Outside the Beltway

Health care policy analysts seem united in their assessment of the House GOP’s replacement for the Affordable Care Act, and it’s overwhelmingly negative.

Whether you call it TrumpCare, RyanCare, or GOPCare, the Republican replacement for the PPACA isn’t very impressive.

Budget hawks in the GOP face a showdown with Donald Trump’s spending ambitions this year that will likely decide whether we’ll ever get spending under control.

The President’s choice for Labor Secretary withdrew his name from consideration yesterday, but this is just the latest example of what has been a transition that has largely consisted of fumble after fumble by the Trump team.

Could Donald Trump’s comments about Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl on the campaign trail lead to the case against Bergdahl being dismissed? A military judge will have to decide.

Independent of the current controversy surrounding President Trump’s immigration order, Republicans in Congress are looking at a plan to break up the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Several former candidates for President are emerging as potential candidates for Senate.

Judge Gorsuch isn’t much of a fan of Donald Trump’s comments about the judiciary.

There were fireworks on the floor of the Senate last night, but it was really just politics as usual.

Despite two Republican defections, Betsy DeVos was confirmed today as Secretary of Education.

Two Republican Senators are introducing legislation that would result in drastic reductions in the number of people allowed into the country legally.

Senate Democrats are set to almost unanimously oppose virtually all of the Trump Cabinet nominees yet to be voted on.

Repeal and replace is likely to take longer than many Republicans thought it would, but that shouldn’t be surprising.

In the end, an effort by Democrats to block Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court does not seem like a good use of their rather limited options.

Unless something happens in the next ten days, Joe Biden will become the first two-term Vice-President who didn’t need to cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate.

With repeal of the Affordable Care Act now likely sooner rather than later, key Republicans are urging the party to have a replacement in place before repeal is voted on.

Once again, Donald Trump has played his supporters for suckers.

In a break with President-Elect Trump, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said Congress would block any effort to increase tariffs.

Just under a year ago, Senate Republicans took a big risk regarding the Supreme Court. Now, it’s paid off big time.

The new leader of the Senate’s Democrats says he regrets supporting the filibuster reforms his party passed in 2013.

On the eve of the 115th Congress, House Republicans voted to gut a key office charged with investigating Congressional ethics.

The economy grew strongly in the third quarter of the year, but it doesn’t seem likely to last.

Republicans are afraid to oppose Donald Trump for fear that his supporters will come after them.

An unsurprising win in the Pelican State.

To the surprise of nobody who paid attention, Nancy Pelosi won re-election as leader of the House Democrats.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is speaking out against several of President-Elect Trump’s proposed Cabinet nominees.

A Federal Judge has dismissed a lawsuit that tried to make an end-run around the Senate and put Merrick Garland on the Supreme Court.

Senior Republican Senators are throwing cold water on the idea of eliminating the filibuster.

In what seems like a replay of the primary battle between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, some top Democratic Party leadership positions may be in jeopardy.

Reports of the demise of the Democratic Party have been greatly exaggerated.

No, the Clinton dynasty isn’t dead just yet.

Defying the odds, Republicans held on in several traditionally Democratic states to keep control of the Senate.

My predictions for the House and Senate.

Two Republican Senators are exchanging barbs over the idea that the GOP should block any attempt by Hillary Clinton to nominate anyone to the Supreme Court if she becomes President.

Republican candidates for the Senate and House are campaigning on the argument that they will be a bulwark against a Clinton Presidency.

John McCain said that Senate Republicans will unite to block any Supreme Court appointment by a President Hillary Clinton.

Paul Ryan is abandoning the Trump campaign.

Democratic hopes of retaking the Senate aren’t going so well at the moment.

House Republicans are vowing to continue their investigations even if Hillary Clinton wins the White House.

As expected, John McCain easily defeated his primary opponent yesterday.

As expected, Marco Rubio easily won the primary for his Senate seat. The General Election battle, though, promises to be more difficult.

GOP control of Indiana’s Senate seat appears to be in jeopardy, and that will have serious implications for the battle to control the Senate.

With Donald Trump floundering, there are a whole lot of nervous Republican Senators up for re-election.