How Republicans Lost Control of the Spending Fight in Congress

Republicans arrived in Washington this year promising a return to “regular order” in Congress. It was a hallmark of Paul Ryan’s quest to be House speaker and Mitch McConnell’s way of showing that the Senate could get things done. Gone were the days of omnibus spending bills and continuing resolutions—or the dreaded combination of the two, known as a CRomnibus. In their place would be a budget and 12 spending bills. But four months into 2016, House Republicans have yet to approve a budget (missing the April 15 deadline) and their Senate counterparts are unable to pass even the least controversial spending bill. Read more...