Congressional Democrats Nix Anti-torture Measure
House Democrats have caved in to Republican pressure, removing an anti-torture provision from the Fiscal 2010 Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 2701). “The controversial...
Congress
House Republicans Call for Bigger Deficits Than Obama
An alternative budget proposal submitted by Congressman Paul Ryan (Wis.), the House Budget Committee's Republican ranking member, would increase the federal budget deficit...
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Obama Signs $1.9 Trillion Debt Limit Increase
President Obama signed into law February 12 a bill that would increase the federal debt limit by $1.9 trillion to a total of...
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Bernanke Confirmed Despite Track Record
If there were any lingering doubts that official Washington rewards incompetency and lack of foresight, Thursday’s Senate confirmation of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben...
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Bernanke’s Kudos, Criticisms Miss the Point
A preliminary vote today for Ben Bernanke’s reappointment to a second four-year term as chairman of the Federal Reserve is expected to clear...
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Congress Votes to Raise Debt Limit
The Senate voted on December 24 to allow the federal government to borrow an additional $290 billion, thereby increasing the total federal debt...
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Deficit “Hawks” Face Hypocrisy Charge
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds," poet-philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in the 19th Century. Small minds, at least those...
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Senate Banking Committee Confirms Bernanke, With Dissent
The Senate Banking Committee convened Thursday morning, December 17, and voted 16-7 to confirm Ben Bernanke for a second four-year term as Chairman...
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Senate Passes $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill
The Senate on December 13 passed a mammoth omnibus spending bill variously described as costing $447 billion or $1.1 trillion, depending on whether...
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Democrats Seek $1.8 Trillion Debt Hike
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) stated on December 11 that the federal government must borrow at least $1.8 trillion more in...
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Librarians Unite Against Patriot Act Provisions
Librarians are virtually united in opposing the renewal of the Patriot Act provisions that are set to expire this December 31, 2009. Thirty-two...
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Fed Chief Bernanke Faces Strong Criticism
Ben Bernanke appeared on December 3 before the Senate Banking Committee as part of the confirmation proceedings needed to approve a second four-year...
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House Enacts Limits as Patriot Act Set to Expire
Three controversial provisions of the Patriot Act are set to expire this New Year’s Eve. They granted the federal government wide-ranging powers of...
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Latest “Freedom Index” Rates Congress
The latest (December 7) issue of The New American includes our second congressional scorecard on the 111th Congress. The scorecard, entitled “The Freedom...
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Senate Confirms Obama Judicial Pick Hamilton
Led by the Democratic majority, the U.S. Senate on November 19 confirmed President Barack Obama’s long-stalled first judicial nominee. By a vote of...
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