Paul Ryan

The “fast track” trade bill introduced last week by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has a number of problems. It sets aside Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution and essentially pre-approves the secret Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) before the public and most of Congress even sees it. Unfortunately, the Senate bill does not specify firm and sufficient objectives to make TPP a trade bill that could work for 99 percent of Americans.

Funding cuts to research are nothing new in Washington — unless it's research for the Department of Defense. But just a few years ago, funding for ALS research was slashed by nearly $5 million. It's a funny thing about the awareness of ALS research now...let the trend-humping and hypocrisy begin!

Paul Ryan's plan is to basically shame the poor. Let's take a look into the bizarre paternalism of Paul Ryan’s poverty plan, one he disguises as a change to block grants. One that goes against the very mechanism that has made safety nets in this country matter for nearly a century.

The Paul Ryan budget is a glimpse into the priorities of today's GOP. And for anyone in the bottom three quarters of the income scale, it is indeed a scary document.

A massive $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through October and finally put to rest the bitter budget battles of last year is getting generally positive reviews from House Republicans eager to avoid another shutdown crisis with elections looming in 10 months. Veteran Republicans said the generally positive response to the all-encompassing spending bill reflected the desire of the rank and file to avoid a repeat of the politically damaging budget standoffs with the White House that led to last year's 16-day partial government shutdown

House Republicans signaled support Wednesday for a budget deal worked out a day earlier, a plan narrowly drawn but promoted as a way to stabilize Congress' erratic fiscal efforts, avert another government shutdown and mute some of the partisan rancor that has damaged Americans' attitudes about their lawmakers.

Paul Ryan’s Wall Street Journal op-ed is being treated as an “olive branch” to the President because it doesn’t demand any changes to Obamacare and emphasizes the importance of raising the debt limit. The shifting demands are certainly a sign of panic among the Republican leadership, but Ryan’s offer is still just that: demands. The Republicans are still incapable of offering a concession.

Opposition to the birth control benefit has been framed by the bishops and their allies as an infringement of their religious liberty, turning the definition of the term on its head by claiming a right to impose their theological views on those who believe differently.

This is the bizarre state of Republican efforts to win the rhetorical/messaging campaign around immigration reform. Campaigning in Chicago yesterday with Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) actually showed up at campaign events with a mariachi band.

Ryan, R-Wis., said in a speech to the Susan B. Anthony List that those who oppose abortion "need to work with people who consider themselves pro-choice — because our task isn't to purge our ranks. It's to grow them."