Karoun Demirjian

Story Archive

Heck officially opposes Obama on Syria strike: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013; Nevada Rep. Joe Heck has not been shy about expressing his criticism and distaste for President Barack Obama’s Syria strike plan during interviews and appearances in the last week.
In national pitch, Obama buys time on military action against Syria: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013; President Barack Obama told the nation why he has been pushing for a military strike in Syria, but stopped short of actually issuing a call to arms.
Amodei breaks silence on Syria, blisters Obama administration for 'bipolar gaffes': Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013; Add Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei to the growing list of lawmakers opposed to strikes in Syria.
Reid, Heller briefed by Obama on Syria: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013; Nevada Senators Harry Reid and Dean Heller both got a chance to confer with President Barack Obama over Syria today, as Obama visited Capitol Hill to discuss the swiftly changing scenario with Democrats and Republicans and ask for their moral support.
Adelson says he would help Obama garner support for strike against Syria: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013; Sheldon Adelson offered to help President Barack Obama drum up support among Republicans for a Syria strike, he told the National Journal in an interview last night.
Dean Heller says no to US military strike on Syria: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013; Plans for the Senate to vote to authorize limited military strikes in Syria are on hold. But should the resolution come up, Nevada Sen. Dean Heller won’t be supporting it.
Reid delays Senate vote on military action against Syria: Monday, Sept. 9, 2013; Sen. Harry Reid announced Monday night that he will delay plans to have the Senate vote to authorize limited strikes against Syria, to give President Barack Obama more time to update Congress on a rapidly changing situation.
Syria debate pushes immigration off the House's agenda: Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013; A national network of immigrants rights groups had set the end of this month as a deadline for the House of Representatives to respond to years of protests and pleas by passing a comprehensive immigration reform bill. For a while, it looked like Congress might just be responsive, and pick up immigration reform as a top item when they returned to Washington, D.C. this coming week. Then, there was Syria -- and everything in Washington came to a screeching halt.
A vote on military force in Syria is new ground for most of Nevada's delegation: Friday, Sept. 6, 2013; Thanks to the presidential history of asking Congress’s forgiveness instead of permission, few of Nevada’s representatives have ever had to decide whether or not to authorize a military strike before.
Nevada delegation still has unanswered questions on Syria: Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013; It will be at least another week before any member of Congress is called to vote on the President Barack Obama’s proposal to bomb targets in Syria. And for the most part, Nevada’s congressional representatives are staying tight-lipped about how they will vote until then.
Why Reid delegates to Democratic lieutenants to get some things done: Friday, Aug. 23, 2013; The Capitol may still house, as critics complain, a do-nothing Congress, but in the Senate, the summer was season of big deals. There was a budget bill. A student loan bill. A deal on the procedural filibuster. And who could forget immigration? But none of them was chiefly orchestrated by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Government acknowledges Area 51 in declassified spy plane documents: Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013; The government has finally recognized the existence of Area 51, according to the National Security Archive, which published recently obtained declassified CIA reports detailing and mapping the previously unacknowledged area in Nevada.
Carbon offsetting for Clean Energy Summit? Uhhh, no: Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013; The attendees at this year’s National Clean Energy summit took many a gas-guzzling plane, cab and SUV to make it to Las Vegas’s Mandalay Bay Resort, where they spent Tuesday comparing notes on the latest commercial technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Sound ironic? Perhaps. But for now, conference organizers suggest, it is just one of the opportunity costs of getting the fledgling clean energy business going.
Few barriers between Nevada and nation’s nuclear waste: Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013; The pressure on Nevada lawmakers to see a new nuclear waste disposal act through Congress this session just skyrocketed.
To his chagrin, Reid hints at more potential filibuster fights: Sunday, Aug. 11, 2013; Sen. Harry Reid struck a deal in July to end the procedural filibuster on executive nominees. But that might not be the end of it. Looking ahead, Reid sees more potential fights.
Harry Reid, Obama at odds over future of government-backed lenders: Friday, Aug. 9, 2013; President Barack Obama, much of Congress and leading housing experts and economists in Nevada may all be singing the praises of phasing out home-lending giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Would shift in mortgage risk-taking affect Nevada's rebounding housing market?: Friday, Aug. 9, 2013; Congress might tackle a plan to phase out home lending giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac this fall. But Nevadans might want lawmakers to drag their heels a bit.
One strange bird could pave way for more fire prevention funds: Monday, Aug. 5, 2013; As Nevada struggles with ravaging wildfires, the case of one strange bird is forcing the state to forge a solution on a strict deadline: If the state doesn’t stop the burning, in two years, a sweeping endangered species listing for the sage grouse could threaten the state’s entire economy.
Yucca Mountain debate returns to Capitol Hill: Friday, Aug. 2, 2013; Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz's goodwill trip this week to Capitol Hill was an unofficial effort to drum up support for a new national strategy for storing nuclear waste. But that doesn't necessarily mean Nevada's Yucca Mountain is off the table.
Nevada activists arrested in D.C. immigration protest: Friday, Aug. 2, 2013; Two Nevada activists were voluntarily arrested at a pro-immigration reform sit-in outside House Speaker John Boehner’s office Thursday, in a demonstration designed to urge Congress’ top Republican to back a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Heller to energy secretary: 'We need the DOE to act like a partner' on nuclear fuel issues: Tuesday, July 30, 2013; The Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee met with Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz on Tuesday afternoon to discuss how to find nuclear waste storage alternatives to Yucca Mountain. But for the one Nevadan on the committee, Sen. Dean Heller, Yucca took a backseat to the more pressing unresolved matter: how the Department of Energy plans to address rising concerns that nuclear spent fuel shipments coming from Tennessee to the Test Site are unsafe.
Reid's time as majority leader hinges on 2014 election: Monday, July 29, 2013; Political watchers believe the likelihood is growing that the Senate could change hands in the 2014 election, relegating Harry Reid to the minority.
Hey students: Start planning now. Senate deal means interest rates will go up: Monday, July 29, 2013; But Nevada’s college financial aid administrators aren’t so sure lawmakers ought to be congratulating themselves on a deal well done on student loan interest rates.
In letter, Heller calls for revenue-neutral tax code, open process: Friday, July 26, 2013; Sen. Dean Heller joined the list of senators making their tax reform request letters public Friday — but his wish list was pretty short, and more focused on political principles than revolutionary policies.
What about the children? Immigration reform hearing focuses on adults: Despite disagreement about where focus should be, at least one lawmaker believes House took 'step in right direction of justice'; Tuesday, July 23, 2013; The House Judiciary Committee held its first hearing Tuesday regarding whether to give undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children a pathway to citizenship.
Land deal to clean up Three Kids mine site passes House: Monday, July 22, 2013; The House of Representatives passed a bill to permit the sale of hundreds of acres of public lands to the City of Henderson Monday, in an effort to clean up the toxic waste site at Three Kids Mine.
Al Gore to speak at Tahoe Summit: Monday, July 22, 2013; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that former Vice President Al Gore will be attending this year’s Lake Tahoe Summit, planned for Aug. 19 at the Sand Harbor State Park. Gore has been a part of the Lake Tahoe Summit since its inception in 1997.
Harry Reid and the fine art of self-bluffing: Sunday, July 21, 2013; Negotiation is the art of compromise. And sometimes, it is the art of appearing totally uncompromising. In the past few months, Sen. Harry Reid has perfected the art of the bluff. Consider last week’s filibuster debacle. Over a period of months, Reid left Republicans wondering whether he would call for his Democrats to exercise the “nuclear option” — use a simple majority to pass a rule change gutting the 60-vote procedural filibuster. He inched them closer toward blind panic every day.
Five ways the election calendar threatens immigration reform in the House: Sunday, July 21, 2013; Once a candidate commences a campaign, no vote in Washington can escape scrutiny – especially not on a hot topic like immigration reform.
Reid to Congress: Talk about climate change as if it really exists: Thursday, July 18, 2013; The Western wildfires should compel Congress to start debating climate change, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday.
Reid backs off criticism of Heller over online poker: Wednesday, July 17, 2013; Just a year ago, Nevada Sen. Harry Reid was busy making it his mission to prove that Nevada Sen. Dean Heller was inept at the delicate art of culling votes for Internet poker legislation.
Harry Reid on high-speed rail project: ‘It’s not over yet’: Wednesday, July 17, 2013; Sen. Harry Reid will be doing some shuttle diplomacy with the White House next week to get things moving on a suspended federal loan application for the XpressWest high-speed rail project. “It’s not over yet,” Reid said Wednesday.
Another argument for federally regulated online gambling: Thwarting terrorists: Wednesday, July 17, 2013; The case for federal online poker legislation was once about adults’ freedom to spend their money as they like and states’ need for an extra source of revenue.
Joe Heck leads the pack in campaign contributions: Tuesday, July 16, 2013; The quarterly campaign disclosures for members of the House of Representatives are in, and Rep. Joe Heck is leading the Nevada pack, with $385,030.83 raised.
Senate's filibuster deal is no long-term fix: Tuesday, July 16, 2013; Republican and Democratic senators are ringing the bells of victory over their deal to confirm seven executive nominees in exchange for leaving the minority’s filibuster power intact. But there are no long-term guarantees in the deal to prevent senators from reaching similar impasses in the future.
Senate cuts deal to avoid threatened ‘nuclear option’ over filibusters: Tuesday, July 16, 2013; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Tuesday defused the “nuclear option” he’d been threatening to detonate in the Senate, all but ending speculation that he’d make good on threats to end the procedural filibuster for executive nominations.
As Reid prepares for filibuster showdown, a look back at his past gambits: Tuesday, July 16, 2013; Sen. Harry Reid is no stranger to procedural workarounds. Win or lose, he’s often eschewed common Senate practice in favor of sleights of Senate procedure to get his way. And if he does go for a rule change Tuesday, it wouldn’t be the first time he’s gone nuclear.
Filibuster threat looms as Senate huddle fails to reach deal on appointees: Monday, July 15, 2013; After nearly three-and-a-half hours behind closed doors, the Senate is still at an impasse over how to craft a compromise that will coax Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid away from undoing the filibuster by majority fiat.
Harry Reid threatens to push plunger on ‘nuclear option’: Thursday, July 11, 2013; Tick, tick, tick. Wait for the boom. Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid warned the Senate this morning that he was all but ready to employ the so-called “nuclear option” and have the Senate vote, by simple majority, to end the procedural filibuster — at least for presidential nominations.
How the House immigration bills differ from the Senate: Thursday, July 11, 2013; Adopting a comprehensive approach was key to solving the immigration puzzle in the Senate, but in the House, Republicans are going piece by piece. And so far, they're leaving out the pathway to citizenship piece.
Nevada lawmakers slapped down on votes on state’s nuclear interests: Wednesday, July 10, 2013; The House of Representatives on Wednesday delivered two more defeats to the Nevada delegation’s attempts to safeguard the state’s nuclear interests.
Reid: 'Maybe' there's hope for compromise on student loan interest rates: Wednesday, July 10, 2013; Sen. Harry Reid said Wednesday morning that there was a chance, “maybe,” that the Senate could come up with a compromise on student loan interest rates.
House spurns attempt to block Yucca Mountain funding: Tuesday, July 9, 2013; It’s become an annual tradition in the Republican-led House that every summer, members of the Nevada delegation lead their colleagues in a Yucca Mountain do-si-do.
Senators steal Reid's limelight to vent frustration on student loan stalemate: Tuesday, July 9, 2013; Two conservative Democrats and one Independent who caucuses Democrat decided to hold court in the corridor during Sen. Harry Reid’s time, as the majority leader was himself trying to brief reporters on Senate business at the other end of the hall.
Though Republicans are still uneasy about nominee, Senate confirms Dorsey as district judge: Tuesday, July 9, 2013; The Senate voted Tuesday morning to confirm the nomination of Jennifer Dorsey, a partner with the Las Vegas firm of Kemp, Jones & Coulthard, as a federal district judge.
Bill to restore lower student loan rate is up for vote: Monday, July 8, 2013; At least one student loan bill will be voted on in Washington this week.
Federal court nominee Jennifer Dorsey may finally find her way to the bench: Monday, July 8, 2013; After waiting for 10 months and weathering the overtones of an alleged pay-to-play scandal, Nevada federal court nominee Jennifer Dorsey will stand for a confirmation vote by the full Senate on Tuesday.
Eight immigrants driving Reid's support for immigration reform: Sunday, July 7, 2013; As the immigration debate heads to the House of Representatives, here is a look at the stories of the immigrants here illegally as featured on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
Heck bobs and weaves as voters jab at him on immigration reform views: Thursday, July 4, 2013; With the Senate passing sweeping immigration reform legislation June 27, the fight has shifted to a new ring, the House of Representatives.
Heller, Reid bill tackles Douglas County land issues: Tuesday, July 2, 2013; Douglas County’s public lands issues now have a proposed federal solution, after Nevada Sens. Harry Reid and Dean Heller introduced a bill Tuesday to address everything from economic development to wilderness and sage grouse protection.