Author Archive

Alex Brown

Oversight

House Conservatives Won't Criticize Oregon Protests

Some GOP lawmakers express sympathy toward the Bundy-led effort to take over a federal wildlife refuge.

Pay & Benefits

It's Official: There Won't Be a Government Shutdown

Congress easily clears massive omnibus spending bill, and Obama signs it.

Oversight

Visa-Waiver Deal Could Smooth Path for an Omnibus Bill to Avoid Shutdown

The agreement on visas may ease some pressure on negotiators, though plenty of thorny issues remain.

Oversight

Ryan's Ascent, Budget Deal Force a Message Change for Democrats

The minority is now focused on warning that a functional GOP will be worse for the country than a dysfunctional one.

Oversight

Ryan Is Elected Speaker, Vows to Fix “Broken” House

All but nine Republicans ended up voting for the party’s new leader.

Oversight

Export-Import Bank Gets Unstuck in the House, While Its Senate Fate Is Uncertain

A discharge petition finally budged the bill out of the lower chamber. What's next?

Oversight

House Republicans Are Waiting for Paul Ryan to Make Up His Mind

The House GOP met Friday to determine what happens next.

Oversight

Republican Leaders Preparing to Make Deal on Raising Spending Caps

It’s unclear how far they will be willing to go.

Oversight

Congressional Democrats Don't Trust Iran, But Do They Trust Obama?

The president needs his own party to believe he got the best possible deal.

Defense

Despite Risks, Democrats Maintain Stand on Pentagon Spending

The minority party is betting that opposition to the defense bill won't hurt it next November.

Defense

Democrats Fight 'Double Standard' for Defense Spending

Republicans can't bust through spending caps for the Pentagon's budget but stick with them for civilian agencies, Democrats say.

Oversight

Budget Fight Gives Democrat a Chance to Court Liberal Skeptics

Top House Budget Committee Democrat Rep. Chris Van Hollen has a platform he can use in his Senate primary battle with Donna Edwards.

Defense

Obama's War Authority Request Is Stuck

A month after the White House released a draft AUMF, the measure isn't gaining support in either chamber or party.

Management

Democrats to the Rescue: Congress Averts Shutdown for One More Week

Republicans could not muster support for the three-week bill and had to move a one-week measure instead.

Oversight

Republicans Scramble for DHS Votes, Without Democrats' Help

GOP pulls the No Child Left Behind bill from floor schedule as leaders put out fires on the DHS front.

Oversight

Hoyer Calls McCarthy a 'Coward' Over DHS Funding

Tensions build on House floor over GOP plan to move short-term bill to avert shutdown.

Oversight

Ted Cruz's Mission for NASA: More Space, Less Earth

The new space subcommittee chairman thinks the Obama administration has the agency overly focused on climate change at the expense of exploring the cosmos.

Oversight

Democrats Say a Short-Term DHS Bill Would Be Terrible. They May Vote for It Anyway.

Despite the dire consequences of a stopgap funding measure, it would be hard for Democrats to oppose.

Oversight

Why Democrats Won't Cave on Immigration to Avoid a Shutdown

Democrats believe that the optics of a partial shutdown will favor them.

Oversight

Democrats Flip the Script on Security Spending

They attempt to use Paris, Islamic State, and 9/11 in debate over DHS bill and immigration.