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
Meet the Underdog Republican Running for Speaker of the House
Update: The House Freedom Caucus announced Wednesday it would endorse Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida for speaker of the House in the vote before the Republican conference. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy may have emerged as the frontrunner in the race for speaker of the House, but Florida Rep. Daniel Webster is emboldening his Republican colleagues… -
news
Chaffetz Announces Speaker Bid: Americans Don’t Want ‘Status Quo,’ But For ‘Us to Fight’
Rep. Jason Chaffetz announced his intention to run for House speaker during an interview Sunday on “Fox News Sunday.” “Today, here, I am announcing my intention to run for speaker of the House of Representatives,” Chaffetz,R-Utah, said. “We were entrusted by the American people with the largest majority the Republicans have ever had since Babe… -
news
Jason Chaffetz Is Running for Speaker of the House. Here Are 20 Facts About Him.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, is planning to run for House speaker, Politico reported Friday. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, announced last week that he will resign as speaker and forfeit his congressional seat at the end of this month. Contenders for House speaker include Reps. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Daniel Webster, R-Fla. Here are 20 facts about… -
news
How Some Republicans Want to Employ a Rarely Used Tool to Revive the Export-Import Bank
In a show of dissatisfaction with Republican leaders, a group of House Republicans is attempting to reauthorize the controversial Export-Import Bank through a legislative procedure that rarely succeeds. According to reports, Rep. Stephen Fincher, R-Tenn., is collecting signatures for a discharge petition, which would force a vote on reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank. Fincher began… -
opinion
Border Tensions Are on the Rise Between Haiti and the Dominican Republic
Hurricane Joaquin may be getting all the attention, but another rough patch of stormy political weather has been lashing the Caribbean island of Hispaniola in recent months. This summer, officials in the Dominican Republic (DR) began deporting Haitian migrants and Dominican-born but undocumented people of Haitian descent. That decision has received wide attention, and the… -
opinion
Yes, the Benghazi Committee Has Been Important
Critics of the House select panel probing the Benghazi attacks, and the news media in general, have had a field day as the committee concluded its 72nd week in session — overtaking the 1973 Senate Watergate investigation as the longest-running special committee in congressional history. “Benghazi is the committee that never ends,” taunted New York magazine. The… -
opinion
What the Media Missed About Pope Francis’ Visit
To say that Pope Francis’ visit to the United States drew a lot of media attention would be an understatement. The coverage was ’round-the-clock. Yet as a lifelong “cradle Catholic,” educated by Jesuits, I couldn’t help noticing what a remarkably incomplete, if not misleading, portrait emerged of the Holy Father. Ask most people what issues concern… -
opinion
5 Steps To Survive Any Hurricane (Including Joaquin)
The government isn’t very good at disaster response (it’s also slow). In all likelihood, in a major disaster, the feds won’t get there fast enough to save people in their greatest moments of peril. The clock works against them. When communities found themselves confronting the terrible situation after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, they found it… -
news
Jason Chaffetz Bids to Replace Boehner for House Speaker
Chairman of the House Oversight Committee Jason Chaffetz is throwing his hat into the ring to replace John Boehner as speaker of the House, according to Politico. The Utah Republican will face off against the current frontrunner, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla. The news comes after McCarthy made controversial comments… -
news
Why This Tea Party Group Returned a Congressman’s $1,000 Donation
A Texas Tea Party group has returned a donation from a congressman for refusing to commit to oppose any legislation that funds Planned Parenthood. In an interview with The Daily Signal, Ray Myers, the chair of the Kaufman County Texas Tea Party, criticized Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, for refusing to sign the Mulvaney letter. Signatories of the… -
news
Nancy Pelosi: When Human Life Begins Has ‘No Basis’ in Public Policy
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., refused to answer a reporter’s question about when human life begins during a press conference on Thursday. A reporter with CNSNews.com, a website affiliated with the Media Research Center, asked Pelosi, “In reference to funding for Planned Parenthood, is an unborn baby with a human heart and a human liver… -
news
Chicago Aldermen Seek to Stifle Growing Food Truck Industry
Two aldermen introduced ordinances to restrict food carts in Chicago, less than a day after they were legalized by the City Council. Alderman Brendan Reilly’s ordinance would ban the carts in certain upscale areas, and Alderman Tom Tunney’s would ban them around Wrigley Field. Bennett Lawson, Tunney’s chief of staff, told the Chicago Tribune “there’s no… -
news
‘We’ll Possibly Lose Everything’: Florist in Court Battle Over Gay Wedding Speaks Out
Barronelle Stutzman, the Washington state florist who refused to provide floral arrangement services for a gay couple’s wedding, says she stands to lose everything she owns during her lengthy court battle. “The attorney fees will be over $1 million for the ACLU and it will take everything we own, everything we’ve saved for, our retirement, our… -
news
Combat Veteran Stands Up to Oregon Shooter, Survives Seven Bullets
North Carolina native Chris Mintz has emerged as a hero after yesterday’s tragic shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon. Mintz, who spent ten years with the U.S. Army including an overseas deployment, reportedly ran toward the gunfire to help other students get to safety. Mintz, 30, then allegedly stood up to shooter Chris Harper Mercer… -
news
Christian Organization Samaritan’s Purse ‘Ready To Deploy’ if Hurricane Joaquin Strikes
Whether or not Hurricane Joaquin, labeled a Category 4 hurricane on Thursday afternoon and classified as “extremely dangerous,” hits the Eastern seaboard of the United States this weekend remains to be seen. But should it make contact with the East Coast, relief organization Samaritan's Purse is ready to step in. While meteorologists track the hurricane’s every… -
news
Sharyl Attkisson Takes on Sunday News Shows With ‘Full Measure’
When former CBS News investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson arrived at Washington’s Newseum on Wednesday night for a party celebrating the launch of her new Sunday show “Full Measure,” the only thing she seemed nervous about was whether or not she needed a ticket for admittance. Stopping in front of the event’s check-in host before riding the… -
opinion
What the EPA Isn’t Telling You About Its New Ozone Standards
Today, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) tightened up its ozone standard, from 75 parts per billion to 70 parts per billion. Ozone refers to ground-level ozone, a primary component of smog. The EPA will certainly claim that the final standard will help human health, but here’s what they won’t be telling you: 1. Costs exceed… -
opinion
Wall Street Journal Praises Boehner, Revises History
As Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, enters the last month of his forcibly shortened tenure as speaker, his allies are desperate to make the case that he will leave a “conservative legacy.” The primary argument made by folks, such as Karl Rove, in favor of Boehner’s conservatism centers on fiscal restraint. The Wall Street Journal’s editorial… -
news
Bobby Jindal: Kim Davis Wouldn’t Go to Jail in My State
Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis, who has found herself in the middle of a religious liberty firestorm for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples based on her biblical beliefs, would have had a much easier time of it if she lived in a different state. For example, in Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal issued… -
news
Poll: Republicans Dissatisfied With Boehner, McConnell
House Speaker John Boehner’s resignation announcement came as a shock to many, but recent polls show that it also provoked sighs of relief from GOP primary voters, some of whom think Boehner’s planned October resignation is not soon enough. According to a poll from The Wall Street Journal, 72 percent of Republican primary voters…