National Editor, Congressional Quarterly
National Editor of Congressional Quarterly, he has been writing about the federal budget for the last 20 years
PROFILE
John Cranford
Guest
FROM John Cranford
To the Point
Chaos Continues on Capitol Hill The lame-duck session of Congress is hard to keep track of. Today's sure thing is old news by tomorrow, and nobody knows how long it's going to go on. The tax bill and the omnibus spending package were dealt with last night, but what about " Don't Ask, Don't Tell ," the DREAM Act and the START Treaty ? Is Barack Obama "triangulating" with Democrats and Republicans, just like Bill Clinton? Is he abandoning principles or finally getting real? What are the prospects for next year when Republicans will take over the House? Will it be time to get down to business or the start of the next campaign?
To the Point
Can Obama Trim the Fat off the Federal Budget? At his press conference today, Barack Obama again vowed to go over the federal budget line by line looking for wasteful spending. The President-elect reiterated his promise as part of his efforts to revive the economy. It's the kind of promise politicians seem to make over and over, without ever making substantial change. Will he really be able to tackle programs protected by special interests? What’s ahead for Obama's team? John Cranford, national editor of Congressional Quarterly, has been writing about the federal budget for 20 years.
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To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
Left, Right & Center
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.