Policy Papers
Striking, Streamlining, and Simplifying Regulations
KEY TAKEAWAYS Republicans have saved Americans at least $50 billion in regulatory costs over the past 19 months – an average of $150 for every man, woman, and child in the country. The Trump administration has repealed or eased 17 major regulations, each of which cost at least $100 million. In addition, the administration is planning future deregulatory moves that will save Americans as much as $175 billion more when fully implemented. Republicans have racked up an impressive record of... Continue Reading
August 21, 2018
Senator Warren's Plan for a Command Economy
KEY TAKEAWAYS Senator Elizabeth Warren has introduced legislation that would fundamentally change the federal government’s relationship with private enterprise. The proposal would create a powerful new bureaucracy, the Office of United States Corporations, and require all large businesses to serve the “general public benefit” as decided by Washington. By effectively commandeering thousands of corporations, Senator Warren’s bill would be a major step toward a... Continue Reading
August 3, 2018
July 2018 Jobs Report
Unemployment Rate: 3.9 percent Jobs Created: 157,000 Employment and Unemployment The Department of Labor reported an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent for July. The report shows an increase of 157,000 nonfarm jobs in July. Sectors with job gains include manufacturing (37,000), construction (19,000), and professional and business services (51,000). DOL revised the net increases in nonfarm jobs upward by a combined 59,000 for May and June. That brings average monthly job gains for 2018 to... Continue Reading
July 31, 2018
Taking Action to Improve Health Care
KEY TAKEAWAYS This week, a new study found federal spending would have to increase by 50 percent to fund the Democratic “Medicare for All” single-payer health care system. Insurers continue to leave the Obamacare exchanges, with 8 states down to only one insurer this year and big premium increases expected again in 2019. The Trump administration has taken recent actions to provide relief from Obamacare, including efforts to bring down drug prices, promote short-term and association... Continue Reading
July 31, 2018
Economy and Confidence Keep Growing
KEY TAKEAWAYS The economy grew 4.1 percent in the second quarter of 2018 – the largest single-quarter growth in four years. With disposable income up 3.5 percent and 1.2 million new jobs since tax relief, Americans report their highest level of economic confidence in 14 years. The U.S. is reaping the rewards of strong pro-growth policies, including tax relief and regulatory relief. On Friday, the Commerce Department reported the largest single-quarter of economic growth in four years. In... Continue Reading
July 27, 2018
U.S. Economy Keeps Surging
KEY TAKEAWAYS The economy expanded at a 4.1 percent inflation-adjusted annualized rate in the second quarter of 2018. This is the largest single-quarter growth in four years. The U.S. is reaping the rewards of strong pro-growth policies, including tax relief and regulatory relief. The nation’s economy grew at an inflation-adjusted annual rate of 4.1 percent in the second quarter of 2018. This follows 2.2 percent growth in the first quarter and 2.2 percent growth for 2017 as a whole. This... Continue Reading
July 27, 2018
What They're Saying...
July 24, 2018
SCOTUS Agrees with Kavanaugh
KEY TAKEAWAYS In Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s 12 years on the D.C. Circuit, he has been reversed by the Supreme Court only once, and then only partially. The Supreme Court has adopted Judge Kavanaugh’s reasoning in at least 13 cases, including cases on the Fourth Amendment, separation of powers, and administrative law. Leading legal scholars have called Judge Kavanaugh “one of the most learned judges in America” and “a true intellectual – a leading... Continue Reading
July 24, 2018
Appropriations: Restoring Regular Order
KEY TAKEAWAYS Republicans are acting to restore regular order for appropriations, with this year’s Bipartisan Budget Act paving the way. The Senate Appropriations Committee has passed every bill out of committee at its fastest pace since 1988. The Senate is on track to pass the majority of appropriations bills before the end of July, the first time this has happened since 2000. The Senate is getting back to basics – the Appropriations Committee has passed all appropriations bills... Continue Reading
July 20, 2018
Robert Wilkie for Secretary of Veterans Affairs
KEY TAKEAWAYS Robert Wilkie has extensive experience, including as the Defense Department’s undersecretary for personnel and readiness responsible for health care and benefits for 9.4 million troops, family members, and retirees. Mr. Wilkie supports the recently passed VA MISSION Act and has committed to implement its important reforms in order to provide veterans with the health care they deserve. Since the elevation of the Department of Veterans Affairs to Cabinet status in 1989, there... Continue Reading
July 17, 2018
Modernizing the Endangered Species Act
KEY TAKEAWAYS Since the Endangered Species Act was first passed 1973, only 3 percent of species protected by the law have recovered to the point where they are no longer threatened or endangered. The ESA can and should be strengthened so that it not only continues to protect species, but also promotes their full recovery. The Western Governors Association has developed bipartisan policy recommendations for legislation to improve recovery plans and enhance state and federal... Continue Reading
July 17, 2018
Widespread Support for Judge Kavanaugh
KEY TAKEAWAYS Legal experts from across the political spectrum have praised Judge Brett Kavanaugh for his independent, fair-minded approach and careful legal reasoning. Judge Kavanaugh’s strong qualifications include 12 years as a judge on the D.C. Circuit, where he has earned the respect and support of court observers and attorneys who have appeared before him. People who know Judge Kavanaugh out of court have emphasized his integrity and decency. On July 9, President Trump... Continue Reading
July 10, 2018
A Strong Mainstream Pick
KEY TAKEAWAYS Judge Brett Kavanaugh is a highly qualified, mainstream judge, who has served on the D.C. Circuit since 2006. Even before the president made his pick, Senate Democrats indicated they would stick to their old playbook and unfairly attack the nominee, with several already committing to vote no. Judge Kavanaugh has a long track record of ruling based on the text of the law and Constitution, rather than based on what he would like the law or Constitution to say. President Trump has... Continue Reading
July 10, 2018
Better Health Care for Veterans
KEY TAKEAWAYS Congress created the Veterans Choice Program to fill big gaps in the VA system and help disabled veterans see a doctor near their home, rather than exclusively at a VA hospital or clinic. Two million disabled veterans have used Veterans Choice Program to access a network of an additional 200,000 doctors. Commonsense reforms in the VA MISSION Act allow veterans easier access to the free market health care system. It is not privatization. Americans are united in their... Continue Reading
July 6, 2018
June 2018 Jobs Report
Unemployment Rate: 4.0 percent Jobs Created: 213,000 Employment and Unemployment The Department of Labor reported an unemployment rate of 4.0 percent for June. In June, the jobs report shows an increase of 213,000 nonfarm jobs. Sectors with job gains include manufacturing (36,000), health care (25,000), and construction (13,000). DOL revised upward the net increases in nonfarm jobs in May, from 223,000 to 244,000, and in April, from 159,000 to 175,000, bringing average monthly job gains for... Continue Reading
June 27, 2018
SCOTUS Update: Mandatory Public-Sector Union Dues
The Supreme Court just ruled in Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees that the First Amendment prohibits states from facilitating the compulsory collection of public-sector union dues from state employees who are not members of the union. The court overruled Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, a 1977 case that had upheld the imposition of mandatory union dues on teachers in Detroit. The solicitor general had filed a brief in the case supporting the... Continue Reading
June 26, 2018
National Security Tariffs: Section 232
KEY TAKEAWAYS President Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum are based on section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, a broad legal authority to impose tariffs on goods in the interest of national security. National security-based tariffs are exempt from important trade treaties like the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and they are not reviewable by the World Trade Organization. Congress did not intend for section 232 to be used for domestic policy purposes, which because of... Continue Reading
June 26, 2018
More Affordable Health Care Options
KEY TAKEAWAYS Obamacare’s burdensome regulations and expensive mandates made it needlessly difficult for small businesses and the self-employed to form association health plans. A new rule by the Labor Department would allow small businesses to band together in groups of 51 or more to purchase coverage that would be regulated the same as large-group insurance. By 2023, an estimated 4 million more Americans, 400,000 of them currently uninsured, will obtain coverage through an AHP... Continue Reading
June 26, 2018
Summer Update: A Record of Republican Accomplishment
CUTTING TAXES: American families continue to reap the benefits of the first major reform of the tax code in 31 years. Four million workers received bonuses, consumer confidence hit an 18 year high, and 102 utility companies cut rates, saving consumers $3 billion. More than 8,000 low-income communities across the nation have been designated as “opportunity zones” to encourage investment and job creation. Congress also repealed two of Obamacare’s burdensome taxes on medical... Continue Reading
June 19, 2018
SCOTUS Term Ending Soon
KEY TAKEAWAYS The Supreme Court’s term is scheduled to conclude Monday, June 25. The court has already decided important cases on redistricting, religious freedom, sports gambling, the interpretation of foreign law, and binding arbitration agreements. Opinions are expected to be released in cases involving internet sales taxes, the appointment of administrative law judges, the Fourth Amendment, and the legality of entry restrictions imposed by the Trump administration. The Supreme... Continue Reading