Tamara Keith

6 Things We Just Learned About The IRS Scandal

Tamara Keith — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:15:00 +0000

Hundreds of pages of transcribed interviews reveal that IRS employees in Washington were involved at an early stage in the improper targeting of Tea Party groups — but at least so far the trail stops well short of the White House.

Based on interviews with two longtime IRS employees working in the Cincinnati field office, there's no smoking gun, no direct connection to the Obama administration or even any indication that those involved in the flagging of conservative groups had political motives.

Rather, the transcripts from the ongoing investigation, recently viewed by NPR, paint a more mu

More Information Emerges About IRS Targeting Of Tea Party Groups

Tamara Keith — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:14:00 +0000

Selective leaks from Congressional staff interviews with IRS employees in Cincinnati have been dribbling out for weeks. The workers are at the center of questions regarding the use of "Tea Party" and "Patriot" labels for flagging tax exemptions applications for additional scrutiny.

Weeks Later, IRS Investigation Hasn't Slowed Down

Tamara Keith — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 21:16:00 +0000

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And I'm Melissa Block.

An update now on the congressional investigation into the IRS' flagging of conservative groups for extra scrutiny. For the first time since the scandal broke, there are no public hearings scheduled this week.

How The Senate Farm Bill Would Change Subsidies

Tamara Keith — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 07:18:00 +0000

The Senate voted Monday to approve its version of the farm bill, a massive spending measure that covers everything from food stamps to crop insurance and sets the nation's farm policy for the next five years.

The centerpiece of that policy is an expanded crop insurance program, designed to protect farmers from losses, that some say amounts to a highly subsidized gift to agribusiness. That debate is set to continue as the House plans to take up its version of the bill this month.

For farmer Scott Neufeld, crop insurance is an integral part of his family's business.

IRS Acting Director Appears Before House Panel

Tamara Keith — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:30:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne.

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

And I'm Linda Wertheimer.

Today on Capitol Hill, Congress turns its attention to two federal institutions that have been losing the confidence of the American people. In a minute, we'll hear about an effort in the Senate to crackdown on sexual abuse in the U.S.

Select Senators Stall Budget Process

Tamara Keith — Thu, 30 May 2013 10:25:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

OK. The nomination we just heard about involves reaching across the aisle. That's not something we hear much about. When it comes to the federal budget, if it feels like we haven't heard about the budget in a while, there's a reason for that. The process is stalled. Back in March, the House and Senate passed vastly different spending plans.

IRS Witness Turns Down Questions At Congressional Hearing

Tamara Keith — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:20:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Another day, another heated hearing on Capitol Hill about the IRS. The agency's leadership has faced angry questions over its flagging of conservative groups applying for tax exempt status. At today's hearing, the most anticipated witness answered no questions. Instead, she took the Fifth, as we hear from NPR congressional correspondent Tamara Keith.

TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: Lois Lerner is the IRS official who blew open the scandal two weeks ago, answering what it turns out was a planted question at a conference for tax attorneys.

Advice TO GOP: Don't Legislate, Focus On Scandals

Tamara Keith — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:58:00 +0000

Heritage Action, the political activist offshoot of the conservative Heritage Foundation, has some advice for House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor: focus on the scandals plaguing the Obama administration and stay away from legislation that could "highlight major schisms" within the House Republican Conference.

In a letter this week to the leaders, Heritage Action CEO Michael Needham says "outrage over Benghazi" and the IRS targ

House Republicans Take Another Stab At Repealing Obamacare

Tamara Keith — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:29:00 +0000

The House held a vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act — again. This time it was to make freshman Republicans happy by giving them a vote to take home.

Cantor's Rebranding Effort Tested By House Republicans

Tamara Keith — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:51:00 +0000

When the House votes Wednesday on a bill called the Working Families Flexibility Act, it will be the latest test of a Republican effort at rebranding.

The architect of that effort in the House, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., has so far had a mixed record.

In February, Cantor gave a major policy speech at the American Enterprise Institute.

House Leadership Crashes Into Outside Hurdles On Bills

Tamara Keith — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 09:12:00 +0000

The House was set to vote this week on a bill modifying the president's health care law. The Republican bill was supported by the leadership, but ran into trouble and was pulled from the floor before the scheduled vote.

It's an example of the kind of obstacles Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, faces in getting legislation through the House. In many recent cases, his problem hasn't been the Democrats as much as members of his own party, backed by proudly conservative outside groups.

The health care bill was supposed to show the softer side of House Republicans.

Flight Delays Prompt End To Air Traffic Controller Furloughs

Tamara Keith — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:47:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

We also have some sequester news today. The House approved a bill, and the president says he'll sign it, to end the furlough of air traffic controllers. Short-staffed control towers translated into thousands of flight delays this week, all because of those automatic across-the-board spending cuts.

Should Air Traffic Controllers Be Included In Furloughs?

Tamara Keith — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:16:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Air travelers are growing less and less happy. Automatic budget cuts are now leading to hundreds of flight delays, about half of all delayed flights this week.

NPR's Tamara Keith reports.

TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: Up until this point, the effects of the sequester have been scattered and hard to pin down: hiring freezes, delayed park openings.

How Congress Quietly Overhauled Its Insider-Trading Law

Tamara Keith — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:46:00 +0000

The legislative process on Capitol Hill is often slow and grinding. There are committee hearings, filibuster threats and hours of floor debate.

The Next Debt Ceiling Deadline

Tamara Keith — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 22:06:00 +0000

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And now, to Capitol Hill where lawmakers are debating several big ideas these days. There's the gun control bill in the Senate and a possible compromise on immigration reform. But that's not all. In just a few months, another fiscal fight could steal the spotlight.

NPR's Tamara Keith has this look forward to a potential battle over the debt ceiling again.

TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: It's back to the future.

On Message: Who Wants To Cut Social Security?

Tamara Keith — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:35:00 +0000

The president's $3.77 trillion fiscal 2014 budget plan is expansive. But the part getting the most attention is his proposal to change the way the government calculates inflation using a measure known in economics-speak as chained CPI.

Following Script: Much of the initial reaction was predictable. Liberal Democrats hate the idea, because it amounts to a gradual cut in Social Security benefits over time.

'Chained CPI' Worked Into Obama's 2014 Budget

Tamara Keith — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:14:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep reporting this week from Caracas, Venezuela.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And I'm David Greene. Good morning. Last night President Obama had dinner with a dozen Senate Republicans - steak was on the menu, and a range of topics were on the agenda, including the budget blueprint he unveiled yesterday. The document does not cut spending as much as House Republicans would like. And it doesn't raise taxes as much as the Senate Democratic budget does.

Searching For The Sequester In The Middle Of Ohio

Tamara Keith — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:04:00 +0000

It's been a little more than a month since the start of the sequester — the automatic, across-the-board spending cuts that kicked in because Congress couldn't agree on something better.

Before it hit, there were dire and at times very specific predictions of job losses, furloughs and program cuts — many of them from the Obama administration.

Of course, it's still early.

Opposition Research Boot Camp: Learning To Dig For Political Dirt

Tamara Keith — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:42:00 +0000

Opposition research exists mostly in the political shadows. So perhaps it's fitting that this boot camp is in an generic conference room in a generic airport hotel outside of Washington, D.C.

It's run by private investigator Larry Zilliox, who specializes in opposition research. He allowed me to attend a session, but not to take pictures.

Zilliox is cagey about his clients: "As a general rule, it suits me best not to comment on who I've worked for.

NRA-Driven Gun Provisions Pass Along With Spending Bill

Tamara Keith — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 22:32:00 +0000

The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to approve a temporary measure to keep the government funded through the end of September. Government shutdown averted.

But it turns out the continuing resolution didn't just address spending. It contains six measures that limit how federal agencies deal with guns.

These are the first gun-related provisions members of Congress have passed since 20 first-graders were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

House, Senate Budget Plans Offer Different Future

Tamara Keith — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:10:00 +0000

Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan's House GOP budget balances in a decade and re-shapes Medicare. That is, it would if the measure passed by the House on Thursday ever became law — which it won't.

Washington Sen. Patty Murray's Democratic budget raises almost $1 trillion in taxes by closing loopholes and adds $100 billion in new spending on infrastructure. But it won't become a reality, either.

That's not just because the House and Senate will never agree. It's because budget proposals don't have the force of law.

How The Federal Budget Is Just Like Your Family Budget (Or Not)

Tamara Keith — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:38:00 +0000

The House has begun debate on its budget resolution, with a vote expected later this week. And as supporters talk about this budget, there's one comparison you hear a lot.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio: "Every family in America has to balance their budget. Washington should, too."

Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J.: "You know, every family in America understands the necessity of a balanced budget."

Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis.: "This is how every family tries to live in good times and in bad.

Obama Continues 'Charm Offensive' On Capitol Hill

Tamara Keith — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:26:00 +0000

President Obama has been meeting this week with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to talk about long-term budget planning. On Wednesday, Obama met with House Republicans who offered mixed views on how the dialogue went.

On Message: The Battle To Define 'Balanced' Budget

Tamara Keith — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:24:00 +0000

In the ongoing Washington budget battles, one word gets more of a workout than most: balanced.

This single word illustrates the vast distance between the parties. Democrats and Republicans are working from very different definitions of the term in discussing their budget proposals being unveiled this week.

What Democrats are saying: A balanced budget is deficit reduction through a mix of tax increases and spending cuts.

Ryan Budget Almost An Exact Repeat Of Last Year's Proposal

Tamara Keith — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:55:00 +0000

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

Ailsa mentioned the House budget, and today, it was presented by a cohort of House Republicans led by Budget Committee Chairman and former vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. The budget gives an indication of just how hard reaching a grand bargain will be.

Senate Finally Confirms John Brennan As CIA Director

Tamara Keith — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 09:39:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

John Brennan is the new director of Central Intelligence Agency. He was sworn in this morning. The Senate confirmed him yesterday with a 63 to 34 vote, but as NPR's Tamara Keith reports, it did not come easy.

TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: John O. Brennan comes to the job as the nation's top spy with 25 years of experience at the CIA. Most recently he served as the president's top counter-terrorism advisor.

Houses Passes Resolution To Keep Government Funded Through September

Tamara Keith — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:30:00 +0000

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish. Most of Washington, D.C. has a snow day, thanks to a storm that's been dubbed the Snowquester. But at the capitol, members of congress are at work on a spending measure known as the continuing resolution. They're trying to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month and it also looks like broader budget discussions are heating back up.

The Boehner Rule? Speaker Bucks House GOP For Some Legislation

Tamara Keith — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:45:00 +0000

House Speaker John Boehner held a news conference the day after the November election.

"The American people have spoken," he said. "They've re-elected President Obama. And they've again re-elected a Republican majority in the House of Representatives."

But last Thursday, when the House of Representatives passed the Violence Against Women Act, it did it without a majority of Republicans. Only 87 voted for the bill; 138 voted against it. The rest of the yes votes came from Democrats.

GOP On The Sequester: Many Messages But Mostly The Same Point

Tamara Keith — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 11:05:00 +0000

In the days leading up to the sequester taking effect Friday, Democrats on Capitol Hill had a very unified message.

"We're seeking to provide the American people with a balanced approach.

Despite Sequester, Government Shutdown Remains Unlikely

Tamara Keith — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 22:01:00 +0000

The long-feared automatic spending cuts are set to start late Friday, and now Congress must deal with another deadline at the end of this month. Tamara Keith talks to Melissa Block about what happens next.