Stephen Dinan

EXCLUSIVE: Cantor: Obama’s not met with GOP leaders since May

President Obama has cut off communication with Republican leaders, going more than four months without hosting the bipartisan congressional leadership at the White House to discuss his health care proposal, the No. 2 Republican in the House said Wednesday.

October 1, 2009

Defunding ACORN faces surprise hurdles

Congress is rushing to defund the controversial group ACORN, but its efforts might have unintended consequences.

September 30, 2009

Puerto Rico’s governor: Put us in health bill

Puerto Rican Gov. Luis G. Fortuno is intent on making clear he's a different kind of leader — the sort who pays for even his official expenses with his own credit card.

September 29, 2009

Liberals seek health-care access for illegals

Fearful that they're losing ground on immigration and health care, a group of House Democrats is pushing back and arguing that any health care bill should extend to all legal immigrants and allow illegal immigrants some access.

September 28, 2009

Senate rejects wildfire funds for D.C. parks

The Senate this week told the Obama administration to stop spending stimulus bill wildland firefighting money on urban parks in the nation's capital.

September 24, 2009

GOP lawmakers seek generals to lobby for Afghan war

Capitol Hill Republicans eager to boost the Pentagon's push for a troop surge in Afghanistan are lobbying to give military commanders a chance to make their pitch directly to Congress - using tactics that backfired on Democrats in their bid to end the Iraq war.

September 22, 2009

Stimulus spending sags after deadline rush

After a two-week binge to meet President Obama's 200-day goal, stimulus spending has plummeted once again - and the roller-coaster pace of spending has critics worried about how the money is being spent.

September 21, 2009

Obama: Legalize illegals to get them health care

President Obama said this week that his health care plan won't cover illegal immigrants, but argued that's all the more reason to legalize them and ensure they eventually do get coverage.

September 18, 2009

Millions go to signs flagging stimulus projects

Senate Democrats on Wednesday voted to continue spending stimulus money on road signs that advertise that they're spending stimulus money.

September 17, 2009

Republicans seek czar accountability

With White House "czars" under scrutiny, two senior House Republicans are demanding that the White House account for the dozens of advisers whom the press has designated as czars and either make them available to testify to Congress or explain why they should be exempt.

September 16, 2009

Specter fundraiser stalls Senate voting

Senate Democrats halted voting Tuesday afternoon to help their newest convert, Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, attend fundraisers back home with President Obama, as party bigwigs made clear who they back in what's expected to be a brutal Democratic primary.

September 16, 2009

Specter flip-flops again, backs labor bill

Flipping yet again, Sen. Arlen Specter on Tuesday told labor leaders he will back the labor-friendly bill Democratic leaders want to bring up for a vote later this year.

September 15, 2009

Obama aide clashes with immigrant groups

President Obama's new director of Citizenship and Immigration Services on Monday defended the accuracy of E-Verify, the government's electronic verification system for workers.

September 15, 2009

Obama’s late spending spree reaches goal

President Obama met his goal of obligating $225 billion in stimulus money within 200 days, but only by going on a late spending spree that included a last-minute $11 billion grant to states to spend on education.

September 14, 2009

EXCLUSIVE: Forest fire funds aid D.C. festivals

The U.S. Forest Service this week announced it will spend nearly $2.8 million in forest-fire-fighting money in Washington — a city with no national forests and where the last major fire was probably lit by British troops in 1814.

September 11, 2009

Obama asks Congress to pass health bill

Seizing control of the health care debate, President Obama implored feuding lawmakers Wednesday night to pass a plan that would require Americans to buy insurance and all companies to help cover the costs.

September 10, 2009

Public option not only hurdle

The fight over a public insurance option has grabbed all the attention, but President Obama's health care plan faces plenty of other obstacles, from the price tag to ideological battles over immigration and abortion to questions over who would be kicked off their current plans.