Republicans grapple with spending cuts

White House unveils emergency request for $7 billion to gird against possible bird flu outbreak.

• Peter Cohn
• November 1, 2005

Lawmakers eye several strategies for flu funding

Congress hammering out response to Bush request for $7.1 billion.

• Peter Cohn and Emily Heil
• November 1, 2005

Senate signs off on its final spending bill

White House to request nearly $20 billion more in hurricane aid, offset through reallocations and program cuts.

• Peter Cohn
• October 28, 2005

Fight over Army Corps contracting technique delays spending bill

Squabble over use of continuing contracts stalls negotiations.

• Peter Cohn
• October 27, 2005

House GOP leaders drop plans for across-the-board budget cuts

Internal disagreement had developed about what discretionary programs might be exempt from reductions.

• Peter Cohn and Mark Wegner
• October 18, 2005

As some in GOP weigh more cuts, deficit picture improves--for now

Senate budget chief solicits ideas for spending reductions, including freezing congressional pay raises and federal cost-of-living-adjustments.

• Peter Cohn and Emily Heil
• October 7, 2005

Proposed spending cuts need Bush's backing to survive

Plan to offset costs of Katrina recovery includes cuts in defense and homeland security spending.

• Peter Cohn
• October 5, 2005

FEMA spending slows, agency cites delays in billings

FEMA is still spending about $300 million per day, and funneling billions of dollars to other agencies.

• Peter Cohn
• September 23, 2005

Conservatives win White House meeting on Katrina offset ideas

• Peter Cohn
• September 22, 2005

Next Katrina spending measure might wait until after October recess

Congress has earmarked $60 billion for FEMA; as of last week, the agency had $48.5 billion remaining in its disaster relief account.

• Peter Cohn
• September 20, 2005

Congress to act quickly on Bush's $51.8 billion aid request

• Amelia Gruber, Peter Cohn and John Stanton
• September 7, 2005

Senate aims to restrict USAID contracts

Contractors have received a larger share of the democracy-building budget than non-governmental organizations under the Bush administration.

• Peter Cohn
• August 9, 2005

Budget changes submitted for Homeland Security revamp

• Peter Cohn
• July 22, 2005

White House requests additional $2 billion for VA health care

OMB says increase would not affect plans to hold overall discretionary spending increases to 2.3 percent -- less than the expected rate of inflation -- and non-security spending below last year's levels.

• Peter Cohn
• July 15, 2005

Senate ready to ramp up activity on spending bills

Three big spending bills on tap for the floor upon completion of the $30.8 billion Homeland Security appropriations bill later this week.

• Peter Cohn
• July 14, 2005

House, Senate GOP may approve more than $3 billion for VA

Money would cover budget shortfall projected by department officials.

• Peter Cohn
• July 14, 2005

White House to ask $2 billion more for VA health care

That's higher than earlier estimates yet still not enough to meet increased demands, according to critics.

• Peter Cohn
• July 12, 2005

End-of-session bottleneck looms on Capitol Hill

While the mid-1990s government shutdown was in a class by itself for partisan acrimony, some veteran lawmakers are hard pressed to remember a more complicated set of circumstances as those developing this year.

• Peter Cohn
• July 11, 2005

House votes to add nearly $1 billion for veterans health

But Senate has already backed separate $1.5 billion measure.

• Peter Cohn
• July 1, 2005

House moves to provide VA infusion to address shortfall

Senate added $1.5 billion for VA health care to an unrelated appropriations measure Wednesday.

• Peter Cohn
• June 30, 2005