Coal energy powers the small Colorado town of Craig — quite literally. The community relies on the energy produced at the Craig Station plant to keep the lights on and the economy moving. New regulations, however, threaten the community’s prosperity. Colorado imposed a renewable energy mandate that stipulates 30 percent of energy production must come from wind, solar and other renewable sources by 2020. “Society cannot have reliable power based on when the wind blows and/or when the sun shines,” said Rick Johnson, plant manager at Craig Station, in a …
An examination of “administrative earmarks” around the time of congressional votes on key pieces of President Obama’s agenda suggests the White House used its power to fund local projects as a means to “buy” votes for major legislative efforts. Administrative earmarking refers to the federal government’s allocation of funds from its discretionary budget for specific projects. The practice is less transparent than legislative earmarking, since, according to the Congressional Research Service, “[t]here is no source that defines and comprehensively identifies Administrative earmarks.” But an analysis of grants from agencies during …
This year’s Index of Dependence on Government presented startling findings about the sharp increase of Americans who rely on the federal government for housing, food, income, student aid or other assistance. (See last week’s chart.) Another eye-popping number was the percentage of Americans who don’t pay income taxes, which now accounts for nearly half of the U.S. population. Meanwhile, most of that population receives generous federal benefits. “One of the most worrying trends in the Index is the coinciding growth in the non-taxpaying public,” wrote Heritage authors Bill Beach and …
The anti-fracking documentary “Gasland” has served as a rallying cry for environmentalists seeking to halt hydraulic fracturing, the process used by energy companies to extract petroleum and natural gas from underground. Even the State Department is promoting the film. Critics of the widely-debunked documentary acknowledge its impact. Irish journalist and filmmaker Phelim McAleer is among them. “I think it’s one of the most influential documentaries of maybe the last 10 years,” McAleer told us. “It’s driven the narrative. It has created a story. And it’s very, very entertaining, very well …
Livid at delays in the confirmation process for 90 of the president’s nominations, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said on Friday that he would encourage President Obama to make even more unconstitutional non-recess appointments if Republicans did not accede to his demands. “Virtually every one of these nominees could be approved today if the Senate Republicans would cooperate,” Reid exclaimed. “If something doesn’t break here, I am going to recommend to the president he recess appoint all these people, every one of them.” The nominees were not being blocked, …
No. It’s that simple. A number of House members and senators have been circulating this picture of the first panel from yesterday’s House Oversight Committee hearing, which featured five clergymen, decrying it as an “all-male hearing,” in the words of Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA). A number of Murray’s Senate colleagues, and numerous House members, echoed the falsehood. In fact, as this picture shows, the hearing was not “all-male.” The second panel to testify before the committee featured Dr. Laura Champion, medical director of Calvin College Health Services, and Dr. Allison …
The State Department is promoting a widely-debunked film about natural gas development as part of an effort at “smart power diplomacy.” The film, “Gasland,” is widely credited with spreading hysteria about the practice of hydraulic fracturing, a natural gas mining technique under fire from environmentalists nationwide. The film purports to show the dangers of “fracking,” but many of its key findings – including the iconic image of flames spewing from a kitchen faucet – have been shown to be wildly misleading. State announced the event in a news release last …
President Obama has been accused of violating the Constitution with two high-profile decisions over the last month. Polling and reactions from elected officials reveal an important truth: the Constitution is a winning political issue – Americans respect it and want their leaders to adhere to it. Most recently, the administration has attempted force companies and organizations that offer health insurance plans to cover the full costs of contraception. For groups that have a religious objection to doing so, the policy represents a brazen violation of their First Amendment rights. But …
President Obama’s recent assault on the U.S. Constitution — first with his illegal “recess” appointments and then Obamacare’s anti-conscience mandate — demonstrates a lack of respect for America’s founding principles, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) said Tuesday. “Loud and proud, I’m talking all over my district and any forum I have, saying this is a constitutional crisis,” Walberg said during a visit to The Bloggers Briefing at Heritage. Obama has touted recent administration actions as part of the White House’s “We Can’t Wait” campaign. From that stemmed the president’s decision on …
