Politics

Politics & Government

Obama To Enlist Democratic Governors' Support

9:29am February 21, 2014

by Mara Liasson

Thursday at fundraising dinner, President Obama told Democratic governors that their Republican counterparts are making it harder for people to get health insurance or exercise their right to vote.

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Once Neglected, Secretaries Of State Step Into The Spotlight

7:58pm February 18, 2014

by Peter Overby

There was a time when secretaries of state were seen as little more than functionaries. That view changed in 2000's Florida presidential election recount, which starred Katherine Harris. Now, secretaries of state are involved in implementing new state laws that have been making it either easier or harder for non-traditional voters to cast ballots — with decidedly partisan implications.

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TV producer Colleen Bell, shown here in a 2013 photo, was a big donor for President Obama before she was nominated to become ambassador to Hungary. Obama has chosen more political appointees than his predecessors.

A Closer Look At How Corporations Influence Congress

4:51pm February 13, 2014

Eric Lipton, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, has been writing about how corporations work in opaque ways to shape debates. He also explains the revolving door between Congress and lobby groups, and how non-profit think tanks aren't always what they seem.

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Politics & Government

Senate Follows House Lead In Passing Debt Limit Raise

8:00pm February 12, 2014

by Ailsa Chang

Eager to follow their House colleagues out of Washington for a break, senators Wednesday cleared a raise to the debt ceiling for the president to sign into law. It will take the issue of limiting U.S. debt off the table until March 2015.

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House Passes 'Clean' Debt Limit Bill

8:00pm February 11, 2014

by David Welna

Republican House Speaker John Boehner has said for months that he would not let the United States default on its debt, and he made good on that promise: The House voted Tuesday evening for an increase of the debt limit with no strings attached, just as President Obama had wanted.

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Politics & Government

House Sets Vote On Raising Debt Limit

1:28pm February 11, 2014

by David Welna

House leaders have had weeks to come up with a plan to deal with the nation's debt limit. Now, the day before they want to leave town for a break, it appears they've essentially decided to throw in the towel. They plan to put a bill on the House floor raising the debt ceiling for a year without any conditions attached.

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Does Congress Have Enough Political Will To Reduce The Debt?

10:24am February 11, 2014

by Ailsa Chang

When the bipartisan budget deal was announced in December, supporters heralded cuts that would balance spending increases — among them, a slight reduction to the pensions of working-age military retirees. But a bipartisan consensus emerged to undo it — calling into the question whether Congress has the political will necessary to make any cuts that reduce the long-term debt.

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Obama Tries Going It Alone — And Moves Onto Murky Legal Ground

9:04pm February 07, 2014

by Carrie Johnson

President Obama's strategy of governing by executive order is designed to deal with a recalcitrant Congress. But Republican lawmakers are signaling that they'll challenge the White House there too by demanding the legal analysis to support the president's actions.

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GOP Still Looking At Pieces Of Debt Limit 'Puzzle'

3:40pm February 07, 2014

by David Welna

Friday is the statutory deadline for the Treasury's borrowing authority, but Congress has no agreement on how to raise the limit. House Republicans appear unwilling to force another showdown over the debt ceiling, but they have not yet found a way to save face, and there are few legislative days left before Treasury exhausts its means to pay the bills.

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