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Inside Politics Archive: March 2013

• Nancy Pelosi loves Pope Francis, hates GOP budget

  Pope Francis has been on the job less than a day, but House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi already is a big fan. Published March 14 2013

• CPAC 2013: War panel stacked with hawks

  Many in the CPAC audience Thursday were surprised to see a panel entitled "Too Many American Wars? Should We Fight Anywhere and Can We Afford It?" stacked 4-1 with war hawks. Published March 14 2013

• (Some) CPAC audience members 'Stand with Rand'

  Rand Paul's last name certainly has ties with a Libertarian hero — but his first name has come in handy in recent weeks for fans of the freshman senator from Kentucky. Published March 14 2013

• S&P latest index to flirt with all-time high

  Wall Street is closing in on its second record-breaking close in as many weeks. Published March 14 2013

• Obama joins GOP senators in praising McCain on Vietnam anniversary

  The president and Senate Republicans resoundingly agreed on one thing during their meeting Thursday afternoon: Sen. John McCain deserves applause and respect on his 40th anniversary of returning home from Vietnam. Published March 14 2013

• Sen. Roberts: Obama smothering us with 'milk of human kindness'

  Sen. Pat Roberts had a particularly colorful metaphor for President Obama's good will tour to Capitol Hill this week. Published March 14 2013

• Report: U.S. drawing up plans to increase CIA, NSA access to massive financial database

  The Obama administration is drafting a plan that would increase intelligence agencies' access to a database containing the personal financial information of Americans with the intent of targeting terrorist networks by adding financial data to other intelligence gathering, according to Reuters. Published March 14 2013

• Holmes Norton moves to protect D.C. from shutdown

  The District of Columbia's non-voting member of Congress introduced a bill on Thursday that would protect the city's operations in case the government shuts down amid partisan budget wrangling on Capitol Hill. Published March 14 2013

• Nope, pope: Boehner won't join Biden on Vatican trip

  House Speaker John Boehner politely declined Vice President Joseph R. Biden's invitation to join him on a trip next week to the Vatican for the investiture of Pope Francis. Published March 14 2013

• 'Latino Museum' proposed for National Mall

  A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Thursday proposed adding an American Latino Museum to the National Mall, saying it's time to recognize the growing public role and power of the Hispanic population in the U.S. Published March 14 2013

• Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll resigns amid probe

  Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll has resigned after she was questioned by authorities about her ties to an Internet gambling company that is being investigated for racketeering. Published March 13 2013

• Mitch McConnell's wife Elaine Chao hits back in new ad

  Elaine Chao, a former labor secretary and the wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, is hitting back in a new ad after a super PAC invoked her Chinese heritage in attacks on the Kentucky Republican last month. Published March 13 2013

• Rubio: Cut aid to Egypt until human rights improve

  Sen. Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Congress should use its 2013 spending bill to cut U.S. aid to Egypt until the Middle East nation adopts economic and human rights reforms. Published March 13 2013

• CBO: Child nutrition spending to jump nearly 50 percent by 2023

  Congress's nonpartisan budget scorekeeper said Wednesday that under current law, funding for child nutrition programs is projected to grow from $20 billion in 2013 to $29 billion in 2023. Published March 13 2013

• Rep. Paul Ryan: 'Surprised people are surprised' we still don't like 'Obamacare'

  Rep. Paul Ryan defended including the repeal of President Obama's health care overhaul in his spending blueprint Wednesday, saying the budget is simply a starting point from which the House and Senate can sit down and begin to hash out differences. Published March 13 2013

• Organizing for Action head: Ensure both sides advance 'agenda endorsed by the majority of the American people'

  Jon Carson, the executive director of Organizing for Action, a nonprofit group formed from President Obama's re-election campaign, staunchly defended OFA as "issue-based" and nonpartisan in a new article in USA Today, saying the group will hold both parties accountable to ensure they advance "the agenda endorsed by the majority of the American people." Published March 13 2013

• Obama loses trust on economy; approval ratings drop, poll shows

  Public trust on President Obama's handling of the economy has dropped significantly since the November election after battles over the year-end "fiscal cliff" deal and across-the-board spending cuts that ended up taking effect March 1. Published March 13 2013

• Gwen Moore on Paul Ryan, budget: 'Lot of negotiating that'll have to be done with this joker'

  Rep. Gwen Moore slammed the proposed budget plan of Rep. Paul Ryan as a "polemic" and handed him a backhanded compliment for offering his "firmest offer" for the start of negotiations. Published March 13 2013

• Arizona Rep. Matt Salmon: Bring back 'Hastert rule'

  Rep. Matt Salmon said Tuesday he will abide by the "Hastert rule" — that no bill should advance without the support of a majority of House GOP members — after major legislation on the year-end "fiscal cliff" deal, Hurricane Sandy and a re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act passed the House without a majority of Republican support. Published March 12 2013

• Ryan: $4.6 trillion less in spending, balanced budget in 10 years

  Rep. Paul Ryan laid out the framework for the House Republicans' budget, in an op-ed to be published in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal, that he says will cut $4.6 trillion over the next 10 years and balance the federal budget by 2023. Published March 12 2013