David Sherfinski

NICS adds mental health records, flags millions of gun purchases after Virginia Tech

In its first nine years of operation, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System flagged just 3,200 gun purchases, or just a couple dozen a month. But then came the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, and a push to get states to add more mental health records to the system. The number soared from a few hundred thousand to nearly 4.7 million by the end of 2016.

February 26, 2018

Donald Trump wins over CPAC doubters

President Trump has grasped the reins of the American conservative movement, erasing doubts about his own bona fides even as he draws the political right toward his own beliefs.

February 25, 2018

Ronna McDaniel: Pennsylvania congressional map rewrite ‘dangerous’ ‘judicial overreach’

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Friday said that a court's recent move to invalidate Pennsylvania's congressional district lines is a "dangerous" example of "judicial overreach."

February 23, 2018

Donald Trump pushes for arming school employees in speech at CPAC

President Trump said Friday that gun-free school zones don't protect students, as he renewed his call to arm more qualified teachers and other school employees.

February 23, 2018

At CPAC, conservatives celebrate Donald Trump’s accomplishments

President Trump's top cheerleaders took a victory lap at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, saying he's checked off much of his to-do list and urging voters to remember that in November.

February 22, 2018

Ted Cruz: Teachers should be allowed to carry guns if they choose to

Sen. Ted Cruz on Thursday offered qualified support to calls for arming teachers in the wake of last week's Florida school shooting, saying it shouldn't be compulsory but that it would serve to make schools safer.

February 22, 2018

Mike Pence at CPAC: 2017 was ‘most consequential year’ ever for conservative movement

Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday told a ballroom full of grassroots activists that they helped make 2017 the most consequential year ever for the conservative movement, and said he and President Trump need them to "show up" in 2018 to defend their agenda.

February 22, 2018

Wayne LaPierre, NRA CEO, at CPAC calls for more armed security in schools

Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president and CEO of the National Rifle Association, on Thursday called for more trained armed security personnel in schools in the wake of the recent Florida shooting.

February 22, 2018

Donald Trump pushes bump stock ban

President Trump announced Tuesday he is moving to ban "bump stock" accessories for semi-automatic firearms, and that he's considering other gun measures in the wake of last week's mass school shooting in Florida.

February 20, 2018

North Carolina officials weigh adding volunteer armed officers to schools

North Carolina officials are weighing whether or not to add volunteer armed guards to schools in the wake of last week's school shooting in Florida.

February 20, 2018

Support for stricter gun laws at all time high: Quinnipiac poll

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. voters support stricter gun laws, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday that showed more people than ever backing stricter laws in the wake of last week's school shooting in Florida

February 20, 2018

Supreme Court declines to take up challenge to California’s 10-day waiting period for gun buys

The Supreme Court declined Tuesday to hear a challenge to California's 10-day waiting period for gun purchases, as the federal courts continued to embrace limits on the extent of Second Amendment rights.

February 20, 2018

Lawmakers optimistic about passing spending bill before next deadline

Lawmakers crafting a long-term spending bill to get the federal government past the next funding deadline in late March are optimistic there won't be another shutdown showdown — though they're keeping a weather eye on the immigration debate.

February 19, 2018

John McCain’s immigration proposal dies in Senate

With dozens of Dreamers looking on from the viewing gallery, the Senate was unable to muster the votes Thursday to approve an amnesty for them and 1.8 million other illegal immigrants, leaving their fate in doubt with just weeks to go before many of them start to lose their DACA protections.

February 15, 2018

David Shulkin, VA secretary, expresses regret after IG report on European trip

Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin said Thursday he regrets reported ethical lapses stemming from a 2017 European trip to a conference in London, and that he's taking steps to reimburse the government for associated costs.

February 15, 2018

David Kautter wants extra $400 million for IRS to implement tax cut law

The acting IRS commissioner said Wednesday the agency is going to need nearly $400 million in additional money to properly implement the new tax cut law, with the money needed to reprogram dozens of operating systems and revise hundreds of tax forms.

February 14, 2018

David Shulkin, VA secretary, misused agency resources on July 2017 European trip: IG report

The U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs misused agency resources during a $122,000 European trip last year and a top staffer falsified an email to get the agency to pay for airfare for the secretary's wife, according to an inspector general's report released Wednesday.

February 14, 2018

Bob Corker, other GOP senators challenge unbalanced budget

President Trump's new budget alone isn't enough to keep federal deficits from getting out of hand, Republican senators said Tuesday, challenging the White House to find more savings.

February 13, 2018

Mick Mulvaney: Rep. Mulvaney ‘probably’ would not support president’s budget

White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said Tuesday that he probably wouldn't have voted for the spending hikes Congress approved last week and President Trump incorporated into his budget this week, but it's now his job to defend the White House's priorities.

February 13, 2018

Nancy Pelosi raised nearly $50 million for Democrats in 2017

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi raised $49.5 million for Democrats in 2017, as the party looks to harness Mrs. Pelosi's fundraising skills to flip enough seats and re-take control of the House after the 2018 midterms.

February 12, 2018