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Articles by Stephen Dinan

House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., presides over his committee's hearing on President Barack Obama's health care law implementation and the Health and Human Service's Department fiscal 2016 Budget request, Wednesday, June 10, 2015, on Capitol Hill in Washington. At right Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

GOP leaders move to cut immigration out of trade talks

GOP leaders moved to ban President Obama from negotiating global warming policy and changes to U.S. immigration policy in any new trade deal, working feverishly Wednesday to secure final support as they prepare for a Friday showdown on granting the White House fast-track trade authority.

June 10, 2015
Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., accompanied by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 9, 2015. A Senate panel approved a $575.9 billion defense spending bill on Tuesday, but its fate is uncertain as lawmakers argue over spending caps. (AP Photo/Molly Riley)

Democrats seek budget summit, see possible shutdown

Senate Democrats demanded a new bipartisan budget summit, saying Tuesday that the blueprint the GOP crafted and passed through Congress little more than a month ago is a non-starter that could lead the government into another shutdown.

June 9, 2015
President Obama toasts with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a lunch banquet in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014. Mr. Obama is on a state visit after attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. (AP Photo/Greg Baker, Pool)

Franken-trade: Deal’s ‘living agreement’ provision takes fire

The secret Pacific trade deal President Obama is negotiating contains a "living agreement" provision that could allow it to change and grow, including eventually roping China into the group of nations involved, according to lawmakers who are demanding more transparency before they give the White House fast-track powers.

June 9, 2015
"The bottom line of all this is, in recent years the total number of those who attempt to illegally cross our southwest border has declined dramatically, while the percentage of those who are apprehended has gone up," Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said. "Put simply, it's now much harder to cross our border illegally and evade capture than it used to be — and people know that." (Associated Press)

Jeh Johnson: Illegal immigration lowest since 1972

Illegal immigration across the southwestern border is on pace for the lowest year since 1972, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Monday, claiming success a year after the surge of illegal immigrant children and families exposed major holes in U.S. policy.

June 8, 2015
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a media conference at the conclusion of the G-7 summit at Schloss Elmau hotel near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, southern Germany, Monday, June 8, 2015. The two-day summit addressed such issues as climate change, poverty and the fight against terrorism. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) ** FILE **

Obama derides judge who blocked amnesty

President Obama scoffed at the "individual district court judge" who blocked his deportation amnesty, insisting Monday that he still believes his policy is legal despite repeated legal setbacks and vowing to push ahead where he can on aiding illegal immigrants.

June 8, 2015
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) ** FILE **

John Boehner: U.S. ‘losing ground’ to terrorists

House Speaker John A. Boehner said Thursday that the U.S. and its allies are "losing ground" to the terrorists in Iraq and demanded President Obama come up with a better strategy for the fight.

June 4, 2015
Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger, Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, salutes in front of other members of the Coast Guard during the presentation of the colors before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets at Nationals Park in Washington on Aug. 6, 2014. (Associated Press) **FILE**

TSA chief nominee clears first hurdle

A key Senate panel cleared President Obama's pick to head the TSA on Thursday, moving quickly just days after a report that airport screeners missed most of the contraband weapons investigators tried to sneak by them in tests.

June 4, 2015
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Utah Republican. (Associated Press)

Jason Chaffetz presses Mary Howard on IRS on transparency

The House's top investigator vowed Wednesday to bring the IRS to heel after he had to issue a subpoena to compel the agency's top transparency officer to appear before Congress to talk about transparency — a move Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz said was embarrassing for the IRS.

June 3, 2015
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, June 1, 2015, before debate continues in the Senate on renewing the Patriot Act. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

NSA phone program doomed as Senate passes USA Freedom Act

The National Security Agency's phone-snooping program is on its last legs after senators approved the USA Freedom Act Tuesday, rewriting the sweeping Patriot Act to ban bulk collection of Americans' data and adding more transparency checks to the secret court that oversees intelligence gathering in the hopes of heading off future surprises.

June 2, 2015
A TSA officer checks a passenger's ticket, boarding pass and passport as part of security screening at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Oct. 30, 2014. (Associated Press) **FILE**

TSA bragged about gun seizure success rate ahead of new failure report

This week's report that the Transportation Security Agency failed to spot 95 percent of contraband weapons snuck through in tests of airport screeners comes just a few months after the agency bragged about the good job it was doing in sniffing out guns and other weapons.

June 2, 2015
Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen (Associated Press) **FILE**

IRS missed chances to stop cyberattack: Auditor

The IRS ignored repeated warnings from its own inspector general that could have made it much harder for the cyberattackers who stole the private taxpayer information of 100,000 Americans earlier this year, the agency's inspector general testified to Congress on Tuesday.

June 2, 2015
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, will get one last chance to force votes on amendments Tuesday to try to give the NSA more spying time, and to weaken some of the transparency that the House imposed. (Associated Press)

Patriot Act backers scramble to save NSA phone snooping powers

Patriot Act defenders mounted a last-ditch effort Monday to try to preserve the NSA's phone-snooping, arguing -- against most evidence to the contrary -- that the program is useful in the fight against terrorists, and insisting it has been grossly distorted by opponents.

June 1, 2015
A U.S. flag with a swastika is seen during a protest against a visit by President Bush in Rome, Friday June 4, 2004. Bush, who met Pope John Paul II at the Vatican Friday, is in Italy to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Rome's liberation and will proceed to France Saturday. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) **FILE**

Social Security paid $20M to Nazis

Social Security paid more than $20 million in benefits to alleged Nazis over the last five decades, according to a new internal audit completed late last week that found the last known or suspected Nazi finally stopped getting benefits only last month.

June 1, 2015