David Sherfinski

Gene Dodaro: Federal government ‘not really able to determine extent’ of its wasteful spending

The federal government can't even say how much money it wastes each year on improper payments, the comptroller general testified to Congress on Wednesday.

May 17, 2017

Keith Hall, CBO director: Broad policy changes required to make ‘significant dent’ in deficits

Congress's chief budget scorekeeper told senators on Wednesday that ferreting out government inefficiencies is a worthwhile goal, but tackling federal deficits in a meaningful way will require more than nibbling around the edges.

May 17, 2017

Senate Republicans want to give tax cut plan more than 10 years this time

Hoping to avoid the fate of the George W. Bush-era tax cuts, which were forced to expire under budget rules, Senate Republicans are weighing a new approach that would give them more wiggle room to pass a major tax code overhaul without having to show a quick return.

May 16, 2017

Donald Trump’s drama a Republican distraction

Republicans said they would prefer less drama from the White House but generally reserved judgment on reports of President Trump's sharing of potentially classified information. They said they weren't sure how to sort out accusations by anonymous sources in news articles.

May 16, 2017

GOP lawmakers hold fire against Trump — at least for now

Republicans said they'd prefer less "drama" coming from the White House, but generally reserved judgment on the latest reports on President Trump's sharing of potentially classified information, saying they weren't sure how to sort out accusations by anonymous sources in news articles.

May 16, 2017

Mitch McConnell: Tax reform must be revenue neutral

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday said tax reform will have to be "revenue neutral" but that an import tax outlined by House Republicans probably wouldn't pass the Senate, which could leave lawmakers tasked with finding another way to raise about $1 trillion over 10 years.

May 16, 2017

Robert Lighthizer nomination as Donald Trump’s trade rep advances in Senate

The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to advance the nomination of Robert Lighthizer, President Trump's nominee to be the next U.S. Trade Representative, putting Mr. Lighthizer on track for confirmation.

May 11, 2017

Small businesses drive tax reform debate

Small businesses have become the crux of the tax reform debate, with Republicans saying it makes no sense to do only a corporate overhaul because it will leave behind millions of mom-and-pop shops that file their taxes as individuals.

May 10, 2017

Mike Pence: Comey firing ‘the right decision at the right time’

Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday said President Trump's firing of FBI Director James B. Comey was the "right decision at the right time" and that Mr. Comey had lost the confidence of the American people.

May 10, 2017

Gunmakers want oversight shift from State to Commerce

The gun industry wants the Trump administration to move oversight of certain gun and ammunition exports from the State Department to the Commerce Department, saying the State Department is snaring gunsmiths and hobbyists in arcane rules and fees.

May 8, 2017

Tax reform has Republicans reaching out to Democrats

After watching their health care bill devolve into a partisan morass, a group of prominent Republicans is pushing to make sure the next big fight over tax reform doesn't go down the same path.

May 7, 2017

Gabby Giffords, congressional Dems rally gun-control activists on Capitol Hill

Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and congressional Democrats joined gun control activists on Capitol Hill Wednesday to try to rally opposition to GOP-introduced legislation like expanding concealed carry rights and deregulating sound suppressors.

May 3, 2017

Gun business stabilizes under Trump presidency

The firearms industry, fresh off the eight-year Obama gun boom, is now bracing for the post-Obama marketplace, hoping a sales drop-off after the election doesn't turn into a multiyear slowdown.

May 2, 2017

Kevin Brady: I’d ‘love’ to have Democratic support for tax reform

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady on Tuesday said he'd "love" to attract Democratic support for tax reform.

May 2, 2017

Donald Trump has NRA but needs Republican support, members say

For years the GOP pitch to conservative voters in general, and gun rights supporters in particular, was: We might have the House and Senate, but we need you to get us a president who can finally sign all these bills into law.

April 30, 2017

Wayne LaPierre, NRA CEO: Time to get lower-court vacancies filled

Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president and CEO of the National Rifle Association, told NRA members on Saturday it's time for the dozens of vacancies on federal courts to get filled and it's up to them to back President Trump long enough to appoint the new lower-court judges and reshape the U.S. Supreme Court "forever."

April 29, 2017

Sheriff David Clarke: ‘Rat bastards’ on the left never give up

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. on Friday issued criticism that spanned the political spectrum, telling gun-rights activists that "rat bastards on the left" never give up while also saying some of the misadventures of the GOP-led Congress can be "very painful" to watch.

April 28, 2017