Topic: John Boehner

Top galleries, list articles, quizzes

Briefing
IRS 101: Seven questions about the tea party scandal

The Internal Revenue Service is under the microscope now, as revelations have emerged that the agency wrongly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. Here’s an accounting of what has happened, along with the ramifications.
Briefing
After the 'sequester,' now what?

$85 billion in across-the-board cuts to defense and social programs took effect March 1. The cuts must occur this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. Here's how things look.
If not 'sequester,' then what? Five ideas from left and right.

Few in Washington believe that "the sequester,” $85 billion in automatic spending cuts set to hit the federal budget as of March 1, is a good idea. But what's the alternative? Here are five proposals, from the right, the center, and the left, to replace the sequester. Which do you like?
Sequester 101: What happens if $85 billion in cuts hit on March 1

The sequester is a complex concept with a tortuous history. Here are the basics on the automatic spending reductions set to kick in March 1.
14 Republicans who might run in 2016

The GOP has a history of nominating people who have run before, which could give heart to some familiar faces. But there’s also a crop of young rising stars who could steal the show.

All Content

Opinion: Hey, Congress: It's comprehensive immigration reform or nothing

Some members of Congress argue that the Senate immigration reform bill should be broken up and considered piecemeal. But only comprehensive legislation will pull together the strange-bedfellow coalition necessary to secure enough votes to pass both the House and Senate.
Decoder Wire Why furor over IRS tea-party scandal won't subside, despite ouster

The removal of the acting IRS chief and Thursday's appointment of a new one will do little to quiet the storm over the tax agency's targeting of politically conservative nonprofit groups. What steps might?
Benghazi emails: What do they reveal?

One email confirmed officials removed information about CIA warnings regarding an al Qaeda threat before the attacks in Benghazi, Libya in September 2012 from talking points the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations presented to the public. The administration released the emails in an effort to seem more transparent.
USA Update White House releases Benghazi e-mails. Will that quiet critics? (+video)

The White House has released 100 pages of e-mails related to its handling of the terrorist attack on a US diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya. They present a fuller picture of a chaotic situation, but are unlikely to quiet critics questioning the administration's 'talking points' at the time.
Briefing
IRS 101: Seven questions about the tea party scandal

The Internal Revenue Service is under the microscope now, as revelations have emerged that the agency wrongly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. Here’s an accounting of what has happened, along with the ramifications.
IRS tea party scandal is 'un-American' and a 'travesty,' lawmakers fume

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are vowing to hold people accountable and explore legislative changes to ensure the IRS mends its ways after singling out tea party and other conservative groups.
USA Update Obama's 'try anything' bid to woo GOP moves from dinner to golf course

President Obama hit the golf course Monday with two Republican senators in an effort to build support for his second-term agenda. He has also had several dinners with GOP lawmakers.
Lawmakers cancel FAA furloughs, flee Washington – by air

Air travelers breathed a sigh of relief after Congress passed quick legislation allowing the FAA to cancel furloughs for air traffic controllers. But that's just increased partisan sniping over the sequester and its across-the-board budget cuts.
Girding for a federal budget battle royale, parties wrangle over rules

With Capitol Hill bracing for a battle over financial policy this summer, the focus now is on rules for the committee that will seek to reconcile House and Senate versions of the federal budget.
Mark Kelly on gun control bill: 'We do have a problem' with many senators

The husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, an advocate of stricter gun laws, warned a fellow Arizonan of repercussions at the ballot box if he votes against a gun control measure to expand background checks. A lot of senators, said Mark Kelly, want a reason 'to get to no.'
USA Update Are your taxes fair? Increasingly, Americans say no.

On Monday, both sides in the ideological battle over spending and taxes are seeking to reinforce the divide – with a 'red tape tower' and a federal taxpayer receipt.
Obama budget 'compromise?' No way, says the GOP (+video)

In the Republican radio address Saturday, Rep. Jackie Walorski (R) of Indiana called President Obama's proposed budget for 2014 'a blank check for more spending and more debt.'
GOP's Rep. Dave Camp envisions inclusive path to a fiscal 'bargain'

Dave Camp, House Ways and Means Committee chairman, said Thursday that involving more members of Congress in budgeting and deficit-cutting could yield, if not a 'grand bargain,' at least a modest deal.
Robert Reich Obama budget: Why entitlement cuts are a 'grand bargain' we don't need

President Obama's willingness to negotiate on Social Security – which Democrats have protected from Republican assaults for almost eighty years – doesn’t bode well, Reich writes.
Obama budget changes Social Security: Are Republicans on board?

President Obama proposed changes to entitlements including Social Security in his new budget, prompting hopes of a 'grand bargain.' Republicans mixed qualified approval with skepticism.
Obama’s budget gambit: Return of the 'grand bargain'?

President Obama is for the first time proposing a budget that includes changes to Social Security and Medicare. This infuriates the left but could open the door to compromise with Republicans.
Bipartisan deal on background checks: Biggest gun control win yet?

Two senators announced a bipartisan deal on a gun control bill that would expand background checks. Its passage is hardly assured, but just the compromise is significant.
Six things Obama's budget plan reveals about his priorities

President Obama's $3.78 trillion budget for fiscal 2014 lays out elements of a possible 'grand bargain' with Congress. At the same time, it speaks to his policy priorities.
Focus Tax reform: Why a kinder, simpler tax code eludes Congress, so far

As Tax Day nears, Americans in the throes of preparing their returns may be dreaming of a simpler tax code. Here's why tax reform is such a tall order for Congress – and how two lawmakers are laying the groundwork for it now.
Entitlement reform takes step toward reality in new Obama budget

President Obama will unveil a budget Wednesday that includes reforms to entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare. The budget probably won't pass, but it points to a shift in the debate.
Obama budget takes heat from all quarters (+video)

Republicans reject any new taxes. Liberals say they'll fight any changes to Social Security and other entitlement programs. Does the Obama administration have any room to maneuver?
Obama's budget offends just about everybody. Is that compromise?

President Obama will unveil his federal budget proposal this coming week. Based on leaked details, the plan already is getting hammered by his own liberal base as well as by Republicans.
Cuts to Social Security? What Obama is proposing.

In an effort to reach a bipartisan agreement to reduce federal deficits, President Obama is backing a change in the inflation formula used to calculate adjustments in Social Security benefits.
Why does Washington keep putting off entitlement reform?

Both the White House and Republicans agree that entitlement reform is necessary to rein in federal deficits, but nothing ever gets started. That could change in the weeks ahead.
Boehner: Gay marriage is not marriage (+video)

Boehner: Gay marriage is not what his church teaches, he says. While Sen. Rob Portman may have switched his views on gay marriage, Rep. John Boehner "can't imagine" that his position on the issue would ever change.