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
What Life Is Like at 20 Weeks in the Womb
The Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act bans abortions after 20 weeks, except in cases where rape or incest had been reported to authorities. It's a law the majority of Americans actually agree on—with 60 percent of Americans polling in support. But Wednesday night, House GOP leaders canceled the bill's scheduled Thursday vote because of uproar… -
opinion
Onward for Life: Why We March
Today, hundreds of thousands of Americans will gather on the National Mall to participate in the annual March for Life, commemorating the 42nd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, which invented a constitutional right to abortion-on-demand. Today is primarily a time for somber remembrance. A time to… -
opinion
New CEO Sworn in to Lead U.S. International Broadcasting
Andrew Lack has a Herculean task ahead of him. Lack was sworn in January 20 as Chief Executive Officer and Director of the U.S. International Broadcasting (USIB) services. His job will be to sort out the mess that has resulted from years of bad management and misplaced priorities at the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG),… -
opinion
25 Years After Daughter’s Death, Parents Share the Heartbreaking Story of Her Short Life
We would like to say thank you to The Daily Signal for publishing the series of articles titled “Life Pioneers.” My wife Laurie and I were also patients of Dr. Michael Harrison and Dr. Scott Adzick back in 1989 at University of California San Francisco. Our daughter, Larissa, had a very similar condition to that… -
opinion
29 Beautiful Reminders of Why People March for Life
Today, tens of thousands of people from around the country will gather in Washington to brave the cold for a cause they believe in. Some are marching for the first time, and others have been traveling to the nation’s capital since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. For the 42nd year, they’ll meet again… -
news
Another Chance at Life: How Doctors Can Fix a Birth Defect During Delivery
In our “Life Pioneers” series, The Daily Signal reported on the miracle of fixing birth defects before birth—a lifesaving technique known as fetal surgery. In the case of Elijah Leffingwell, the subject of a profile in the series, at 25 weeks gestation, he was partially removed from his mother’s womb so surgeons could remove a… -
news
42 Years After Roe v. Wade, Here Are 42 Tweets of People Marching for Life
Thousands of students, teachers, churches and families will join the fight against abortion at the annual March for Life rally in the nation’s capital today. The rally was initiated as a response to the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision 42 years ago on Jan. 22, 1973. It has continued to grow each year in Washington and in cities across America…. -
opinion
Medicare Reform Hearings: Making a Bipartisan Case for Common Sense
Medicare doctors face a 21 percent pay cut this year because a complex formula called the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), a feature of current law, requires the drastic cut. Repealing that formula to pay physicians would add hundreds of billions of dollars to the nation’s deficits, which is why the House Energy and Commerce Committee… -
opinion
Still Digging for the Truth About Benghazi
As promised by Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., the House Select Committee to Investigate Benghazi is proceeding deliberately and carefully, holding two closed-door-meetings last week with officials from the State and Justice Departments. These meetings reportedly included diplomatic security staff and were part of the preparation for the next public meeting, which is expected this month or… -
news
In Case You Missed It: The Daily Signal’s State of the Union Show
You didn’t need to watch hours of analysis from CNN or Fox News to discover the key takeaways from President Obama’s State of the Union address. Instead, The Daily Signal delivered instant analysis and insight from a panel featuring two Heritage Foundation policy experts, a progressive and conservative pundit. No topic or policy debate was off limits as they went head to head on… -
opinion
The U.S.–Japan Global Alliance in a Troubled World
The taking of Japanese hostages by ISIS this week is a reminder of what a dangerous place the world is, even for a nation as committed to peace as Japan has been for the past 70 years. Since taking office in 2012, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has implemented several improvements to Japan’s defense, including a… -
news
What These House Conservatives Think About the 2016 Republican Field
Speculation about the 2016 presidential election reached Capitol Hill today at the monthly gathering Conservations with Conservatives, where lawmakers sounded off about the current field of candidates possibly vying for the Republican nomination next year. With a variety of presidential hopefuls spanning the Republican Party’s ideological spectrum, Rep. Raúl Labrador of Idaho told reporters he’s excited… -
opinion
Digital Warfare Tops List of Public Diplomacy Developments in 2014
The explosion in digital warfare tops the list of public diplomacy developments around the world in 2014, as identified by the University of Southern California’s Center for Public Diplomacy (CPD). Information operations by non-state and state actors alike have become a major factor in the 21st century. The radical Islamist terrorist attack on the French satirical… -
news
For First Time Since 2002, al-Qaeda Wasn’t Mentioned in State of the Union
Noticeably missing from President Obama’s state of the union speech was any mention of al-Qaeda, the first time that terrorist network went unmentioned since George Bush’s 2002 speech. The president did mention ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) — an al-Qaeda offshoot — in passing, but ignored the continuing threat posed by… -
opinion
Argentine Prosecutor Found Dead Day Before He Was Scheduled to Testify on Potential Argentine–Iranian Cooperation
Just one day before he was set to give damning testimony against Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina prosecutor Alberto Nisman was found dead in what has been ruled a suicide. Nisman was set to testify about President Kirchner’s role in covering up Iran and Hezbollah’s participation in the bombing attack on the Jewish… -
news
The State of the Union by the Numbers
After weeks of preparation, President Obama delivered a State of the Union address tonight filled with policy proposals and legislative ideas for the 114th Congress. While some aspects of the speech had been previewed through a series of “SOTU Spoilers” unveiled by Obama in the weeks leading up to the address, the president offered up… -
news
Paul Ryan: ‘Opportunity for Everybody, Favoritism for None’
Appearing on Fox News after President Obama’s State of the Union address, Rep. Paul Ryan sounded a message similar to the agenda advanced at last week’s Conservative Policy Summit. The Heritage Foundation and its sister organization, Heritage Action for America, last week released a 192-page book called “Opportunity for All, Favoritism to None.” The Wisconsin… -
news
33 Tweets Reacting to State of the Union From Top Liberal, Conservative Pundits
President Obama gave his annual State of the Union speech for the seventh time as president. His speech, which focused on the state of our country at home and abroad, had reaction from across both sides of the political aisle. Liberals: I’m generally not a fan of the SOTU (usually boring) but Obama is giving… -
news
31 of the Sweetest #SOTU Tweets From Presidential Prospects
Not every politician feels comfortable walking Twitter like a high wire, but some of those who are thinking hard about seeking the presidency next year tweeted out blunt reactions to President Obama’s second-to-last State of the Union address. Some live-tweeted, others worked from advance text of Obama’s hour-long remarks. Here’s a representative sample of what… -
news
These 41 Members of Congress Tweeted During the State of the Union. Here’s What They Had to Say.
Members of Congress no longer just listen to the president deliver his State of the Union address. They’re also actively messaging throughout the speech. Here are some of the tweets—from Democrats, Republicans and one Independent—that caught our eye tonight. We must stand up for human rights for everyone, everywhere #SOTU @amnesty @hrw — Congressman Mike…