Jacqueline Klimas
Articles by Jacqueline Klimas
King: Syria biggest threat to U.S.
Rep. Peter King said Sunday that despite unrest in Iraq, Syria is the biggest threat right now to America's national security interests, noting the high number of Americans or those with European passports in Syria who could travel to the U.S. Published June 29, 2014
Rogers: FBI needs more time to interrogate Benghazi suspect
A key House leader with oversight of intelligence issues said Sunday that the FBI needs more than just 10 days to interrogate the suspect in the Benghazi attack since the intelligence he has could be valuable to national security. Published June 29, 2014
Issa: Disappearing emails miss core of IRS scandal
Rep. Darrell E. Issa said Sunday that issues about emails disappearing in the Internal Revenue Service scandal are missing the root of the problem — that conservative groups were targeted by the IRS. Published June 29, 2014
Obama: House lawsuit over executive actions a ‘stunt’
President Obama refused to apologize Friday morning for his use of executive actions, saying that House Speaker John Boehner shouldn't sue the president for his action when Congress is at a standstill. Published June 27, 2014
Boehner to sue Obama for executive orders; Pelosi says speaker needs to be an ‘adult’
Speaker John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican, said Wednesday that he plans to lead the House in suing President Obama for overstepping his executive power. Published June 25, 2014
$50 billion price tag proves a stumbling block in VA bill
House and Senate negotiators met Tuesday to try to hammer out a compromise bill to gain a handle on the reports of problems piling up at the VA, but they immediately began stumbling over the potential $50 billion-a-year price tag. Published June 24, 2014
Bipartisan Senate effort to revive unemployment extensions wouldn’t allow for retroactive benefits
Six months after federal unemployment benefits expired, a handful of senators geared up Tuesday for another effort to try to get them extended, but the issue appears to be losing traction. Published June 24, 2014
Lawmakers talk cost of VA reform bills in early negotiations
Lawmakers worked Tuesday afternoon to iron out differences between the House and Senate bills to reform the VA, and while small differences existed between the bills, the biggest issue was the money. Published June 24, 2014
Senators introduce $10 billion unemployment insurance extension again
After the last effort stalled in the House, senators are again trying to pass an extension to long-term unemployment insurance to help more than 3 million people struggling without the benefits. Published June 24, 2014
VA resurrects dead vets to make wait list look good
The Phoenix VA facility allegedly edited the records of dead veterans to make it seem like they didn't die while waiting for care, even in recent weeks as the department has been under a microscope. Published June 23, 2014
VA ignored complaints, did nothing to address problems: report
A veteran with serious mental health problems waited more than eight years after being admitted at the Brockton, Massachusetts, VA healthcare facility for a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation — part of a "troubling pattern" of neglect across the country, according to a report released Monday by the Justice Department's Office of Special Counsel. Published June 23, 2014
Lawmakers doubt VA’s credibility, transparency on care plan
Lawmakers commended the VA on Monday for taking some actions to improve waiting times, but criticized the department for its lack of transparency about its new initiatives and wondered why it took so long to make seemingly-obvious fixes. Published June 23, 2014
Every senior executive at VA got high ratings last four years
Despite secret lists, data manipulation and charges that veterans died because of long wait times, every senior VA executive received high marks over the past four years, the department revealed last week. Published June 22, 2014
Man kills self at Arlington National Cemetery
A man shot himself Friday morning in Arlington National Cemetery, a local news site reported. Published June 20, 2014
Not one VA senior exec rated unsuccessful in four years, human resources official says
Despite secret lists, data manipulation and charges that veterans died because of long wait times, every senior VA executive received high marks over the past four years, the department revealed last week. Published June 20, 2014
Budget experts urge lawmakers to pay for VA bill
Budget experts called Thursday for lawmakers to find an offset for the Veterans Affairs bill when they begin conference negotiations this week. Published June 19, 2014
VA wait list increases, as do referrals to private doctors
Congress wants the VA to speed up veterans' care by using private doctors and clinics, but department officials told lawmakers Wednesday their wait lists data is so bad they couldn't even be sure who has been waiting long enough to be eligible. Published June 18, 2014
House, Senate to begin negotiations on final vets bill
Designees from the House and Senate will begin this week to hammer out differences between the House and Senate legislation to let veterans get health care outside the Department of Veterans Affairs, including looking for ways to cover the cost. Published June 17, 2014
Museum to honor victims of communism seeks spot on National Mall
With Russia making waves on the world stage and Marxism resurfacing in some academic circles, those who survived communism say it's time to get serious about building a museum to honor the victims of such governments and warn of the dangers of a relapse. Published June 17, 2014
Rep. Steny Hoyer: Congress ‘certainly’ should consider airstrikes in Iraq
The second-ranking Democrat in the House said Tuesday that the U.S. needs to be thinking about authorizing airstrikes to neutralize the security risk in Iraq. Published June 17, 2014