Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
Well, that didn’t take long. In the first standoff between Republican leadership and President Obama following the November elections, the GOP is showing signs it doesn’t have the fortitude to fight the good fight. There is no good reason for the House NOT to take real action now. We went from House Speaker John Boehner…
Yesterday, the House passed a one-year extension for the “tax extenders”—a package of approximately 50 tax-reducing policies that expired at the end of 2013. The one-year extension would retroactively reinstate the policies for 2014, but no further. The Senate will vote on the extension next. Last week, President Obama torpedoed—with a veto threat—a potential deal…
Seventeen states have sued the federal government in federal court in Texas over President Obama’s plan to “unilaterally suspend the immigration laws as applied to 4 million of the 11 million” illegal aliens in the United States. The 29-page suit was filed by a who’s-who of state attorneys general and governors, including Texas Attorney General…
What does security at chemical facilities have to do with labor relations? Not much, but lawmakers are considering adding a provision to the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) that would connect them. The addition would require a union representative to be present at any meetings regarding chemical security, notes former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy…
Since 2007, the birth rate in the United States has been declining. Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report on the 2013 birth rate, announcing that "the U.S. general fertility rate was at an all-time low in 2013." Here we reprint Jonathan Last's essay from the 2014 Index of Culture and Opportunity….
Incentives matter. Human experience and common sense tells us you get more of the behavior you reward – and there has been no better case study of that on a policy level than the issue of illegal immigration. That is why any serious immigration reform considered in the next Congress should revisit the concept of…
Should high school students have to pass the citizenship test? The Civics Education Initiative, an Arizona-based non-profit group, is pushing for legislation in Arizona, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah that would require all high school students to pass the same test that immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship…
Today, a House Committee will hold a hearing on the subject, “Is Academic Freedom Threatened by China’s Influence on U.S. Universities?” China’s aggressive promotion of its primary public diplomacy program in North America has recently captured headlines as U.S. and Canadian academics have begun to push back against what is felt to be undue influence…
How would you like to get paid a full-time salary plus benefits for not working, and without taking any sick days? Sounds like a dream, right? According to both the Government Accountability Office and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Inspector General, eight EPA employees were paid more than $1 million while on paid administrative leave. These…
A generous taxpayer-funded handout for the wind industry expired at the end of 2013—but it’s not going to the grave quietly. Congress could give the handout new life. Currently, Congress is tossing around the idea of a one-year or multi-year extension of the wind production tax credit. That’s a mistake. Policymakers should not breathe any…
“Offset strategies” is a topic currently being discussed in defense circles, the premise being that the U.S. has adopted various approaches to offset an advantage held by an opponent. According to this argument, the U.S. has pursued two previous offset strategies since World War II. The first emerged in the 1950s centered on nuclear weapons…
The federal government hit a new milestone Friday: The total federal debt now tallies more than $18 trillion. Just six years ago when President Obama took office, total debt stood at $10.6 trillion, which means it now has increased by almost $8 trillion—roughly 70 percent—during his tenure as president. The surge in total debt, which…
As members of the House and Senate prepare to vote on the annual National Defense Authorization Act, it appears the bill will be saddled with extraneous non-defense measures. This threatens the integrity of both defense policy and the NDAA process. This legislative practice–tying together unrelated provisions to secure votes for bad policy–is so frequent that…
Ashton Carter looks like a shoe-in for the next Secretary of Defense. All the other possible candidates have pulled themselves from contention, and it is unlikely others will appear. The departure of Chuck Hagel left the Obama administration scrambling to find a suitable replacement that would take the job, Carter, the former under secretary of…
"First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage." Sort of. I grew up singing the "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" jingle with my elementary school friends during recess. Now many of those same friends have the baby in the baby carriage and a boyfriend. They aren't alone. >>>REPORT: How Welfare Undermines Marriage According…
Today the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Young v. United Parcel Service, a case involving what private businesses must do to accommodate pregnant employees without violating anti-discrimination laws. Hard cases make bad law, or so the adage goes. And in this case, the Supreme Court is faced with a sympathetic plaintiff who was…
When do rap lyrics cross the line and become threatening speech? The Supreme Court specifically addressed that question during oral arguments this week in Elonis v. United States, a case which involves the felony conviction of Anthony Elonis for making threats against his estranged wife and law enforcement officers on Facebook. After separating from his…
Demands by Hong Kong’s people for the autonomy and freedom that China promised has gotten Beijing’s autocrats into such a tizzy that they’re losing sight of their long-term interests. At some point, they will have to understand that keeping promises is not just a matter of civilized behavior, but also a matter of successful statecraft. A…
Are U.S. military members at risk on social media? The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security this weekend jointly issued the strongest warning yet for U.S. servicemen to scrub their accounts on Facebook, Twitter and other social media. As reported by Fox News’s Catherine Herridge, the FBI and DHS are warning…
Data on consumer spending show that spending on health insurance surged 42 percent from 2007 to 2013, according to analysis by the Wall Street Journal. The rise reflects the increasing cost of health insurance and the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that everyone buy extensive health insurance. Another feature shown by the data is the movement…