Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Obamacare missing from Obama radio address; GOP challenged on budget
With the debt ceiling raised until February and Washington back up and running, President Obama on Saturday laid out three key goals for the months to come — goals that Republicans ought to work with him to achieve, he said. Published October 19, 2013
After deal, Obama pivots to looming budget negotiations
Just minutes after the Senate voted to reopen the government and raise the nation's debt ceiling, President Obama on Wednesday night said the heavy lifting is by no means over. Published October 16, 2013
White House ‘fine’ with Obamacare provision in budget deal
The White House won't oppose a provision calling for strict income monitoring of those seeking taxpayer subsidies under Obamacare. Published October 16, 2013
Deal on shutdown, debt ‘achieves what is necessary,’ White House says
Moments after Senate leaders announced a deal to end the government shutdown and raise the nation's debt ceiling, the White House announced that it backs the agreement and urged both chambers of Congress "to act swiftly" and pass the measure as quickly as possible. Published October 16, 2013
Obama predicts budget, debt-ceiling deal will get done
Saying that a growing number of congressional Republicans realize they've been pursuing a "bad strategy" in ongoing fiscal talks, President Obama on Tuesday predicted that a deal will get done before America breaches its debt ceiling. Published October 15, 2013
Obama: Critics will stop calling it ‘Obamacare’ if it works
President Obama has embraced "Obamacare" as the de facto name of his signature health care initiative. But the commander-in-chief believes that if the law ends up being a wild success, the moniker will disappear. Published October 15, 2013
Parts of climate-change agenda to come before Supreme Court
The Supreme Court set the stage for a high-stakes showdown over President Obama's climate change agenda, agreeing Tuesday to hear a series of cases involving the power of the Environmental Protection Agency to mandate greenhouse gas emission controls at utilities, factories and other facilities around the country. Published October 15, 2013
Obama’s second-term agenda could hinge on shutdown resolution
Some of president's key goals hang in balance. The eventual resolution to the government shutdown and debt-ceiling standoff carries serious consequences for the U.S. economy, but it also could make or break President Obama's second-term agenda. Published October 10, 2013
Obama administration most secretive since Nixon: Report
The Obama White House's war against leaks, and its penchant for secrecy and noted lack of transparency, are the worst "since the Nixon administration," according to a major new study that relied on interviews from leading Washington reporters and news organization chiefs. Published October 10, 2013
White House embrace of Bush-era anti-terrorism policies continues
President Obama's decision this weekend to authorize capture and rendition of a top terror target in Libya has reignited questions about his use of Bush-era tools and tactics — and has given more ammunition to critics who say it's time he makes a clean break from policies of the past. Published October 7, 2013
Obama’s top climate adviser to leave, report says
The White House's chief climate change adviser reportedly will leave the administration within the next several weeks, leaving a key hole in the leadership team charged with overseeing President Obama's ambitious global-warming agenda. Published October 7, 2013
Obama uses American tales of shutdown woe to pressure GOP on spending bill
With the federal shutdown headed toward its second week, President Obama on Saturday continued to pressure House Republicans to immediately pass a "clean" spending bill to get Washington back up and running. Published October 5, 2013
White House defends use of ‘gun to the head,’ other violent metaphors
Violent rhetoric has taken over Washington in the midst of the federal shutdown, and President Obama is leading the way. Published October 3, 2013
Obama, at Md. construction company, slams Republicans over government shutdown
As the federal government shutdown drags on, President Obama on Thursday held a campaign-style event at a suburban Maryland construction company, excoriating House Republicans for what he said was a "reckless" failure to negotiate a deal. Published October 3, 2013
The long line of conservatives targeted by the IRS
Tea party groups, Franklin Graham, Christine O'Donnell, a pro-marriage group. And now Dr. Ben Carson. The list of conservatives targeted by the Internal Revenue Service for audits, tax-exempt reviews or tax privacy breaches keeps growing, raising fresh questions in Washington about whether a scandal the Obama administration has blamed on bureaucratic incompetence and coincidence may in fact involve something more nefarious. Published October 3, 2013
Obama warns Wall Street on government shutdown: ‘This time’s different’
Just hours before he met with congressional leaders, President Obama delivered a grim message to America's business community and warned that the current budget impasse and subsequent government shutdown, unlike past partisan squabbles, offer cause for alarm. Published October 2, 2013
White House: Obama asking for ‘nothing’ in shutdown deal
When President Obama meets with congressional leaders late Wednesday afternoon, he'll ask for nothing other than that Republicans allow the federal government to reopen. Published October 2, 2013
Obama: Health plan’s glitches akin to those of iPhone 5 rollout
Continuing his attack on Republicans for their determination to repeal his health care reform law, President Obama on Tuesday compared the ongoing federal budget stalemate to Apple's roll-out of its most recent operating system. Published October 1, 2013
Obama accepts no blame for shutdown
President Obama on Tuesday laid the blame for the government shutdown entirely on congressional Republicans, rejecting any responsibility for the stalemate and calling it "a Republican shutdown" caused by spite over Obamacare. Published October 1, 2013
New lunch regulations are too hard to swallow for many schools
More than 500 schools have dropped out of the federal school lunch program since new guidelines went into effect 12 months ago, a sign of still-smoldering discontent with the ambitious rewrite of what the nation's schoolchildren find on their lunch trays. Published September 30, 2013
