Politics http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1014&ft=1&f=1014 NPR's expanded coverage of U.S. and world politics, the latest news from Congress and the White House, and elections. Subscribe to podcasts and RSS feeds. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Sat, 18 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Politics http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1014&ft=1&f=1014 What A Week: White House Rattled By Controversy NPR's Ari Shapiro joins host Scott Simon to talk about the Obama administration's week. The president was buffeted by revelations that the IRS had targeted Tea Party groups seeking tax-exempt status and that the Justice Department had subpoenaed reporter phone records. On top of that, Republicans continue to allege that the White House engaged in a cover-up of talking points about the attack in Benghazi, Libya. Sat, 18 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=184989653&ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=184989653&ft=1&f=1014 NPR's Ari Shapiro joins host Scott Simon to talk about the Obama administration's week. The president was buffeted by revelations that the IRS had targeted Tea Party groups seeking tax-exempt status and that the Justice Department had subpoenaed reporter phone records. On top of that, Republicans continue to allege that the White House engaged in a cover-up of talking points about the attack in Benghazi, Libya.

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]]> Highly Charged IRS Case Pulls In Political Agendas NPR's Peter Overby reports on the Congressional testimony of IRS officials in response to the scandal over special scrutiny of tea party groups. Underneath all the politics, there's a policy question that hasn't been addressed. Sat, 18 May 2013 07:23:09 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/185011841/highly-charged-irs-case-pulls-in-political-agendas?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/185011841/highly-charged-irs-case-pulls-in-political-agendas?ft=1&f=1014 NPR's Peter Overby reports on the Congressional testimony of IRS officials in response to the scandal over special scrutiny of tea party groups. Underneath all the politics, there's a policy question that hasn't been addressed.

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]]> Immigration Bill Chugs Along, But Some See Deal-Breakers The bipartisan immigration overhaul proposed by the Senate's Gang of Eight has been the target of scores of amendments. So far, the bill has largely held its own, but its prospects for getting through Congress are uncertain. Sat, 18 May 2013 05:13:54 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/05/18/184868535/immigration-bill-chugs-along-but-some-see-deal-breakers?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/05/18/184868535/immigration-bill-chugs-along-but-some-see-deal-breakers?ft=1&f=1014 The bipartisan immigration overhaul proposed by the Senate's Gang of Eight has been the target of scores of amendments. So far, the bill has largely held its own, but its prospects for getting through Congress are uncertain.

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]]> Why The IRS Scandal Is Built To Last Of all the current Washington scandals, the one involving the IRS appears to have the most staying power. It rolls into one package an agency many love to hate, partisan suspicions and the American appetite for conspiracies. Fri, 17 May 2013 19:31:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/05/17/184857776/why-the-irs-scandal-is-built-to-last?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/05/17/184857776/why-the-irs-scandal-is-built-to-last?ft=1&f=1014 Of all the current Washington scandals, the one involving the IRS appears to have the most staying power. It rolls into one package an agency many love to hate, partisan suspicions and the American appetite for conspiracies.

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]]> A Field Guide To Democratic Responses To Scandals A long week of scandal has been tough on more than just the White House. President Obama's allies are struggling with how to respond to their first taste of really bad news within the administration. Fri, 17 May 2013 15:36:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/05/17/184770181/a-field-guide-to-democratic-responses-to-scandals?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/05/17/184770181/a-field-guide-to-democratic-responses-to-scandals?ft=1&f=1014 A long week of scandal has been tough on more than just the White House. President Obama's allies are struggling with how to respond to their first taste of really bad news within the administration.

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]]> Obama U: What Graduation Speeches Say About The President President Obama's commencement speeches often seem more about the big-picture state of the union than do his State of the Union addresses, which read like to-do lists. And his assessment of where the country stands and where it's going has changed over the past four years. Fri, 17 May 2013 16:56:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/05/17/184597932/obama-u-what-graduation-speeches-say-about-the-president?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/05/17/184597932/obama-u-what-graduation-speeches-say-about-the-president?ft=1&f=1014 President Obama's commencement speeches often seem more about the big-picture state of the union than do his State of the Union addresses, which read like to-do lists. And his assessment of where the country stands and where it's going has changed over the past four years.

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]]> After Deadly Chemical Plant Disasters, There's Little Action Proposals for chemical plants to use "inherently safer" design practices have been blocked by industry executives and their allies in Congress, despite deadly accidents and the risk of a potential terrorist attack that could harm an entire community or city. Fri, 17 May 2013 15:10:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184500477/after-deadly-chemical-plant-disasters-theres-little-action?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184500477/after-deadly-chemical-plant-disasters-theres-little-action?ft=1&f=1014 Proposals for chemical plants to use "inherently safer" design practices have been blocked by industry executives and their allies in Congress, despite deadly accidents and the risk of a potential terrorist attack that could harm an entire community or city.

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]]> Outgoing Acting IRS Director Grilled By House Lawmakers The House Ways and Means Committee became the first oversight panel in Congress to weigh in on the IRS tax-exempt group controversy on Friday morning. Fri, 17 May 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=184845122&ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=184845122&ft=1&f=1014 The House Ways and Means Committee became the first oversight panel in Congress to weigh in on the IRS tax-exempt group controversy on Friday morning.

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]]> Conservative Advice To GOP: Don't Legislate, Focus On Scandals The political arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation wants GOP leaders to set aside legislation like the farm bill that might turn attention away from questions about the IRS and Benghazi. Fri, 17 May 2013 14:58:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/05/17/184824660/advice-to-gop-dont-legislate-focus-on-scandals?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/05/17/184824660/advice-to-gop-dont-legislate-focus-on-scandals?ft=1&f=1014 The political arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation wants GOP leaders to set aside legislation like the farm bill that might turn attention away from questions about the IRS and Benghazi.

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]]> Nearly Half The Country Doesn't Know Health Law Exists A new poll finds 42 percent of Americans aren't sure that the Affordable Care Act is actually a law. Guest Host Celeste Headlee discusses this and other health care-related issues with Mary Agnes Carey, senior correspondent at Kaiser Health News, and NPR's Senior Washington Editor, Ron Elving. Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=184775454&ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=184775454&ft=1&f=1014 A new poll finds 42 percent of Americans aren't sure that the Affordable Care Act is actually a law. Guest Host Celeste Headlee discusses this and other health care-related issues with Mary Agnes Carey, senior correspondent at Kaiser Health News, and NPR's Senior Washington Editor, Ron Elving.

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]]> Could The President's Week Get Any Worse? From scandals involving the IRS, to spirited Benghazi hearings, it's been a tough week for the Obama administration. But will this bad week really have further political fallout? Guest host Celeste Headlee checks in with the barbershop guys. Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=184775462&ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=184775462&ft=1&f=1014 From scandals involving the IRS, to spirited Benghazi hearings, it's been a tough week for the Obama administration. But will this bad week really have further political fallout? Guest host Celeste Headlee checks in with the barbershop guys.

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]]> It's All Politics, May 16, 2013 Ron Elving and Mara Liasson look back at the week of scandals rocking the Obama administration. The president is angry over the IRS' targeting of groups with names that include "Tea Party" and "patriot." And Eric Holder testifies on the Justice Department's seizing of phone records of journalists Fri, 17 May 2013 09:18:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184744044/its-all-politics-may-16-2013?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184744044/its-all-politics-may-16-2013?ft=1&f=1014 Ron Elving and Mara Liasson look back at the week of scandals rocking the Obama administration. The president is angry over the IRS' targeting of groups with names that include "Tea Party" and "patriot." And Eric Holder testifies on the Justice Department's seizing of phone records of journalists

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]]> Gingrich Cautions GOP About 'Overreach' On Scandals "I think we overreached in '98 — how's that for a quote you can use?" the former House speaker says of the Clinton impeachment. Now he tells fellow Republicans that they need to be "calm and factual" as they pursue answers from the Obama administration about the IRS and other scandals. Fri, 17 May 2013 08:45:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/17/184735960/gingrich-cautions-gop-about-overreach-on-scandals?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/17/184735960/gingrich-cautions-gop-about-overreach-on-scandals?ft=1&f=1014 "I think we overreached in '98 — how's that for a quote you can use?" the former House speaker says of the Clinton impeachment. Now he tells fellow Republicans that they need to be "calm and factual" as they pursue answers from the Obama administration about the IRS and other scandals.

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]]> 'Foolish Mistakes Were Made,' IRS Chief Says Steven Miller, who was forced to submit his resignation as head of the agency this week, testified before Congress. Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike are angry over the agency's targeting of conservative groups. Fri, 17 May 2013 06:30:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/17/184712231/congress-due-to-grill-ousted-irs-chief?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/17/184712231/congress-due-to-grill-ousted-irs-chief?ft=1&f=1014 Steven Miller, who was forced to submit his resignation as head of the agency this week, testified before Congress. Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike are angry over the agency's targeting of conservative groups.

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]]> Obama Names OMB Controller As Acting IRS Commissioner On Thursday, President Obama named Daniel Werfel, 42, acting IRS commissioner. The announcement comes a day after the resignation of Steven Miller, who got caught up in the controversy over the IRS targeting Tea Party groups. Fri, 17 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184700642/obama-names-omb-controller-as-acting-irs-commissioner?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184700642/obama-names-omb-controller-as-acting-irs-commissioner?ft=1&f=1014 On Thursday, President Obama named Daniel Werfel, 42, acting IRS commissioner. The announcement comes a day after the resignation of Steven Miller, who got caught up in the controversy over the IRS targeting Tea Party groups.

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