Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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opinion
The Terrorist Watch List, Explained
In the aftermath of the Orlando terrorist attack, the fact that Omar Mateen was twice investigated by the FBI has many wondering why he was allowed to purchase firearms and why the FBI wasn’t aware of his plans for terror. Here are the key details about U.S. terrorist watch lists and what they do. What… -
opinion
A Comprehensive Look at Paul Ryan’s Regulatory Reform Agenda
A task force of House Republicans on Tuesday released an agenda for regulatory reform, the latest in a series of policy documents designed, according to Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to apply America’s timeless principles—liberty, free enterprise, consent of the governed—to the problems of our times. Titled “A Better Way,” the project prescribes congressional actions to… -
opinion
A Victory for the American People Against the Export-Import Bank
It’s not every day that the American people score a victory over the global elite, but that’s exactly what happened last week. The victory came in the form of preventing the ascension of Mark McWatters to the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, whose nomination Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., has successfully… -
opinion
Federal Court Upholds Regulations That Threaten Open Internet
Sixteen months after the Federal Communications Commission imposed heavy new regulations on broadband services, a federal appeals court—by a 2-1 vote—upheld the new rules. The decision was a loss not just for providers of internet access, but for the consumers who—up until now—have benefited from the innovation and growth that has stemmed from the internet’s… -
opinion
The Army Is Another Year Older, but Not Better
Today marks the 241st birthday of the United States Army. Hundreds of thousands of American heroes have served our country in the United States Army over the last two and a half centuries. While the Army faces some challenges, the strength of the Army remains the same: the men and women in uniform. American soldiers have… -
opinion
Massacre in Orlando: 86th Instance of Islamist Terror in US Since 9/11
This attack is the 22nd plot or attack since the start of 2015, and the sixth this year. The massacre in Orlando is also the 20th attack or plot aimed at large public gatherings, such as bars and restaurants, shopping malls, parks, and conventions. Mass gatherings are the second-most common target, just after military targets,… -
opinion
Common Core Does Not Prepare Students for College, New Report Finds
A recently released report confirms what Common Core critics have suspected all along: Common Core State Standards do not adequately prepare students for college-level work. The ACT report finds many concerning shortcomings in the Common Core State Standards, which have been adopted by most states. Notably, the report reveals: “While secondary teachers may be focusing… -
news
3 People Behind the Effort to Remove Judge for Her Views on Marriage
Her cell phone rang while Judge Ruth Neely was hanging Christmas lights outside her home in Pinedale, Wyoming. She didn’t notice that she had missed a call until she went inside to untangle a string of lights. When Neely called back, the young man who answered identified himself as a reporter from the local newspaper…. -
opinion
4 Reasons Why We Need Another 9/11 Commission After Orlando
How many red flags does it take to see that Islamist-related terror is increasing? The U.S. alone has been the target of at least 85 Islamist-related terrorist plots since Sept. 11, 2001. In the past seven months there have been high-profile terror attacks in Paris, San Bernardino, Brussels, and in Orlando. In the U.S. the… -
news
New Revelations Turn Up Heat to Impeach IRS Commissioner
Lawmakers tore into the Internal Revenue Service days after new revelations surfaced about the tax collecting agency’s targeting of conservative groups. The House Judiciary Committee is considering articles of impeachment against IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “We are going to stay on this case until he finds something else to do or he’s in a cell he… -
opinion
Where Does the Hate Come From?
I was driving from Sarasota, Florida, to Washington in the pre-dawn hours Sunday morning when my iPhone chirped a news alert. More than 50 people dead at a nightclub shooting in Orlando. The deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. And later, news that the gunman reportedly called 911 to declare his loyalty to Islamic State… -
news
He Flew a Drone to Take Photos for a Friend. Now He’s Facing $55K in Government Fines.
Mical Caterina is addicted. When the Minnesota man turned 56, he headed to Brainerd International Raceway and raced his Mini Cooper on its road course. With GoPro cameras fastened to the front and back bumpers of his car, he created a video and posted it to YouTube. That got the attention of GoPro, which invited… -
news
After Iowa Governor Calls for Bible-Reading Marathon, Groups Threaten to Sue
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad is encouraging citizens of his state to spend more time reading the Bible, by calling for a Bible-reading marathon. However, a couple of organizations are threatening to sue over what they believe is a violation of the separation between church and state. Branstad, a Republican, signed a proclamation encouraging Iowans to… -
opinion
The Horrors of Growing up in Communist Romania
As a young attorney under Nicolae Ceauscescu’s vicious Communist regime in Romania, I spent my entire life searching for the truth. When I finally found truth in the pages of a forbidden book in Romania—I accepted the divine call to defend other followers of Christ against unjust persecution in an otherwise ungodly land. For this, I was kidnapped, beaten, tortured, placed under house arrest, and… -
opinion
Government Blesses ICANN Transition: Remaining Concerns and New Questions
The Obama administration first announced its intent to end the historical U.S. contractual relationship with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in March 2014 and transition its stewardship of key Internet domain name functions to the global multi-stakeholder community. The transition was originally supposed to occur at the end of Sept. 2015,… -
news
House-Passed Debt Relief for Puerto Rico Splits Conservatives
A bill establishing a legal framework for Puerto Rico to restructure its $72 billion debt load passed the House by a 297-127 vote after months of haggling among the Obama administration, Democrats, bondholders, unions, Puerto Rico officials—and conservatives. About the only thing conservatives agree on about legislation the House passed Thursday night providing rescue to Puerto Rico’s debt crisis is that… -
opinion
I Wish I Had Been Told About These Risks Before I Had Gender Surgery
Many Americans are unaware of the serious problems that face transgender persons. More than 50 percent had active suicidal thoughts and 45 percent had had a major depressive episode. For instance, a 2016 study comparing 20 Lebanese transgender participants to 20 control subjects reported that transgender individuals suffer from more psychiatric pathologies compared to the general population…. -
news
Majority of Americans Support Congressional Earmark Ban, Poll Shows
A majority of Americans continue to support the congressional ban on earmarks instituted by former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, a new Economist Group/YouGov poll shows. The ban was supported by 63 percent of those polled, while 12 percent disapproved of the ban and 26 percent were not sure whether they approved or disapproved of… -
opinion
It’s Time for the World to Take the Zika Threat Seriously
The Zika virus continues to be a problem that must be addressed. The mosquito-borne virus is now known to be transferable from human to human through sexual contact, even up to six months (it may be more) after developing symptoms. It’s still unknown whether men with Zika who never develop symptoms have the ability to… -
news
Nearly a Year Since Nuclear Deal, Tom Cotton Alarmed by ‘Empowerment of Iran’
Nearly one year after a group of six nations led by the United States reached a nuclear deal with Iran, one of the loudest critics of the agreement is warning about the “consequences” of an accord that he believes has emboldened Tehran to provoke terror across the world. Sen. Tom Cotton, a freshman Republican from…