09/03/18 Filed in:
Taxes | BudgetThe 2018 tax cut will be a minor plus for Republican candidates on the campaign trail this fall, but real tax reform could be a big help in solving the fiscal problem longer term. Read More...Tags: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act , Speaker Paul Ryan, Bipartisan Budget Act, Rep. Kevin Brady, special interest tax breaks, economic growth rate, Chad Moutray, Sen. Chuck Schumer , Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Congressional Budget Office, tax revenues, Tax Reform 2.0, Indexing capital gains for inflation, Tax Reform Act of 1986, SimpleTax, grand bargain, balkanizatiion of government's fiscal equation, Afordable Care Act, Social Security, carbon tax, Market Choice Act, national park maintenance
01/08/18 Filed in:
SpendingThe current minority party is fixated on delegitimizing the president; Republicans must put their foot down in spending level negotiations or they will be rolled over. Read More...Tags: tax cut , spending levels, Speaker Paul Ryan, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Mitch McConnell , Sen. Chuck Schumer, bipartisan talks, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Sen. John Cornyn, Camp David, President Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, Reince Priebus, Michael Wolff, deficit reduction, defense spending, nondefense spending, disaster relifef funding, Federal Reserve, infrastructure program, trillion-dollar deficit, budget caps, Sen. Dick Durbin, DACA Program, border wall funding, 1970's budget rules
12/11/17 Filed in:
Spending | TaxesNo 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
To make GOP Tax Plan affordable: boost investment vs. consumption, slash tax preferences, get serious about spending cuts. Read More...Tags: reconciliation process, budget resolution, Rep. Kevin Brady, secular stagnation, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, Rep. Jim Costa, Chicago Booth, 2009 ecoomic stimulus package, Rep. Richard Neal, David Stockman, Sen. Bob Corker, Rep. Mark Walker, middle class tax cut, Speaker Paul Ryan, Council of Economic Advisers, Jason Furmer, President Barack Obama, Lawrence Summers, Kevin Hassett, trickle-down economics
08/07/17 Filed in:
RegulationsMany non-energy regulations have been dispatched, but big projects like overhauling Dodd-Frank are lagging. Read More...Tags: Congressional Review Act, Stream Buffer Rule, George Orwell, Dodd-Frank Act, CHOICE Act, Speaker Paul Ryan, Rep. Jeb Hensarling, Rahm Emanuel, Daniel Kerrick, Richard Cordray, anti-arbitration rule, class action lawsuits
07/24/17 Filed in:
HealthcarePresident 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 Filed in:
HealthcareSenate 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
03/27/17 Filed in:
Political SystemWhat’s the problem in DC; some say partisanship but a better answer might be too much wishful thinking. Read More...Tags: first 100 days, Keystone pipeline, FY 2018 budget proposal, budget blueprint, defense spending, American Health Care Act, Freedom Caucus, President Donald Trump, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker Paul Ryan, Heritage Action, tax reform , border adjustment, Infrastucture renewal, conniving with Russians, government surveillance, Illegal leaks, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, FBI Director James Comey, Rep. Devin Nunes, Rep. Adam Schiff, special prosecutor, Merrick Garland, Neil Gorsuch, Amerrican Bar Association, Sen. Ted Cruz, wishful thinking
03/20/17 Filed in:
HealthcareRepublicans must pass a healthcare bill or else, and with presidential leadership they will get it done. Read More...Tags: American Health Care Act, repeal and replace GovCare, Congressional Budget Office, repeal of individual mandate, reduced HCI coverage, Trumpcare, Ryancare, Speaker Paul Ryan, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republcan Study Committee, House Freedom Caucus, Sen. John Thune, Sen. Bill Cassidy, Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Mark Meadows, Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. Dan Heller, Sen. Rand Paul, Senate/House conference committee, 2009 Healthcare Summit, President Barack Obama, Sen. Ted Kennedy
03/13/17 Filed in:
HealthcareSubstance of the bill to “repeal and replace” GovCare should not be limited by procedural technicalities. Read More...Tags: American Health Care Act, HHS Secretary Tom Price, Speaker Paul Ryan, President Trump, political capital, Congressional Budget Office, Affordable Care Act, Obamacare Lite, Medicaid expansion, individual HCI markets, filibuster, Byrd Rule, nuclear option
03/06/17 Filed in:
SpendingThe 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
Some economists seem to suggest otherwise, but a tax on US imports would not represent “free money.” Read More...Tags: Republican tax plan, Rep. Kevin Brady, Donald Trump, border adjustments, Speaker Paul Ryan, destination-based cash flow tax, Value Added Tax, Elena Patel, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, William Gale, Scott Hodge, World Trade Organization, Martin Feldstein, Sen. David Perdue, SimpleTax Plan, Sen. Orrin Hatch, Gary Cohn
11/21/16 Filed in:
SpendingAn $800B economic stimulus package was all the rage in 2009; now the wonder cure is more infrastructure. Read More...Tags: President-elect Trump, campaign promises, first 100 days, Highway Trust Fund, federal motor fuel taxes, short-term fixes, DRIVE Act, FAST Act , Hillary Clinton, Trump's infrastructure plan, free lunch, Dakota Access pipeline, Keystone pipeline, tax reform , John Maynard Keynes, Obama administration, economic stimulus package, spending money wisely, Speaker Paul Ryan
08/29/16 Filed in:
Political SystemEven with control of both houses of Congress, GOP failed to put the US on a more conservative path. Read More...Tags: Department of Homeland Security, government shutdown, lame duck session, Keystone pipeline, GovCare, Congressional budget resolution, appropriation bills, executive amnesty, REINS Act, Clean Power Plan, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Larry Sabato, continuing resolution, Speaker Paul Ryan, Sen. Mitch McConnell , Trans-Pacific Partnership
House GOP agenda falls short of its advance billing as a collection of “bold conservative proposals.” Read More...Tags: House Republicans, Speaker Paul Ryan, Welfare system, Leviathan on the right, Beginning of a conversation, Lake Wobegon, National security, External and homeland threats, Radical Islamic terrorism, Nato obligations, Iranian nuclear deal, Smarter regulation, "Sue and settle", REINS Act, power of the purse, filibustering appropriation bills, Afffordable Care Act, healthcare insurance , Cadillac tax, Medicare, Medicaid, tax reform plan, territorial system, border adjustments, Tax Foundation, Earned Income Tax Credit, static scoring, dynamic scoring
07/18/16 Filed in:
Political SystemSputtering Trump campaign needs to get its mojo back; focusing on the issues might help. Read More...Tags: Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, House report on Benghazi attack, FBI Director James Comey, Bernie Sanders, Mike Pense, Orlando, Dallas, France (Nice), Republican National Convention, Democratic National Convention, Trump's chances in November, national polls, swing state polls, proposal to unbind GOP delegates, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, John Kasich, convention coup, "Network" video, Brexit vote, Speaker Paul Ryan, "A Better Way" proposal of House Republicans, War on Poverty, Tax Foundation, House tax cut plan, Trump tax plan, dynamic scoring, Democratic 2016 platform
05/09/16 Filed in:
Political SystemIt may be entertaining, but what’s going to be done about runaway government and the fiscal problem? Read More...Tags: Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, border control, an entertaining candidate, dismaying choice, 3rd party run, Gov. Bobby Jindal, Speaker Paul Ryan, negative attacks, Trump tax plan, minimum wage hike, Electoral College math, nonwhite voters, toss-up Senate races, female voters, younger voters, super delegates, media wants Trump, polls may start flipping, scathing debates
02/01/16 Filed in:
Political SystemHouse Speaker Paul Ryan wants the GOP to offer concrete conservative proposals in November, but satisfying everyone may not be easy. Read More...Tags: Speaker Paul Ryan, Ronal Reagan, Sen Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, regular order, Republican retreat, positive message, Charles Krauthammer, ISIS, 21st-century military, fix the tax code, Consolidated Appropriations Act, Congressional Review Act, REINS Act, Clean Power Plan, presidential vetoes, Reconciliation Act, Rep. Fred Upton, War on Poverty, social safety nets, compassionate conservatism, Kemp forum, rubberstamp Congress, filibuster, Rep. Tom Franks, government shutdown