Tomorrow the Senate Finance Committee is considering a step toward openness and transparency for committee meetings but there are still some big loopholes in the draft rules. Namely, the proposed rule would establish a 21 business day deadline for posting meeting records, which translates into more than a calendar month. …
President Bush is correct in saying “the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth.” Despite the current economic slowdown, productivity remains healthy and most economic fundamentals are strong. The U.S. economy will recover from this slowdown. However, tax rebates and more government spending will not accelerate any …
Conservatives on Capitol Hill are expressing mixed reactions to news that a deal has been struck on an economic stimulus package. Some staffers are expressing disappointment that Republicans agreed to government giveaways of $300 for individuals and up to $1,200 for families. Others said they were grateful that House Minority …
The Associated Press is reporting that Democratic and Republican lawmakers have reached a tentative deal today on a stimulus package. First the good news: the giveaway does not include money for food stamps, unemployment insurance benefits or infrastructure projects. Also, although it is not mentioned in the AP story, we …
Brian Riedl’s paper on economic growth and tax rebates has caused quite a stir. Over at OMB Watch, blogger Craig Jennings calls it “breathtakingly moronic” and resorts to name calling, claiming Riedl would “fail tenth-grade economics” for his analysis. (Jennings mustn’t have known Riedl studied economic policy while earning his …
As if the rumblings from Capitol Hill suggesting President Bush is “open” to a stimulus package larger than his $150 billion offer weren’t bad enough, now Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center director Len Burman is calling for a tax increase solution to our economic woes. This while even the two leading …
President Bush and congressional Democrats appear ready to put their partisan differences behind them and strike a deal on an economic stimulus package. However, before lawmakers and the White House get too cozy, conservatives are reminding Bush to consider the consequences of issuing tax rebates — repeating a mistake his …
Rep. Baron Hill, a Blue Dog Democrat from Indiana, voiced concern today about the rush for Congress to pass an economic stimulus plan. During the question-and-answer portion of this morning’s hearing before the Joint Economic Committee, Hill noted that Democrats violated PAYGO rules when they passed a one-year freeze for …
As Iraq has stabilized in recent months and job creation has slowed, many voters are turning their attention to economic concerns. Now that both parties are beginning to outline the principles of their preferred stimulus package, it is important conservatives prevent the left’s ‘tax and spend’ instincts from making the …
