Topic: Dick Durbin

The Vote Obama pushes 'Buffett Rule' to tax the wealthy. GOP cries 'class warfare!'

To reduce the deficit and create jobs, President Obama wants a "Buffett Rule" to make the super wealthy pay taxes at a rate more like average Americans. Republicans call that "class warfare."
09/18/2011 03:13 pm

Monitor Breakfast Napolitano: FEMA cash crunch shouldn't stop Irene relief efforts (VIDEO)

Disaster aid funds are running low but Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Tuesday that Congress should put Irene relief first.
08/30/2011 04:17 pm

Who's who on Congress's debt 'super committee'

Congress has created a special super committee to devise a way to cut at least $1.2 trillion from US spending in coming years. Its real name is the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, and its deadline is Nov. 23. If a majority of the bipartisan, bicameral committee approves the plan, it goes to the House and Senate for a vote, and they must act by Dec. 23. If the plan is voted down, automatic spending cuts are slated to occur. Here are the 12 lawmakers serving on the super committee.
08/11/2011 09:23 pm

In Pictures Who's who in the US debt crisis

'Gang of Six' plan hailed as debt-ceiling breakthrough. What's in it?

The proposal by the 'Gang of Six' senators Tuesday draws on ideas from the deficit commission. The middle-of-the-road plan will have to overcome partisan concerns and a lack of time.
07/19/2011 10:53 pm

'Gang of Six' revives hope for big deal in stalled debt-ceiling talks

President Obama's hopes for a 'grand bargain' both to raise the debt ceiling and rein in the deficit got a boost Tuesday when the Senate's 'Gang of Six' proposed $3.7 trillion in deficit reductions.
07/19/2011 05:59 pm

Libya conflict: Backlash ensues to Obama's refusal to seek Congress's nod

Obama says US military intervention in Libya does not require consent from Congress. Many lawmakers and pundits say otherwise. The rub is over the definition of 'hostilities.'
06/18/2011 06:03 pm

Debit card fees: Senate discusses limiting swipe costs to stores

Debit card fees are the topic of debate in the Senate on Wednesday. Some lawmakers oppose a proposal from the Federal Reserve to lower the debit card fees that stores must pay when a card is swiped.
06/08/2011 01:10 pm

Rahm Emanuel: Can he handle Chicago's 'profound' financial crisis?

Rahm Emanuel is sworn into office as Mayor of Chicago. His city's most pressing crisis: a half-billion dollar budget deficit.
05/16/2011 08:01 pm

Economist Mom Why we need the (well-mannered) Gang of Six

Beyond the potential for political progress, the Gang of Six has something else to offer America and the rest of Capitol Hill: good manners.
05/13/2011 03:32 pm

In Pictures High-speed rail worldwide

Robert Reich Beware the 'middle ground' of the Great Budget Debate

The center of public opinion is nowhere near the halfway point between the two extremes of the budget debate. Americans lean toward Obama and the Democrats.
04/21/2011 05:01 pm

In Senate, 2012 federal budget drama could take bipartisan turn

The House passed its federal budget bill Friday on a near party-line vote, but both the Senate and the president are working hard to forge a bipartisan alternative.
04/15/2011 10:06 pm

US role in Libya mission: Top Democrats say Obama got it right

Top Democrats in the Senate and House back Obama's commitment to help enforce the no-fly zone over Libya, and accept his assurances the US role as mission leader would be brief.
03/23/2011 10:11 pm

Libya intervention: Tea party and liberal Democrats make unusual allies

On Capitol Hill, the Libya intervention has elicited antiwar voices from opposite ends of the political spectrum. Their point in common: The power to make war resides with Congress.
03/21/2011 10:09 pm

Economist Mom Can Grover Norquist change tax policy?

The anti-tax activist has a lot to say about tax reform, but his assessment is questionable.
03/14/2011 12:17 pm

Monitor Breakfast Federal budget won't be ready by next Friday, GOP leader says (video)

House majority whip Kevin McCarthy says that Congress will likely need to pass another temporary spending measure by March 18 to avoid a federal government shutdown.
03/08/2011 02:47 pm

Budget wranglers find 'entitlement cuts' and 'tax hikes' still dirty words

'Gang of Six' deficit-cutting negotiators in the Senate are mum after rumors of entitlement cuts and tax code reform nearly derailed talks. Still, a short-term budget accord this week did manage to avert a government shutdown.
03/04/2011 03:32 pm

The Vote Senate passes bill to avert government shutdown. What happens now?

Even though a government shutdown won't happen right now, the vote does not solve the underlying differences between Republicans and Democrats over 2011 spending cuts.
03/02/2011 12:34 pm

Tax VOX Little rebellions against party orthodoxy

A few Republicans and Democrats are turning away from their party's ideology. Can this lead to a bipartisan budget deal?
02/25/2011 11:05 am

Monitor Breakfast Video: Backroom bipartisan talks 'positive,' says Obama budget director

Jacob Lew responded Thursday to a report that some senators are working on legislation that would trigger tax hikes and spending cuts if Congress fails to live within spending targets.
02/17/2011 03:41 pm

Behind closed doors, bipartisan bids to break budget impasse

The words of Republican and Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill suggest Congress is headed for a government shutdown over budget issues. But several bipartisan groups of rank-and-file senators are seeking to find a solution.
02/04/2011 08:27 pm

Health-care repeal fails in Senate: What's the next GOP target?

The Senate rejected a bid to repeal Obama's health-care law on a party-line vote Wednesday. The GOP is ratcheting up pressure on potentially vulnerable Senate Democrats in 2012.
02/02/2011 08:28 pm

Gabrielle Giffords shooting: a leadership moment for Obama, Boehner

Gabrielle Giffords tragedy – and that of 19 others killed or wounded during a mass shooting Saturday – puts special demands on President Obama and new House Speaker John Boehner.
01/10/2011 09:29 am

Vitriol in political rhetoric: Did it play a part in the Arizona shooting?

The Arizona shooting suspect has been called 'unstable,' and no motive has been identified. But did the vitriol that has been present in the debates over immigration and health care trigger the attack?
01/09/2011 06:20 pm