Daily news coverage of politics, policy, and issues shaping the nation.
DES MOINES, Iowa—After more than 16 years without a visit to the Hawkeye State, Ohio Gov. John Kasich headed to Iowa yesterday to tout his record as governor and make the case to voters that he should be the Republican with a shot at the White House. Kasich, who appeared comfortable with the audience, spoke…
Americans will become even more reluctant to entrust themselves to the government’s electronic records because of the widening scandal of successful cyber attacks on the federal personnel agency, an expert in digital customer satisfaction says. It will take time and vigorous marketing by the Obama administration and its successor to overcome the erosion of public trust in government…
On the heels of the freshly handed-down Supreme Court ruling on the legality of the subsidies in federally-run exchanges awarded under President Obama’s health care law, congressional Republicans are turning their attention to a budget mechanism that would fast-track a repeal of Obamacare through Congress. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 today in favor of the…
Unions are donating money to Planned Parenthood, and members who object are often unable to hold their unions accountable. According to a search of union records on the Department of Labor’s website, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Service Employees International Union and United Food and Commercial Workers gave a combined…
Most of the major candidates running for president responded quickly to the Supreme Court’s upholding of Obamacare subsidies, with Democrats generally hailing the ruling and Republicans panning it. Within minutes of the release of the high court’s 6-3 decision in King v. Burwell, the 2016 presidential hopefuls took to Twitter to offer their opinions. >>> Republicans…
Rep. Jason Chaffetz has reinstated Rep. Mark Meadows as a House subcommittee chairman, reversing a decision that prompted widespread criticism from conservatives. “I will continue to vote and conduct myself in accordance with my conscience, what my constituents want me to do, and what is best for the country,” says @RepMarkMeadows "Obviously I believe in…
The Supreme Court decided Thursday to uphold subsidies provided by federally-run exchanges under the Affordable Care Act in a 6-3 ruling that keeps the heavily debated law intact. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion while Justice Antonin Scalia penned a scathing dissent. Americans quickly swarmed Twitter to voice their opinions on the latest…
House conservatives have suffered their share of retribution from GOP leadership over the past few years. Now, it appears journalists could be in store for punishment, too. Roll Call reporter Matt Fuller, who has covered the conservatives’ clash with leadership, was on the receiving end of a personal attack from Speaker John Boehner’s top communicator…
A government watchdog has learned a top-ranking official at the Export-Import Bank deleted text messages sent during the 2014 midterm elections, sparking a lawsuit calling for the recovery of the records. Cause of Action, a nonpartisan government accountability organization, submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to Ex-Im on Nov. 14, 2014, asking for text…
A congressional investigation into a “Candy Land” physician who allegedly “doped up” and “zombified” veterans has uncovered disturbing new details. The probe has faced stonewalling and hostility from federal agencies, according to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (See full report at the bottom of this story.) In January 2015, reports surfaced…
Conservative talk-radio host Sean Hannity voiced outrage over Speaker John Boehner’s treatment of House conservatives, calling leadership’s punishment of members “disgusting.” “How pathetic in my opinion that John Boehner is so petty,” says @SeanHannity During an interview Wednesday with two lawmakers who bucked party leadership, Hannity directed his criticism at Boehner, the Ohio Republican, for…
Rep. Mark Meadows lost his chairmanship of a House subcommittee when he bucked party leadership last week. Now he’s taking fire from a neighboring North Carolina Republican. During an interview Wednesday on WHKY Talk Radio, GOP Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry accused his North Carolina colleague of “siding with Democrats” when Meadows voted against a…
Freshman Rep. Ken Buck is now the latest conservative member to face retribution from House Republican leadership, as his fellow freshman lawmakers will gather tomorrow to decide if he will remain freshman class president. Buck, of Colorado, joins a growing number of conservatives who have been punished by the party’s top leaders for bucking the…
Gerald Harmon, a member of the American Medical Association’s Board of Trustees, owns a small, family medical practice in coastal South Carolina. A doctor for more than 20 years, his practice is among the many private, independent doctor’s offices threatened with financial insolvency because of an impending unfunded government mandate. Doctors have just over 90…
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal became the latest Republican to enter the 2016 presidential race, announcing today that he will be making a run for the White House. >>> Bobby Jindal’s 4 Goals if He Wins the White House Here are 12 facts to know about Jindal: Jindal was born with the name Piyush. As a child,…
Arthur Brooks was a liberal bohemian musician studying economics when he embarked on a journey that led him to conservatism. He realized, for instance, conservatives had more sufficient answers to solving America’s poverty problem, one of the many issues he writes about in a new book, “The Conservative Heart.” As president of the American Enterprise…
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz spoke out today against the cozy relationship between lawmakers on Capitol Hill and corporations’ lobbyists, or what he calls the “Washington Cartel.” He criticized lawmakers with open “ears and wallets” for appeasing special interests while hurting U.S. taxpayers. “Let me explain to you how it works: A bill is set to…
The number of adults without health insurance dropped over 4 percentage points in 2014, the first year of the Affordable Care Act’s implementation, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In its annual National Health Interview Survey, the CDC reported that the percentage of adults between 18 and 64 who…
Liz Robbins was caught off-guard when a Washington, D.C., area code appeared on her phone. “I apologize,” she said. “With the surgery … I had been emotional right before you called.” Robbins was answering the phone from Henderson, Nev., a short drive from Las Vegas. When the 202 area showed up, she thought it was…
Over the last few years, 12 Republicans have been punished by for bucking party leadership. Here’s who they are: Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, removed from Budget Committee Rep. Rod Blum of Iowa, denied a spot on the National Republican Congressional Committee’s fundraising initiative for vulnerable House members Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona, removed from…