Government Regulations News
From environmental rules to labor mandates, this section highlights how government regulations limit the economy and business growth, with insights and reporting from The Daily Signal.
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- Opinion
As Government Regulations Grow, Business Opportunities Shrink
A recent study by The Heritage Foundation revealed that President Barack Obama has created a whopping total of 20,642 regulations during his presidency. Now that he’s in his final year in office, we face an additional 2,000 proposed rules he intends to push through to complete his tarnished legacy. Businesses cannot be expected to thrive and…Rep. Doug Lamborn -
- Opinion
Government’s Obsession With Regulation Just Drove Uber Out of Austin
On May 9, residents of Austin, Texas, accomplished what many New York City regulators and legislators have tried in vain to achieve: they forced Uber and Lyft out of their city. Over the weekend, a mere 17 percent of the voters went to the polls and a majority voted in favor of retaining restrictive and…Jason Snead -
- Opinion
A New Car Will Cost You at Least $3,800 Extra Because of Government Regulation
When Congress and the Obama administration passed and implemented extremely strict fuel economy regulations, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claimed that it would save consumers a few thousand dollars on gas and add only $948 to the price of a new car. The most modest of the independent estimates works out to $3,800 per vehicle,…Salim Furth -
- Opinion
The Government Just Slapped Crowdfunding With a Bunch of New Regulations
Two events from last week exemplify federal officials’ refusal to let people live their own lives and earn money as they see fit. One deals with the Department of Labor (DOL)’s new fiduciary rule, the other with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s new rules for crowdfunding. The 2010 Dodd-Frank Act required the SEC to study the…Norbert Michel -
- Opinion
Here’s a Radical Idea: Government Should Test to See if Taxpayer-Funded Programs Actually Work
It was one of the largest prisoner re-entry programs ever undertaken. RExO (Re-Integration of Ex-Offenders) aimed to help ex-cons find jobs, thereby reducing recidivism. Over the years, the U.S. Labor Department poured almost $743 million into the program. Only one problem: it didn’t work. And there are plenty more federal programs whose effectiveness has never been demonstrated. In some cases,…David B. Muhlhausen -
- Opinion
Government Regulations Have Created the Problem of Unaffordable Housing
Why is housing so expensive in some cities, and relatively cheap in others? Place the blame on land-use restrictions put in place by local governments. During the housing boom of 2000 to 2005, the cry often went up from Washington that housing wasn’t affordable anymore. From 2000-2005 the median sales price of American single-family homes…Patrick Tyrrell -
- News
The Latest Federal Mandate Threatening Doctor’s Offices
Gerald Harmon, a member of the American Medical Association’s Board of Trustees, owns a small, family medical practice in coastal South Carolina. A doctor for more than 20 years, his practice is among the many private, independent doctor’s offices threatened with financial insolvency because of an impending unfunded government mandate. Doctors have just over 90…Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
Government Regulation Is on the Rise Under Obama. This Infographic Explains Why.
The number and cost of government regulations continued to climb in 2014, intensifying Washington’s control over the economy and Americans’ lives. The addition of 27 new major rules pushed the tally for the Obama administration’s first six years to 184, with scores of other rules in the pipeline. The cost of just these 184 rules…James Gattuso -
- News
Federal Agencies Stonewall House Committee’s Benghazi Investigation
Some federal agencies continue to stonewall when it comes to the ongoing investigation into the Benghazi terrorist attacks, according to insiders familiar with the process. They say the House Benghazi Select Committee isn’t getting access to all relevant documents and witnesses. That will be the topic of the committee’s first public hearing of 2015 called…Sharyl Attkisson -
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Government Regulation Threatens 119-Year-Old Family Cigar Business
J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is one of a kind, literally. Founded in 1895 by Julius Caesar Newman, a Hungarian immigrant, the Tampa-based family business is the last of what was once 150 “Cigar City” factories. The business has outlasted 19 U.S. presidents, two world wars, a Cuban economic embargo that crushed many of its competitors…William Patrick