As Congress and the President scramble around for budget cuts, caps and freezes, all are ignoring a wealth of federally owned assets that serve little or no purpose to our nation. If sold, the proceeds would measure in the hundreds of billions and would take a significant chunk out of the public debt. It would also result in lower interest payments, which today are the fourth largest item on the budget. $193 Billion from Gold The federal government currently holds about 9,000 tons of gold. These holdings have had no …
Wednesday, the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (DCOSP) was the subject of a hearing held by Senators Joe Lieberman (I–CT) and Susan Collins (R–ME). Although the program is boosting the graduation rates of students who use a scholarship to attend private school and is overwhelmingly popular among parents and D.C. residents, the last Congress blocked new students from entering, and the Obama Administration has offered no support. Today, Senators, media, and proponents and opponents alike were once again reminded of the vital role this program plays for children and their families. …
At first glance, President Obama’s motion to kill a program that provides low-income families with energy sounds as politically attractive as legislation to drown puppies, but when you take a look at the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), it makes all the sense in the world. LIHEAP has become a rapidly expanding federal program meant to help America’s households with the lowest incomes pay their fuel bills. The funding for LIHEAP more than doubled in the past few years, increasing from about $2 billion in 2008 to $5.1 billion …
Under President Barack Obama’s fiscal year (FY) 2012 budget, by 2014 net interest payments on our debt will surpass the amount spent on education, transportation, energy, and all other discretionary programs outside defense combined. Over the next decade, every citizen will be paying more than $2,500 a year in interest alone. Simply put: Our current spending habits are bankrupting our children. This must stop. The culture of overspending must change, and this week’s debate over the remaining months over the FY 2011 budget is the beginning of that fight. Substantive …
When Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited the Kingdom of Bahrain in December, she lauded the tiny Gulf island as “a model partner” and noted that she was “impressed by the commitment that the government has to the democratic path.” The 10,000 protestors currently camped out in Manama’s Pearl Square would beg to differ. On Monday, “The Revolution of 14th February in Bahrain” organized demonstrations throughout the capital city protesting the Sunni regime. Bahrain’s Shia majority are demanding an end to their marginalization, including better employment opportunities, education and housing …
Has the Obama Administration finally reached agreement on its policy toward the Middle East uprisings? The State Department and the White House have been articulating a variety of different foreign policies on events in Egypt and Iran, as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has taken the lead on supporting the protests in the streets and President Obama and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon pleading for stability and civility—at least until President Mubarak’s removal seemed inevitable. At George Washington University Tuesday, Clinton again articulated a far more assertive message than the …
“We have an Administration that is saying, we want you to vote on the debt ceiling and continue business as usual. No reforms, no cuts in spending,” explains Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA). With pragmatic perspective and common-sense suggestions, Toomey debunked the debt limit hysteria in a speech at The Heritage Foundation this morning. After his speech, he joined us for an In The Green Room interview to discuss the misconceptions that surround the issue and a few solutions that might actually weed out the root problem of irresponsible spending. Toomey …
Last week I sat through four hours of missile defense presentations at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC. Those on the panel were the leading experts on this grave matter. Grave because we will soon be digging ours. Not only was I able to sit and listen, but I was also asked to be a part of it. Now what could a 50+ year-old woman, wife, mother, grandmother, business owner and a tea party organizer know about missile defense? Not much, but probably more than the average bear. As a …
Wednesday morning Rep. Nan Hayworth (R-NY) took to the floor of the House of Representatives to read a letter from 13 year-old Jeremy Vaitas, a constituent of hers from Middletown, New York. Jeremy wrote: As a 13 year-old boy in 7th grade I am concerned about my future. Currently the national debt is $14 trillion, $16 billion, $110 million, $552 thousand, $952 dollars, and five cents. My self and every other citizen will have to pay $45,241 to eliminate this debt. My parents struggle with money. And I am afraid …
At his press conference defending his FY 2012 budget yesterday President Barack Obama told the American people: “What my budget does is to put forward some tough choices, some significant spending cuts so that by the middle of this decade our annual spending will match our annual revenues. We will not be adding more to the national debt.” This is such a preposterous claim that every media outlet that has covered this remark has also noted that it is completely false. McClatchy Newspapers: “President Barack Obama’s claim Tuesday that his …
