Outside the Beltway

Marco Rubio is often described as one of the GOP’s leaders on foreign policy, but a close look reveals a decided lack of substance.

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

A new survey suggests that fewer Americans lack health insurance than at any time since that number was first measured.

Now that they control all of Congress, some Republicans are suddenly deciding that the filibuster should be repealed.

A theme that just won’t go away.

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

The House voted to repeal the PPACA for the 56th time, but it’s clear that this vote will end up being a pointless as all the others.

Has the legislative branch abdicated its responsibility in US foreign policy?

Get ready for another pointless House lawsuit against the President.

For some reason, Republicans want to change filibuster rules even though it’s unclear that they’ll still hold the Senate after 2016.

The House was set to vote on a ban on abortion after 20 weeks that never would have become law today but they pulled the bill. Conservatives are annoyed, but it was smart politics in the long run.

Even with a House and Senate majority, the GOP is unlikely to get what it wants in its current immigration battle with the President.

The GOP Senate Caucus seems to be split on whether or not to reinstate the filibuster for Presidential and Judicial appointments.

It’s an old story. Republican leadership wants to avoid a government shutdown, but the hard core conservatives want a fight, this time over the President’s immigration action. We have a week to see how it unfolds.

On substance, the President’s immigration actions aren’t very objectionable. How he is implementing them, though, is problematic and seems needlessly confrontational.

In the end, there appears to be very little, if anything, the GOP can do to stop or roll back the executive actions the President will announce Thursday evening.

The Keystone XL pipeline bill is dead until the next Senate. Mary Landrieu’s political career, on the other hand, is basically dead for the foreseeable future.

If the President now believes he can act unilaterally on immigration reform, why did he spend the last five years saying that he couldn’t?

Post-election polling shows that the majority of Americans want the new GOP majority in Congress to work together with the President. Republican voters have a very different view.

Should the Legislature take back legislating from the Executive?

Not unexpectedly, the Supreme Court has declined to hear a case challenging the Constitutionality of the Senate filibuster.

That word may not mean what you think it means.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul continues to challenge Republican orthodoxy on foreign policy, and that’s a good thing.

Facing a tough re-election battle, Kansas Senator Pat Roberts is engaging in abject fearrmongering.

Could the GOP offer a positive governing agenda if they controlled Congress?

The next Attorney General will likely see their nomination taken up by Senators who will not be in office past December. That’s somewhat disturbing, but it’s become all too common in Washington.

One of last members of President Obama’s original cabinet is stepping aside.

Once again, Justice Ginsburg is telling people she has no plans to resign, but her explanation is a bit different this time.

A Federal Appeals Court has rejected a challenge to Obamacare based on a somewhat obscure provision of the Constitution.

Rick Perry and Rand Paul are highlighting what looks to be a coming battle inside the GOP over foreign policy.

Some people on the left are still trying to convince Ruth Bader Ginsburg that she needs to just step out on the ice floe already.

Republican overreach could end up helping the President and his party.

The sad truth is that the bipartisanship that led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 no longer exists today.

The Supreme Court rules that Recess Appointments can only be made when there’s actually a Congressional recess.

The left-right divide is worse than it has been in decades, and we’re paying the price.

Preserving the filibuster.

An unsurprising result in a lawsuit that never should have been filed

Another liberal legal scholar is calling on Justice Ginsburg to resign. She’s unlikely to listen to them.

Calling anyone a front-runner in a race where we’re still two years away from anyone casting votes is silly. Nonetheless, Rand Paul is an interesting guy to watch for those wondering if the GOP has actually changed.

If something is going to be done about an out of control National Security State, it’ll be because the American people demand it.

Mitch McConnell’s hopes to become Senate Majority Leader could hinge on what happens in his own state and in Georgia.