Daren Bakst is director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Energy and Environment.
View all authorsEconomyCommentary
Veggie burgers don’t come from cows. There’s no such thing as tofu turkey farms—as far as I know. Consumers know this, but that is not stopping… Read More
SocietyCommentary
Proponents of government control and coercion suffered a big loss last week. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, well-known for its liberal… Read More
EconomyCommentary
For years, the Environmental Protection Agency has been issuing some of the costliest regulations in U.S. history, especially when it comes to its air pollution… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The current farm bill process is eerily similar to what happened with Obamacare. In 2010, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., infamously uttered, “But we have to… Read More
EconomyCommentary
We’re in the holiday season, but that doesn’t mean conservative legislators should take a holiday from their conservative principles. Unfortunately, the farm bill devised by… Read More
EconomyCommentary
If the Environmental Protection Agency decides to regulate emissions of a specific pollutant, should those emission reductions yield benefits that exceed the costs of doing… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Congress should not rush to pass a farm bill. Lawmakers should seek to pass sound policy, not lock in bad policy for five years. This… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The House and Senate have passed their own farms bills and are currently working out differences to come up with a final bill. At a… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The Trump administration is planning to spend as much as $12 billion in aid to help farmers hurt by the administration’s tariffs. By acknowledging the… Read More
EnergyCommentary
This week, the House of Representatives is expected to bring to the floor its second “minibus” package of the appropriations season. The bill combines the… Read More
EconomyCommentary
As the Senate is considering the farm bill, it should be wary of the many misleading claims made by agricultural special interests. Here are three… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Why would any conservative support the current Senate farm bill? It’s a failure when it comes to food stamps and farm subsidies. This may come… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The Senate is expected to take up its farm bill this week, and if the Senate follows the House’s lead, there will be a relatively… Read More
EconomyCommentary
As the farm bill debate heats up, it is important to remember that farm subsidy reform is definitely a conservative issue. Conservatives believe in free… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The Heritage Foundation’s Daren Bakst appeared on The Daily Signal podcast on Wednesday to discuss the farm bill. Here is a lightly edited transcript of… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Agricultural special interests try to make it sound as though touching even one farm subsidy—regardless of how unreasonable the subsidy is—will be the end of… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The House is expected to consider its farm bill this week, but in its current form, the bill is a disaster when it comes to… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Major food stamp reform is a must in the farm bill. So too is major reform for farm subsidies–after all, it is called the farm… Read More
Economy Commentary
The House Agriculture Committee’s farm bill is a complete rejection of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2018 farm bill principles when it comes to farm… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The House Agriculture Committee is expected to release its farm bill next week. For conservatives, this new farm bill provides an opportunity to address the… Read More
EnergyCommentary
Should the public be allowed to know how bureaucrats develop policies that have major impacts on our lives? Or should we simply be left in… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Perhaps as soon as next week, the House Agriculture Committee will release its farm bill, and it looks now as if the end result likely… Read More
EnergyCommentary
Congress last year utilized the Congressional Review Act to get rid of many federal agency rules, most of which were prime examples of agency overreach…. Read More
EnergyCommentary
In 2015, the Obama administration finalized its infamous “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule—also known as the Clean Water Rule—that sought to regulate almost… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The current NAFTA renegotiations between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico have major implications for American farmers, ranchers, and consumers, as shown by a new Heritage… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The House’s disaster aid bill, at $81 billion, is nearly double the Trump administration’s request of $44 billion. These costs are not offset by spending… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The federal government takes the hard-earned money of taxpayers and gives handouts to farm households that generally make a lot more money than they do. This wealth… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Lawmakers are currently working out the differences between the House and Senate tax bills. On the estate tax—also known as the “death tax”—they should follow… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The fifth round of NAFTA renegotiations is getting underway in Mexico City. Unfortunately, American trade negotiators have proposed expanding NAFTA’s environmental reach. This is counterproductive… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Last week, House Republicans released their long-awaited tax reform proposal, the Tax Cut and Jobs Act. Many of the key changes made by the legislation… Read More
