The federal 340B drug discount program is in need of congressional oversight and reform.
Too Big To Bail Out: The Trouble with Johnson-Crapo
There is a theory about the naming of legislation. Some titles are straight out of George Orwell’s “double-speak” dictionary. In other words (literally), whatever word is in the title usually means exactly the opposite of what the bill will do. Remember the “Affordable Care Act” (ACA)? Despite the promises of President Obama and his administration that this milestone legislation would reduce the cost of healthcare for most Americans, the ACA is on track to explode those costs for all but the poorest Americans.
Presumptive Nominee Faces Scrutiny
The leading candidate to replace Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the outgoing Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), is Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Army Intelligence Lt. Gen. Mary Legere. However, she may have a tough confirmation battle on her hands, thanks to longstanding support for a troubled Army intelligence platform, the Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS-A). The system has been under development for more than a decade, has cost taxpayers approximately $6 billion, and is failing in its primary functions.
IRS Should Not Create Software That Already Exists
While very little gets done in Washington during an election year, deadlines must be acknowledged and addressed, such as the expiration of the Internet tax moratorium on November 1, 2014. Two days prior to that critical date, a lesser-known but nonetheless important matter is scheduled to come to an end. On October 30, 2014, the Free File Alliance’s partnership with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is up for renewal. The Free File Alliance is a consortium of tax software companies which makes free tax preparation software and free e-file available to certain taxpayers.
Smother Operation Choke Point
Imagine walking into a bank and finding out that your account has been closed, not because you have done anything fraudulent or illegal, but simply because the industry in which you work has been deemed unsavory by the government. The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) “Operation Choke Point” has the purported intention of reducing crimes, such as fraud, identity theft, and money laundering. However, rather than filing a complaint in court, DOJ is “choking off” banking services to entities that have been labeled as questionable. Regardless of its stated intent, the program is deliberately preventing law-abiding citizens from engaging in legitimate activites.
The ‘Real’ Problem with Federal Real Property Management
When it comes to processing its inventory of real property, which includes buildings, structures, and land, the federal government has a real problem.
The FCC’s Newest Motto for Net Neutrality: Three Times is the Charm
It is a sad state of affairs when a federal agency continues to waste taxpayer dollars on a concept that failed, not once but twice to pass muster with the court. On May 15, 2014, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler brought up for a vote a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that has […]
What is the 340B Program and Why You Need to Care
Problems in the 340B drug discount program are growing and costs are increasing due as more entities participate in the program.
The Clock is ticking on Internet Taxation
Less than six months from now, citizens across the country could face new taxes. That is when the moratorium banning taxes on Internet access and discriminatory duplicate taxes on Internet services expires. While legislation to make the moratorium permanent has been introduced with bi-partisan support, the clock is ticking leading up to the November 1, […]
Communications Breakdown
By Deborah Collier On April 30, 2014, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler gave the keynote address (http://www.fcc.gov/document/chairman-tom-wheeler-remarks-ncta) at the 2014 Cable Show in Los Angeles. In a forceful speech, he declared that it was time to follow up on the January 2014 court decision on net neutrality and establish rules over Internet service […]