House Cloakroom: December 5-11, 2010 Analysis: With the administration in negotiations regarding the extension of tax relief measures from 01/03, a deal could be struck at some point this week and the measure brought to the floor in the House. That being said, there will also be further discussions of what the Congress will do with the Continuing Resolution and funding of the government set to end on December 18th. An all encompassing omnibus bill that would package all of the appropriations bills together could be possible but at this …
Although Iran and North Korea have received far more attention, Syria is belatedly becoming a prime focus of international concern over nuclear proliferation. On December 1, the Institute for Science and International Security released satellite photos of suspected Syrian nuclear sites linked to the covert Al-Kibar nuclear reactor that Israeli warplanes bombed in 2007, shortly before it could begin operations. The CIA later confirmed that the site contained a North Korean–designed nuclear reactor that would have been capable of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons. Syria blocked inspectors from the International …
Last Friday the Labor Department reported that private sector employers added an anemic 50,000 net jobs to the U.S. economy in November. That is far fewer than what is needed to absorb discouraged workers reentering the workforce or population growth. As a result, unemployment rose to 9.8 percent, marking the 19th consecutive month that our nation’s unemployment rate topped 9 percent, a post–World War II record. Faced with this record breaking unemployment, what did the leftist Senate majority do the very next day? They voted to raise taxes, of course. …
Following a recent meeting with the President, some of our pro-ballistic missile defense (BMD) Senators expressed public optimism that ratification of New START still might be possible in the lame duck session, that their concerns about our freedom to deploy vital BMD systems have been allayed by presidential assurances that nothing in New START will present any constraints or limitations on our missile defense plans, or words to that effect. This raises a number of questions for me, which I hope some or all of you might help me on. …
One hundred and thirty six years ago this week, Winston Churchill—arguably the leading statesman of the twentieth century—was born. The son of a British father and an American mother, Churchill is often remembered for his formidable oratory skills and his love of fine cigars. Yet Churchill was also a great friend to America whose warnings about the empty promises of the nascent welfare state have come to fruition. A great admirer of America, Churchill especially praised our founding document: “The Declaration is not only an American document. It follows on …
In his annual address Tuesday to both houses of parliament, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev warned that a new arms race would erupt if Moscow and the West cannot agree on a joint European missile defense program. Medvedev gave the following ultimatum: “Either we reach agreement on missile defense and create a full joint cooperation mechanism, or, if we don’t go into a constructive agreement, a new phase of the arms race will begin. And we will have to make a decision on deploying new means of attack.” Prime Minister Vladimir …
Last year at this time, the United Nations was coming to grips with the fact that the Copenhagen climate change summit would not produce a legally binding climate pact to succeed the failed Kyoto Protocol. In retrospect, nearly everyone acknowledges that the Copenhagen conference failed utterly to achieve its objectives. A year later, nations are again huddled together at a U.N. conference—this time in sunny Cancun, Mexico, rather than blustery Denmark—to try to get the global warming treaty train back on the rails. In the lead up to the Copenhagen …
In advance of today’s vote on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform’s report, there has been increased attention on the nation’s fiscal health and the serious dangers posed by our out-of-control national debt. But while this issue has garnered increased scrutiny, some continue to ignore the real cause of our debt and deficit problems—rampant spending—focusing instead on raising taxes. The debt commission’s recommendations are a perfect example. Heritage today put out a comprehensive WebMemo analyzing this problem with the report, noting that while it contains modest reforms, it …
“You are what your record says you are.” So says Bill Parcells, three-time Super Bowl–winning coach. Professional sports, athletes, coaches, and commentators can spin the numbers with the best of politicians, but in the end you are what your record says you are. The record on the first two years of President Obama’s economic policies is pretty dismal: publicly issued national debt up $2.9 trillion, unemployment rate jumping to 9.8 percent, and Obama’s personal metric—the Obama jobs deficit—a lofty 7.3 million workers. The Obama Jobs Deficit President Obama promised during …
President Barack Obama’s 18 member National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (commission) just voted 11-7 in support of the commission’s official report. This is three votes short of the 14-vote mark President Obama said would be needed before the report could be sent to Congress. While the commission deserves credit for addressing this problem, the report contains far too many tax hikes, and far too little spending cuts to be a workable solution. The Heritage Foundation’s Brian Riedl critique of the report mirrors the one made by Rep. Paul …
