A new report from the top Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee details startling facts about the Obama administration’s failed leadership in response to the Gulf oil spill, the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history. Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), ranking member on the Environment and Public Works Committee, released a report aptly named, “Failure of Leadership: President Obama and the Flawed Federal Response to the BP Disaster.” Inhofe’s report details the many ways in which “…administration officials failed in several instances to remove regulatory and bureaucratic impediments …
When the grass really is greener on the other side, it’s natural for people to want to cross the border. This is the crux of the illegal immigration debate raging in the United States. Mexican nationals desiring greater prosperity go to tremendous lengths to cross the border into a country that promises more opportunity. The Index of Economic Freedom confirms that the U.S., with a score of 78, is economically freer than Mexico, which scores 68.8. The grass is definitely greener in the United States. Many have suggested building a …
Weak economy or not, a huge tax increase is just around the corner. Tax relief enacted nearly a decade ago is set to expire in January, raising taxes for middle-class families, slamming the economy with new burdens, and hurting Americans at every level. The Obama Administration wants to raise taxes especially for high earners. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner recently defended the Administration’s position by claiming that a failure to raise taxes “would hurt economic recovery by undermining confidence that we are prepared to make a commitment today to bring down …
According to reports, Christina Romer, Chairman of the President’s Council of Economics Advisers (CEA) is calling it quits. Why does this matter? Another ignored economist leaves Washington with a slightly tattered professional reputation to be received joyously back in the arms of her colleagues in academe having served in a glorious cause—pass the brie and chablis. Well, it matters, at least a little. It matters because the notice given means the CEA still matters. As a CEA alum, I’m encouraged that even in this Administration the outward appearance, at least, …
The United States spent $28.7 billion dollars in 2009 on official development assistance, more than any other country in the world. There is no denying that many people in poor nations live in desperate conditions and Americans rightly want to help them improve their lives. In an effort to measure progress toward this end, the United Nations created a set of goals to be attained by 2015, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which include objectives such as lowering child mortality rates and providing universal access to education.
Last week, a federal judge appointed by President Bill Clinton, Judge Susan Bolton, blocked the enforcement of Arizona Senate Bill 1070, which was passed in an effort to control the flow of illegal immigrants into Arizona. In order to do that Judge Bolton gave a reading of the law and the evidence that the parties presented that fails to meet one of the fundamental principles of statutory interpretation: The court should give effect to each of the words of a statute if possible. Section 1373(c) of Title 8, U.S. Code, …
Earlier this week, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) this week inaugurated “Vanguard-2010,” a series of air defense exercises involving a variety of units from the PLA Air Force (PLAAF), but also the PLA Navy (PLAN). The exercises, as described in the Chinese press, will include fighter bombers, strike aircraft, electronic warfare aircraft, as well as air defense artillery and land-based helicopters. Of particular note, these drills will allow the PLAAF to test its ability to operate with other services under “complex electromagnetic conditions,” denoting electronic and information warfare operations.
Is Granny “disposable”? Some seniors may get that impression once Obamacare kicks in. As noted in a recent Wall Street Journal article, the new law cuts $200 billion from Medicare Advantage, a public-private “hybrid” of Medicare. As a result, more than 11 million seniors will likely see their Medicare Advantage premiums rise significantly or their benefits noticeably lessened. Either way, it will violate President Obama’s promise that all who liked their current coverage would be able to keep it under Obamacare. But Obamacare giveth what it taketh away. And the …
Sens. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and John McCain (R-AZ) have put out an excellent report on the 100 most wasteful projects funded in President Obama’s $862 Stimulus plan. The report, Summertime Blues, is important for conservatives to read from cover to cover. This report contains some of the most egregious and wasteful programs ever recorded. One project that has been the subject of much discussion is a Wake Forest University Study on how Monkeys react under the influence of cocaine. This project received $144,541 in Stimulus funds and produced only a …
The Obama Administration announced “Recovery Summer” in June to highlight the expected gains in jobs and economic strength resulting from Obama’s stimulus.. Well, maybe next summer. Initial estimates from the Department of Labor (DOL) suggest the economy shed a whopping 131,000 jobs in July while employment for the prior two months was revised down by 97,000 jobs. The unemployment rate held steady in August at 9.5 percent despite a drop in employment, because the number of people in the workforce also declined as workers appear to be giving up in …
