Thankfully there were no fatalities in the collapse of the Interstate 5 bridge that crosses the Skagit River in Washington State last night. The thoughts and prayers of The Heritage Foundation are with the people injured and their families. As is the case immediately following any tragedy, it is too …
H.R. 1724, the Kids First Research Act of 2013, sponsored by Representative Gregg Harper (R–MS), would end the Presidential Election Campaign Fund (PECF). That’s the good news. But then the bill would authorize spending existing PECF funds on a new 10-year pediatric research initiative via the National Institutes of Health …
As “Sequest-air”—the political fight over the flight delays caused by the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) decision to furlough air traffic controllers—gained momentum yesterday, the Senate passed a bill that would do exactly what Congress and the Administration should have done all along: cut spending but prioritize where the cuts should …
The Highway Trust Fund (HTF), which funds most surface interstate transportation programs, from roads to bridges, faces insolvency in a few short years. In a House Budget Hearing today, one witness—Robert Poole of the Reason Foundation—offered lawmakers a near-term solution akin to what The Heritage Foundation has proposed: Recommit HTF …
Federal funding for high-speed rail would end under the House fiscal year 2014 budget introduced by Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R–WI). Costly high-speed rail and other intercity rail projects are not federal priorities, especially in this era of trillion-dollar budget deficits. They should not be exempt from budget cuts. …
The Obama Administration is on track to beat former President Bill Clinton for second-longest delay in submitting a presidential budget on time. First place for the latest budget in history? That also goes to President Obama. In 2009, he did not submit a budget until 98 days after the statutory deadline. …
Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (R–AL) and House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R–WI) sent a letter yesterday to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, urging the Department of Transportation to reject a $5.5 billion gamble on high-speed rail. The train, called XpressWest, would run from Victorville, California, to Las …
About 77,000 unused or underused federal buildings cost taxpayers $1.67 billion to operate and maintain in 2010 alone (latest data available), according to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report from last year. Unlike your typical house on the market today, these buildings are beyond unsightly. The word derelict might not …
The White House warns that sequestration “would reduce loan guarantees to small businesses by up to $902 million”—loans that it claims are “investments that are helping grow our economy.” Setting this flawed Keynesian line of thinking aside, it’s worth investigating whether or not there is room to reduce spending at …
