Topic: Tom Coburn
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Tax VOX IRS was wrong to target Tea Party. What about other political groups?
The IRS shouldn't have targeted the Tea Party, Gleckman writes. But the unsavory IRS actions should also shine a light on the law that gives tax-exempt status to political groups of all ideological stripes – not just the Tea Party.
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Immigration reform promises border security. Prove it, Republicans say. (+video)
The Senate immigration reform bill aims to apprehend 90 percent of potential border-crossers in high-risk areas within five years after passage, but Republicans question the plan.
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Losing $25M a day? Congress shrugs off USPS losses
The United States Postal Service is losing $25M a day, but Congress voted against cutting Saturday deliveries. The USPS might still choose to deliver nothing but packages on Saturdays, some analysts say.
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Decoder Wire Four reasons the Senate gun control bill may be kaput
The Senate is slated to vote Wednesday on nine gun control provisions, but prospects for passage for several – including expanding background checks to more gun buyers – look dim. Here's why.
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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.
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How Chuck Schumer plays the congressional chessboard
The New York Democrat, though often a fierce partisan, represents a particular breed of dealmaker on Capitol Hill who combines policy understanding with an intuitive knack for legislating.
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Senate ends gun control filibuster, but GOP still skeptical of bill
In a bipartisan vote Thursday, the Senate voted to override a filibuster and proceed with debate on a package of gun control bills. But support for debate doesn't mean support for the bill.
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Sen. Tom Coburn: How 'Dr. No' helps others say 'yes' (+video)
The Oklahoma Republican, an outsider's outsider, has become an essential player on key issues because if the opposition can cut a deal with Coburn, an unassailable conservative, other conservatives will go along.
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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.
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Cover Story How dealmaking gets done on Capitol Hill
In the new politics of Congress, deals are no longer fashioned by moderates, who vanished long ago, but by a few lawmakers on the left and right who have the respect, clout, and just enough pragmatism to surmount the culture of division.
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Gun control: Did Obama let the moment pass?
While polls show a shift in US attitudes, President Obama is insisting, 100 days after the massacre in Newtown, Ct., that it's not too late to get gun control legislation through Congress.
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The Monitor's View: Why honey works better than vinegar in Washington
If tone can influence substance, as studies show, then the new friendly, face-to-face get-togethers between President Obama and GOP lawmakers signal possible breakthroughs.
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Life after 'sequester': Does federal budget have $1 trillion in fat to cut?
Deficit hawks say that, 'sequester' or not, federal spending needs to come down by at least $1 trillion during the next decade. But finding that money just in government waste is hard.
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Gun trafficking bill passes Senate panel. Is that it for Obama gun agenda?
A gun-trafficking bill picked up important Republican support Thursday, improving its chances for passing the full Senate. But other parts of President Obama's gun-control agenda are in limbo.
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Decoder Wire Which gun control measures are gaining momentum in Congress? (+video)
Bipartisan support is evident for universal background checks, stricter laws against gun trafficking, and limits on high-capacity magazines. But consensus in the GOP-controlled House will depend on what the Senate accomplishes.
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Will Saturday cuts save the Postal Service?
Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe announced plans to reduce Saturday deliveries beginning in August. The Postal Service says the changes will save $2 billion annually. Though The Postal Service lost $15.9 billion last fiscal year, some in Congress and elsewhere oppose the Saturday cutbacks.
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Objections raised over additional projects lumped with Sandy relief
Some lawmakers are cautioning against passing the $50.7 billion Superstorm Sandy aid package, which includes $150 million in aid for fisheries in Alaska, Mississippi and the Northeast. House Republicans have introduced an alternative proposal.
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Chuck Hagel: why Obama is using political capital on Pentagon pick (+video)
President Obama just made it by one 'fiscal cliff,' with more to come. But he has shown he won't shy away from a fight in nominating former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel to run the Pentagon.
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Obama, Boehner meet to discuss 'fiscal cliff' negotiations (+video)
The President and Speaker of the House met privately at the White House on Sunday.
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Department of Homeland Security spending questioned as debt looms
Every dollar counts when the government faces $16 trillion of national debt. A new report found questionable expenses made by the Department of Homeland Security from fish tanks, to underwater robots.
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Saxby Chambliss: One more Republican breaks ranks over anti-tax pledge
Republicans are grappling with growing rifts in their ranks over a no-new-tax pledge that has been rock solid for more than 20 years. That quiet debate within the GOP could determine how Congress deals with its looming 'fiscal cliff.'
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In Superstorm's wake: Erosion and questions on government-funded sand
Hurricane Sandy caused major erosion along the New Jersey coastline, slimming beaches significantly. Some question the wisdom of using federal funding to build up beaches that just get washed away.
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Obama-Boehner 'fiscal cliff' handshake: Could it actually hold?
After a friendly meeting on the ‘fiscal cliff’, President Obama shook hands with House Speaker John Boehner. Maybe it’s the holiday spirit, but there’s cautious optimism that bipartisanship might not be dead in Washington after all.
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From the 'Wastebook': robotic squirrels, talking urinals, and Congress
Sen. Tom Coburn's annual Wastebook comes up with $18 billion of spending that never should have occurred, with an eye to getting Washington priorities back in line. The No. 1 wasteful item: $132 million to run a Congress that won't say no to waste.
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Senator prods Gang of 8 to make middle class, deficit-cutting top priorities
As bipartisan talks to avoid a 'fiscal cliff' renew this week, a top Senate Democratic leader, Charles Schumer, warns negotiators that any plan that aims to cut taxes on the rich and also cut deficits is 'a trap,' and won't add up.
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