01/13/20
Our expectations were low for the year-end legislative activity in DC, but Congress managed to undershoot them. One win – multiple losses! Read More...Tags: appropriation bills, logrolling, Impeachment inquiry, border barriers, USMCA, multiemployer pension plans, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Mitch McConnell, President Donald Trump, President Bill Clinton, balanced budget, omnibus appropriation bills, redesignation of military construction funds, Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Lamar Alexander, UMW pension plan, Export-Import Bank, paid family leave, Business Roundtable, taxes on healthcare, renewal of extenders
12/16/19
SAFE seeks to enlist Sen. Rand Paul as an ally who could help to build support for our suggestion that balancing the budget should be the top issue in the 2020 presidential race. Read More...Tags: Sen. Tom Carper, balanced solution, Fiscal Commission, Bowles-Simpson commission, President Donald Trump, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Chuck Schumer , Sen. Chris Coons, Chris Wallace, Russell Vought, Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Mike Enzi, Joint Select Committe re budget process, Democratic primaries debates, Republican tax cuts, special tax breaks, USA Today, Joe Biden, Ross Perot
12/02/19
Don’t blame sporadic, ineffective government on the current president. This pattern has been developing for years, and barring corrective action it will keep getting worse. Read More...Tags: Sen. Bernie Sanders, President Donald Trump, appropriation bills, continuing resolution, border fencing, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, multiemployer pension plans, joint select committee, Rep. Sherrod Brown, Sen. Orrin Hatch, Congressional Budget Office, NAFTA, USMCA, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Mexican President Lopez Obrador, presidental vs. congressional roles, Pew Resarch polling, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
07/29/19
The Bipartisan Budget Act will compound the fiscal problem, and ironically the debt limit – which is supposed to help constrain spending – provided an excuse for hasty action. Read More...Tags: Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, Rep. Thomas Massie, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Offfsets, Steven Mnuchin, debt limit, President Donald Trump , budget proposal for fY 2020, Russell Vought, Sen. Mitch McConnell, offsets, CHIMPS, no "poison pills", President Barack Obama Obama, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, James Madison, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Mark Esper, economic results, trade policies
06/03/19
The infrastructure deal was arguably derailed by unrelated political bickering, but there was no solid basis for a such a deal in the first place. Read More...Tags: deteriorating infrastructure, ASCE, federal fuel taxes, Highway Trust Fund, permitting delays, Keystone pipeline, Jones Act, Project Labor Agreement requirements, sale/leasebacks, Arizona, Indiana, President Donald Trump Donald Trump, Sen. Chuck Grassley, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen Debbie Stabenow, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Rober Mueller, no grand bargain
05/13/19
Government attempts to influence energy source choices so as to “save the planet” or create “green” jobs are misguided. Read More...Tags: Green New Deal, Sen. Mitch McConnell, UN report on species extinction, biodiversity, David Bernhardt, Rep. Betty McCollum , DNREC, QFCP tariff, John Nichols, Environmental Appeals Board, renewable energy , Federal tax credits, EPA, Clean Power Plan, CAFE standards, DE renewable portflolio standardDe[artment of Health and Social Services, General Assembly, John Greer, Bill Whipple, DE Sen. Harris McDowell, manmade global warming theory, Sierra Club, PA legistature, Gregory Whitestone, Joseph Bastardi, David Legates
04/01/19
The Mueller report has been submitted, but many related issues remain in play. Also, a host of other problems are pending, none with easy and/or agreeable solutions. Read More...Tags: James Thurber, Russian troops in Venezuela, Juan Guaido, NIcolas Maduro, Paul Gigot, Gen. Jack Keane, border crisis, Central American immigrants, asylum, Carla Provost, border barriers, government shutdown, delclaration of national emergency, Resolution of disapproval, Iron Triangle countries, foreign aid, remittances from emigrants to the US, cutoff of foreign aid, plan to close border, Mick Mulvaney, Mueller probe, William Barr, GovCare lawsuit, adminstration position, GovCare replacement, Slow-walking presidential appointments, cloture, nuclear option, Sen. Mitch McConnell
09/24/18
What to hope for this fall: acknowledgement that the fiscal problem is serious and advocacy of credible solutions versus the usual finger pointing. Read More...Tags: Hillary Clinton, President Donald Trump, Tax Reform 2.0, trade war with China, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Chuck Schumer , Joint Select Committe re budget process, Rep. Paul Ryan, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Tom Schatz, Michael Tanner, Mick Mulvaney, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Sen. Bob Corker, Rep. Roger Aderholt, Rep. Hal Rogers, Leon Panetta, David Obey, Rep. Steve Womack, President' s budget proposal, A Brighter American Future, Prime Cuts
02/26/18
SAFE has been warning of deficits & debt since 1996, so far without avail. This week we sent individualized pitches to the president, six members of Congress, and the budget director.
Read More...Tags: Jim Thomen, budget-deficit disorder, President Donald Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Tom Carper , Sen. Chris Coons, Rep. Kevin Brady, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney
02/19/18
In the wake of the budget deal and subsequent delivery of a "dead on arrival" budget, prospects for solving the fiscal problem seem remote - but SAFE isn't about to give up. Read More...Tags: Bipartisan Budget Act, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Chuck Schumer , joint select committee, An American Budget, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, infrastructure program, President Donald Trump, gas tax increase, DACA Program, Sen. Ted Cruz, Jose Alvarez, filibuster rule, omnibus appropriation bill, Rep. Jeb Hensarling, Sen. Patty Murray, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Congressional Budget Act ot 1974, impoundment, Congressional Budget Office, Dick Timberlake, budget red line, discretionary spending, mandatory spending, entitlement programs, tax preferences, Rep. Kevin Brady, Neil Brechtel, term limits
01/29/18
To avoid being blamed for the next government shutdown, which is set for February 8, Republicans should consider taking a harder line. Read More...Tags: continuing resolution, GovCare, tax cut , apppriation bills, CHIP, debt limit, DACA Program, government shutdown, defense spending, budget caps, Sen. Tom Carper , dreamers, Sen Chuck Schumer, President Donald Trump, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Schumer Shutdown, Trump Shutdown, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, Legislative Affairs Director Mark Short, Sen. Mitch McConnell, moderate senators, Sen. Chris Coons, Sen Joe Lieberman, "No labels" movement, path to citizenship, border wall funding, Senate filibuster rule, Sen. Ted Cruz. , nuclear option
10/16/17
Proposed business tax changes would boost US economy; tax cuts for individuals seem problematic. Read More...Tags: GovCare, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Rep. Kevin Brady, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Orrin Hatch, Treaasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Gary Cohn, tax bracket, zero tax bracket, standard deduction, personal exemptions, Itemized deductions, state and local tax deduction, Child Tax Credit, Alternative Minimum Tax, estate tax, C corporations, pass through entities, S corporations, current expensing, taxation of international buinsss income, tax complelxity, tax preparation programs, rocket fuel, Council of Economic Advisers, dynamic scoring, Sen. Tom Carper
07/24/17
President tries to break Senate impasse on healthcare bill; his remarks were helpful but may not be enough. Read More...Tags: Better Care Reconciliation Act, GovCare , American Health Care Act, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Mike Lee, Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. John McCain, Sen. Dean Heller, Speaker Paul Ryan, Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. John Cornyn, Sen. Rob Portman, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Bill Cassidy
07/03/17
Senate healthcare bill has some good points, and a “bipartisan” approach wouldn’t yield better results.
Read More...Tags: Sen. Mitch McConnell, Better Care Reconciliation Act, Michael Harrington, Congressional Budget Office, Sen. Susan Collins, Speaker Paul Ryan, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, Medicaid, Indiana, Rhode Island, Delaware, AARP, President Barack Obama, tax cut for the wealthy, President Donald Trump, Sen. Dick Durbin, Robert Reich, assisted suicide
05/22/17
Instead of watering down the American Health Care Act, Senate Republicans should try to make it better. Read More...Tags: American Health Care Act, Afffordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion, healthcare insurance, Obamacare Lite, preexisting condittions, Trumpcare, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Rob Portman, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen Orrin Hatch, Sen. Bill Cassidy, Sen. John Hoeven, Sen. Ted Cruz, Holman Jenkins, Charles Krauthammer
04/03/17
Filibuster rule leads to: gridlock, congressional decline, one-way ratchet, poor bills, budget blackmail. Read More...Tags: nuclear option, Neil Gorsuch, Sen. Mitch McConnell, advise and consent, Sen. Chuck Schumer, gridlock, one way ratchet, Congressional Budget Office, American Health Care Act, government shutdown, debt limit, spending authority
02/06/17
Rollback of counterproductive regulations is crucial and would justify changing Senate rules (if need be). Read More...Tags: cost of regulations, regulatory swamp, reversing executive actions, reversing regiulations, changing legislation, Congressional Review Act, Sen. Tom Carper, Todd Gaziano, coalition letter on CRA, Sen. Chris Coons, Tom Pruiitt, Betsy DeVos, financial market "core principles", Dodd-Frank Act, fiduciary duty rule, judge Neil Gorsuch, Sen. Harry Reid, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Rep. Tom McClintock
01/18/16
As Harry Truman famously said about political life, “if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” Read More...Tags: State of the Union address, King of Thrones, Kemp forum, Sen. Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Donald Trump , Senator Ted Cruz, Mitt Romney, President Barack Obama, San Bernardino terrorist attack, Veterans Affairs, President George W. Bush, Gov. Nikki Haley, Wayne Allen Root, GOP presidential candidates debate, Neil Cavuto, Maria Bartiromo, Sen. Marco Rubio, natural born citizen, "birther" argument, Professor Lawrence Tribe, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Gov. Chris Christie, Hillary Clinton