Long before the House of Representatives considered the repeal of Obamacare, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli was leading the way to undo the law in the courtroom. Virginia’s lawsuit against Obamacare has been a rallying cry for opponents of the health care takeover from the beginning, and Cuccinelli has vowed to proudly carry that banner to the end. He spoke to Heritage last year about Virginia’s case. “I don’t think in my lifetime we’ve seen one statute that so erodes liberty than this health care bill,” Cuccinelli told us. “Certainly, …
Last March, Virginia and Florida (joined by 12 other states) filed suit against Obamacare, challenging its constitutionality. Since that time, many other states have joined in, recognizing the threat posed by the legislation to both the Constitution and their own state budgets. As we reported on Friday, more than half of all states are now suing over Obamacare. In Friday’s post, several commenters asked for a complete list of the states involved with the various lawsuits, which we have compiled below. The following list contains all 27 states that have …
Global Environment Fund founder and chief executive Jeffrey Leonard (not 1987 National League Championship Series MVP Jeffrey Leonard) wrote in The Washington Post last week: If Obama wants to set us on a path to a sustainable-energy future – and a green one, too – he should propose a very simple solution to the current mess: eliminate all energy subsidies. Yes, all of them – oil, coal, gas, nuclear, ethanol, and wind and solar. This is a fabulous idea which we genuinely hope President Obama adopts. Subsidies distort market signals …
Fifty years ago, on January 17, 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered his famous Farewell Address. The speech ranks, as Eisenhower intended it to, with Washington’s Farewell Address as a masterpiece of American rhetoric, of balance, and of prudent, far-seeing counsel. It is the fate of such masterpieces to be much quoted but seldom read. On this anniversary, therefore, before you read further, we encourage you to read the speech. Nothing could be further from the truth than the popular myth, which still lingers, of Ike as casual president, more …
House Cloakroom Report: January 17-23 After the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Holiday, the House will reconvene tomorrow afternoon for legislative business. The majority of the week will be devoted to legislation repealing Obamacare. The vote, scheduled for Wednesday, will kick off with seven hours of debate on Tuesday, followed by additional seven hours of debate on Wednesday before the final vote will be taken. This comes on the heels of over half of states now suing to stop Obamacare as a continuing number of governors and Americans recognize the damaging impact …
As we celebrate Martin Luther King Day, it is fitting to reflect upon the tortured experience of blacks in this country. Looking back upon four centuries of African-American history two things are undeniably clear: for the greatest part of America’s history, blacks were grossly mistreated and the country has come a long, long way since the first slaves were brought to Jamestown in 1619. Most astounding, in this latter regard, is the seismic shift in popular attitudes regarding blacks since the Civil Rights movement began. It’s hard to believe that …
As the House prepares to consider the repeal of Obamacare this week, Heritage is showcasing stories about the law’s impact on America. Last year we traveled to Dallas to speak with Larry Patterson. As a small business owner and father, he has much to fear about Obamacare’s consequences to his livelihood and family. Patterson worries the law will make it more expensive to offer insurance for his employees. But he’s also concerned about how his family will fare as doctors adapt to the changes.
Billions of dollars in potential oil revenue that could help close the federal deficit is being lost as a result of President Obama’s anti-drilling agenda. Production in the Gulf of Mexico — which normally accounts for about 30 percent of all U.S. production — is expected to drop this year by 220,000 barrels per day, according to projections from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. With oil currently at $90 a barrel and the royalty rate at 18.75 percent, that equals $3.7 million in lost revenue each day. If the agency …
According to a new poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, 47% of Americans incorrectly see China as the world’s leading economic power. Only 31% of Americans get it right and name the United States. This study reveals some interesting realities about Americans’ perceptions of China. Another important fact that Americans might not know is that the United States far outranks China in measures of economic freedom. According to the 2011 Index of Economic Freedom, which ranks 179 countries on economic freedom, China comes in …
Looks like Argentina’s President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has to pull her jet up to the “cash only” pump! Yesterday, Argentine thieves riding motorcycles stole $91,000 in dollars and euros that President Kirchner planned to take with her on a trip to the Middle East. Aides say the money was for presidential plane expenses for this week’s visit to Kuwait, Qatar, and Turkey. One would think that Cristina’s friends who sit atop so much jet fuel in the Middle East, of all places, would let her run a tab. Especially …
