The Justice Department is investigating the legitimacy of thousands of pardons that President Biden issued during his final days in office, which were likely signed with an autopen. The Washington Times stories: White House
Read More...The White House on Tuesday officially asked Congress to claw back $ 9.4 billion in already approved spending, taking funding away from programs targeted by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. It’s a process known as “rescission,” which requires President Donald Trump to get approval from Congress to return money that had previously been appropriated. Trump’s aides say the funding cuts target programs that promote liberal ideologies. The request, if it passes the House and Senate, would formally enshrine many of the spending cuts and freezes sought by DOGE. It…
Read More...Congressional Republicans claim to have achieved something truly miraculous. Their One Big Beautiful Bill Act, they argue, would cut nearly $ 800 billion from Medicaid spending over 10 years without causing any Americans to lose health care—or, at least, without making anyone who loses health care worse off. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that, by imposing Medicaid work requirements, the bill would eventually increase the uninsured population by at least 8.6 million. At first, Republican officials tried to defend this outcome on the grounds that it would affect only lazy…
Read More...The White House’s delivery to the House of Representatives of a package that would codify some of the Department of Government Efficiency’s cuts into law was greeted with enthusiasm by the fiscally hawkish House Freedom Caucus on Tuesday. The rescissions package, delivered by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to Republican House leadership, would codify $ 9 billion in cuts to USAID, as well as funds to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Rescissions packages can be passed with a simple majority in…
Read More...President Trump said he will double the tariffs he imposed on all steel imported into the United States to 50%, extending the trade battle he launched to protect American steel in March. The Washington Times stories: White House
Read More...During the confirmation hearings of the Office of Management and Budget director and deputy director for budget earlier this year, lawmakers pressed Russ Vought and Dan Bishop about whether they would comply with the Impoundment Control Act. The budget rules of the road require Congressional approval if OMB decides not to spend money appropriated in law. While both Vought and Bishop promised to comply with the law, a new decision by the Government Accountability Office casts further doubt on whether OMB will follow the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. GAO…
Read More...