Outside the Beltway

Senate Republicans released their proposed health care plan this morning, but it could already be doomed.

By the barest of margins, the House passed its bill repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, but the future of that bill is highly uncertain.

With a government shutdown looming at the end of the week, the Administration has appeared to back away from a demand that a government funding bill include money allocated for the President’s promised border wall.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch even as it became inevitable that Republicans would be forced to invoke the ‘nuclear option’ to confirm him to the Supreme Court.

Next week’s big news is likely to be the Senate’s vote to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, which could mean invocation of the so-called ‘nuclear option’ by Senate Republicans.

Senate Democrats are divided on how to approach the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, making it likely that he’ll be confirmed.

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

With two votes last night, President Trump’s Cabinet is coming together.

After a highly contentious nomination process, Jeff Sessions was confirmed last night as the new Attorney General of the United States.

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.

Congressional term limits are a good idea, but they are only a partial solution at best and may not be the best solution to the problems facing our political system.

As things stand, Democrats will have a hard time winning back control in the Senate in 2018.

Canada is phasing out coal as a source of electricity production by 2030. The same thing will happen in the United States no matter how much politicians try to stop it.

Some Hillary Clinton supporters have a foolish and unworkable “plan” to steal Trump’s victory in the Electoral College. They should abandon it.

The man who was brought in to clean up the I.R.S. after the alleged targeting scandal became public is facing censure and possible impeachment. Proving that there really is such a thing as a thankless job.

A group of states led by Texas has filed a suit in response to new guidelines from the Federal Government regarding the rights of transgender students.

Oklahoma’s Republican legislature passed a clearly unconstitutional bill outlawing abortion in the state.

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders split victories in Kentucky and Oregon last night, and Clinton is now less than 100 delegates away from an historic victory.

Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee regardless of what happens in Kentucky and Oregon today, but her campaign is hoping for a win in Kentucky that puts an end to the repetitive stories about Bernie Sanders continuing to win primaries.

Bernie Sanders won another primary last night, but he continues to fall behind in the race for delegates nonetheless.

With the field before him now clear, Donald Trump is now assured to win the Republican Presidential Nomination. After that, though, his plans don’t seem to make a lot of sense.

Thanks largely to the fact that she has moved left on coal, Hillary Clinton seems likely to lose today’s West Virginia primary. But it will have only a minimal impact on Clinton’s quest for a delegate majority.

Bernie Sanders won the Indiana Primary last night, but Hillary Clinton continues to accrue the delegates she needs to become the Democratic nominee.

Another big night for Hillary Clinton, and more bad news for Bernie Sanders.

Another round of victories puts Donald Trump another step closer to the Republican nomination.

Looking at the delegate math, Donald Trump’s path to victory seems to be becoming clearer by the day.

Forget about Congress, the real story going forward is likely to be Republican dominance of state legislatures nationwide.

In the wake of failure that could have been easily foreseen, the Obama Administration is ending a program to train so-called “moderate” Syrian rebels.

Rowan County, Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis is being released from jail, but it may end up being a very short reprieve.

At least on paper, Senate Democrats now have enough votes to block the Senate from voting on a resolution disapproving of the Iran Nuclear Deal.

The 2016 election will be fought on a very small battlefield, and right now the makeup of that battlefield heavily favors the Democrats.

Senate Democrats are now just one vote away from being able to block a veto override, meaning that the effort to block the Iran Nuclear Deal will most certainly fail.

New information in the Dylann Roof case shows that the background check system used for gun purchases is still prone to human error.

Taxes on wine, beer, and spirits vary wildly from state-to-state and even within each state.

A proposed California law would require all students who attend public school to be vaccinated, with limited exemptions for medical reasons.

In a marked departure from recent cases, the Supreme Court rules that states can impose significant restriction on solicitation of campaign contributions in judicial elections.

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

The Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal of three students disciplined for wearing American flag shirts on Cinco de Mayo

Alec MacGillis argues for Slate that “Veterans Should Pay Taxes Like Everyone Else.” I agree!

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

The debate over whether kids need to be vaccinated against communicable diseases baffles me.

West Virginia’s Joe Manchin is reportedly mulling leaving the Senate to run once again for a job where he’d have the ability to actually accomplish something.

Just one day into the new Congress, the first confrontation is already set.

Rand Paul is one of the few Republicans who seems to be evaluating the new policy toward Cuba through something other than an outdated Cold War perspective.

Some on the left are suggesting Democrats should write off the South for the foreseeable future, but that would be as foolish as Republicans assuming that their dominance in the region will last as long as Democratic dominance did in the century after the Civil War.

You’ve got your playoff College Football fans, as imperfect as it was inevitably going to be.