As the COVID-19 catastrophe unfolded, the Federal Reserve intervened swiftly in financial markets. Many praise the Fed’s response, including its new role as the “market maker of last resort.” Others are impressed the Fed steered clear of politics during the crisis. The Fed demonstrates what an effective and independent central bank can accomplish, its defenders … Continue reading The Federal Reserve Is Both Too Politicized and Too Powerful
Category: Washington
Congress isn’t known for learning from its mistakes. So, it’s not exactly shocking that despite the many failures of their last effort, lawmakers from both parties are pushing for another massive relief bill to stimulate the economy amid COVID-19 and the continued economic fallout. The GOP has at least expressed a desire to keep the … Continue reading Hey Congress: Here’s One Economic Stimulus Proposal That Wouldn’t Cost Taxpayers Trillions
Although the Internal Revenue Service is responsible for collecting taxes, the power to write tax law is a legislative one, held by Congress. In certain cases, however, Congress has delegated to the IRS limited authority to fill in the gaps of tax laws through regulation. The Administrative Procedure Act (APA) lays out the processes that agencies … Continue reading You Should Be Able to Challenge the IRS in Court
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed another stumbling block in the way of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s futile effort to reduce the country’s drug overdose rate through quotas on the manufacture of all forms of prescription opioids. The DEA’s annual quotas have brought production levels more than 50 percent below 2016 levels. But, in response to the COVID-19 … Continue reading The DEA’s Opioid Production Quotas Threaten Hospitalized Patients, Yet Supply of Street Fentanyl is Plentiful
Both Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Rep. Ilhan Omar made their names as self-avowed “democratic socialists” and members of the “Squad,” a group of far-left Democratic lawmakers seeking to overhaul the US economic system in the name of justice and equality. So, it might surprise you to hear that in the middle of a pandemic decimating … Continue reading Progressive ‘Squad’ Members Are Pushing a Bailout for the Privileged in the Middle of a Pandemic
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has predicted indictments in the Justice Department’s probe of the origins of the FBI’s Russia-Trump investigation. Although U.S. Attorney John Durham of Connecticut has been on the case since May 2019, however, it’s not clear what the precise criminal charges might be, if any. “I expect indictments based on the … Continue reading 6 Possible Outcomes in Justice Department Probe of Spying on Trump
The United Nations Human Rights Council last week concluded its most recent session in Geneva. True to form, the council adopted a resolution promoting abortion under the guise of responding to COVID-19. The U.N. Human Rights Council advanced the resolution July 17 under the topic of ending discrimination against women and girls. It made the … Continue reading UN Human Rights Council Exploits COVID-19 Pandemic to Support Funding for Abortion
The House is expected to vote later this week on H.R. 7608, a “minibus” bill that covers fiscal year 2021 spending for the departments of Agriculture, Interior, State, Veterans Affairs, and more. That covers four of the 12 spending bills that fund the federal government. The bill’s text—produced on July 16—is a staggering 689 pages long, … Continue reading House Appropriations ‘Minibus’ Bill Stuffed With Problematic Policies, Overspending
This post is to call your attention to a brand new paper of mine titled “Tariffs by Fiat: The Widening Chasm between U.S. Antidumping Policy and the Rule of Law.” First, some background. Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress authority “to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises…and to regulate commerce with foreign … Continue reading Congress Acquiesces to Tariffs by Fiat
President Trump banned nearly all permanent immigration and temporary workers last month for the remainder of the year. His order will affect as many as half a million workers and immigrants if consulates reopen, other COVID-19 travel restrictions are lifted, and migration resumes to last year’s levels. It will also affect about 20,000 U.S. employers seeking to hire … Continue reading About 20,000 U.S. Employers Are Affected by Trump’s Travel Bans This Year
