“To sequester, or not to sequester?” That appears to be the question for many of our congressional Hamlets.
Rep. Pelosi’s Comment Misses the Mark on the U.S. Budget Problem
This weekend, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) spoke with Chris Matthews on “Fox News Sunday.” During the interview, Pelosi delivered a quote that may be the early front runner for most absurd quote of 2013: “It is almost a false argument to say that we have a spending problem.
Odd Choices in Afghanistan
In late December 2012, the United States Air Force (USAF) did not renew its contract with Alenia Aermacchi, a subsidiary of Italian-based defense contractor Finmeccanica, to refurbish and supply 20 G222s (also known as the C-27A) for the Afghan Air Force (AAF).
It Isn’t 1996 Anymore
The year was 1996. Bill Clinton was in the White House; scientists reported that there might be life on Mars; Dolly the sheep, the first cloned mammal, was born; the T.V. hospital show E.R. topped the Neilsen’s ratings long before the “McDreamies” and “McSteamies” of the world entered onto the scene; the Simpsons became the longest running prime-time animated series; people were dancing to the Macarena; and on February 8, 1996, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was enacted.
Postal Reform is Coming…
On Wednesday, February 6, 2013, the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced its intention to terminate Saturday first-class mail delivery on August 1, 2013. The announcement will certainly trigger a spirited public debate over the impact of such a dramatic change and could prompt resistance or outright obstructionism from lawmakers who don’t believe that the USPS is legally authorized to take such action without congressional approval. But the pronouncement serves to limn, once again, the depth and breadth of the USPS’s financial and structural woes. It also focuses attention on postal officials’ drive to reshape operations to adjust to significant and ongoing drops in first-class mail volume in the face of stultifying, costly labor work rules, excess infrastructure that straitjacket the agency. The USPS announced on November 15, 2012 a record $15.9 billion loss in fiscal year 2102.
Make the Ban on Internet Taxation Permanent
Today’s increasingly digital age has surrounded everyone’s lives with constantly connected laptops, tablets, and Smartphones, with quick, easy access to the Internet. These modern technological achievements are largely due to the fact that since 1992, when the general public first gained access to the World Wide Web, the Internet has been mostly free from government regulation and taxation.
Emergency Spending: a Bipartisan Failure
On January 29, 2013, President Obama signed into law a $50.5 billion relief bill aimed at helping victims of Hurricane Sandy. Despite complaints from many fiscal conservatives – Citizens Against Government Waste included – that the bill had been unnecessarily fattened up in order to serve parochial interests, the deal got done. Its passage marked an important victory for politicians like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), both of whom had publicly and loudly excoriated Congress for dragging its feet.
Zombie Apocalypse Threatens Taxpayer Dollars, Not Nation’s Security
In December 2012, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) released Safety At Any Price: Assessing the Impact of Homeland Security Spending in U.S. Cities, which focused on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant programs, including the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI). Those who are familiar with Sen. Coburn’s previous work were not surprised by the numerous examples of wasteful spending in the report, such as federal funding for a zombie apocalypse demonstration.
Fight for Internet Freedom Continues
Innovation and development of the Internet has been allowed to grow and flourish around the globe for years. However, efforts are being made to change the flow of information and Internet governance through a new U.N. regulatory treaty that would give the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) authority over the Internet. From December 3-14, 2012, the […]
Police Chiefs Issue Guidance for Cloud Computing
On February 21, 2012, a Swineline blog post proposed that cloud computing is a viable option for law enforcement.