Policy Papers
Democrats' Radical Climate Plans
KEY TAKEAWAYS In their fight against American energy, Democrats in Congress have been busy introducing legislation to stifle energy production, prescribe how electricity providers get their power, and increase the tax burden on energy producers. They continue to ignore the reality that fossil fuels account for nearly 80% of U.S. energy consumption and roughly 60% of electricity generation. Democrats should work with Republicans on bipartisan policies that use all types of energy sources to keep... Continue Reading
July 20, 2021
Major Decisions by Republican-Appointee Circuit Judges
KEY TAKEAWAYS During the Trump administration, Republicans confirmed 54 circuit judges, 27% of total circuit court judgeships. Even as Democrats control Congress and the presidency, Republican-appointed circuit court judges are authoring influential conservative opinions and issuing important rulings. Republican appointees have made major rulings relating to abortion, agriculture, and internet regulations. Circuit court judges are the final arbiters of most federal legal issues. Well over 99%... Continue Reading
July 19, 2021
Biden Breaks Tax Pledge
KEY TAKEAWAYS President Biden has repeatedly pledged that he would not raise taxes on any American making less than $400,000 a year, but his agenda would hike taxes on average Americans nationwide. Even the liberal Tax Policy Center estimates that 60% of taxpayers would lose money next year under the president’s plan. Alongside reversing Republican-enacted tax cuts on job creators and workers, the president’s budget does not prevent individual tax increases across the... Continue Reading
July 16, 2021
June 2021 Biden Border Crisis Report
Southwest Border Encounters June 2021: 188,829 Change from 2020: +155,780 Breakdown of Southwest Land Border Encounters June 2021 Single Adults: 117,602 (up 297% vs. 2020) Unaccompanied Children: 15,253 (up 802% vs. 2020) Individuals in a Family Unit : 55,805 (up 3,224% vs. 2020) In June, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 188,829 people attempting to enter the country illegally, up 471% from June of 2020. Continue Reading
July 16, 2021
Infrastructure Cybersecurity: The U.S. Electric Grid
KEY TAKEAWAYS Electricity generation, transmission, and distribution are essential to daily life and commerce in America. The U.S. electric grid is vulnerable to cyberattacks that could result in catastrophic, widespread, lengthy blackouts and other loss of electrical services. Russia, North Korea, Iran, and China currently have the capability to launch cyberattacks that could disrupt critical infrastructure. There is almost nothing more essential to day-to-day life in America than electricity... Continue Reading
July 15, 2021
Liberal Democrats Target Nuclear Deterrence
KEY TAKEAWAYS The United States is working on a long overdue effort to modernize the nuclear triad, which is the foundation of our national security and a key protection for our allies. Failure of any of the modernization programs could spell trouble for the whole effort. Over the last decade, countries like Russia and China developed new, modern nuclear delivery systems, while the U.S. nuclear arsenal continues to decay. Liberal Democrats in Congress have already begun trying to reduce the... Continue Reading
July 14, 2021
Medicare Advantage: High-Performing Health Coverage
KEY TAKEAWAYS Democrats are pushing to expand the benefits provided under traditional Medicare coverage, a move that would harm the program’s already fragile finances. Medicare Advantage, a cost effective and high-performing health coverage option for seniors, contracts with private insurers and provides supplemental benefits such as vision, hearing, and dental at little or no additional cost. As policymakers look for strategies to improve health insurance coverage, they should build on... Continue Reading
July 14, 2021
Biden’s Foreign Policy Déjà Vu
KEY TAKEAWAYS President Biden declared “America is back” when he outlined his approach to foreign policy, but it’s clear he meant back to the failed foreign policy of the Obama administration. In just six months on the job, President Biden has racked up missteps that will leave the U.S. in a weaker position. President Biden confidently declared that “America is back” as he outlined how his return to liberal diplomacy would restore America’s standing in the... Continue Reading
July 13, 2021
Rising Prices Hit American Families
KEY TAKEAWAYS Americans are paying higher prices for many of the goods and services they can’t do without. The Labor Department reported that consumer prices rose 5.4% in June from one year ago, following a 5% jump in May. Democrats passed a unilateral $2 trillion spending law earlier this year, despite warnings from Republicans and others that excessive spending could pressure inflation. Now Democrats want to spend trillions of dollars more. Recently, Americans have watched... Continue Reading
July 2, 2021
June 2021 Jobs Report
Unemployment Rate: 5.9 percent Jobs Created: 850,000 Employment and Unemployment The Department of Labor reported the unemployment rate ticked up 0.1 percentage point to 5.9% in June. Nonfarm jobs increased by 850,000 in June, with sizeable job gains in leisure and hospitality, as well as in public and private education. In April and May, job gains were higher on net than first reported. The department revised the change in nonfarm... Continue Reading
June 24, 2021
Democrats Add Taxes to Their Fight Against American Energy
KEY TAKEAWAYS On top of Democrats’ harmful energy policies, they are taking steps to penalize producers of fossil fuels through the tax code. Fossil fuels account for nearly 80% of U.S. energy consumption, and the oil and gas industry supports an estimated 10 million jobs in America. We can boost support for clean technologies without sabotaging American energy independence, killing jobs, and raising costs for consumers. In Democrats’ effort to turn our economy upside down in the... Continue Reading
June 24, 2021
Infrastructure Cybersecurity: Pipelines
KEY TAKEAWAYS The ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline highlights the vulnerabilities of pipeline systems to cyberattacks and the effects of a slowdown or halt in key locations. The federal government has primary responsibility for protecting the nation against cyberattacks. Private industry and the federal government share responsibility for securing pipeline infrastructure. Lawmakers have expressed bipartisan, bicameral support for legislation requiring operators of critical... Continue Reading
June 22, 2021
Bipartisan Successes of the 117th Congress
KEY TAKEAWAYS While politicians on the far left call for an end to the filibuster, Republicans and Democrats have operated efficiently under the rules to move major legislation. So far in the 117th Congress, senators have worked together to revamp trade law, help the U.S. maintain its technological edge over China, and extend COVID-related aid to small businesses. Senate committees have reported nearly 100 bills, a sign that the legislative process is working despite partisan... Continue Reading
June 17, 2021
Democrats Push for a Public "Option"
KEY TAKEAWAYS President Biden campaigned on implementing a “public option” for health insurance, which would upend private insurance and shift more financial obligations to taxpayers and providers. Democrats have continued their push for a fully government-run health care system. A public option would give the federal government more authority to regulate and administer health care, placing government at the center of personal health care decisions. President Joe Biden... Continue Reading
June 15, 2021
Biden Border Crisis: Manufactured Chaos
KEY TAKEAWAYS The Biden administration created a border crisis in its first few months after it repealed security measures and signaled that enforcement is no longer a priority. The president’s solution is to ignore the crisis, reduce the Department of Homeland Security’s border budget, and give U.S. taxpayer money to countries with a history of corruption. Leaders in the region are taking note and blaming the Biden administration for the immigration crisis. President Biden... Continue Reading
June 14, 2021
Biden Tax Hikes Hurt American Entrepreneurs
KEY TAKEAWAYS As part of President Biden’s $3.4 trillion tax hike, he wants to raise taxes on the heart of American entrepreneurship: small businesses and family farms. The president’s tax plan would raise the cost of doing business, take a larger chunk if a business is sold, and grab even more if it is passed on when the owner dies. Business tax hikes ultimately fall on workers in the form of fewer jobs and lower wages. As part of President Biden’s $3.4 trillion tax... Continue Reading
June 10, 2021
May 2021 Biden Border Crisis Report
Southwest Border Encounters May 2021: 180,034 Change from 2020: +156,797 Breakdown of Southwest Land Border Encounters May 2021 Single Adults: 121,082 (up 473% vs. 2020) Unaccompanied Alien Children/Single Children: 14,158 (up 1,305% vs. 2020) Family Unit Aliens: 44,639 (up 4,143% vs. 2020) In May, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 180,034 individuals attempting to enter the country illegally, up 675% from May of 2020. According to CBP, the number of “family unit... Continue Reading
June 9, 2021
Pitfalls of Democrats' "Free" Community College
KEY TAKEAWAYS President Biden has proposed spending billions of taxpayer dollars to make free community college tuition widely available to students, regardless of their financial need. The Pell Grant program already makes community college tuition free or low-cost for needy students. Making college “free” could boost enrollment at community colleges, but it will not ensure students succeed. President Biden’s budget calls for spending $109 billion over the next 10 years to... Continue Reading
June 8, 2021
Asylum and the Refugee Law Update
KEY TAKEAWAYS Days after the White House announced it would keep the Trump administration’s 18,000-refugee cap, President Biden flip-flopped and raised the cap to 62,500. The Biden administration has rescinded or begun the process of repealing several changes President Trump made to asylum law. The administration has yet to present a detailed plan to address the vast backlog of asylum claims or the ongoing surge in new claims. The Biden administration has struggled to offer a clear... Continue Reading
June 8, 2021
Democrats' Runaway Transit Spending
KEY TAKEAWAYS Transit has been affected by the pandemic just like other segments of transportation, but ridership already had been dropping for years. Before the pandemic, transit comprised just 3% of daily transportation trips and 7% of commuter trips, but Democrats want to increase spending at the expense of other options Americans prefer. Congress should consider the challenges facing the transit industry and concentrate taxpayer resources on infrastructure that will benefit the most... Continue Reading
