News Stories

The Hill - Russell Berman

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Wednesday that he wants to see the IRS employees responsible for targeting conservative groups behind bars.

“My question isn’t about who’s going to resign, my question is, who’s going to jail over this scandal?” Boehner said at a Capitol press conference, as Republicans seized on the tax agency’s admission that it inappropriately singled out Tea Party groups seeking tax-exempt status for higher scrutiny.

McAlester News-Capital - James Beaty

Members of the McAlester Defense Support Association, along with other community representatives, are back in the McAlester following their trip to the nation’s Capitol last week.

MDSA members who helped organize the trip said their purpose is to show community support for the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant and the rest of the defense industry in the McAlester area,

Huffington Post - Garance Burke

When Liz DeRouen needs any kind of health care services, from diabetes counseling to a dental cleaning, she checks into a government-funded clinic in Northern California's wine country that covers all her medical needs.

The Oklahoman - Chris Casteel

Rep. Tom Cole called Monday for a special committee to investigate the terrorist attack that killed four Americans, including a U.S. ambassador, in Libya last year.

Cole, R-Moore, said he had signed on to legislation that would create a select committee to review the killings in Benghazi, which are the subject of an ongoing investigation by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

New York Times - John Harwood

Ask around the White House and the Capitol, and you will quickly find reasons to doubt that Republicans will compromise with President Obama on a budget deal that includes more tax increases and entitlement spending cuts.

So why does Mr. Obama keep talking to Republicans about a deal? Because Republicans still have powerful incentives to strike one.

The Hill - Peter Schroeder and Erik Wasson

Recent glimmers of hope that the economy is gaining strength are both helping and hindering the prospects for President Obama’s second-term agenda.

A strong April jobs report headed off fears of another “spring swoon.” Renewed optimism may help efforts to enact immigration reform, but it could also make it harder for Republicans and Democrats to strike a broad fiscal deal.

Bloomberg Businessweek - David J. Lynch

A shrinking U.S. federal deficit is undermining the favorite tax-and-spending arguments of both Republicans and Democrats.

During the recurring fiscal crises of the past few years, Republicans have pressed for deep budget cuts, including fundamental changes to programs such as Medicare and Social Security. Democrats have called for increasing the tax burden on the wealthiest Americans.

Both will be harder sells in an unfamiliar era of falling deficits.

Tulsa World

Fourth District Rep. Tom Cole joined Republicans on Monday clamoring for further investigation into last year's terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Cole said he is signing on as a co-sponsor of House Resolution 36, which would create a select committee to investigate the matter. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in the attack, and Republicans say the Obama administration mishandled its initial response and then tried to cover up its failures.