Repeatedly, reports have shown that Obamacare will increase job loss. But what happens when those who are laid off are the workers meant to enable the health care law’s expanded access of care: namely, hospital employees? According to one hospital, layoffs of workers have already begun as a result of the new law. Leaders of Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana, said that although “the economy sparked this problem…the Obama Health Care Reform Act gave the hospital a one-two punch. While more people may soon get more health coverage, Obama’s …
In their most recent op-ed in The Washington Post. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates assert that “Until a new treaty comes into force, our inspectors will not have access to Russian missile silos and the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals will lack the stability that comes with a rigorous inspection regime.” Obviously, this is an effort by the Obama Administration to push the Senate to vote on the treaty during the “lame duck” session of the current Congress. But there are many reasons why …
The Obama Administration’s original stimulus package includes $5 billion for a weatherization program (an early version of cash for caulkers). Perhaps because it involves spending huge sums of money, the Administration seems quite proud of the policy. Energy Secretary Steven Chu called it “one of our signature programs.” In this case, however, “signature program” appears to mean signing blank checks. State Auditor Stephen Eells recently reported to law makers in New Jersey on the Garden State’s $119 million portion of this federal program. Though he only audited a $613,600 portion, …
Does radio still play a role in a world where that is increasingly cyber-connected and populated by smart phone users? The answer, according to Google’s Director of Policy and Planning Bob Boorstin, is very much a “yes.” At a panel discussion of the new media and foreign policy hosted by the World Affairs Councils of America at the Mayflower Hotel on November 5, 2010, Boorstin declared himself a big supporter of radio, reminding the audience that “there are many areas of the world which do not have access to the …
A couple weeks ago a bomb destined for the United States was stopped just minutes before detonation. This marks the 33rd foiled terror plot against the United States since 9/11. Heritage Foundation deputy director of foreign policy Jim Carafano talks about the thwarted plot with Heritage in Focus: We’ve had four near misses in the last year….we got lucky. So, on the one hand, these plots are nothing like the sophisticated 9/11 plot was, and that’s good and that’s because of all the effort we’ve done over the years to …
Although Congress lifted the ban on deepwater drilling in October and drillers are eager to return to work, the government still has not issued any permits. And the news is unlikely to improve much next year. CNNMoney reports: Even if a few permits come through, analysts say it will be a far cry from the amount issued pre-spill. “We’re not holding our breath for a return to business as usual,” Whitney Stanco, and energy analyst at the Washington Research Group, wrote in a recent research note. “Despite pressure from Gulf …
House Cloakroom: November 14-20, 2010 Analysis: The House returns back to Washington for a lame-duck session after a historical midterm election. The actual legislative calendar for the week remains to be seen, but it will more than likely be light as the new members of the 112th Congress will be in town for orientation, leadership elections, and a meeting with President Obama for both Senate and House leadership teams on Thursday. Potential floor action could be seen on a one-time Social Security payment to recipients as well as the child-nutrition …
President Barack Obama returned from Asia yesterday, and the headlines greeting him home are not kind. “Obama’s economic view is rejected on world stage,” reads The New York Times; “Obama, weakened after midterms, reveals limited leverage in failed S. Korea deal,” says The Washington Post; and ABC News declares, “President Obama Falls Short on G-20 Goals: Failure to Deliver on Key Trade Goals Reveals Limits of American Influence.” These headlines are only half-right: Yes, President Obama did fail to deliver on his agenda in Asia, but the culprit is not …
Even the most ardent Obama supporter should be embarrassed by the collapse of bilateral trade talks with South Korea. President Obama had correctly hailed the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) as critically important for the United States. The U.S. International Trade Commission estimated the agreement would increase U.S. exports by $10 billion—a jobs stimulus package that wouldn’t cost the federal government a dime. But once again the trade accord was held hostage to narrow-minded demands by Congressmen and lobbying groups. Clearly, for the Obama White House, special interests …
Texas Governor Rick Perry was at The Heritage Foundation on Monday to speak on his new book FED UP! Its message is bringing limited, constitutional governance back to Washington and the role that state governments should play in that restoration. In his speech, the Governor stressed that the election was a clear message to lawmakers in Washington to return to exercising their constitutionally defined powers and that the federal government needs to support the states, not work against them. One of the areas in which the Governor has demonstrated the …
