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
4 Issues Benghazi Committee Is Focused On
The House Select Committee on Benghazi, far from intimidated by its critics, is plowing ahead with a heavy schedule. Last week, former CIA Director Gen. David Petraeus was deposed by the committee in a closed-door hearing, in which he reportedly offered the committee important clarifications on the CIA’s role in Benghazi—before, during, and after the… -
opinion
2015 Had the Most Terror Plots in the US Since 9/11
There were 13 Islamist-inspired terror attacks and plots within the United States in 2015—the greatest number in any year since Sept. 11, 2001. And more than the years 2012, 2013, and 2014 combined. This increase reminds us that Congress and the Obama administration’s leadership on the matter remains lackluster as we near the end of… -
news
The Surprising Reason This Congressman Walked Out of the State of the Union
Rep. Steve King left President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address to pray for the nation’s unborn babies. King, R-Iowa, said he prayed in the Congressional Prayer Room “for God to raise up a leader whom he will use to restore the soul of America.” King walked out of the U.S. House chamber minutes before… -
opinion
Nikki Haley in GOP Response: ‘Big Decisions to Make’
Here is the full text of South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s Republican Address to the Nation after President Barack Obama gives the State of the Union address. >>> Watch the Speech Live on The Daily Signal Good evening. I’m Nikki Haley, Governor of the great state of South Carolina. I’m speaking tonight from Columbia, our state’s… -
news
House Republicans Not Backing Down From ‘Criminal Intent’ Addition to Prison Reform Debate
As President Barack Obama prepares to deliver a State of the Union address that is certain to include a nudge for Congress to act on its pledge to reform the criminal justice system, some outstanding roadblocks remain. That was made clear Tuesday, when the chairman of the influential House Judiciary Committee said legislation won’t pass… -
news
White House Sends Nominee to Export-Import Bank’s Board of Directors, But It’s Unlikely to Go Anywhere
President Barack Obama named a new nominee to the Export-Import Bank’s Board of Directors Monday. But the nominee is likely to move slowly, if at all, through the Senate Banking Committee, which hinders the controversial agency’s ability to extend financing to some of its largest beneficiaries. In a statement released Monday, the White House said… -
opinion
What Have Seven Years of ‘Hope and Change’ Actually Done for Americans?
In his first State of the Union address in 2010, President Barack Obama made a promise to prioritize economic recovery. He implored Washington to “try something new.” He vowed to stop leaving Americans mired in “a mountain of debt” and promised to pursue policies that would help “rein in” the federal debt. His final State… -
news
29 Facts About Nikki Haley, Picked to Give the GOP Response to the State of the Union
Nikki Haley, South Carolina’s 116th governor, will deliver the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s last State of the Union address. This will be the third year in a row a woman provides the nationally televised GOP response. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, delivered the response last year. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., chairwoman of the Republican conference, gave the remarks… -
opinion
A Politically Incorrect America Prepares You for the Real World
Comedian Tom Shillue, host of “Red Eye” on Fox News Channel, explains in the newest PragerU video how a politically incorrect and rough-and-tumble America prepared him for the real world. Shillue recounts his mother’s profound words of wisdom: “Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you.” Today, Shillue says those words… -
news
Meet 18 VIPs in the Audience for the State of the Union
President Barack Obama will come before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night to deliver his last State of the Union address. And it’s the hottest ticket in Washington. Lawmakers, Supreme Court justices, and other government officials will pack the chamber of the House of Representatives to listen to the speech. In addition, dignitaries… -
opinion
How the Expensive War on Poverty Failed
“This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America.” – President Lyndon B. Johnson, State of the Union address, January 8, 1964 This past Friday marked the 52nd anniversary of Johnson’s declaration and his pledge that “our aim is not only to relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it… -
news
Conservatives Hoping to Reduce Prison Terms Say Oregon Ranchers Are a Reason Why
Conservatives pushing for easing mandatory minimum prison sentences are using an unlikely selling point to their instinctively tough-on-crime colleagues: the story of Oregon ranchers whose terms of incarceration sparked the armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge. Federal law required ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond to be given five years in prison for starting fires… -
news
12 Key Numbers From Planned Parenthood’s New Annual Report
Planned Parenthood’s financial profits are on the decline, according to the group’s latest annual report, which showed the group is seeing fewer patients seeking fewer services. While profits and private contributions are waning, government assistance rose by $25.3 million in the past year. “This was definitely a bad year for Planned Parenthood as a business,”… -
opinion
New Drone Registry Means Thousands of Americans Could Be Prosecuted as Felons
This week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Michael Huerta, celebrated a successful launch of his agency’s new drone owners’ registry. Since Dec. 21, 181,000 Americans have provided FAA bureaucrats with their names and addresses, identifying themselves as owners of a drone weighing 0.55 pounds… -
opinion
Why Justice Scalia Disagrees With Thomas Aquinas
Does a Catholic federal judge “participate” in abortion? No, according to Justice Antonin Scalia, who recently gave a short lecture on “Saint Thomas Aquinas and Law” at the Dominican House of Studies on Jan.7th. The occasion was the 800th Jubilee of the Order of Preachers (Dominican Order), a Roman Catholic religious order founded by St…. -
news
Paul Ryan Wants to Make History by Changing the Way Congress Spends Your Money
House Speaker Paul Ryan has given Congress a New Year’s resolution: Skip gigantic spending bills and return to the regular, piece-by-piece appropriations process. That will prove a tough exercise for lawmakers in 2016, however. The calendar and political obstacles are daunting. Congress will have a shorter session this year, making it difficult for legislators to… -
opinion
2 Reasons US Having 2nd Hottest Year in 2015 Doesn’t Prove Climate Catastrophe Is Imminent
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently released data showing that 2015 was the second hottest year on record (since 1895) for the U.S. On cue, the media and politicians used this data to hype impending climate catastrophe, pointing to extreme weather events that NOAA data show are not linked to warming trends. At first… -
news
Conservatives Agree Standoff in Oregon Elevates Debate on Federal Land Ownership
As protesters continue to engage in a standoff against the government at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, conservatives agree the events have elevated the debate over federal land ownership. But lawmakers stop short of endorsing the actions of the protesters occupying a federal building located south of Burns, Ore. “It’s brought attention to a problem… -
opinion
Why Pakistan Must Act to Reassure India After Terror Attack
The attack on the Indian air base at Pathankot, which started on Saturday and lasted four days, was likely perpetrated by a Pakistan-based terrorist group and aimed at derailing Indo-Pakistani dialogue scheduled for next week. To keep those talks on track, Pakistan must act quickly on leads against the attackers that Indian authorities have reportedly provided to… -
opinion
Why This Company Is Suing the US Government Over the Keystone Pipeline Decision
TransCanada, the company that should have built the Keystone XL pipeline years ago, is filing a claim under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and is also suing the federal government in U.S. court because of the Obama administration’s rejection of the project. TransCanada first applied for the permit to build…