Outside the Beltway

Rand Paul held the Senate floor for nearly twelve hours yesterday to talk about the PATRIOT Act, but it’s unclear if he accomplished anything.

The House has passed a bill that would place real restrictions on the National Security Agency’s data mining program. Now, it moves to the Senate.

As expected, the Republican-controlled House passed a bill that would ban most abortions after twenty weeks. It also happens to be completely unconstitutional and has no chance of actually becoming law.

Jeb Bush will not participate in this year’s version of the Iowa Straw Poll.

Not surprisingly, the House Committee re-investigating the Benghazi attack seems more concerned with scoring political points than fact-finding.

Congressman Darrell Issa says that America’s poor are generally better off than the poor in the rest of the world. While he’s correct, he’s also incredibly tone deaf.

House Republicans are set to vote on a bill banning abortion in almost all cases after twenty weeks. What they can’t do is explain where the Constitution gives Congress the power to do this.

Director of National Intelligence now tells Congress that he testified falsely about NSA spying because he forgot the program existed.

The tributes to the troops you see during N.F.L. games were most likely bought and paid for with your tax dollars.

A Federal Appeals Court has ruled that the N.S.A.’s data mining program is illegal, but its ruling may not have a very big impact.

Republicans on Capitol Hill are talking about fundamentally changing what it means to be an American, and it’s a bad idea.

Congress can’t really do anything to stop a nuclear deal with Iran, and John Boehner knows it.

Another poll shows that Republicans are largely out of step with public opinion on the question of whether businesses should be free to refuse to provide services for same-sex weddings.

Ted Cruz and Steve King think the Court should be prevented from hearing any case involving same-sex marriage. Because they know they’re losing.

Senate Republicans are working on legislation to fix the PPACA’s subsidies if the Supreme Court rules against the Federal Government in June.

For months, Ted Cruz said the nomination of Loretta Lynch must be blocked. Then, he failed to show up when the Senate voted on her nomination.

Not surprisingly, the Select Committee established by House Republicans to investigate something that has already been investigated multiple times, will be in operation well into the Presidential Election season.

Five years after it became law, the Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act appears to be over.

The confirmation of a new Attorney General has been held up nearly six months for what amounts to no legitimate reason.

After months of resistance, the White House will allow Congressional review of any deal with Iran, but it may not hamper negotiations much in the end.

One freshman Senator seems to think that war with Iran would be easy, just like Republicans used to think that war against Iraq would be easy.

Democrats like New York Senator Chuck Schumer could end up being the ones that scuttle the Iranian nuclear deal.

The Iranian nuclear accords are barely 24 hours old and some people have already made up their mind about them.

As expected, New Jersey’s senior Senator has been indicted.

The Justice Department will not pursue contempt charges against Lois Lerner because it has determined that she did not waive her rights under the Fifth Amendment.

Harry Reid made outlandish claims about Mitt Romney during the 2012 election. He probably knew they were lies when he made them. And he doesn’t care.

After nearly 20 years in office, Harry Reid announced early today that he would not seek reelection in 2016.

Yet another probable rift between the U.S. and Israel over Iran.

Rand Paul now says he signed the Cotton Letter to strengthen the Administration’s bargaining position.

Senate Republicans have done more harm to the goal of stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons than they have done good.

A powerful Democratic Senator looks like he’s about to be in a whole lot of trouble.

Another tone deaf action from leading Republicans.

As expected, Republicans have caved in the showdown over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

Now that they control all of Congress, some Republicans are suddenly deciding that the filibuster should be repealed.

The Supreme Court seems likely to strike down state laws that take redistricting completely out of the hands of state legislatures.

Another lesson in incompetence in governing from House Republicans.

Polling indicates that the American public opposes the GOP position on DHS funding, but that’s unlikely to change many minds on Capitol Hill.

As expected, President Obama has vetoed the bill that would have authorized the Keystone XL Pipeline.

With three days to go, there are signs the GOP is ready to give up on its showdown over DHS funding.

By a wide margin Americans think it was wrong of the GOP to invite Israel’s Prime Minister to speak to Congress.