During the 112th Congress, progress was made by both the House and Senate to enact a new Farm Bill. As the House and Senate Agriculture Committees prepare to mark up draft Farm Bills in mid-May, they should examine the progress, as well as the missteps, that were made during the last Congress. Lipstick won’t change the Farm Bill from being a piggy piece of legislation.
Tax Refund Fraud and Identity Theft – an Update
April is the cruelest month for most taxpayers, but for a growing number of them, it is the months that follow that do the most damage.
Bi-, Bi-, Biennial Budgeting!
While not as entertaining as “Bye, Bye, Birdie,” the bobby-soxer romp of the early 1960s, biennial budgeting represents a refreshing change-of-pace from the dour melodrama that Congress’ current fiscal discourse has become. On March 22, 2013, Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) scored a preliminary victory on the issue when the Senate voted 68-31 in favor of their amendment (S. Amdt. 138) to the Senate’s first-in-four-years budget resolution. The Isakson-Shaheen effort provides a matinee preview to their legislation, S. 554, the Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act, that would be needed to implement the recommendations included in the upper chamber’s budget resolution, which does not carry the force of law.
The Devil is in the Details on STEM Consolidation
There is little doubt that science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs are essential to the nation’s ability to compete in the global economy.
Further Scrutiny for the “Little Crappy Ship”
A senior naval commander believes the troubled Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), or “Little Crappy Ship” as it has been referred to inside the Navy, does not have enough firepower. Other analysts believe the ship is not survivable.
ECPA Reform Necessary to Prevent Unwarranted Searches
The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) was enacted in 1986, long before widespread use of the Internet. Today’s society communicates in a dramatically different manner than in 1986, with an increasing amount of data stored digitally with third party providers.
Durable Medical Equipment: Free Market Principles Will Deliver Best Options for Taxpayers
In 2003, Congress passed the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA – P.L. 108-173). This law made some substantial changes to Medicare and adding competitive forces to the program was a strong theme.
Federal Spending on Disaster Relief is Out of Control
According to an April 29, 2013 article in The Washington Post, the federal government is spending more than previously thought on disaster relief.
Never Mind
Yesterday, I blogged about a story in the newspaper Politico that said members of Congress were looking for ways to exempt themselves and their staff from Obamacare.
What’s Good for the Goose is Good for the Gander – NOT!
All you need to do to find out how “wonderful” the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare will be for all of us is to go to the White House Web site. In almost reverent slogans the Obama Administration claims.