Chris Van Hollen

House Passes Budget, Averts Government Shutdown

The House has passed a huge stopgap spending bill to keep the government open through the end of September, sidestepping any threat of a government shutdown.

Debt Crisis Looms as Congress Digs in Its Heels

Legislators show no signs they're heading toward compromise in resolving the nation's next financial crisis, with Democrats talking about further taxes hikes on the rich, and Republicans saying a crippling default on U.S. debt is possible unless they get significant cuts in government spending.

Meet the 12 People Who Have to Fix the U.S. Budget

There has been a pleasant lull in reporting about the debt ceiling and budget debate, but don't let the quiet fool you. Right now, 11 men and one woman are crafting a plan to reduce the federal budget deficit by $1.5 trillion over 10 years. They are the members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction -- aka, the Deficit Supercommittee.