Seth McLaughlin

Ryan: Obama achievements far less than advertised

The chairman of the House budget committee said Saturday that President Obama's second term will show that the benefits of his agenda "are far less than advertised" and will open the door for Republicans to show voters that "given the chance, we can govern."

January 26, 2013

GOP lawmakers question debt deal

House GOP lawmakers seemed to have forged a greater sense of unity emerging from a three-day retreat in Virginia last week, after party leaders rolled out their plan to avoid a showdown with President Obama by temporarily raising the federal debt limit.

January 22, 2013

Biden seems revved up and ready for 2016

Even as President Obama on Monday grasped the reins of power for another four years, the man who would be his successor — Vice President Joseph R. Biden — was never far away.

January 21, 2013

Boehner wants Senate budget before any final debt ceiling deal

Capping a three-day GOP retreat, House GOP leaders announced that next week they will pursue a three-month extension of the nation's borrowing limit to give Congress more time to pass a federal budget — warning that the proposal will also freeze members' pay if they fail to do their job.

January 18, 2013

At retreat, GOP advances debt-limit strategies

The chairman of the House Budget Committee on Thursday said the House GOP is considering a short-term extension of the nation's debt limit to buy Democrats and Republicans some additional time to hash out a long-term deficit-reduction deal, and to force a national conversation over the size and scope of the federal budget.

January 17, 2013

Viewed as out of touch, GOP gathers forces to plot rebirth

As House Republicans head to Williamsburg, Va., to talk strategy at their annual retreat, a top Democratic pollster warned Wednesday that voters think the GOP has fallen outside the mainstream on everything from taxes to gay rights.

January 16, 2013

House’s Levin ‘not confident’ Congress gets to tax code reform

Adding to the growing sense on Capitol Hill that tax reform is dead for now, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means committee said Tuesday that he is "not confident" that Congress will reshape the federal tax code this year.

January 15, 2013

GOP recalls Obama, Biden opposed debt-limit hikes

President Obama's vow not to negotiate on the debt limit this year is a stark reversal for an administration whose two top officials both have a history of balking at debt hikes.

January 14, 2013

Watchdog sees pork in Sandy relief bill

As Congress takes up the second slice of relief money for Superstorm Sandy, the influential Club for Growth said Monday it will seek to punish the lawmakers who support the $51 billion package because it includes wasteful spending and pork that have nothing to do with reconstruction efforts in the Northeast.

January 14, 2013

W.Va. Sen. Rockefeller’s exit shakes up ’14

The decision by Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, West Virginia Democrat, not to seek another term in the Senate is the first dent in Democrats' chances of hanging onto power in the upper chamber in 2014 — and emblematic of the challenges the party faces in protecting seats they hold in red states.

January 13, 2013

W.Va. Sen. Rockefeller won’t seek re-election

Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia announced Friday that he will not seek a sixth term — ending a three-decade run in the upper chamber and giving Republicans some more hope that they can capture the seat in the 2014 election.

January 11, 2013

Executive gun ‘order’ easier said than done

The administration is eyeing unilateral steps on gun control, but analysts said there are few things President Obama can do on his own because gun control is one area where Congress has jealously guarded its power to make the laws.

January 10, 2013

‘Fiscal cliff’ deal boosts GDP share of taxes, spending

The tax deal President Obama and congressional Republicans struck last week will send government revenue soaring above its historic average, but did nothing to control spending, which remains stubbornly high.

January 8, 2013

‘Cliff’ talks center on targets of tax hikes

The crux of the negotiations between President Obama and House Speaker John A. Boehner is no longer about whether to raise tax rates, but about who would get hit.

December 20, 2012

For conservatives, tax increase is in eye of beholder

President Obama and House Speaker John A. Boehner are squabbling over the "fiscal cliff," but an even bigger fight is going on within conservative circles over Mr. Boehner’s latest offer to extend tax cuts for all but millionaires, who would see their taxes increase.

December 19, 2012

Obama, Boehner grapple near ‘fiscal cliff’

Racing to find common ground in the "fiscal cliff" negotiations, President Obama and House Speaker John A. Boehner are backing off what were once ironclad positions on taxes and spending — though not enough to reach an agreement just yet, as both men continue to demand additional concessions before signing off on a year-end deal.

December 18, 2012

As Boehner prepares ‘Plan B’ on ‘fiscal cliff,’ Democrats already reject it

Concerned that the "fiscal cliff" negotiations with President Obama will not bear any fruit, House Speaker John A. Boehner said Tuesday the House GOP is prepared with a "Plan B" option that calls for higher taxes on millionaires and locks in current tax rates for everyone else.

December 18, 2012