Stephen Dinan

Patent examiners cheated on time cards yet still received high ratings, inspector general says

Hundreds of patent examiners appear to have cheated on their time cards yet were still rated as above average employees -- and some were even given bonuses by their bosses at the U.S. Patent and Trade Office, the agency's inspector general told Congress in devastating testimony Wednesday.

December 7, 2016

Donald Trump softens on Dreamers, prompting cheers and concerns

Donald Trump's apparent softening of his stance on illegal immigrant Dreamers produced wildly divergent reactions Wednesday, with some activists cheering a shift while others said they don't believe the president-elect has changed one bit, and still intends to deport migrants as soon as he takes office.

December 7, 2016

John F. Kelly to be Donald Trump’s DHS chief

President-elect Donald Trump has picked retired Marine Gen. John F. Kelly to be the new secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, sources said Wednesday, selecting a career military man who, as head of American forces in Latin America, repeatedly warned of the dangers of drug legalization and the porous southwestern border.

December 7, 2016

Democrats demand ‘full, categorical pardon’ for illegal immigrants, say Obama ignoring own powers

House Democrats renewed their call for President Obama to issue a "full, categorical pardon" for illegal immigrants, saying Wednesday that he is misunderstanding the extent of his powers and he can, in fact, help out hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant Dreamers.

December 7, 2016

Donald Trump demands waiver for Gen. James Mattis to serve as Defense secretary

President-elect Donald Trump warned Democrats not to try to use a law prohibiting recently retired military officers from serving as Defense secretary. Republicans in Congress are planning to pass a waiver allowing Gen. James N. "Mad Dog" Mattis to serve notwithstanding the law.

December 6, 2016

Spending bill: Republicans unveil stopgap legislation to keep government open through April

Republicans announced a stopgap spending bill Tuesday to keep the government open through April 28, which would buy them enough time to give President-Elect Donald Trump a chance to get his administration up and running next year.

December 6, 2016

John Koskinen, IRS commissioner, spared impeachment by House Republicans

Republican leaders managed to derail impeachment of IRS Commissioner John Koskinen on Tuesday, forcing the debate back to a committee for more study, where it will die when Congress adjourns at the end of this year.

December 6, 2016

Chairmen tell Obama to release secret refugee agreement with Australia

The Obama administration has written a secret deal that could let Australia ship more than 2,400 refugees waiting to enter its borders over to the U.S. instead, including refugees from terrorist-connected countries such as Somalia and Syria, two top congressmen said Tuesday.

December 6, 2016

Congress plans stopgap spending bill through April 28

Congress will vote this week on a stopgap bill to keep the government funded through April 28, Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Tuesday, pushing the deadline nearly a month longer than initially planned as GOP leaders predict a crowded schedule at the beginning of next year.

December 6, 2016

Donald Trump choices for Cabinet lack executive experience to run massive federal agencies

Forget "Team of Rivals." President-elect Donald Trump is instead assembling what critics are calling a team of novices -- government outsiders or politicians who have little executive experience at the helm of the kinds of massive federal agencies they'll be running.

December 5, 2016

Federal court halts Obamacare appeal, deals setback to president

A federal appeals court halted a key Obamacare case on Monday, agreeing to put off proceedings until after President-elect Trump takes office and figures out how he wants to proceed -- and dealing a blow to President Obama in the meantime.

December 5, 2016

Illegal immigrants seek asylum, claim fear of home country as ‘magic words’

Nearly one out of every 10 illegal immigrants crossing the southwest border is now demanding asylum, using "magic words" to claim they fear their home country, and turning a program intended to be a humanitarian lifeline into a new path for unauthorized migrants to gain a foothold in the U.S.

December 4, 2016

Obama administration fails to check immigrants against FBI databases, approves citizenship

Some 175 immigrants were approved for citizenship even though their names weren't properly run through the FBI's name-check databases, potentially missing red flags that may have disqualified them from naturalization, the Obama administration admitted this weekend.

December 4, 2016

Michael McCaul proposes ‘security toll’ on Mexico to fund Donald Trump border wall

House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul on Friday proposed a new "security toll" he said the U.S. could assess on all visitors from Mexico.

December 4, 2016

Donald Trump announces 35 percent punishment tax on companies that offshore jobs

Donald Trump vowed to whiplash companies that offshore jobs then try to sell goods back into the U.S.

December 4, 2016

Feds halt new citizenship approvals after spotting hole in background checks

The government suspended naturalization ceremonies and banned officers from approving any new applications for citizenship earlier this week after realizing its background check system was broken and ineligible people may have been slipping through, a key congressman revealed Friday.

December 2, 2016

Hispanic voting bloc proved to be not crucial in Trump win

Hispanics, who for more than a decade insisted they were the key to American politics, are now grappling with a life on the outside -- stunned that a Republican managed to capture the White House without winning at least a third of their support.

December 1, 2016

Illegal immigrant Dreamers get help from senators for full legal status

After the White House ruled out a pardon for illegal immigrant Dreamers, a bipartisan group of senators vowed Thursday to write a bill next year granting them full legal status -- though they will need to persuade a President Trump to back their effort.

December 1, 2016

Congressional panel recommends charges against fetal tissue organizations

The special committee of Congress looking into the sale of fetal tissue has recommended that prosecutors investigate one Planned Parenthood affiliate and referred a handful of other organizations for criminal or regulatory probes, a panel member revealed Thursday.

December 1, 2016

Border Patrol complains of administering to needs families and children

Border Patrol agents have been reduced to "professional child care providers" for illegal immigrants, warming burritos and babysitting the families and unaccompanied children who are surging across the border at an increasing rate, the agents' frustrated chief told Congress on Wednesday.

November 30, 2016