All DC Decoder
- Does Boehner lawsuit hold danger for Obama?
President Obama is reaping political benefits from the GOP-controlled House plan to sue him for overreaching his executive authority. But the White House has good reason to take the lawsuit seriously, analysts say.
- 3 reasons John Boehner opted to sue Obama rather than impeach
While most Republicans favor impeachment, John Boehner recalls the losses that Republicans sustained in 1998 midterm elections, during the Clinton impeachment.
- GDP grows at 4 percent pace. Good news for Democrats and Obama, right?
The 4 percent rise in GDP last quarter continues a string of modest but good economic news, yet the party in power doesn't seem to be getting much of the credit. That could be important this November.
- Child migrant crisis: why Congress is getting nowhere on solving it
Americans are puzzled why lawmakers can't come to terms on child immigrant crisis. But the politics are tough and the issue has morphed into a debate about immigration.
- Good news on health costs, but threats to Social Security and Medicare persist
Finance experts caution against thinking that slower growth in the cost of health care means Congress can rest easy about so-called “entitlement bombs” ticking in the federal budget.
- VA fix 101: what the $17 billion emergency bill would do
The chairmen of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs in the Senate and House announced an agreement Monday on a $17 billion emergency veterans bill that seeks to address a national care crisis.
- Ukraine crisis: How far will Obama go to get Russia to back down?
President Obama and four other western leaders agree to tougher sanctions on Russia. But Mr. Obama is unlikely to go further, as he aims to avoid a proxy war with Russia.
- Obama to corporations: Be an 'economic patriot,' stop using tax loopholes
In a speech Thursday, President Obama criticized a loophole that allows American companies to shift to a foreign address and lower their tax bill.
- Child-migrant crisis: Will Obama help rally Democrats to back a GOP plan?
Senate Democrats and House Republicans release sharply different responses to President Obama's $3.7 billion request to deal with the border crisis. Pressure mounts for the president to help broker a deal.
- Why the White House thinks it will win latest Obamacare legal battle
Even before a federal appeals court in Virginia sided with the White House, the Justice Department said the D.C. Circuit's decision is 'inconsistent with congressional intent.'
- Appeals courts disagree on Obamacare subsidies: how it affects you
Two federal appeals courts issued contradictory rulings on whether millions of Americans enrolled in Obamacare are entitled to subsidies, an issue of vital importance to the health-care law.
- Rick Perry sends Texas National Guard forces to border. What are their orders?
Texas Gov. Rick Perry aims to use the National Guard to help deal with border crime and a humanitarian crisis. But he's also turning up the heat on the Obama administration to improve border enforcement.
- Child migrant crisis: 4 consequences if Congress doesn't act before recess
President Obama has requested $3.7 billion in emergency funds for the child migrant crisis, but Republicans and Democrats disagree on numerous details. Here’s what could happen if Congress breaks without doing anything.
- Obama too cautious in responding to Malaysia Airlines shoot-down?
UN Ambassador Samantha Power was more forceful than President Obama about the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in Ukraine. “Other administration officials can say things that presidents can't,” says one analyst.
- Immigration is suddenly No. 1 issue, but what do Americans want done?
New polls show that immigration has shot up the list of American concerns. Many people agree on the potential solutions, even though they're seen as politically controversial.
- With Obama pressed to ease deportations, child migrant crisis is pushing back
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and organized labor are pressing Obama to use his executive authority to ease deportations. But the child migrant crisis is making 'prosecutorial discretion' unpopular.
- Why some Democrats are blasting bipartisan border crisis bill
Two Texans, a Senate Republican and a House Democrat, are trying to amend a 2008 law to ease the border crisis. But some Democrats say the bipartisan bill is just a crass bid to crank up deportations.
- Child migrants 101: What does it take to win US asylum?
It's not enough to come from a dangerous place. Child migrants seeking to stay in the US must show they face persecution due to a specific group affiliation. That's why so many apply instead for Special Immigrant Juveniles Status.
- National debt will exceed entire annual US output by 2039, CBO projects
The national debt is on a rising path – a track that poses risks to the economy, concludes the CBO in its annual ‘Long-Term Budget Outlook.’ Spending is projected to rise, too.
- Child migrant crisis: Congress gives itself three weeks to find a fix
Coming together on one of the most polarizing issues in politics is a tall order for Congress, but elements of a bipartisan response are beginning to take shape on Capitol Hill.