David Sherfinski

Trey Gowdy recommended by GOP steering committee to chair House oversight committee

The House Republican Steering Committee on Thursday picked Rep. Trey Gowdy to serve as the next chairman of the House oversight committee and replace outgoing Chairman Jason Chaffetz.

June 8, 2017

Tax reform promise by GOP may not be kept before recess

Tax officials at some of America's biggest companies are discounting chances that Republicans will be able to rewrite the tax code by next year, saying Wednesday that they're going about "business as usual."

June 7, 2017

Richard Neal: Border tax would have trouble getting out of Ways and Means committee

Rep. Richard Neal, the ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee, on Wednesday said House Republicans' trillion-dollar proposal to tax imports might not even get out of committee in the House, let alone through either chamber of Congress.

June 7, 2017

Orrin Hatch slams Dems for tying tax reform to debt limit

Sen. Orrin Hatch on Wednesday slammed Democrats for implying they might not play ball on a looming debt ceiling hike if Republicans push a tax package that adds to the federal deficit.

June 7, 2017

Tax reform plans in Congress hoped to be set by August

Lawmakers hope to reach "critical mass" in support for a tax overhaul by August, but still have a number of political and procedural hurdles to overcome before then, a top Senate Finance Committee staffer said Tuesday.

June 6, 2017

Gun background checks hit record after terrorist attacks

Gun purchase background checks soared to a record for the month of May, snapping a five-month streak of year-over-year declines since President Trump was elected, and suggesting the demand for guns is once again picking up amid world tumult.

June 5, 2017

Tax break for charitable mortgage deduction may increase under GOP

Congressional Republicans say they will preserve popular tax breaks for charitable giving and mortgage interest, but advocacy groups say even if they aren't directly targeted, both nonprofits and the housing industry are likely to take hits.

June 4, 2017

Americans for Prosperity rolling out digital ads targeting House Republicans on tax reform

Americans for Prosperity is rolling out a six-figure digital ad campaign on Friday designed to spur on House Republicans to get moving on tax reform and rally around the conservative grassroots group's principles for an overhaul.

June 2, 2017

Suzanne Roy: Budget cut would send wild horses to slaughterhouse

Activists are warning the country to brace for mass horse slaughterings after President Trump's new budget called for axing $10 million from the government's wild horse management program.

June 1, 2017

Obama’s regulations in 2016 to drain economy by $2 trillion

The Obama administration issued a record number of new regulations on its way out the door in 2016, leaving an administrative state that saps the economy of nearly $2 trillion a year, according to a new report being released Wednesday.

May 31, 2017

Top Chamber of Commerce economist says Congress should scrap debt limit

The chief economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Thursday said Congress should scrap the federal debt limit, issuing the call a day after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin urged lawmakers to approve an increase before they head home for August recess.

May 25, 2017

Mick Mulvaney: 3 percent growth a ‘conservatively defensible number’

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney on Thursday said number crunchers recently came up with even rosier forecasts for economic growth in the coming years than they're projecting, but ultimately settled on the "conservatively defensible" number of 3 percent used in the president's 2018 budget blueprint.

May 25, 2017

Steven Mnuchin urges Congress to raise debt limit before summer break

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday urged Congress to raise the federal government's debt limit before lawmakers break for summer recess, saying he's already gone through his own "extraordinary" measures to push off the deadline.

May 24, 2017

Mick Mulvaney: Congress should look at extending budget window past 10 years for tax reform

Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, on Wednesday said Congress should consider using a budget window longer than 10 years as congressional Republicans look for a way to pass a tax reform package.

May 24, 2017

Mick Mulvaney: ‘Trumponomics’ is whatever achieves 3 percent growth

Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, on Wednesday defined "Trumponomics" as policies that will get the U.S. economy to a 3 percent growth rate, saying it's unlikely the federal government can balance its books without hitting that target.

May 24, 2017

Kevin Brady touts border tax: ‘True competition for the first time’

House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady mounted a renewed defense Tuesday for including a border adjustment tax in the Republicans' proposed tax overhaul, but he is facing increasing defections from members of his party who say the tax is complicated and will end up socking consumers.

May 23, 2017

Tim Phillips: Time is ticking for Republican agenda

Republicans need to get moving -- and "go big" -- on repealing Obamacare, overhauling the tax code and rolling back Obama-era environmental regulations, a top conservative grass-roots leader said Monday, warning that voters could stay home if the GOP doesn't give them a reason to turn out.

May 22, 2017

Koch brothers backing Trump tax reform

They didn't actively back President Trump's 2016 presidential bid, but the political network tied to the conservative Koch brothers is now gearing up to assist the Trump White House in its push for a tax code overhaul in hopes of shaping the plan congressional Republicans are working on.

May 21, 2017

Rosenstein unaware of FBI request for additional Russia resources

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said he had no evidence to support some recent news reports that FBI Director James B. Comey requested additional resources for the bureau's investigation involving Russian influence in the 2016 election right before he was fired, according to House members exiting an all-member briefing with Mr. Rosenstein Friday.

May 19, 2017

Kevin Brady: Now is the time to ‘go bold’ on tax reform

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady said Thursday it's time to "go bold" on tax reform and that his panel is ready to "answer the call" from President Trump on the issue.

May 18, 2017