L.A. Times - Politics

Top IRS official pleads the 5th Amendment at testy House hearing

By Richard Simon and Melanie Mason — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:47:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — A top Internal Revenue Service official invoked the 5th Amendment Wednesday and declined to testify to before a House committee investigating the agency’s mishandling of applications by some conservative groups for tax-exempt status.

Immigration reform bill heads to full Senate

By Lisa Mascaro and Brian Bennett — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:02:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — A sweeping bipartisan plan to overhaul the nation’s immigration system headed to the Senate floor after a key committee approved it Tuesday, but not before tilting the bill to the political right with amendments designed to attract more Republican support.

Reid to delay Senate votes on most Obama nominees until July

By Michael A. Memoli — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:27:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday that he will delay votes on several of President Obama’s nominees for key posts until July, a decision raising the prospect that he’ll seek further changes to Senate rules that would allow executive appointments to be confirmed by a simple majority.

Majority thinks global warming, clean energy should be priorities

By Wes Venteicher — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:39:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – Global warming and clean energy should be priorities for Congress and the president, a majority of Americans said in a recent survey.

Top IRS official will invoke 5th Amendment

By Richard Simon and Joseph Tanfani — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:17:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — A top IRS official in the division that reviews nonprofit groups will invoke the 5th Amendment and refuse to answer questions before a House committee investigating the agency’s improper screening of conservative nonprofit groups.

Obama meets with young immigrants, encourages them to speak out

By Christi Parsons — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:29:00 GMT

WASHINGTON -- President Obama met Tuesday with young immigrants and others who expressed their fear that family members will be deported and their hope that Congress will pass new immigration laws to keep families intact.

IRS officials still don't have full explanation of targeting

By Joseph Tanfani, Michael A. Memoli, and Melanie Mason — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:32:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – The outgoing head of the IRS said the agency still doesn’t know which staff members were responsible for using politically loaded language to screen out nonprofit groups, as senators pressed them to explain how certain conservative organizations applying for tax-exempt status received extra scrutiny.

Sen. Orrin Hatch emerges as key GOP vote on immigration

By Lisa Mascaro — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:13:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – When Sen. Orrin Hatch takes his seat on the dais in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, the 79-year-old slides into his status as the most sought-after vote for immigration reform.

Tentative deal reached on high-tech visas in immigration bill

By Lisa Mascaro — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:13:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — The outlines of a possible agreement emerged Tuesday on the criteria for high-skilled visas in the immigration overhaul, potentially paving the way for a key Republican senator to support the sweeping legislation and give it a boost when it comes to a committee vote.

Former IRS commissioner 'dismayed' by inspector general's report

By Michael A. Memoli, Matea Gold and Melanie Mason — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:36:00 GMT

WASHINGTON -- The former top official of the Internal Revenue Service told senators Tuesday he was “dismayed and saddened” by an inspector general’s report detailing how, during his tenure as IRS commissioner, the agency inappropriately scrutinized targeted conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.

Obama: Nation to stand by Oklahoma survivors 'as long as it takes'

By Christi Parsons — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:49:00 GMT

WASHINGTON -- President Obama on Tuesday assured the survivors of Oklahoma’s deadly tornado that the nation is “there for them” and that the government will keep its focus on the rescue effort as long as is needed.

Conservatives, tea party leaders seek to block immigration bill

By Lisa Mascaro and Brian Bennett — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – Top conservative leaders, along with tea party activists from across the nation, have crafted a letter of opposition to the Senate’s bipartisan immigration overhaul.

White House officials knew of IRS audit findings weeks in advance

By Christi Parsons and Lisa Mascaro — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:37:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — Top officials in the White House learned in April that an investigation of the IRS would probably end up showing that the agency targeted conservative groups for special scrutiny, the White House spokesman conceded Monday, contrary to earlier Obama administration statements.

Senators press forward on immigration bill

By Lisa Mascaro — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:03:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – Senators are pushing forward on changes to a sweeping immigration overhaul, preparing to vote the bill out of the Judiciary Committee before Congress adjourns for the Memorial Day recess.

U.S. attorney involved in leaking Fast and Furious document

By Richard A. Serrano — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:47:00 GMT

WASHINGTON -- The former top federal prosecutor in Arizona retaliated against the lead whistle blower in the Fast and Furious controversy by leaking an internal report that suggested he too once favored “walking guns” along the Southwest border and would be accessible to U.S. criminals and drug cartels in Mexico, the Department of Justice’s Inspector General’s office determined Monday.

Crossroads GPS believes it is under IRS scrutiny

By Matea Gold — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:36:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — Crossroads GPS, the behemoth conservative advocacy group behind some of the most robust attacks against President Obama’s administration, said Monday that it believes it is among the organizations subjected to special scrutiny by the Internal Revenue Service.

Federal immigration services union joins opposition to bill

By Brian Bennett — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:13:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – A labor union that represents federal officers who vet immigration applications has decided to oppose the immigration overhaul winding through the Senate, saying provisions in the bill could lead to fraud.

Supreme Court to hear prayer case

By David G. Savage — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:20:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court will revisit the issue of church-state separation and decide whether a town council can begin its monthly meetings with a prayer from a Christian pastor.

White House fights back on IRS as GOP keeps up pressure

By Paul Richter — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:02:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — A senior White House aide insisted Sunday that President Obama learned only from news reports that an IRS office had singled out dozens of tea party organizations and other conservative groups for questionable scrutiny, while Republicans vowed to investigate any White House involvement in the growing scandal.

Obama urges Morehouse College graduates to help others

By Paul Richter — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:48:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — President Obama urged graduates of a celebrated historically black college Sunday to use their education to help others and to work for "something larger than yourself," citing the example of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Obama budget would cut deficits, report says

By Lisa Mascaro — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:20:00 GMT

WASHINGTON -- President Obama’s proposed mix of tax hikes and spending cuts would reduce future budget deficits more quickly than under current laws, according to a report issued Friday that could rekindle the dormant budget wars in Washington.

Keystone XL looms as Obama wants to cut delays on big projects

By Christi Parsons — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:47:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — President Obama said Friday he wanted to put more Americans back to work by slashing the amount of time it takes to grant federal approval for big job-creating projects.

HUD to shut down offices as a result of sequester

By E. Scott Reckard — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:13:00 GMT

Across-the-board cuts in the federal budget will force the Department of Housing and Urban Development to close its offices on May 24 and possibly six other days.

Questions on targeting are 'loaded,' IRS official says

By Melanie Mason — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:06:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – The acting head of the IRS insisted Friday that he and other agency officials did not mislead Congress by failing to disclose that applications by conservative groups for tax-exempt status were mishandled, and he said to call it "targeting" incorrectly implied political motivations.

Ex-IRS chief apologizes in hearing for 'foolish mistakes'

By Melanie Mason and Jim Puzzanghera — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:20:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – The ousted head of the Internal Revenue Service apologized Friday morning for the agency's "foolish mistakes" in its handling of conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status and attributed the IRS' actions to a misguided pursuit of efficiency instead of partisan targeting.