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
Congress Can (and Should) Defund Planned Parenthood During Appropriations Process
Recent undercover videos showing Planned Parenthood employees haggling over the price of body parts from aborted babies have renewed calls to end all federal funding of the nation’s largest abortion provider. With the Senate’s failure to pass a standalone bill prohibiting funding of the organization this week, all eyes have turned to the appropriations process… -
news
Single Mom Goes From $13 in the Bank to CEO in Five Years
It all started with blueberries. More specifically, with blueberries that Melissa Kieling’s young son refused to take to school because they were always warm and mushy by noon. It was 2009 and Kieling, a recently divorced mother of three, was struggling. Her Los Angeles home was in foreclosure, and her car had been repossessed. She… -
news
How These Millennials Are Bypassing Federal Regulations to Help Children
A temporary home can become a child’s forever family. Together We Rise is a non-profit on a mission to help children in the foster care system by supplying them with essentials and promoting adoption through the system. The organization was founded by college students in 2008 after they were denied by multiple government agencies from… -
opinion
Puerto Rico’s Default Is Just the Beginning
The Puerto Rican government failed this week to make a $58 million payment of principal and interest on a specific outstanding debt that lacks strong legal protection. The commonwealth’s move is part of its opening gambit, in what will surely be a lengthy contest with creditors. The government is trying to pay as little of… -
news
Houston Churches Sue City for Trying to Take Their Private Property
The Houston Housing Authority found itself in the middle of a sticky lawsuit this week when the agency tried to use eminent domain to “steal” two historic churches’ property as part of an urban renewal project. A Texas attorney representing the two churches is alleging that the city intended to use some of that property… -
opinion
Conservative-Libertarian Debate Produces Thought-Provoking Fireworks
Every year interns from the Cato Institute match up against interns from The Heritage Foundation to debate whether conservatism or libertarianism is the superior political philosophy. Considering almost 700 people signed up on Facebook to watch, we were not surprised at the sizable audience that turned out to view this year’s contest live. Cameron Swathwood… -
news
11 Seasoned Conservatives in Search of a 2016 Nominee to Believe In
Doug Whaley, a 71-year-old retired salesman, says he is looking for a conservative candidate for president who is worthy of his trust. Going into Thursday night’s first official debate among Republican hopefuls, Whaley also seeks a nominee who can articulate how and why conservative ideas are best for the greatest number of Americans. Whaley says… -
opinion
White House Gets It Right on Occupational Licensing
Free-market advocates have long criticized excessive occupational licensing as a drag on the U.S. labor market and an impediment to growth. The Obama administration, it seems, is finally listening. The White House Report In a major report published in July, the White House acknowledged the growing costs of occupational licensing and called on state leaders… -
news
Why This Mom Wants to See Disabled Children in Ad Campaigns
For Katie Driscoll, a young mother of six, back-to-school excitement is always dulled by one thing: advertising. That’s because Driscoll, whose daughter Grace has Down syndrome, cannot help but notice the lack of diversity in images of children boarding buses and toting packed lunches. Particularly, she cannot help but notice the lack of images portraying… -
opinion
The Rapid Growth of Job-Related Regulations
It might seem absurd to suggest that allowing unlicensed florists to sell flower arrangements harms the public health and safety. But states make claims like this every day. A recent report from the Treasury Department, the Council of Economic Advisers and the Department of Labor reveals the alarming growth—and the huge costs—of America’s convoluted and… -
news
4 Charts That Prove DC Elites Are Ignoring Planned Parenthood Debate Raging in the Nation
A series of videos that show Planned Parenthood executives discussing the sale of aborted fetal organs has sparked a nationwide debate on Twitter about the organization’s practices. A new analysis of trends on the social media site shows that those located within the Beltway took longer to join the conversation and are talking less about… -
news
‘Orange Is the New Black’ Author Calls for Reforms to Help Female Prisoners
Piper Kerman, whose memoir about her year in a federal women’s prison—titled “Orange Is The New Black”—was adapted into a Netflix series, testified before the Senate Tuesday to illustrate the criminal justice system’s failings in assisting female inmates. “When I was locked up, I knew women who were trying to raise their children during brief… -
news
Bobby Jindal Demands Planned Parenthood Be ‘Honest’ on Sale of Body Parts
Louisiana’s governor and top health officer this afternoon demanded that Planned Parenthood’s affiliate in their state explain discrepancies in what its officials say about harvesting body parts from aborted babies. “It is time for Planned Parenthood to stop misleading the state in our investigation,” @BobbyJindal says. Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast must “reconcile” its claim to… -
opinion
What Krauthammer Has Wrong About When Human Life Begins
I like Charles Krauthammer. But he made some disturbing statements Monday when talking about the Planned Parenthood scandal and reactions to it. “There is a difference between a fetus and a born adult or child human being,” Krauthammer said on “The O’Reilly Factor” when explaining why those defending Planned Parenthood’s actions thought the way they… -
opinion
Should Unions Give to Planned Parenthood Without Members’ Permission? This Bill Would Ban That.
Unions claim they’re for the little guy. They talk about big businesses putting corporate interests ahead of the average Joe. But unions have become quite big themselves. They often put their institutional interests ahead of workers. Last year, for example, several major unions gave over $400,000 to Planned Parenthood and its political action fund. They… -
opinion
No Fair! How “Fair Trade” Hurts Poor Countries
Many Americans are seeking out so-called fair trade products in their local markets. They are willing to pay higher prices in hopes of improving incomes and working conditions for people in developing countries. But, in their paper “Fair Trade and Free Entry: Can a Disequilibrium Market Serve as a Development Tool?,” economists Alain de Janvry,… -
opinion
Coast Guard Celebrates 225 Years of Protecting America
On this day in 1790, Congress passed an “Act to create the Revenue Cutter Service,” which authorized then-Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton to build a number of vessels to enforce customs laws. With this allocation, Hamilton commissioned the construction of ten “revenue cutters” intended to patrol key U.S. ports and ensure the safe and… -
news
Why Alabama Lets More Convicted Felons Serve Their Time in the Community
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Lawrence Posey has been there, done that. No, he’s been there, done worse. “Believe it or not, all of us are wired up wrong,” Posey tells his pupils, as a gold necklace with a Tweety Bird pendant dangles above his chest. “I had some loose screws and all that stuff. I still have a… -
news
Is the Fed Worth It? House Republicans Want to Find Out
Two Texas Republicans are pushing to examine the effectiveness of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policies. The House Financial Services committee, led by Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, passed legislation last week that would create an independent, bipartisan commission to evaluate the Federal Reserve’s impact on the U.S. economy over the past 100 years. Another Texas Republican,… -
news
Study Shows Americans Overwhelmingly Oppose Iran Deal
According to a recently released poll from Quinnipiac University, Americans strongly oppose the Iran nuclear deal. The majority of Americans, 58 to 30 percent, believe the deal will make America less safe, according to the poll, released Monday. The study indicates that 86 percent of Republicans oppose the deal, while 52 percent of Democrats support…