Politics

House Speaker John Boehner speaks to the media after a meeting with President Obama at the White House on Wednesday.

Why A Handful Of Hard-Liners Has A Hold On Boehner

12:53pm October 03, 2013

by Tamara Keith

To understand House Speaker John Boehner's role in the government shutdown, you have to understand the 30 or so House Republican hard-liners and his relationship with them. Because Republicans have a relatively slim majority in the House, the 30 have more power than their numbers would make it seem.

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid celebrate the open enrollment of the Affordable Care Act on Tuesday. During the government shutdown, the Democrats have been more unified than they have been in a long time.

Obama's Shift In Rhetoric Helping Democrats Stick Together

7:56pm October 02, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

Instead of castigating all of Congress over the latest fiscal stalemate, President Obama is focusing his ire on Tea Party Republicans. That's energized Democrats, who are more unified than they've been in a long time. Still, that doesn't mean that they're making any headway in ending the shutdown.

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GOP Establishment Grapples With A Tea Party That Won't Budge

7:56pm October 02, 2013

by Don Gonyea

Beyond voicing frustration, the traditional Republican power players on Capitol Hill and in the business community haven't been able to do much so far to end the current congressional standoff.

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Politics & Government

Boehner, Obama Meet But Make No Progress On Deal To End Shutdown

7:56pm October 02, 2013

Day two of the government shutdown is nearing its finish, with no end in sight. And that's in spite of talks at the White House late today. President Obama met with House Speaker John Boehner for over an hour Wednesday evening. The meeting failed to produce a deal that would end the federal government shutdown.

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Politics & Government

Charlotte Pastor Kicks Off US Senate Campaign

9:47am October 02, 2013

A Charlotte minister is unveiling his bid for the US Senate seat currently held by Democrat Kay Hagan, with an all-day campaign event that will take him to North Carolina's largest media markets.

Day 2 Of Government Shutdown Affects Variety Of Workers

7:09am October 02, 2013

Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are off the job, while the government remains partially closed for a second day. Most government workers say they are frustrated by the closure as Congress remains in a standoff over the budget.

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Steve Inskeep interviews President Obama in the Oval Office on Monday for NPR's Morning Edition.

After Shutdown, A Familiar Feeling At The White House

11:17am October 01, 2013

by Steve Inskeep

In his interview with President Obama on Monday, NPR's Steve Inskeep says some of the president's remarks were reminiscent of what he said in 2011 during the debt ceiling crisis. One stark difference, however, was the president's firmness. "Absolutely I will not negotiate," the president said.

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House GOP Didn't Blink, Focused On Defunding Obamacare

6:36am October 01, 2013

The focal point of the fight over continued funding for the federal government has been the effort by conservatives in the House to defund the Affordable Care Act. Enrollment begins Tuesday. Steve Inskeep talks to Arizona Republican David Schweikert, one of the House members who has supported the effort to defund the law known as Obamacare.

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Partial Government Shutdown Will Compromise Some Services

6:35am October 01, 2013

by Scott Horsley

Much of the federal government is in the process of shutting down. With Congress unable to agree on a stop-gap spending bill, money for continuing operations ran out at midnight. Hundreds of thousands of government employees have been told to stop working — although President Obama says some vital functions will continue.

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Politics & Government

With Shutdown Looming, Senate Takes Up Stopgap Spending Bill

10:09pm September 30, 2013

by Ron Elving

As the U.S. government braces for a shutdown, the Senate voted Monday to reject amendments to a stopgap spending bill passed by the House of Representatives that would have delayed the healthcare law for a year and repeal a tax on medical devices, and returned a "clean" continuing resolution that would keep the government open until Nov. 15 — and leave Obamacare intact — to the House.

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