Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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news
Pruitt Pledges Review of EPA Regulations
Inconsistent federal regulations on business are hurting economic and environmental prosperity, said Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Last week, Pruitt joined Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, to talk about his goals since his time with the EPA. Pruitt, who was at The Heritage Foundation’s “At the… -
news
Inaugural Impact Awards Given to Conservative Leaders
United in Purpose honored conservative leaders, including Fox News personality Sean Hannity, who are making a “transformational impact” on American culture Wednesday. United in Purpose, “a nonprofit organization whose mission is to unite and equip conservatives in the promotion of Judeo-Christian principles,” gave the inaugural Impact Awards to 12 conservative leaders. The conservatives were chosen… -
opinion
What Trump’s Decision on Jerusalem Means for Israel and the Middle East
President Donald Trump on Wednesday kept his campaign promise to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and ordered the State Department to make plans to eventually move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv. The long-delayed, symbolic move addressed a historic injustice: Israel is the only country in the world not allowed to choose its own… -
news
Justice Kennedy: Colorado Has ‘Neither Been Tolerant nor Respectful’ of Jack Phillips’ Beliefs
During oral arguments for Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the U.S. Supreme Court justice who is expected to cast the crucial swing vote in the historic case involving religious liberty and the First Amendment appeared to express sympathy—and even anger—for the way that Colorado has treated the petitioner, Jack Phillips. “Tolerance is essential… -
news
This Small Business Owner Doesn’t Want Handouts for Being a Woman in the Construction Industry. She Wants Tax Reform.
SPRINGFIELD, Missouri—Mary Beth Hartman has never called herself a feminist. “But I do believe that women can compete with men, and I don’t believe that we have to be out there beating our chest or our drums, or doing a march, to get it done,” she told The Daily Signal from her office in Missouri…. -
opinion
Podcast: Liberal Rhetoric on DACA vs. Reality
Government funding runs out on Friday, and some Democrats want to hold up business for an amnesty deal. President Donald Trump is calling their bluff. We discuss with Heritage Foundation expert Hans von Spakovsky. Plus: The Supreme Court hands Trump a win on the “travel ban,” the president announces a major policy shift in Israel,… -
opinion
Most Retirees Would Save Money Because of Tax Reform. Here Are Some Key Examples.
The proposed House and Senate tax reform bills that lawmakers are currently merging into one would mean tax cuts for most Americans. Nevertheless, change—even good change—can bring about uncertainty. Retirees may be the most concerned about what tax reform will mean for them, as most rely on relatively fixed incomes. But in fact, the proposed… -
opinion
The Inanity of Liberals’ Fearmongering on Tax Reform
On Monday night, the GOP tax bill took another step toward President Donald Trump’s desk when Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., named nine members to the conference committee, including Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas. The Senate is expected to name its negotiators later this week as the two chambers work to… -
opinion
It’s Time to Reduce the Power of the Federal Government Over Western Land
President Donald Trump has taken an important step in curtailing the oversized federal footprint in the Western states. On Monday, Trump announced that he will substantially reduce the area of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah. President Barack Obama had used the Antiquities Act of 1906 to set aside 1.35 million acres… -
opinion
The FAA Is Empowering States to Regulate Drones. Why That’s a Win for Everyone.
A Nov. 29 hearing on Capitol Hill shed much-needed light on the way the Federal Aviation Administration is running a new pilot program intended to bring state and local governments into the regulatory fold. The new pilot program was created by President Donald Trump to speed up the integration of unmanned aircraft systems (also known… -
opinion
Undoing the Federal Government’s Reverse Mortgage Fiasco
Because of the largesse of federally financed subsidies in the Federal Housing Administration’s reverse-mortgage program, the federal government has gradually crowded out private insurers from the market for these financial products since the program began in the late 1980s. Indeed, amid the multitrillion-dollar maze of federal insurance and guarantee programs lies the Federal Housing Administration… -
news
Wedding Cake Baker’s Backers Say Fight Is for Everyone’s First Amendment Rights, Not Just His
Christian and conservative leaders rallied Tuesday in support of a Colorado baker whose case was being heard at the Supreme Court for declining to make a custom wedding cake for a same-sex ceremony. “Jack [Phillips] is simply asking the Supreme Court to protect his freedom of speech as a creative professional so that he does… -
opinion
Podcast: The Biggest Case Since Roe v. Wade?
Religious liberty and same-sex marriage finally meet at the Supreme Court today. We discuss the stakes for every American. Plus: Russia gets itself banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics, a U.S. congressman resigns in disgrace, and why the federal government won’t get off our lawn (literally). -
opinion
Why Congress Should Ditch the Renewable Fuel Standard
Politicians don’t have a crystal ball that can predict the future of energy prices, energy supplies, or demand for electricity and gasoline. But they pretend to, and that’s a problem. It leads to market-distorting policies that harm Americans as consumers and taxpayers. Take the Renewable Fuel Standard. Congress and the George W. Bush administration established… -
news
What Trump’s Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital Could Mean for the Middle East
As a presidential candidate speaking to American supporters of Israel, Donald Trump vowed that, if elected, “We will move the American Embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem.” In June, Trump signed the same waiver his three predecessors signed to keep the U.S. Embassy in Israel in Tel Aviv. But this week,… -
opinion
Happy Holy Days From the Trumps
There are few things as big as President Donald Trump’s personality—but the National Christmas Tree comes close. At 50 feet, it loomed large over the crowd at the lighting ceremony, almost as large as the debate about the holiday itself. For the Trumps, Thursday’s event wasn’t so much about flipping the switch on a giant… -
opinion
DACA Is Not What the Democrats Say It Is. Here Are the Facts.
Some members of Congress are threatening to block government funding unless Congress provides amnesty to so-called Dreamers—the illegal aliens included in President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which President Donald Trump is ending. Responsible members of Congress should not give in. Such an effort would be fundamentally flawed and would only encourage… -
news
Former White House Insider Explains Why Trump Is Uniquely Able to Challenge the Left and Media
Sebastian Gorka, former deputy assistant to President Donald Trump and counterterrorism adviser, is delivering a series of lectures for The Heritage Foundation about national security issues. His next speech will take place Dec. 15 at Heritage. Gorka spoke to Daily Signal editor-in-chief Rob Bluey about a range of topics—his time in the White House, Trump's… -
news
These 229 Businesses and Groups Support Tax Reform
Hundreds of businesses and organizations have publicly declared their support for the Senate’s tax reform package, one of the many factors that led to the bill’s passage early Saturday morning on a 51-49 vote. The list, released by the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., includes 229 businesses and other groups that are backing… -
opinion
Kate Steinle Deserves Better Than Democrats Opposing Deportation of Illegal Aliens
San Francisco, being the proud “sanctuary city” for illegal aliens that it is, will no doubt roll out the welcome wagon for Jose Ines Garcia Zarate the next time he sneaks back into the country. And it’s a near-certainty that he will, after he’s deported to Mexico for a sixth time following his acquittal Thursday…