All DC Decoder
Paul Ryan's new Medicare plan could be tip of the icebergAs Rep. Paul Ryan this week once again proposes reforms to Medicare, there are signs that others in Congress are acknowledging that Medicare deficits must be addressed.
Rand Paul: GOP party leader or destined for Ron Paul backwater?Sen. Rand Paul鈥檚 filibuster pushed him into the national political spotlight. But can he broaden his exposure and base of support beyond what his father, Rep. Ron Paul, was able to achieve?
Jeb Bush: Is the world ready for a third Bush in the White House?Jeb Bush hit the TV talk shows Sunday, mainly to promote his book on immigration and explain his apparent shift on any 'path to citizenship.' But the question of 2016 inevitably came up, and the former Florida governor tried to deflect any notion that he might run.
Obama moves from confrontation to wooing Republicans. Will it work?President Obama's job rating has dropped in the latest poll. Now, he's moving away from confrontation, planning to meet with House and Senate Republicans on their turf next week.
Is Washington working? How Congress took a big step forward this week.In a marked change of tone on Capitol Hill, the House Republican and Senate Democrat who hold Congress' purse strings made headway toward avoiding a March 27 government shutdown.
Rand Paul's drone filibuster shakes up RepublicansSen. Rand Paul's filibuster got results: The White House acknowledged that killing US citizens suspected of being terrorists must follow the rule of law. But it also shook up the Republican caucus.
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.
'Sequester' watch: Will US spending cuts really cost 750,000 jobs?Critics say President Obama is spinning the likely impact of 'sequester' cuts to pressure Republicans to replace them, but private-sector forecasts suggest that a loss of 750,000 jobs may not be far off.
Jeb Bush's book: more than just a flip-flop on illegal immigrationFormer Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's changed stance on citizenship for undocumented immigrants fits into a broader repositioning on the issue of immigration 鈥� perhaps for a presidential run in 2016.
What Congress has to do to avert a late-March government shutdownPolitical leaders on both sides of the aisle stressed on Tuesday a commitment to reach a budget deal that avoids a government shutdown after March 27, when funding expires. But they are at the starting line.
Tax revenue to hit record this year. So is spending 'the problem'?Tax revenue could hit $2.7 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Conservatives say this means spending cuts are the solution, but the budget numbers tell a more complicated story.
Obama, Republicans maneuver over sequester, government shut-downTwo days after sequester-driven budget cuts went into effect, both sides in the battle 鈥� Republican lawmakers and the Obama White House 鈥� went into a 'Plan B' of sorts.
Clint Eastwood and gay marriage: Political tipping point for conservatives?Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood has joined a large group of Republicans arguing for same-sex marriage in the US Supreme Court. Prominent conservatives and many of the largest US corporations now favor gay marriage as well.
'Sequester' blues: Morning-after hangover hits WashingtonThe morning after the 'sequester' spending cuts went into effect, the earth did not stand still nor did Washington come to its collective senses. Next up: How to avoid a聽government shutdown March 27 when federal spending expires without a continuing resolution.
Wall Street shrugs off 'sequester': Why is it ignoring Washington this time?The stock market, flirting with all-time highs, seems relatively unfazed by Washington's latest fiscal stalemate over the sequester. Here are six reasons for the new attitude.
Obama on Prop 8: How sweeping is administration support for gay marriage?Even if the Supreme Court agrees with President Obama's brief arguing聽that California's Prop. 8 is unconstitutional,聽that doesn't mean there will be a nationwide right for gays to marry.
The 'sequester' has landed: Just how 'automatic' will spending cuts be?Department heads and agency chiefs will have some flexibility to move 'sequester' cuts between accounts and to decide their pacing. But wiggle room is limited under the law, budget experts say.
Why backroom deals are out in 'sequester' talksBackroom deals resolved the debt-ceiling crisis and the 'fiscal cliff' 鈥� why not the sequester? Because the House Republican rank and file are not allowing it.
What the 'sequester' means for you ... and what won't changeFor millions of Americans, life should go on much as usual,聽but for millions of others cuts in federal spending from the 'sequester' are likely to bring tangible effects. Which camp are you in?
Why Republicans think Obama's back is against the wall on 'sequester'President Obama has spent the past week trying to put Republicans on the defensive over the sequester. But many Republicans believe the pressure is on him.
