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'Seen, Heard & Whispered': The conversations happening in Washington's power corridors

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Donald Trump

Articles by Stephen Dinan

"I don't see at this point a lot of appetite for cutting spending," said House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth, Kentucky Democrat. (Associated Press) **FILE**

Democrats sell key spending deal to liberal members

Democrats built support Wednesday for the Homeland Security spending deal, looking to tamp down concerns over border wall money and arguing that another partial government shutdown would be the worst outcome.

February 13, 2019
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, walks as he speaks with reporters as they work to pass a bill that would pay for President Donald Trump's border wall and avert a partial government shutdown, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Associated Press) **FILE**

Conservatives try to slow push to pass border wall deal

House conservatives on Wednesday demanded Congress slow the rush to approve the homeland security spending bill, and suggested passing a short-term bill to keep the government open while giving all sides more time to digest what's in the deal.

February 13, 2019
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., left, joined by Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., center, and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., right, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the top Senate border security negotiator, speaks to reporters about the bipartisan compromise worked out last night to avert another government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Republicans secure border wall ‘down payment’ in spending deal

President Trump may not have been happy with it, but congressional Republicans said he actually made out pretty well in the new spending deal emerging on Capitol Hill, with at least a "down payment" on his border wall and expansive powers to detain immigrants caught living illegally in the U.S. interior.

February 12, 2019
President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

Federal debt tops $22 trillion

The total federal debt has now topped $22 trillion, the government reported Tuesday, passing yet another ignoble milestone of fiscal travails.

February 12, 2019
President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

Donald Trump not a fan of new wall deal

President Trump said Tuesday he's not pleased with the deal negotiators reached to give him nearly $1.4 billion in border wall money and funding for 42,000 beds to detain illegal immigrants.

February 12, 2019
A sign that reads "Meeting In Progress" hands on a door of a closed meeting room at the Capitol as bipartisan House and Senate bargainers trying to negotiate a border security compromise in hope of avoiding another government shutdown on Capitol Hill, Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Bipartisan spending deal hits first hurdles

The optimism of Monday night's announced deal on a bill to avoid another government shutdown began to fade Tuesday, as one of the lawmakers charged with negotiating an agreement said he's not sure he can sign on.

February 12, 2019
Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deputy Director Matthew Albence said there are as many as 22,000 people in custody who were arrested in the interior of the country. Mr. Albence said gang members, spouse abusers and drug offenders would be among those people released. He said the Democrats' push was a backdoor way to achieve the "abolish ICE" goal. (Associated Press)

Detention-bed total likely to be cut in compromise

Congressional negotiators were closely guarding details of their immigration detention bed compromise Monday, but it appeared to include language that would force ICE to cut the number of illegal immigrants it detains by thousands of people a day.

February 11, 2019
FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018, file photo, 21 Savage performs at the Voodoo Music Experience in City Park in New Orleans. Authorities in Atlanta say Grammy-nominated rapper 21 Savage is in federal immigration custody. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Bryan Cox says the artist, whose given name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was arrested in a targeted operation early Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, in the Atlanta area. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)

Zoe Lofgren protests ICE arrest of 21 Savage

A key House Democrat on Monday complained about immigration officers' arrest last week of an Atlanta-area rapper who was in the country illegally. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, chair of the House's immigration subcommittee, said She'yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, who performs under the name 21 Savage, should be released from custody and allowed to pursue a path to citizenship.

February 11, 2019