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The article discusses the possibility that funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could run out and the impact this would have on Republicans (GOP) who control the U.S. Congress. Topics discussed include the relationship between Homeland Security funding and executive actions made by U.S. President Barack Obama related to immigration, the possibility of a shutdown of the department, and the potential that this situation could impact the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

The article reports that the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, one of the largest student loan operations in the U.S., said it would suspend making federally-guaranteed loans in March, 2008. The agency said it could no longer borrow the capital it needed. The U.S. Congress cut subsidies to lenders in the student loan program, and investors are unwilling to purchase securities backed by the loans.

The article reports that the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush and members of Congress are considering expensive proposals to aid the hundreds of thousands of homeowners whose mortgages are now more than the worth of their homes. Over 10 percent of U.S. homeowners face that dilemma. The bailout plans are being urged by leading banks, who stand to lose billions of dollars without government involvement in the crisis.

The article reports that the U.S. government budget for fiscal year 2009 submitted by President George W. Bush contains thousands of the specific appropriations known as earmarks. Bush has vigorously denounced earmarks inserted in previous budgets by members of Congress. Bush's definition of the word "earmarks" does not include his own budget proposals.

The article reports that the U.S. Congress passed an economic stimulus package involving $168 billion in tax rebates and business tax cuts. The final bill was close to the compromised reached by President George W. Bush and Democratic party leaders in the House of Representatives on February 1, 2008. It is hoped the bill will spur consumer spending to prevent a recession in 2008.

The article reports that U.S. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke has told members of the U.S. Congress he could support tax and spending measures to stimulate the economy even if they increased the federal budget deficit, provided the measures were quick and temporary. Bernanke's support is considered a political necessity for any such measures to become law.

The article focuses on the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a federal agency created by the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush in 2003 to revamp foreign aid programs, has been unable to meet expectations. The agency has spent less than 5 percent of the $4.8 billion it has approved for projects in developing countries. The agency is now facing the prospect of seeing its budget cut drastically by the Congress.

The article reports that the vast U.S. government program to restore the Florida Everglades, agreed to by the U.S. Congress in 2000, is on the verge of failure. Federal financing is almost nil, and the wetlands continue to fall victim to development. A long-delayed $33 billion appropriation for water projects, including $2 billion for the Everglades, is expected to be vetoed by U.S. President George W. Bush.

The article examines the failure of U.S. produce growers of what are known as specialty crops to receive the subsidies they desired from farm legislation in the U.S. Congress in 2007. The $14 billion bill, which has passed the House, maintains large subsidies for farmers of commodity crops like corn, soybeans, and cotton. There is near-universal agreement U.S. farm policy is inefficient, but entrenched interests have defeated reform attempts by both Republicans and Democrats.

The article examines the unfinished North American Indian cultural center and judicial facility in Fort Pierre, South Dakota. The building, designed in the shape of an eagle, has but one wing. The project was intended to bring business to the impoverished area. Championed by former U.S. Senator Tom Daschle, it lost most of its federal funding when Daschle lost office. The state's Congressional delegation offers little hope those cuts can be restored.

The article reports that two decommissioned U.S. Coast Guard cutters granted to a faith-based charity by the U.S. Congress in 1999 were never used for their intended purposes. Canvasback Missions of Benicia, California was given the ships for a medical mission to islands in the South Pacific. In financial difficulty, the charity sold the vessels to U.S. private businesses. The grant was an earmark appropriation, and critics cite it as an example of abuse of that procedure.

The article reports that U.S. Congressional Democrats have agreed to send U.S. President George W. Bush a $124 billion war spending bill that orders the pull-out of American military troops in Iraq by October 1, 2007. Bush states that this timetable is not reasonable and it will send the wrong message to the Iraqis.

The article reflects on the money appropriated by the U.S. Congress towards the reconstruction of buildings in Afghanistan.

Reports that the United States Congress will give President George W. Bush the $87 billion he is requesting for rebuilding and security in Iraq and Afghanistan. Indication that there will be a debate on the impact of the request on federal spending, taxes, and the deficit; Issue of why Iraqi oil money cannot be used for the reconstruction of Iraq; Outlook for Democrats to ask for an accounting of international cooperation before they approve the reconstruction bill; View of Michigan Senator Carl Levin that the amount of the request is "stunning" in size, especially in comparison to funding of domestic programs; Proposal of Illinois Representative Rahm Emanuel that the U.S. spend the same amount for rebuilding schools and hospitals in the U.S.

Examines the compensation fund created by the United States Congress for families of victims in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The possible cost to taxpayers to compensate victims; Responses of victims of past terrorism; Concerns of charities and relief agencies; Questions which are being raised by legal scholars; Details of the fund and how it originated.

Discusses the plans of United States President George W. Bush to give the airline industry $5 billion in aid after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Thought that the U.S. Congress may not grant the funds to the airline industry; How the airlines are open to liability after the attack; Plans of American Airlines and United Airlines to each lay off a number of workers; Other details of the aid package being proposed by Bush.

Focuses on the tax cut proposal of United States President George W. Bush, as of May 15, 2001. Suggestion that the tax cut will benefit the wealthiest in the U.S.; Differences between the U.S. House tax plan and the U.S. Senate tax plan; How the U.S. Senate is trying to reduce the alternative minimum tax on the cuts proposed by Bush; Thought that the final tax version could be substantially different from the one proposed by Bush; Outlook.

Discusses the budget proposal of United States President George W. Bush, as of May 2, 2001. How Republicans from Congress and the White House have agreed to a $1.35 trillion in tax cut over 11 years; How negotiators in Congress and the White House disagree over the amount of spending in the budget plan; Suggestion that Congress would like to see an increase in the defense budget.

Reports United States President George W. Bush's presentation of his $1.96 trillion federal budget for the year 2002. Emphasis on tax cuts; Increased spending for education, medical research and the military; Cutbacks in areas such as corporate subsidies, health care grants, and agricultural research; Prospects regarding how the Congressional Democrats will respond to Bush's budget.

Reports on the number of people who have left the welfare rolls during the presidency of United States (U.S.) President Bill Clinton as of December 2000. Views of Clinton on the budget passed by the U.S. Congress on health insurance; Areas where the Congress provided money for his priorities.

Editorial. Discusses the funding of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) which was increased by the United States Congress in 2000. Description of several scholarly projects; Critiques on the budget; Details on the situation at the NEH under its director William Ferris since 1996; Importance of the output of the projects.

Reports on efforts of a lobbying campaign to persuade the United States Congress to restore money cut from Medicare payments in 1997. The issue of drug benefits for the elderly; Impact of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997; Tension between beneficiaries and health care providers over budget funding of Medicare as of May 15, 2000.

Offers information on the discussions surrounding the 2001 budget between the United States Congress and President Bill Clinton. Role of the anticipated surplus in the 2000 presidential election; Debate over how large a surplus should be expected; Views of Democrats and Republicans on how the surplus should be calculated; Possible impact of a budget surplus on taxes in 2001.

Reports that the Pentagon defied the law and the Constitution by spending money on military projects that lawmakers never approved. The Pentagon's acknowledgment of the accusations; How the spending eroded trust between the lawmakers and military commanders of the United States; Comments from Congress and military leaders; Details of projects that the money was spent on.

Reports the United States Congress' decision to support financing of the Balkans conflict, using some of the anticipated Federal budget surplus. Temptation to use funds for other military needs; Where the surplus comes from; Debate over whether Congress should give the Pentagon money beyond the amount requested by President Bill Clinton.

Reports on the debate among Republican leadership in the United States Congress to end the long-standing practice of using Social Security money for other purposes. Money that is needed to finance tax cuts and additional spending; Disagreements between the House of Representatives and the Senate on the issue; Details of the Republicans' proposal.

Reports on the proposal of United States President Bill Clinton of a budget for 2000 to the Congress. Immediate disapproval exhibited by Republicans of the $1.77 trillion plan; Comments of Clinton on the budget's solutions for Social Security, Medicare, education, and the environment; Disagreement between Republicans and Democrats in allocation of surplus; Favor of tax cuts by Republicans; Comments of Congressmen.

Reports that United States Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott wanted an amount of money to start building a ship called the LHD-8 at the Ingalls Shipyard of Mississippi. Cost of building the ship; Status of the approval of its construction at the Congress.

Reports on the Congressional spending bill passed and sent to President Bill Clinton that will increase salaries of its members, Federal workers and the next president of the United States. Amount of the salary raise; Obstacles to the approval of the bill; Details on the spending bill.

Editorial. Discusses federal aid for victims of hurricanes. Discussion on the struggle in the United States Congress over compensating budget cuts; Discussion on the Congress' call for fiscal responsibility; Need for the hurricane aid money in Central American victims of Hurricane Mitch.

Reports the status of the budget agreement between United States President Bill Clinton and the Congress for the 2000 fiscal year. Details on the content of the budget agreement; Views of Clinton on social security.

States that under the budget in the United States proposed by the President Bill Clinton Administration on February 2, 1998, would allow businesses to receive tax incentives for expanding workers' pension, retirement and education plans. Its benefits to employees who lost their jobs; What the Administration proposes in an effort to help workers save; Amount of Americans who have 401(k) or similar retirement plans according to the Employee Benefits Research Institute.

States that the budget proposal issued on February 2, 1998, by the American President Bill Clinton Administration, requests $136 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. Amount the agency is allotted to spend for 1998; Reference to a vote by the House in 1997, to eliminate the arts endowment's budget entirely; Other request by the Administration.

Comments on the budget issued in the United States by the President Bill Clinton Adminstration, on February 2, 1998, with focus on the surplus that Clinton forecasts in the budget. Why the prospects are cited as problematic; Where most of the new money in the budget will come from; Where the heart of the budget's revenue proposals is; What the budget identifies; Tax breaks proposed by the President. INSET: New revenue, new programs.

States that request for environmental and natural resources programs in the United States budget issued by the President Bill Clinton Administration on February 2, 1998, spreads over several Federal agencies and amounts to 31.5 billion dollars over in 1999. Percentage increase over amount spent on these programs this budget year; What potion spending to clean up polluted nuclear weapons production plants and military sites take up to; More on the issue.

Talks about the budget released in the United States by the President Bill Clinton Administration on February 2, 1997. How it affects the Pentagon's total spending; What the budget also revives; Views of Defense Secretary William S. Cohen; Amount total military spending would rise to in the next fiscal year; What the proposal reflects; Amount of money the proposal set aside to buy more F/A-18E/F fighter jets for the Navy and Marine Corps; Inclusions in the budget.

Comments on the American President Bill Clinton Administration's budget for foreign affairs which was released on February 2, 1998. Amount of money the budget calls for in appropriations for the International Monetary Fund; Warning issued by the budget report; More on the budget.

Looks at the financial status of Amtrak, while highlighting a compromise made in the House and Senate sessions for 1997. What the compromise entails; Indepth look at the sessions which took place in the house; Plans for the introduction of a bill; Provisions made in the bill.

Reports about the US House of Representatives failure to make a vote on the bill involving payments for Amtrak trains. Limitations of the bill; Effect of union strike on commuter rail and to Congress; Congress allotment of fund for the bill; Other provisions of the bill.

Describes the various issues raised in the Senate. Focus on Senate approval of appropriation for nation's capital; District of Columbia's benefits from appropriation bill.

Tells that a federal advisory panel, the Prospective Payment Assessment Commission, has decided to recommend that Congress freeze Medicare payments to hospitals in 1998. The first time in the program's history that hospitals would not receive an increase; The reason for the panel's decision; Comments from the panel's chairman, Professor Joseph P. Newhouse of Harvard.

Looks at the Republican-controlled 104th Congress and its budget cutting measures. Its cutting of nonmilitary spending and elimination of more than 300 minor programs; How, despite its cost-cutting zeal, it could not cut entitlement programs; How Republicans went well beyond the historical boundaries of the appropriations committees; Details of the Congress' cost-cutting efforts; Comments of Thomas E. Mann, Jo Blum, and Representative David Obey.

Reports on the passage of the one-week extension for the temporary spending measure or stopgap bill by the United States Congress on March 14, 1996 to avert another partial shutdown of government operations. Delay in the approval of the stopgap bill in the US Senate; Effects of the stopgap bill to the government operations.

Reports on the passage of the one-week extension for the temporary spending measure or stopgap bill by the United States Congress on March 14, 1996 to avert another partial shutdown of government operations. Delay in the approval of the stopgap bill in the US Senate; Effects of the stopgap bill to the government operations.

Reports about the use of veto power by United States President Bill Clinton on a bill that pays for Congress' administrative expenses. Reasons for the use of veto; Criticism by US Republicans.

Reports that Republican leaders of Congress postponed budget talks until President Bill Clinton met their conditions of creating another proposal that moved in the Republicans' direction. Stipulation that the Federal deficit be reduced in seven years; Affect on President's State of the Union address; Republican refusal to lift the debt ceiling; Options for solving the stalemate.

Describes the effort by President Clinton to get budget negotiations with Congress off the ground. His seven-year plan; Negotiators on both sides agreeing to resume meeting; Why the Clinton and Republican budget plans are not always comparable and, therefore, difficult to save; The need for an enforcement mechanism; The similarity between Clinton and Bush budget cut items; Areas where cuts would occur. INSET: Highlights of the plan.

Editorial. Criticizes the budget negotiations in the United States (US) Congress in 1998. Benefit derived by the Democratic Party on the negotiations; Opinion on why people have come to resent and distrust government; Reason the budget process collapsed.

Presents a series of news about several companies. Terms of the budget deal between United States President Bill Clinton and Congress; Loans received by the BankAmerica from D.E. Saw & Co.; Computer companies that have reported positive 1998 third quarter earnings.