Earlier today, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell floated a proposal that, essentially, cedes the authority for raising the debt limit from the Congress to the president. Under McConnell’s plan, President Obama would propose three incremental debt limit increases between now and the end of 2012. Congress could only vote to disapprove these requests, which President Obama could then veto. Without a 2/3 majority in Congress to override that veto, which is very unlikely, the debt limit increase would become automatic. This plan is insufficient and is obviously a non-starter. At …
The Obama Administration is working hard toward the ratification of the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST) in the U.S. Senate. The treaty offers little to no benefits for the U.S. and harms U.S. interests, writes Peter Brookes in his latest op-ed on the subject. Some of LOST’s implications: Redistributes U.S. wealth. First, the treaty would make the United States subject to Article 82, meaning that the United States would be required to transfer up to hundreds of billions of dollars generated by mining on the U.S. extended continental shelf …
Whom has the recession hurt the most? There is no easy answer to that question—job opportunities have diminished for every ethnic and demographic group. But one of the worst hit groups has attracted little media attention: the youth. Younger Americans overwhelmingly voted for Obama in 2008, but the Obama economy has not treated them well:
Do you think that a government union would make the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) more effective? President Obama does. The White House recently decided to begin limited collective bargaining with airline security screeners. The TSA will now collectively negotiate performance management processes, employee awards and recognition processes, and shift and transfer policies. Fortunately, the TSA will not (yet) bargain over promotions, security procedures, or personnel deployments—although the Administration can remove these limits later. If the Administration is trying to protect Americans, this is a mistake. Collective bargaining is inherently adversarial. …
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to ensure that everything is bigger in Texas, including the state’s electricity rates and unemployment lines. On July 7, the EPA adopted a rule to place even more stringent regulations on sulfur dioxide emissions that could shut down the use of lignite coal in Texas. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson assured Texans that their economy and coal production would be just fine: Texas has an ample range of cost-effective emission reduction options for complying with the requirements of this rule without threatening reliability or the …
Baseball is unforgiving for the generous. A pitcher serves up a meaty pitch, and the batter hits a home run, never giving credit to the man who threw the ball. A starry-eyed fan gives a trophy to a legend, and now he’s about to get hit with a tax burden. The story begins with New York Yankee Derek Jeter, who on Saturday night became the 28th player in baseball history to achieve 3,000 hits. It was a memorable night, too, for 23-year-old Christian Lopez, the Yankee fan who grabbed the …
Yesterday, the President conditioned a debt limit increase on the House and Senate meeting his demands to increase taxes, a very risky declaration. The President declared that he would veto any short-term debt limit increase because he wants a comprehensive deal including tax increases. Ben Feller of the San Francisco Chronicle asked the President if he would sign a short-term debt limit increase: Thank you very much, Mr. President. Two quick topics. Given that you’re running out of time, can you explain what is your plan for where these talks …
Grateful neighbors wished to honor the seven Brooklyn firefighters riding Ladder 101 who perished after pulling up to the burning north tower of the World Trade Center on a crystal-blue morning nine years and 10 months ago. The community won city approval to rename a portion of a street near the Red Hook firehouse, also home of Engine 202. When new street signs with the words Seven in Heaven Way went up last month, though, the atheist lobby began to raise heck. It’s “the wrong thing to do,” one American …
Yesterday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its proposed regulations for the Obamacare version of health insurance exchanges. State lawmakers are a key audience for these regulations, which is why HHS wrapped its announcement in talk of “state flexibility.” In truth, the proposed regulations don’t give states any additional flexibility beyond what they are permitted under Obamacare anyway, and in some places they may further limit state lawmakers’ options. For example, state lawmakers are particularly concerned about how Obamacare gives the exchanges control over Medicaid eligibility. Some …
Some politicians in Washington don’t think you’re all that bright. They believe that you can’t make wise decisions in your day-to-day life, so they have taken it upon themselves to impose regulations to protect you from yourself. And there’s no better example than Congress’ ban on the incandescent light bulb, which is up for repeal in the House today. The 2007 law is set to phase-out Thomas Edison’s brainchild bulbs in 2012 and replace them with costlier but more energy-efficient alternatives, the most popular being compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). Since then, …
