movements on the ground oftentimes look like combat. On Monday, Obama gave his official opinion on the matter: The three American service members who died fighting the Islamic State were killed […]
How Paul Ryan thinks about Donald Trump
Tuesday marks four weeks since Donald Trump won the Indiana Republican primary, forcing fellow presidential candidates Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ohio Gov. John Kasich out of the race and earning him the mantle of presumptive Republican nominee. It also marked the beginning of a fascinating pas de deux between Trump and House Speaker Paul […]
As conventions loom, Benghazi Democrats ask to participate in final report
Democrats on the House Select Committee on Benghazi are asking to participate in the writing of the panel’s final report, which is expected to come out before the Democratic convention in late July. “We would like to know when we, as members of the Select Committee, will receive a copy of your proposed report and […]
Silicon Valley no fan of Trump; tech firms back E.U. speech code; cancer study raises questions about cellphone regs
‘SERIOUS DISTASTE’: “The innovation economy has a serious distaste for Donald Trump,” the Seattle Times reports. “The masters of this world complain that his ignorance about their work and its relationship to the global economy is horrifying. Rank-and-file programmers are quick to call him a clown, or worse. … Ambitious startup chief executives who swore […]
Republicans claiming Guantanamo victory under Obama, but eyeing the next president
Congressional Republicans are starting to declare victory in their bid to keep President Obama from fulfilling his campaign promise to shut down the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and move prisoners to the United States. But instead of celebrating, they are scrambling to keep the specter of closing Guantanamo from rising again under a new administration […]
Memorial Day provides respite from VA controversies, even as new issue brews
Memorial Day is a time to remember those who gave their lives to protect this country. It is a day when the focus on those sacrifices will be through commemorations with bugle calls and wreath layings instead of the controversies that have dogged the Department of Veterans Affairs. Yet, even as the ceremonies get underway, another debate […]
41 Secret Service agents disciplined after leaking GOP congressman’s personnel file
Secret Service agents involved in prying into and leaking information from an old personnel file of a top GOP congressman face discipline for improperly accessing what are private agency records, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced late Thursday. Johnson said in a statement that he was “appalled by the episode” as he announced that 41 agents […]
Obama in Hiroshima; China sends nuclear-armed subs to Pacific; U.S. special forces head for Raqqa
OBAMA IN HIROSHIMA In the first visit from a sitting president since the U.S. deployed the first atomic bomb, President Obama called for an end to nuclear weapons, a symbolic and historic gesture that also doubled as a capstone of sorts to the president’s efforts to promote disarmaments and nonproliferation, goals he has had mixed […]
Marco Rubio tried to defend his about-face on Donald Trump. Twitter didn’t buy it.
Marco Rubio might have chosen the wrong time to rejoin political Twitter. In case you missed it, the Florida senator is tweeting in his own voice again over at @marcorubio. In addition to run-of-the-mill legislative tweets, he’s been enjoying opportunities to troll journalists whose coverage is getting on his nerves (examples here, here and here). […]
Bipartisan chemical bill runs into a Senate roadblock: Rand Paul
A bipartisan measure that would overhaul the nation’s chemical safety laws seemed destined for the president’s desk this week — until Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) put a hold on it Thursday. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which passed the House easily Tuesday and was slated for a vote Thursday […]
To cut wait times, VA wants nurses to act like doctors. Doctors say veterans will be harmed.
The Department of Veterans Affairs would dramatically expand the authority of nurses to treat patients without a doctor’s supervision in a controversial proposal by the country’s largest health-care system. The plan, which would allow nurses with advanced training to broaden their responsibilities for patients, is drawing attention to a bitter debate over the relative roles of doctors and nurses. […]
Congress leaves town with no Zika resolution, lengthy negotiations ahead
Congress abandoned the Capitol Thursday for an almost two-week break without addressing how to combat Zika, even as public health officials issue dire warnings about the spread of the mosquito-driven virus with summer approaching. Republican leaders insist a deal can be struck soon to provide the money federal health officials say is needed to develop a vaccine. […]
Vet, one of 4,200 mistakenly declared dead by VA, feels ‘resurrected’
Uncle Sam is generally so considerate of veterans – but not when he declares the alive to be dead. That was the case with Joseph D. Kane Jr., an Air Force vet in St. Petersburg, Fla. A 2014 letter from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service to his wife said the agency was “sincerely sorry […]
Hispanic congressman: California Dems lack of support for Loretta Sanchez is ‘disgraceful’
Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas) blasted the California Democratic Party for backing Attorney General Kamala Harris over Rep. Loretta Sanchez in the primary for U.S. Senate. Vela in a statement Wednesday said the party’s active support of Harris “is insulting to Latinos all across this country.” “Congresswoman Sanchez has served her Party and her state in […]
More questions raised about OPM’s response to breaches of background, personnel records
A year after the government disclosed that personal information about millions of current and former federal employees and others had been stolen from two Office of Personnel Management databases, auditors remain skeptical of OPM’s steps to shut the cyber barn door. “We continue to believe that there is a very high risk that the project […]
Snapchat raises $1.8 billion; Obama officials divided on encryption; is Peter Thiel backing Hogan’s Gawker suit?
BIG MONEY: “Messaging app Snapchat Inc has raised $1.81 billion in an equity offering, indicating strong investor interest in the company despite concerns that it is struggling to attract advertisers,” Reuters reports. “Technology website TechCrunch reported on Monday, citing sources, that the company could be valued at about $20 billion. Snapchat, which makes a free […]
State Department IG slams Clinton over emails, wrongly declared dead at the VA, Europe’s migrant deal unraveling, and Obama to Trump: Stop scaring the world
STATE DEPARTMENT IG SLAMS CLINTON FOR EMAILS Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server for her emails while she was secretary of state was “not an appropriate method” to conduct official business, the State Department’s inspector general declared in an 83-page report that also questioned the email practices of the past five secretaries of state. But […]
Sen. Orrin Hatch reacts to meeting with Merrick Garland before it occurs
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) hasn’t yet met with Supreme Court nominee Merrick B. Garland for what has been a long anticipated encounter between the former Judiciary Committee chairman and the federal appeals court judge he has long praised. But when the meeting does happen, don’t expect Garland to succeed in convincing Hatch to support his nomination, because Hatch has already […]
Treasury sanctions chief warns even tightest U.S. policy can’t keep every dollar out of Iran
The United States cannot guarantee that Iran won’t have access to dollars by continuing to freeze the country from the American financial system, the Treasury Department’s sanctions chief told lawmakers on Wednesday. It’s the latest clarification in a two-month-long spat between administration officials and mostly GOP lawmakers over whether Treasury plans to loosen restrictions preventing […]
Vulnerable Republican senators have a big problem: Voters don’t know who they are
After nearly 12 years in the Senate, North Carolina Republican Richard Burr holds a dubious distinction: a lot of people in his home state don’t know if he’s any good at his job. The trouble for Burr was laid bare in a recent poll revealing 28 percent of his constituents cannot form an opinion about whether they approve […]
For many poor families, housing costs are ‘out of reach’
Even as the federal government provides housing assistance for 5.5 million households, 7.2 million housing units are needed for more than 10 million extremely low-income families. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro delivered this bad news in a report on housing for low-income renters that is “Out of Reach,” which is the name […]
Paul Ryan is in another fight he doesn’t want — this time over LGBT rights
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan finds himself in the middle of yet another Republican civil war as the battle over LGBT rights has come to Congress, threatening to divide an already fractured GOP. It is a fight the speaker does not want to have — especially in a competitive election year in which presumptive GOP presidential nominee […]
House to vote again on LGBT anti-discrimination measure
The House is preparing for a contentious vote Wednesday night on a measure that would bar the government from paying federal contractors that discriminate based on gender identity or sexual orientation. It’s the second such vote in less than a week on an issue that divides Republicans as a party and is proving equally contentious among GOP […]
Paul Ryan says he will not be rushed into a Trump endorsement
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Wednesday he will not be rushed into an endorsement of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, tamping down speculation that he was moving toward a declaration of support. “Look, I don’t have a timeline in my mind, and I have not made a decision,” Ryan (R-Wis.) told reporters summoned to […]
Democratic Senator wants a law forcing presidential candidates to release tax returns
The Senate’s sharpest-tongued privacy advocate has proposed a law to force presidential candidates to release their tax returns within days of securing their party’s nomination. Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden’s bill would require presidential candidates to release at least three years worth of their tax returns within 15 days of being officially nominated at their party convention, […]
House headed for another showdown on LGBT discrimination; Zika used to relax pesticide rules; arrests made in IRS phone scam
HOUSE DEMOCRAT TO RE-INTRODUCE ANTI-DISCRIMINATION AMENDMENT. The fight over Congress’ role in the broader LGBT discrimination fight that is going on in some states may come to head again this week in the House. Rep. Sean Maloney (D-NY) plans to reintroduce an amendment that would ban the federal government from paying contractors that discriminate based on gender identity […]
Apple, Facebook push for email privacy reform; SEC probes Alibaba; government funds going to ancient technology
MOVING FORWARD: “Technology companies and consumer advocacy groups on Tuesday urged the Senate to move forward with a landmark bill reforming the privacy of online communications,” the Daily Dot reports. “Silicon Valley giants like Apple and Facebook joined civil-society organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and New America’s Open Technology Institute in writing a letter […]
A hundred days later, White House isn’t giving up on replacing Antonin Scalia
On Feb. 13, the sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia left the Supreme Court shorthanded and threw U.S. Senate into an unprecedented partisan standoff over confirming his replacement. Now 100 days later, little has changed: The Supreme Court sits with eight justices, and Senate Republican leaders remain determined to block President Obama’s nominee, Merrick B. […]
Report finds federal prisons held 157 inmates too long, one by almost three years
Government folks have such a way with words. Case in point: A federal watchdog report published Tuesday exposes the “untimely release” of inmates from federal prisons. “Untimely” probably seems a bit mild to the individual who was released 928 days late, almost three years, because of an error by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Then, […]
Senate defense bill becomes platform for controversial social issues
The Senate is set to begin fighting on Wednesday over a defense policy bill that has morphed into a platform for contentious social issues that deeply divide Republicans. The House has already passed its own version of the measure, which authorizes programs and spending levels for the nation’s defense programs and military campaigns. House and Senate Republicans are […]
Five arrested for impersonating IRS agents in phone scam
Authorities said Tuesday that they have arrested five people in Miami who are accused of tricking 1,500 victims into paying a total of $2 million to the IRS they didn’t owe, part of a far-flung tax scam that so far has netted criminals $36.5 million. The suspects, all Cuban nationals who were arrested Monday, were […]
House Democrat to revive LGBT anti-discrimination measure on floor
The House is headed for another showdown over LGBT rights this week as Democrats plan to revive a measure to bar the government from paying contractors that discriminate based on gender identity or sexual orientation. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Sean Maloney (D-N.Y.), failed last week despite originally appearing to have enough votes to pass. Democrats accused House Majority […]
Barrasso to chair GOP platform committee at convention in July
The Republican National Committee on Tuesday is expected to announce that Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) will head the committee tasked with crafting the party’s official policy positions at the GOP convention in Cleveland, according to a source familiar with the decision. As chairman of the Republican Platform Committee, Barasso will have the challenging task of bridging […]
Senator calls for VA chief to resign over Disney remark
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) has called on Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald to resign because of his remarks comparing wait lines at a Disney park to VA health care. “Secretary McDonald’s preposterous statement is right out of Never Never Land,” Blunt said Tuesday. “I call on him to resign because it’s clear he cannot […]
Political Twitter salutes Bob Dylan on his 75th birthday
Bob Dylan has a committed following in Washington, D.C., so it’s no surprise that political Twitter lit up in honor of his 75th birthday. Senators, federal officials and New York’s mayor were among those who weighed in. Check out their responses — and a conversation started by CNN’s Jake Tapper about which song is Dylan’s […]
End of Vietnam arms embargo, an accounting of war costs, and Europe on edge
END OF THE ARMS EMBARGO TO VIETNAM President Obama announced Monday that the United States would lift its long-standing arms embargo on Vietnam, a move that suggests the United States is growing increasingly concerned about China’s militarization — though the president and others have denied any connection. The sales will still take place on a case-by-case basis. […]
Senate aims to boost buyout offers to Defense Department employees
The Defense Department could dangle a much larger cash carrot before its employees to induce them to resign or retire, under a budget bill up for Senate voting this week. The bill would grant the Pentagon’s request to increase the maximum “voluntary separation incentive payment” — more commonly known as a buyout — from $25,000 […]
Democrats to fend off GOP attacks at rare hearing to impeach IRS chief
House Democrats plan to make the case Tuesday that impeaching the IRS chief is a waste of time and would require a full-blown investigation that could not come close to wrapping up by the end of this session of Congress. Outlining their strategy for what’s shaping up as a partisan hearing on four articles of impeachment Republicans have […]
Republicans pull measure from House floor that would roll back LGBT rights
Republican leaders avoided another explosion over gay rights on the House floor Monday when they stripped language from a VA bill that would have rolled back expanded rights for LGBT employees who work for federal contractors. The broader bill would provide greater access for veterans to private medical care outside the VA system, particularly in rural areas. […]
House takes action against Confederate flag, a symbol of treason
One of the most notable things about congressional action to restrict the display of Confederate flags at Department of Veterans Affairs cemeteries was the debate before last week’s vote. There was none. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) offered an amendment that would ban the flying of the flags on VA cemetery flagpoles, and no one said a […]
Nearly 180 Democrats join call to end House fetal-tissue probe
All but a handful of House Democrats are calling on Speaker Paul D. Ryan to disband the special committee established last year to probe connections between abortion providers and medical researchers, accusing the panel of “continued abuses which jeopardize the integrity of the House and the safety of Americans.” The letter represents a new salvo […]
Next stop, home office: Agencies urged to step up telework due to Metro disruptions
For more federal employees in the national capital area, the first—and last—stop on their commute soon may be inside their own homes. Federal agencies have been told to be more open-minded in allowing their employees to telework, and to work alternate schedules, in preparation for Metro’s SafeTrack project. That project will cause slowdowns and other disruptions […]
IRS chief won’t appear at his impeachment hearing: No time to prepare, aides say
IRS Chief John Koskinen will not appear before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday to defend himself against charges that he defied a subpoena from Congress as it investigated the treatment of conservative groups and should be ousted from office. Aides to the embattled tax collector on Monday said he has not had adequate time to prepare […]
Kamala Harris catches ride on populist wave in California Senate primary
LOS ANGELES — It was the kind of affirmation that candidates covet, especially in the year of the 99 percent: a woman who lost her home to foreclosure stood up at a campaign rally to thank the candidate for supporting her lawsuit against a mortgage company. “The gratitude of the community is unbelievable,” Tsvetana Yvanova told […]
VA chief compares waits for veteran care to Disneyland: They don’t measure and we shouldn’t either
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald, under pressure to be more transparent about how VA measures wait times for veteran care, on Monday said the government should be more like Disneyland. Disney doesn’t track how long visitors wait in line for attractions at its theme parks to decide if they liked their experience, he said. So the VA […]
Bernie Sanders leads liberals’ fight against Puerto Rico rescue bill
The House is poised this week to finally begin considering legislation that would give Puerto Rico new tools to deal with its $72 billion public debt, and after weeks where it seemed as though conservative opposition might tank any rescue bill, it’s liberal critics who are now making their voices heard. Foremost among them is Sen. Bernie […]
High tech firms lag in diversity, EEOC says
While the high tech industry is a major source of economic growth in the United States, it generally lags well behind other parts of the private sector in the employment and advancement of women, people of color and older workers. That’s the take-away from an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission forum in Washington last week on […]
House to move on Puerto Rico bill; Congress gets closer to updating toxic substances law; health officials brace for Zika without money from Congress
HOUSE TO MOVE ON PUERTO RICO BILL. A House committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday to consider a long-awaited debt relief package for Puerto Rico, setting up a vote later this week on the legislation. Morning Consult has the details: The new measure, H.R. 5278, has been carefully negotiated by Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) among skeptical […]
Bill hitting due process for VA staff is okay with union
Senate legislation ripping due process rights for Department of Veterans Affairs employees is getting battered for being too strong and too weak at the same time. While the bipartisan co-sponsors say the “Veterans First Act” would force greater accountability for VA staffers, a letter sent Wednesday by a dozen federal employee organizations points to […]
As he begins transition planning, Trump turns to unlikely source: Romney-world
Just 11 weeks ago, Mitt Romney was denouncing Donald Trump as a “fraud” and a “phony” and all but calling for a floor battle at the Republican convention to deny the businessman the nomination for president. Yet today the man Romney tapped four years ago to draw up his blueprint for a new administration is in […]
Univision draws 100,000 to voter registration drives in move to increase its political clout
Univision, the nation’s largest Spanish-language broadcaster, has drawn more than 100,000 people to hundreds of voter registration and citizenship drives aimed at urging Latinos to vote. The effort is part of the media company’s push to expand its political reach in a year where the Latino vote could sway the outcome of the presidential race. Univision announced in February it would seek […]
Rep. Renee Ellmers supports North Carolina ‘bathroom bill,’ thinks federal government should back off
Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.), who is facing a tough primary challenge in June, declared her support Thursday for North Carolina’s controversial “bathroom bill,” which requires people to use public restrooms that correspond with their birth gender, not the gender with which they identify. In a debate against her primary challengers Rep. George Holding (R-N.C.) and Raleigh physician Greg […]
House turns into battleground over LGBT rights
The House floor is turning into an emotional, and at times ugly, battleground over LGBT rights, as Democrats accuse Republicans of promoting bigotry and discrimination over proposals GOP leaders say are intended to protect freedom of religion from government overreach. The conflict erupted on Thursday when Republican leaders successfully whipped their members to vote down a Democratic amendment that […]
House GOP Conference chair backs Trump, isolating Paul Ryan
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), the chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, announced her support for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign late Wednesday, leaving House Speaker Paul D. Ryan as the last major GOP leader on Capitol Hill not to back Trump. McMorris Rodgers, who is the highest-ranking woman in the Republican congressional leadership, disclosed in […]
Zika bill passes in the House; congressman moves to censure IRS chief; Harry Reid’s hands-off approach to Bernie
HOUSE PASSES ZIKA FUNDING BILL. The House worked late into the night on Wednesday on amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, but they also found time to tuck in a vote on a $622 million spending package to help combat the Zika virus. The Republican-backed legislation passed under a veto threat from President Obama, and the […]
Zuckerberg meets with conservatives; Clapper sees evidence of spying on campaigns; China stresses security with Cook
ABOUT THAT MEETING: “Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday held a wide-ranging discussion with a group of conservative commentators who said afterward the Facebook CEO acknowledged the giant social network has a problem reaching conservatives,” Fox News reports. “S.E. Cupp, a columnist with the New York Daily News who attended the meeting, said Facebook executives ‘were very […]
EPA employees on hearing agenda, but that’s not all
Reading Assistant Inspector General Patrick Sullivan’s full statement to a House hearing might give the impression that the Environmental Protection Agency is a rogue’s gallery of cheats, thieves and reprobates. The session also had a not so hidden agenda. Topping a long list of federal employees and contractors Sullivan’s office has investigated is this standout: […]
Inside Harry Reid’s hands-off approach to Bernie Sanders
By all rights, Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) should be at open war with his colleague Bernie Sanders right now. Saturday’s Nevada Democratic Convention in Las Vegas, on Reid’s home turf and run by the state party Reid effectively dominates, devolved into a fiasco of chants, boos and thrown chairs thanks to aggrieved supporters […]
Running your Senate campaign against a Clinton? Some Republicans have been there, done that.
Trent Lott, Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole found themselves together again Monday night on Capitol Hill, this time to celebrate the 80th birthday of Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.). Unintentionally, their meeting served as a 20th-anniversary reminder of an awkward dance the three Republican leaders had to perform in the 1990s, one some GOP strategists envision […]
House passes defense policy bill under veto threat
The House passed a defense policy bill laden with several controversial policy changes Wednesday evening, serving up a $610 billion measure that dips into wartime funds, shrinks the National Security Council, and stymies presidential directives on climate change and protections for LGBT federal contractors. The White House has already threatened to veto the bill, which […]
Senators press personnel agency on planned revamp of background investigations
Two leading senators on government management issues want the administration to spell out how it will create a new bureau to take over background investigations, while seeking assurance that the project will amount to more than a reshuffling. “We are concerned that this transition is moving forward without firm plans in place for the transition, operation […]
Top House Republican moves to censure IRS chief
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) introduced a resolution on Wednesday to censure IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, raising the stakes in the GOP war against the tax collector days before a hearing on whether to impeach him. The four-page resolution seeks Koskinen’s resignation or removal by President Obama and calls on the IRS chief to forfeit his […]
Are you #NeverTrump? You’ve got to follow this guy on Twitter
You can say one thing about this election: it’s produced great Twitter. And when it’s all over, no matter who wins the White House, there’s one Republican whose contributions to the #NeverTrump conversation will stand alone. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Rick Wilson, the GOP strategist and ad maker whose Twitter feed has become ground zero […]
Silicon Valley mocks Trump’s ‘bubble’ warning; Clinton supporters launch digital ad blitz; can Apple bring manufacturing back to the U.S.?
MAKE BUBBLES GREAT AGAIN: “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that a dangerous financial bubble has formed in the technology industry – and Silicon Valley responded with a collective eye roll,” Reuters reports. “In a Reuters interview, the New York billionaire said technology start-ups that had never earned a profit were able to […]
New Army secretary confirmed, Senate steps up to Saudis, and the money to get Afghan militants to lay down their arms runs out
NEW ARMY SECRETARY The Senate confirmed Eric Fanning as the country’s first openly gay Army secretary after a senator lifted his Guantanamo-related hold on Fanning’s nomination. Kansas Republican Sen. Pat Roberts had blocked Fanning as a protest move against the administration’s plans to close the detention facility at Guantanamo and move detainees to the U.S. […]
House set to vote on AUMF legitimizing the war against the Islamic State
After years of discussion, the House is set to vote Wednesday on the continued relevance of a war authorization the Obama administration relies on to legally justify the war against the Islamic State. But the decision to include the amendment to repeal the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force in the roster of defense policy bill […]
Democrats’ latest Supreme Court tactic: No recess till confirmation
For three months, Senate Democrats have hammered their Republican counterparts over their refusal to take up President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee. Now House Democrats are looking to do some hammering of their own. Six of them plan to introduce a House bill Wednesday aimed at pressuring Republicans in both houses on the Supreme Court issue. […]
Next cyberattack front could be your car
For the many folks concerned about cyberthieves hacking emails and stealing personal information from online accounts, here comes another worry: A cyberattack on your car – while you’re driving. That’s one of the threats outlined in a report on “Vehicle Cybersecurity” by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The computerized gadgets that make late-model cars safer […]
Religious liberty measure heads to House floor after bipartisan bid to kill it fails
House Republican leaders on Tuesday night quashed a bipartisan attempt to eliminate religious liberty language from a defense policy bill that could compromise LGBT employment rights in federal contracting. With the defeat of a measure by Pennsylvania Republican Charlie Dent, the religious liberty language now heads to the floor as part of the defense policy bill, which the […]
Senate confirms Eric Fanning as the first openly gay Army Secretary
The Senate confirmed Eric Fanning as Army secretary Tuesday evening, making him the first openly gay person to lead a military service. President Obama nominated Fanning to the post last September, but his candidacy was delayed in recent months by a hold from Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), objecting not to Fanning himself, but to the […]
Senate passes Sept. 11 bill over threats from Saudi Arabia, White House
The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would allow the families of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to sue Saudi Arabia over its alleged support for terrorism, despite stiff opposition from the White House. It is the second time the Senate has passed a version of the bill, which its co-authors — Sens. […]
Harry Reid: Nevada unrest is ‘test of leadership’ for Bernie Sanders
Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid said the unrest among Sen. Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign supporters at Saturday’s Nevada Democratic Convention constitutes a “test of leadership” for Sanders, who has thus far remained silent on the chants, boos and threats that disrupted the event. Reid (D-Nev.) said he spoke to Sanders Tuesday about the uprising at the […]
House and Senate heading for a showdown over war funding
House and Senate Republicans are at odds over how to allocate war spending, all but guaranteeing a showdown later this year over how to fund defense programs and keep military campaigns going in Afghanistan and Iraq and against the Islamic State. House Republicans want to dip into the war account to help pay for Pentagon […]
House GOP leaders move to strip language requiring women to register for the draft
House Republican leaders want to strip language from a defense policy bill requiring women to register for the draft, employing a maneuver to prevent members from having to cast and up-or-down vote on the politically contentious issue. Momentum has been building in recent weeks to make women eligible for the draft following the Obama administration’s decision to open all combat […]
Rand Paul plays catch up in money chase as he’s expected to clinch Kentucky Senate nod
For Rand Paul, back in Kentucky after a failed presidential bid, it’s all about the money. The Republican senator is expected to easily win his Senate primary on Tuesday, setting the stage for what the GOP hopes is a repeat performance of his home state colleague Mitch McConnell’s crushing defeat against Alison Lundergan Grimes in 2014. Issues […]
Pentagon recruitment advertising needs a few good ideas
The picture of a stern-looking Uncle Sam, finger pointed forward, casts a lasting image above the words: “I want YOU for U.S. Army.” The poster, originally published during World War I, marks one of the more memorable advertising campaigns in American history. But now, a century later, a government review of Defense Department recruitment […]
Volcker Alliance chooses former college president as new leader
The Volcker Alliance, named for Paul Volcker, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, has named a new president – Thomas W. Ross, president of the University of North Carolina (UNC) system until he was forced to resign in January. Volcker started the organization three years ago to promote effective implementation of public polices and […]
Facebook’s GOP outreach; Silicon Valley Republicans hope for third-party candidate; SCOTUS sends Spokeo case to lower court
A LESSON IN DAMAGE CONTROL: Politico reports: After accusations of anti-conservative bias began to burn Facebook last week, the social media giant quietly reached out to Republican Party leaders to douse the brush fire. It contacted the Republican National Committee, whose chairman, Reince Priebus, had publicly demanded that Facebook “answer for conservative censorship” — and […]
Senate set to approve Zika funding
The Senate on Tuesday is poised to approve more than $1 billion in new funding to help fight the spread of the Zika virus. Senators will have the opportunity to vote on three funding options, including a popular bipartisan compromise that would provide $1.1 billion, as amendments to a broader spending bill that is expected […]
Impeachment hearings are latest victory in conservative war on IRS
The House Judiciary Committee’s decision to hold hearings a week from today on whether to impeach IRS Commissioner John Koskinen is a victory for the chamber’s far-right caucus, still smarting over the agency’s treatment of conservative groups. Over five years, House Republicans have slashed the IRS budget, passed bills banning employee bonuses and prohibiting employees fired for […]
Ben Rhodes won’t testify to Congress on Iran deal ‘narratives’
The senior White House official who recently became a lightning rod for critics of President Obama’s foreign policy after he made brusque comments in a recent magazine profile has declined an invitation to testify before Congress. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes was invited to address a Tuesday hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform […]
Democrats invoke McCarthyism in latest bid to shut down House fetal-tissue probe
Democrats are escalating calls to shut down the special House subcommittee investigating links between abortion providers and medical research involving human fetal tissue by likening the panel’s tactics to those of disgraced senator Joseph McCarthy. During the two hearings held this year by the Select Investigative Panel, formed in October by House Republicans to probe allegations leveled in a […]
House chairman wants to prevent women from entering the draft
The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee this week will try to strip language from legislation he oversees that would require women to register for the draft, blaming himself for not stopping the proposal from getting in the bill in the first place. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Tex.) on Monday said he “didn’t probably do everything I should have” […]
Al-Qaeda to Syria, stall for transgender soldiers, and next front against ISIS: Space?
AL-QAEDA HEADS TO SYRIA The war-torn country is looking good to al-Qaeda after setbacks in Afghanistan, say American and European officials expecting the terror group to refocus its efforts in Syria, according to the New York Times. The group has some clear strategic incentives for the move: It would place them in closer striking distance of […]
Did the military mess up during the Benghazi attacks? GOP investigators’ former lawyer doesn’t seem to think so.
The military could not have done more the stop the Benghazi terrorist attacks as they unfolded, the former chief counsel for the House Benghazi investigation said on multiple occasions, according to panel Democrats. Former Republican Chief Counsel Dana Chipman said in closed-door interviews with Pentagon officials that the military acted properly during the attacks in […]
Zuckerberg to meet with conservatives; feds to review social media for security clearances; cyberattack hits bank
ABOUT THOSE BIAS ALLEGATIONS: “Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg will meet this week with prominent conservatives in the media, a spokesman said on Sunday, to address allegations of political bias at the popular social networking site,” Reuters reports. “Some 12 ‘conservative thought leaders’ will join the meeting with Zuckerberg on Wednesday, a Facebook spokesman said. […]
GSA says cyber ‘mistake’ was ‘no breach’; others investigate
A Government Services Administration office known as 18F functions as a computer consultancy for federal agencies and says it was “built in the spirit of America’s top tech startups.” But this government tech start-up had a technical slip-up of its own. “Over 100 GSA Google Drives were reportedly accessible by users both inside and outside […]
Ellmers’s latest challenge: Koch-backed group spends big to defeat her in North Carolina
Americans for Prosperity, the conservative advocacy group backed by the Koch brothers, is launching an aggressive six-figure advertising campaign to defeat Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.), who faces two challengers in the North Carolina GOP primary in June. It marks the first time the group is spending big to defeat a Republican incumbent in a primary […]
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