Recently released information from the 9/11 Commission reveals that its original recommendation to condense and consolidate congressional oversight for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has yet to be implemented. This leaves homeland security at risk and bound by its own committees. In 2003, DHS was subject to oversight by 86 congressional committees and subcommittees. Today there are more than 108. Compare that to the 36 committees and subcommittees with oversight for the Department of Defense, which has a budget 10 times greater than DHS and millions more employees. This …
In case you missed it, make sure you listen to last week’s Heritage Libertad Radio Show. Listen in Spanish or English. The Spanish show kicks off with a discussion of new government data regarding the Hispanic community. That’s followed up with a segment on immigration. The show closes with member questions: What is American exceptionalism? How is the president paying for his newly proposed jobs plan? The English show kicks off with a segment with Congressman Farenthold (R – TX) on oil and gas exploration and the EPA. From there …
Has Congress forgotten Obamacare? All the promises to repeal it mostly faded into the background months ago, even as the health law disrupts our economy. Fortunately, at least one lawmaker is still trying to undo that disruption. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) is forcing the Senate to confront the issue. He’s sponsoring an amendment that would deny money for Obamacare during the upcoming fiscal year (which starts Oct. 1st). The law was structured to provide $105-billion worth of automatic funding and $1.4-trillion over the next 10 years, so the money gets …
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is taking his people’s bid for statehood to the United Nations this week with a speech set for Friday, followed by a formal application for membership to the U.N. shortly thereafter. If Palestine succeeds in its unilateral efforts, it would be detrimental to U.S. interests in the region, isolate Israel, and deal a major setback to Israeli–Palestinian peace prospects. Palestine’s move comes despite intense U.S. diplomatic efforts and words from President Barack Obama warning that “efforts to delegitimize Israel will end in failure.” The President has vowed to veto …
Internal communications and testimonials from former Solyndra employees provide a stunning window into the consequences of federal support for private companies. Political backing, in short, made the company sloppy, wasteful, and spurred it to focus more and more resources on securing federal handouts – even while the company’s everyday business operations faltered. “Solyndra’s ability to secure federal backing also made the company eager for more assistance, interviews and records show,” reported the Washington Post on Thursday. “Company executives ramped up their Washington lobbying efforts, hiring a former Senate aide to …
President Barack Obama’s speech to the United Nations had more than a few elements of a domestic campaign stump speech. Indeed, after a few opening obligatory remarks about the history and ideals of the U.N., the President quickly launched into a detailed account of his record in office – ending the military operation in Iraq, transitioning more responsibility to Afghan authorities, and killing Osama bin Laden – clearly aimed at American voters. Even when the President moved on to highlight the accomplishments of the U.N. he did so in a …
As Turkish representatives announced last week their decision to participate in the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA), the Obama Administration’s plan for missile defense, there seems to be a misconception about EPAA’s capabilities. This week, The Washington Post wrote, “Development of a European missile shield accelerated under the George W. Bush administration. In September 2009, President Obama announced plans to construct a more extensive system in Europe that will be built in phases through 2020.” In fact, the EPAA is less extensive than where the Bush Administration was headed in …
Solyndra executives scheduled to testify before a House committee on Friday were likely expecting some tough questions. In general, Republicans will wonder whether their political ties got them favorable treatment from the Energy Department. Democrats will want to know why the company said it was financially healthy mere weeks before it collapsed. But the announcement by Solyndra’s chief executive and head financial officer that they will “plead the Fifth” and refuse to answer committee questions will spawn a whole new line of interrogation: what happened over the past week to …
The assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was in charge of the High Peace Council pursuing reconciliation talks with the Taliban, is a clarifying moment for Afghans who had hoped Rabbani’s efforts would bring peace to the war-ravaged country. The assassination is a body blow to the political reconciliation process and will reinforce resistance among the country’s ethnic minority leaders to the very idea of seeking political accommodation with the Taliban. Rabbani’s assassination on Tuesday is eerily similar to that of Northern Alliance commander Ahmed Shah Massoud 10 …
One of the most crucial issues confronting the nation is the debt and spending crisis. Standard & Poor’s downgraded the nation’s credit rating in August, while Moody’s put the U.S. on watch for a possible future downgrade. America is hemorrhaging debt, and bold steps are needed now to get spending under control. Toward that end, the House passed one of the boldest budget plans in decades this past spring. It was a clear statement outlining the steps we must take to stem the toxic red ink spilling across the federal …
