Daily news coverage of politics, policy, and issues shaping the nation.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., has a blunt message for critics of President Obama’s immigration plan: “Stop whining and crying about what the president did.” Appearing on MSNBC with Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes, Gutierrez said the president’s executive action on immigration “fulfilled his commitment to use his pen.” “If you do not like what the…
The House of Representatives will be in session for 132 days next year, 20 more days than in 2014. According to the official House calendar, released this week by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the first session of the 114th Congress will begin on Jan. 6, 2015. “In the coming year, we have much work…
The federal office that stripped the Washington Redskins’ trademark has lost control of its “teleworkers,” who are reportedly gaming the system on the taxpayers’ dime, according to recent reports. The Washington Post reported that “generous agreements” with three unions at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office have undermined the agency’s productivity and credibility. This week, the House Judiciary Committee…
Maryland politicians cast their film incentives program as the only way to lure productions such as “House of Cards” and boost the state’s economy. Yet, a new report suggests, it could be that star-struck politicians and Hollywood producers are deceiving taxpayers just like the characters do in the popular fictional television show, which dramatizes the cunning…
A measure that would ban crystalline, or powdered alcohol, is a step closer to becoming law in Ohio. House Bill 594 was reported out of committee passed by the House this week. The bill now goes to the Ohio Senate. The bill would prohibit the sale of crystalline alcohol. It was sponsored by state Reps. Ron Gerberry, D-Austintown,…
First lady Michelle Obama's quest for healthy school lunches sparked a backlash today from the very people who are served the grub in cafeterias across America. The campaign went viral when students took photos of their lunches and shared them on Twitter using the hashtag #ThanksMichelleObama. Yum school lunches #thanksmichelleobama pic.twitter.com/eS27j75Oae — Jess Sency (@Jess_Sency)…
A day after President Obama announced he will reshape the immigration system on his own, conservative lawmakers, policy experts and pundits spoke out against what they view as an abuse of power. Obama’s moves, which protect millions of illegal immigrants from deportation and allow them to work legally, also sparked disagreements among Republicans about how to…
Newly released documents show the White House and Justice Department targeted investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson in hopes of thwarting her reporting for CBS News on the secretive government operation called Fast and Furious. In an email exchange, a press aide to Attorney General Eric Holder tells a spokesman for President Obama that Attkisson is “out of…
HONOLULU — A new report from State Budget Solutions, a national nonprofit organization focusing on states’ fiscal responsibility, warns it’s time for newly elected state officials in Hawaii and throughout the country to address unfunded liabilities in the retirement system. The report finds Hawaii has $30 billion in unfunded liability–money promised to state and municipal…
San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer, the largest donor in the 2014 election cycle, says the way to win the debate on the environmental issues he cares about is to emphasize how money in elections and industry lobbyists are hindering a healthier environment. People may not inherently care about big-picture ideas, he said at a panel…
Sen. Jeff Sessions will outline his critique of President Obama’s executive action on immigration at a Heritage Foundation event today at 11:30 a.m. The Alabama Republican has emerged as a vocal critic of the Obama administration on the issue. In addition to Sessions’ speech, the event features a panel discussion with National Review senior editor…
Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint called on lawmakers in Congress to cut off funding to stop President Obama’s executive order granting amnesty to 5 million illegal immigrants. DeMint discussed the issue with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on “The Situation Room” tonight prior to Obama’s announcement. >>> Read More: Republicans Differ Over ‘Power of Purse’ to Stop Obama Immigration Action
President Obama tonight announced he will begin to fix the nation’s broken immigration system by allowing millions here illegally to stay and to get work permits. Obama did not specify a number, but the White House put it at about 5 million of the estimated 11.5 million illegal immigrants. Obama said he decided to go around Congress…
The Obama administration admitted today that it mistakenly inflated the number of health insurance enrollments under the Affordable Care Act by adding in those who selected dental plans to raise the total above 7 million — the White House’s original goal. “This mistake is unacceptable,” Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said on her…
The White House couldn’t get ABC, CBS or NBC to carry tonight’s immigration address by President Obama. You can tune in via The Daily Signal instead. The speech starts at 8 p.m. ET. >>> Read More: Obama to Explain How He Will Act on His Own to Change the Immigration System We’re also carrying a…
President Obama will announce the details of his executive order on immigration during a prime-time address tonight. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill and Americans are already reacting to the president’s impending announcement. >>> Obama to Explain How He Will Act on His Own to Change the Immigration System Here’s a snapshot of what they’re saying: Sen….
Republicans in the House and Senate disagreed today over how best to use the "power of the purse" to block President Obama’s imminent executive action on immigration. Lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee said they can’t do it within normal procedures. Colleagues on the Senate Budget Committee said there's a way. Officials with House Appropriations contend that…
Jonathan Gruber, once heralded by President Obama and Democrats for his work on Obamacare, in two short weeks has become a lightning rod for criticism and outrage. And the discovery of the videos that have taken over the debate on Obamacare can be traced back to one man who took a financial hit from the…
Christian schoolteachers who object to being forced to help finance the political agendas of unions yesterday moved a step closer to having their case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit issued an order that allows the teachers to petition the Supreme Court to consider their…
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesotans faced 39 school operating levy referendums on the ballot this fall, fewer than in any election since 1996. And they nixed one of every four proposals at the polls. Chalk one up for taxpayers? Not exactly. Many school boards already had raised school levies on their own long before Election…