Congress’ power of the purse is one of its bedrock responsibilities listed in Article 1 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court has reaffirmed this power on several occasions, including in a 1976 case when the Court declared, “The established rule is that the expenditure of public funds is proper only when authorized by Congress, not that public … Continue reading Congress Ceded Too Much Authority to Agencies. Bill Restores a Healthy Balance.
Category: Washington
Republicans are celebrating what they say is the repeal of ObamaCare, legislation that has been in their crosshairs for several years. Many pundits are skeptical, among them healthcare expert Michael Cannon of Cato. “House Republicans went behind closed doors and emerged with a bill that does not repeal the core provisions of ObamaCare, and therefore cannot begin to repair … Continue reading Scholar: GOP Healthcare Bill Is Not Repeal—It Is ObamaCare-lite (or Worse)
The Republican-controlled House vote to “repeal Obamacare” – if that is what this was – was a stunning mess. Did they get it right? The answer is obviously no, and that’s inevitable. Just imagine a bill that sets out to reorganize any industry that is currently mostly market driven, such as shirts, software, groceries, or … Continue reading This Is Why Government Shouldn’t Be Involved in Health Care
.. On April 22, 2016, the United States and 170 other countries signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which seeks “to combat climate change and adapt to its effects.” This international measure commits signatories to shift their energy industries away from fossil fuels that cause “greenhouse gas” emissions, and toward renewal resources like wind … Continue reading Why Trump Can and Should Pull Out of Paris Climate Change Agreement
What is done by executive power can be undone by executive power. Former President Barack Obama began to learn that lesson this Wednesday when President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to conduct a review of all Antiquities Act designations larger than 100,000 acres over the past 30 years. Specifically, … Continue reading The First Step in Revoking Obama’s Land Grab
Democrats may have lost the House, the Senate and the White House, but somehow they still control Congress. That’s because the new $1.1 trillion federal spending plan, which President Trump says he supports and will sign, funds 99 percent of Obama’s EPA, and includes spending increases for government agencies engaged in falsifying climate data and … Continue reading How did your Congressman vote on the Pelosi/Ryan spending bill? Here’s the list.
I want tax cuts. I support tax cuts. I relish tax cuts. I like tax cuts because I’m a curmudgeonly libertarian and I think people should have the first claim on the money they earn. I like tax cuts because I’m an economist and we’ll get more growth if penalties on productive behavior are reduced. … Continue reading If Trump Were Serious about Tax Cuts, He’d Be Serious about Spending Cuts
Jenny Craig can’t arrest you if you miscount your calories, but the federal government could if a new calorie-counting rule takes effect. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments” (79 FR 71155) rule is scheduled to take effect on May 5. The 105-page … Continue reading FDA May Make Too Many Pizza Toppings a Crime
Did the Deep State deep-six Trump’s populist revolution? Many observers, especially among his fans, suspect that the seemingly untamable Trump has already been housebroken by the Washington, “globalist” establishment. If true, the downfall of Trump’s National Security Adviser Michael Flynn less than a month into the new presidency may have been a warning sign. And … Continue reading Trump Surrenders to the Iron Law of Oligarchy
In another move to free up domestic energy supplies, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday aimed at lifting the Obama administration’s offshore drilling restrictions. For decades, bad policies have blocked access to America’s abundance of domestic resources, yet America has still managed to be a global energy leader. Trump’s executive order, “Implementing an … Continue reading Trump Opens Doors on Oil Exploration, but Deeper Reforms Still Needed
