There is a lot of misinformation regarding e-cigarettes. If you’re the parent of a teen, you have probably seen the sensational headlines about “studies” concluding that teens are vaping at “record highs” because it’s now what the “cool kids” are doing. However, this “fact” couldn’t be further from the truth. A debate is ongoing about […]
The Debt Ceiling: Extraordinary Measures and Where to Find Them
On March 7, 2017, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) announced that if the debt ceiling was not raised or extended before March 16, the Treasury will be unable to borrow funds for standard operating procedures. In order to avoid breaching the debt ceiling, the Treasury will be forced to take extraordinary measures so that it […]
Flake, et al. to POTUS: Veto Earmarks!
On Tuesday, March 7, 2017, at a time when the U.S. House of Representatives is contemplating a return to the “insidious” practice of “earmarking,” U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), joined by a handful of his colleagues, wrote to President Donald J. Trump urging the nation’s chief executive to veto any legislation that includes earmarks. According […]
Pentagon Obscures Cost Growth of “Little Crappy Ship”
According to a March 2017 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review, which is charged with reviewing information to be released to the public, blocked awkward information regarding cost growth in a historically wasteful program. The GAO was forced to delete cost increases of two Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) […]
Bernie’s Bereft and Bogus Bill
On February 28, 2017, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced, S. 469, the “Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act.” As of March 3, the bill is co-sponsored by 20 of his Democratic colleagues. In a February 28 press release, the sponsors challenged President Trump to “support our efforts” and to “encourage his Republican colleagues to […]
An Obamacare Repeal/Replace First Draft
On February 16, an “Obamacare Repeal and Replace Policy Brief and Resources” document was released that laid out the following points: Obamacare has failed; it will only get worse; that repealing the law will provide relief combined with a stable transition to something new; and the Republicans in Congress have a better way to deliver […]
Tackling Obamacare Through Administrative Action
The process of repealing and replacing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare, is underway. While Republicans in Congress are anxious for Obamacare to disappear as soon as possible, most Democrats want the healthcare reform law to be preserved and “fixed.”
GAO’s High Risk List: One Step Forward, Three Steps Back
The latest iteration of the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) biennial High-Risk Series, released on February 15, 2017, added three programs and removed one. The new areas included programs serving Indian tribes, environmental liabilities, and the 2020 census, while terrorism-related information sharing disappeared from the list.
Earmark Effort Demonstrates Tone-Deafness About Swamp Drainage
On November 16, 2016, eight days after the momentous election of Donald J. Trump as president (with his promise to “drain the swamp”), House Republicans inexplicably contemplated the restoration of earmarks. Fortunately, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) forestalled a vote during a meeting of the Republican Conference, promising instead a thoughtful and transparent discussion about the pros and cons of earmarks during the first quarter of 2017. That date appears to have been moved to the third quarter, following the announcement by House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) that he will hold public hearings and issue recommendations by July 4, 2017.
The Postal Service Reform Act Does Not Deliver
It is no secret that the United States Postal Service (USPS) is broke and broken. The agency’s low standards of delivery are rarely achieved, it has billions in losses and unfunded liabilities, and it has failed to adapt to changing markets. Reforms are essential, but H.R. 756, the Postal Service Reform Act, falls short of what is needed.