In recent years, Congress has been unable to complete the appropriations process by the start of the new fiscal year (FY), which occurs on October 1. Unfortunately, this year will not be an exception.
Government Broadband Deployment Report Card: F
To say that the Internet has grown over the past 15 years is an understatement. According to Internet World Stats, there were 16 million users in 1995 compared to 1.9 billion users in June, 2010, an increase of 11,775 percent. In addition, the Internet is much faster as a result of the deployment of broadband, and its uses have also expanded exponentially.
The Fannie and Freddie Meltdown: Picking Up PACE
On September 6, 2008, the nation’s two largest housing government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taken under conservatorship by the U.S. Treasury.
Pork Alert Roundup
On July 1, 2010, Citizens Against Government Waste began issuing its annual flurry of Pork Alerts, which highlight earmarks in the annual appropriation bills. In a perfect world, the House and the Senate would each release a version of the 12 appropriations bills throughout the summer and early fall. However, the process rarely runs that smoothly.
Flood Insurance Still Soaks the Taxpayer
In early July, politicians in Washington, D.C. missed an opportunity to improve the failing National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) when Congress passed another short-term reauthorization that expires on September 30, 2010. A second bite at the apple was even more misguided when on July 15, 2010, the House passed H.R. 5114, the Flood Insurance Reform Priorities Act, a five-year reauthorization of the NFIP, which expanded the program.
Creating More Federal Employees
The debt of our nation is soaring. The U.S. Government has spent more than $13 trillion above what it has taken in. The Obama Administration and Democratic majority in Congress have passed policies causing government to grow faster than ever adding more than $1.4 trillion in additional debt this fiscal year alone.
Congressmen Keep Pork Projects Cooking
Despite the moratorium on all earmarks agreed to by House Republicans on March 11, 2010, and a ban on earmarks to for-profit companies adoptedby House Democrats the previous day, both sides of the aisle are finding ways to circumvent their own rules.
Carolina on Taxpayers Minds
Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) has never been accused of being a fiscal hawk. In fact, he is quite well known for bringing home the bacon. CAGW’s 2010 Congressional Pig Book documented 41 earmarks worth $55 million requested by Rep. Clyburn.
The DISCLOSE Act: Free Speech for Some, Hefty Price for Others
The House of Representatives is currently embroiled in a battle overH.R. 5175, the Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections (DISCLOSE) Act. The legislation has caused a firestorm among lawmakers and politically active organizations as it seeks to use the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (FEC) ruling as an excuse to […]
Playing Politics with The Anthrax Vaccine
The anthrax attacks of October, 2001 may seem like a distant memory to many Americans, but the incidents created widespread alarm, prompting a debate within the U.S. government over how to better protect the nation from the critical threat of chemical and biological weapons attacks.