Late on December 3, 2015, the Senate passed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act with a vote of 83-16. Needing only a signature from the President to become law, the FAST Act is a hasty solution to a long-term problem without concern for the amount of taxpayer money it wastes. The FAST Act is […]
Congress Impounds Obama’s Cadillac Tax
Yesterday in the Senate, legislators voted 90-10 in support of the Heller Amendment that would preemptively repeal the so-called ‘Cadillac Tax’ on employee health plans. CAGW spoke out in November on some of the unfair taxes on individuals and families in the ACA. The Cadillac tax is a 40% tax on health insurance plans over […]
“I Am Sorry, This is Silly”
On Wednesday, December 2, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a hearing on a draft bill entitled the “National Park Service Centennial Act.” The purpose of the hearing was to discuss the legislation, which would establish a fund in the Treasury to finance signature projects and programs for the National Park System’s […]
IAB Report Finds IP Infringement Costs Economy Billions
There are some individuals who view intellectual property (IP), particularly movies, videos, and music as free for the taking; illegally posting and distributing content online without any regard to the impact such actions have on the creators and owners of the IP. This sad state of affairs was detailed last year in Citizens Against Government […]
A Pro Forma Forum?
On Friday, November 20, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) held a conference entitled, “HHS Pharmaceutical Forum: Innovation, Access, Affordability and Better Health.” The purpose of the forum was to bring together various stakeholders to “share information and discuss ideas to increase access to information, drive innovation, strengthen incentives and promote competition.” But […]
The Spectrum Dilemma
An April 1, 2015 Pew Research Center study found that 64 percent of Americans own a Smartphone, and 19 percent “rely to some degree” on their Smartphones to access online services and information. The study also found that 7 percent of Americans owning a Smartphone do not have either traditional broadband access at home or other “easily available alternatives” for going online. On October 29, 2015, Pew released its report, “Technology Device Ownership: 2015,” which found that 68 percent of U.S. adults now own a Smartphone.
A Baffling Ban on Selling Bottled Water
The most essential nutrient for people is water. This is particularly true when someone is exercising or otherwise engaged in activities that require more than a “normal” amount of water. Those activities would include strenuous walking or hiking, such as one might do while visiting one of America’s national parks.
GSEs Should Spread the Risk (and Share the Profits)
Political discourse these days, particularly on the left, often takes the form of haranguing the much-vaunted “1 percent” to “spread the wealth” to the remaining 99 percent, as though such redistribution would solve society’s ills. The inadequacies of this idea notwithstanding, perhaps the discussion—at least in the context of the mortgage giants Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac)—can shift to something that is both more achievable and more beneficial to taxpayers: spreading the risk.
Dr. Tom Coburn’s Legacy
From 2008 until he retired from the Senate in January 2015, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) provided an invaluable resource for taxpayers by publishing compilations of the worst wasteful spending. Between 2011 and 2014, the annual publication was called “The Wastebook.” The October 2014 version of this report revealed an $856,000 grant to train mountain lions […]
IRS Commissioner Impeached by House Committee
Since the U.S. Constitution was adopted in 1789, the House of Representatives has filed articles of impeachment just 17 times and only eight times did the Senate convict. Alexander Hamilton wrote that impeachment should be reserved for “those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust.”