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
11/11/19
Herewith a state of play review of several topics: Impeachment inquiry - generational divide - fiscal problem - taxes - healthcare - climate realism - "renewable" energy - DE public schools. Read More...Tags: Rep. Nancy Pelosi, whistleblower, Joe Biden, Senate Budget Committee, Sen. Chris Coons, shutdown fight, Sen. Tom Carper, President Donald Trump, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Michael Bloomberg, Sen. Rand Paul, Pete Buttigieg, The Triumph of Injustice, wealth taxes, Medicare for all, Dr. Christopher Casscells, Scott Atlas, Charlie Copeland, MMGWT , John Greer, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, William Happer, David Legates, John Nichols, Environmental Appeals Board, Bloom Energy, Ron Russo, DE Sen. Mike Ramone
10/28/19
In addition to letters urging that presidential candidates offer plans for balancing the budget, SAFE is available for discussion. A recent meeting with Sen. Tom Carper went well. Read More...Tags: fiscal status in 1996, OMB , CBO , fiscal status currently, Jim Thomen, Sen. Tom Carper, Bipartisan Budget Act, Balanced Budget Agreement, President Bill Clinton, Rep. John Kasich, Republcan tax cuts, stock buybacks, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, President Donald Trump, Trans-Pacific Partnership, Great Recession, Obama administration, Keynesian economics, Senate Budget Committee, Ross Perot, GAO, high-risk areas, tax gap, improper payments, Governor Pete DuPont, Sen. Ted Kennedy, Bowles-Simpson commission
08/26/19
Many people view fiscal responsibility as passé, but SAFE continues to support the quaint notion that government budgets should be habitually balanced. Read More...Tags: US gov't fiscal history, deficit spending, President Bill Clinton, Jim Thomen, Sen. Tom Carper, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Sen Mitch McConnell, Sen Chuck Schumer, Sen. Chris Coons, Chris Wallace, Russell Vought, President Donald Trump
05/27/19
SAFE board mulls some tough issues, including reviving the interest of our political leaders in balancing the budget vs. promising “free stuff” that taxpayers aren’t willing to pay for. Read More...Tags: joe Biden, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Beto O'Rourke, President Donald Trump, President Barack Obama, China trade war, Strategas Research Partners, Morgan Stanley, Lewis Powell, Federal Researc monetary policy, Fed inflation target, Sen. Tom Carper, Bloom Energy, PSC, DNREC, John Nichols, Sen. Harris McDowell, John Greer, Gov. John Carney, MD Governor Larry Hogan
10/08/18
The Senate confirmation process was severely tested in reviewing the Kavanaugh nomination. If nothing else, something needs to be done about invasion of the premises by protestors. Read More...Tags: midterm elections, President Donald Trump, Brett Kavanaugh, hLS Dean John Manning, American Bar Association, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Tom Carper, Roe v. Wade, Obergefell v. Hodges, tV ads, Prersidernt George W. Bush, Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Prof. Christine Blasey Ford, Sen. Jeff Flake, Sen. Chris Coons, FBI, Michael Hayden, HLS Professor Alan Dershowitz, Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. Joe Manchin, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Steve Daines, Chief Justice John Roberts, former Justice Anthony Kennedy
10/01/18
Here’s a report about recent SAFE actions on several different fronts, let’s hope they bear fruit. Read More...Tags: Harry Kenton, News Journal, Delaware Law School, Constitution Day, US immigration laws, Delaware PUblic Service Commission, John Nichols, Delamarva Power, Bloom Energy, Sen. Tom Carper, deficits and debt, SAFE newsletter, Judge Brett Kavanaugh
08/20/18
No Labels posits that unity will result if politicians discuss the issues, but experience suggests otherwise. It might be better to debate the issues and aim for timely and well-informed decisions. Read More...Tags: The Three Musketeers, "No labels" movement, Obama administration, economic redistribution, economic growth , President Donald Trump, A Better Deal, Medicare for all, Kerri Harris, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Tom Carper, Irrational exuberance, SAFE's job manifesto, David Smick, Main Street capitalism, Social Security, John Stossel, Leon Panetta, Illegal immigration, government shutdown
07/23/18
Why all the fuss about confirming a highly qualified Supreme Court nominee, what’s really at stake? Read More...Tags: Conservative Caucus of Delaware, tbree branches of government, separation of powers, Article III, Supreme Court Building, number of justices, original intent, living document, Justice Clarence Thomas, Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, Andrew Jackson, FDR, enumerated powers doctrine, Griswold v. Connecticut, Roe v. Wade, Obergefell v. Hodges, Abe Fortas, LBJ, Robert Bork, Merrick Garland, Neil Gorsuch, travel ban, Ohio voting rolls, state voting district lines, agency fees for non-union members, sales tax on interstate sales, same sex marriage rights vs. first amendment, partisan gerrymandering, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Sen. Chuck Schumer , Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Tom Carper, Scott Pruitt
05/07/18
Partisan bickering and worse drives out thoughtful debate, promoting stalemate or poor policy choices. Our political leaders need to do much better, both in DC and Delaware.
Read More...Tags: advice for attorneys, SAFE board meeting, deficits and debt, tax cut bill, Sen. Ted Cruz, Impoundment Control Act of 1974, Balanced Budget Amendment, line item veto, Convention of States , appropriation bills, Joint Select Committe re budget process, Martha Coven, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Sen. James Lankford, Mueller probe, Professor Alan Dershowitz, Russian collusion, Michael Cohen, Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein, James Comey, Jerome Corsi, Cicero, Scott Pruitt, Sen. Tom Carper, Parkland Florida shooting, Delaware gun control legislation, Governor John Carney, Sen. Chris Coons, Appoquinimink School District, News Journal, offshore wind power, healthcare benchmarking proposal, DHSS Secretary Cara Odom Walker, Wyane Smith, Delaware hospitals
04/23/18
With its conservative credentials in tatters, the GOP should insist on completing the FY 2019 budget process in a businesslike manner before the Oct. 1 deadline. Read More...Tags: omnibus spending bill, president's budge proposal, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, Senate Budget Committee, House Budget Committee, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen Chuck Grassley, Sen. Bob Corker, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Jeff Merkley, Sen . Patty Murray, Sen. Mike Enzi, Sen. John Kennedy, Sen. Tom Carper, Rep. Steve Womack, Rep. John Yarmuth, Congressional Budget Office, Joint Select Committe re budget process, House Armed Serevices Committee, Rep. Mack Thornberry, more tax cuts, Rep. Kevin Brady, Balanced Budget Amendment, line item veto, rescission, Rep. Dave Brat, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Daniel Horowitz
12/11/17
No one wants to be blamed for a government shutdown, but there are deep divisions on several issues and neither side will give up easily. Don’t count on anything until the dust settles. Read More...Tags: President Donald Trump, Sen. Chuck Schumer Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Republican tax plan, Sen. Tom Carper, ANWR, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Child Tax Credit, Alternative Minimum Tax, estate tax, GovCare individual mandate, Roy Moore, Sen. Susan Collins, Speaker Paul Ryan, Rep. Mark Walker, DACA Program, Pensacola rally, border wall funding, visa overstays, sanctuary cities, chain migration, E-verify, continuing resolution, omnibus spending bill, Senate filibuster rule, Budget Contol Act, government shutdown
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
10/02/17
Gridlock in fixing the fiscal problem is unfortunate, but in other cases it's not necessarily a bad thing. Read More...Tags: President Donald Trump, drain the swamp, Gresham's Law, national debt, gridlock, economic stimulus , happytalk, Great Recession, Sen. Tom Carper, economic growth rate, hurricane damage, tax cut , Reagan tax cut, Treaasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama, Graham-Cassidy bill, Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. John McCain , Sen. Rand Paul, single payer system, cap and trade proposal, manmade global warming , climate change, offshore wind power, DE Governor John Carney
05/15/17
The American Health Care Act is being attacked as extreme, but the case against it seems underwhelming. Read More...Tags: American Health Care Act, President Donald Trump, Rose Garjden, wealthy and healthy, Trumpcare, preexisting condittions, high risk pools, 2018 mid-terms, Congressional Budget Office, Medicaid, block grant system, death spiral, high risk pools, age tax, AARP, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Jimmy Kimmel, Kellyanne Conway, Sen. Tom Carper
03/06/17
The government’s budget should be balanced every year, but our political leaders keep getting it wrong. Read More...Tags: president's address to Congress, fiscal problem, balance the budget, Treasury Department, debt ceiling, spending cuts, new initiatives, childcare, paid family leave, Infrastucture, tax reform , budget proposal, budget , appropriation bills, entitlement programs, OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, Speaker Paul Ryan, Rep. Diane Black, Robert Ehrlich, Four Year War, Steve Bannon, wiretapping claims, Loretta Lynch, Sen. Chris Coons, Sen. Tom Carper
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
01/16/17
Will the parties work together to repeal and replace GovCare? What could improve the odds for a favorable outcome?
Read More...Tags: Affordable Care Act, repeal and replace, budget reconciliation process, Coach Darrell Royal, concurrent resolution, Senate filibuster rule, president-elect's press conference, Rep. (and HHS Secretary-designate) Tom Price, president's farewell speech, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Tom Carper, Lou Stahl - Phoenix AZ
12/05/16
Fixing GovCare looks doable, but our political leaders need to act quickly versus vainly seeking perfection. Read More...Tags: Affordable Care Act, GovCare, SAFE healthcare reform plan, Sen. Tom Carper, healthcare insurance, HCI, Donald Trump, Sen. John Barrosso, repeal and replace, health savings accounts, sale of HCI across state lines, Medicaid block grants, first 100 days, reconciliation process, Sen. John Cornyn, Hillary Clinton, filibuster, public option, single payer system, Rep. Tom Price, Sen. Chris Coons, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Bill Cassidy, Rep. Pete Sessions
03/07/16
Let’s hope Justice Scalia’s replacement will share his skepticism of the EPA et al. Read More...Tags: Supreme Court, justice Scalia, EPA, Mercury and Air Toxic Standards (MATS), Michigan v. EPA, Clean Power Plan, DC Circuit Court of Appeals, Chief Justice John Roberts, FERC, Justice Kagan, Sen. Mitch McConnell , Sen. Chuck Grassley, Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Tom Carper, Donald Trump, Eric Holder
11/23/15
US immigration policies should serve our national interests, not simply the needs of would-be entrants. Read More...Tags: Statute of Liberty, Syrian refugees, Gov. Jack Markell, John Bolton, Ryan Crocker, Ann Corcoran, Daniel Horowitz, immigration at all time high, Ann Coulter, Thomas Sowell, SAFE Act, Sen. Tom Carper, Sen. Jeff Sessions, Tsarnaev brothers, American jihadist wannabes, FBI Director James Comey, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Jeff Flake