Policy Papers
Currently showing results in the allth Congress. See all results
Combating High Drug Prices
KEY TAKEAWAYS High out-of-pocket costs are limiting Americans’ access to prescription drugs – the U.S. spent $329 billion on medication in 2016. Consumers who are asked to pay $50 or more at the pharmacy counter are four times more likely to drop their prescription than a consumer charged $10. The Trump administration’s plan to bring down drug prices includes increasing competition, improving government negotiation, and providing more price transparency. High... Continue Reading
June 12, 2018
Strong Economy Keeps Rolling
June 5, 2018
Circuit Court Success
KEY TAKEAWAYS Senate Republicans have already confirmed 21 circuit court judges since President Trump took office, the most by this point in any presidency over the past 40 years. More than one in every eight active circuit court judges has been appointed by President Trump. Because only a small fraction of cases decided by circuit courts are taken up by the Supreme Court, the makeup of circuit courts has a significant impact on the law. Senate Republicans continue to work with the Trump... Continue Reading
June 1, 2018
May 2018 Jobs Report
Unemployment Rate: 3.8 percent Jobs Created: 223,000 Employment and Unemployment The Department of Labor reported that the unemployment rate in May fell to 3.8 percent, down 0.1 percentage points from the previous month. For May, the jobs report shows an increase of 223,000 nonfarm jobs. Sectors with job gains include retail trade (31,000), health care (29,000), construction (25,000), and manufacturing (18,000). The unemployment rate for African-Americans fell to 5.9 percent, the lowest on... Continue Reading
May 22, 2018
Building America's Water Infrastructure
KEY TAKEAWAYS America’s Water Infrastructure Act answers President Trump’s call to improve the nation’s infrastructure and cut bureaucratic red tape. This bipartisan bill helps local communities carry out important water infrastructure projects and flood safety initiatives. AWIA also promotes fiscal responsibility by deauthorizing $7.5 billion in unnecessary projects. Water infrastructure helps every community in America. It provides clean drinking water, access to the global... Continue Reading
May 22, 2018
Tax Law's Opportunity Zones Fight Poverty
KEY TAKEAWAYS The Republican tax law created Opportunity Zones to fight poverty with long-term investment and free enterprise, rather than government planning, in areas that need it most. The Treasury Department has designated zones in 46 states and five territories, including Puerto Rico – others are awaiting final approval. Unlike other federal programs, Opportunity Zones are not “guarantee zones” – investors must risk their own capital to earn any tax benefit. For... Continue Reading
May 15, 2018
Gina Haspel for CIA Director
KEY TAKEAWAYS Gina Haspel will be the first woman to head the CIA and the first director to rise from the ranks of CIA operations in more than 50 years. National security leaders from Republican and Democratic administrations endorse Gina Haspel, including all Obama-era CIA directors. Gina Haspel worked closely with Mike Pompeo as his deputy at CIA and will work well with him to maintain America’s covert and diplomatic power. President Trump has nominated one of the most qualified... Continue Reading
May 15, 2018
U.S. Economy: Strong, Healthy, Growing
KEY TAKEAWAYS Republican tax cuts and regulatory relief have spurred strong economic growth, producing 3.3 million new jobs since Election Day 2016. Today, the unemployment rate is 3.9 percent, and there is one job opening in the U.S. for every unemployed person looking for a job. Americans are optimistic these trends will continue – consumer confidence has hit an 18-year high in 2018. Today’s exceptionally strong economy is reflected in record-low unemployment and record-high... Continue Reading
May 10, 2018
Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State
KEY TAKEAWAYSSenate rejection of Mike Pompeo’s nomination would disrupt negotiations already underway with North Korea regarding its nuclear weapons and put our nation and allies at risk.Mike Pompeo won bipartisan support in his confirmation to be director of the CIA, where he has focused on North Korea and Iran.During his hearing, Mike Pompeo stressed the importance of diplomacy and demonstrated his readiness for the job.Mike Pompeo was nominated by President Trump to serve as secretary of... Continue Reading
May 8, 2018
Focusing on the Law
KEY TAKEAWAYS Senate Republicans have confirmed 15 circuit court judges since President Trump took office, the most by this point in any presidency over the past 30 years. A review of their opinions shows the new judges refocusing the courts on the rule of law, rather than on policy preferences. The circuit courts often have the final say on the law because the Supreme Court takes up only a tiny fraction of cases decided by lower courts. President Obama reshaped the federal judiciary by... Continue Reading
May 4, 2018
April 2018 Jobs Report
Unemployment Rate: 3.9 percent Jobs Created: 164,000 Employment and Unemployment The Department of Labor reported that the unemployment rate in April fell to 3.9 percent, a level last seen in December 2000. The decrease ends a six-month stretch at 4.1 percent. For April, the report shows an increase of 164,000 nonfarm jobs. Sectors with job gains include manufacturing (24,000), mining (8,000), and health care (24,000). The unemployment rate for African-Americans fell to 6.6 percent, the... Continue Reading
April 27, 2018
2018 First Quarter Growth Up From 2017
KEY TAKEAWAYSGrowth in the first quarter of 2018 was 2.3 percent, an increase from 1.2 percent in the first quarter of 2017, but a decrease from 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017.This follows a trend; growth in the first quarter of the year has now been slower than previous quarters for three straight years.First quarter annualized GDP change in 2014, 2016, and 2017 was -0.9, 0.6, and 1.2 percent.The nation’s economy grew at an inflation-adjusted annual rate of 2.3 percent in the first... Continue Reading
April 25, 2018
Democratic Leadership Blocks Good-Government Bill
KEY TAKEAWAYS The Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act would direct the federal government to create an inventory of federal programs. This bipartisan legislation would require the federal government to implement a top recommendation by the Government Accountability Office for improving oversight. Despite companion legislation passing the House by voice vote, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is blocking the legislation from expedited consideration in the Senate. In February 2017, Senator James Lankford... Continue Reading
April 24, 2018
April SCOTUS Update
KEY TAKEAWAYS This is the final week of Supreme Court arguments for the term. Key cases this term have involved issues such as public sector union dues, the First Amendment, and redistricting. The court’s April hearing schedule includes cases on internet sales taxes, the appointment of administrative law judges, whether U.S. courts have to defer to foreign governments’ interpretation of their laws, and the legality of entry restrictions imposed by the Trump administration. The... Continue Reading
April 17, 2018
A Better Nominations Process
KEY TAKEAWAYS Senate rules allow the minority party to force the Senate to spend 30 hours on a nomination after cloture is invoked. In 2013, Republicans joined with the Democrat majority to pass a resolution temporarily reducing post-cloture time needed before a confirmation vote for President Obama’s nominees. Senator Lankford has offered a resolution to make those changes permanent. Democrats have slowed the confirmation process through the use of procedural roadblocks. The result has... Continue Reading
April 17, 2018
Countering China and Creating Jobs: TPP 2.0
KEY TAKEAWAYS Eleven nations, led by Australia and Japan, signed a new trade pact on March 8 based on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, creating a $10 trillion free trade zone. This new agreement dramatically reduces tariffs among participating nations and helps counter malicious Chinese trade practices. The United States can still join the new TPP, which would create the world’s largest free trade agreement and add up to $131 billion to the U.S. economy per year once fully implemented. The new... Continue Reading
April 17, 2018
Tax Relief's Economic Good News
April 10, 2018
Presidential Actions on Trade
KEY TAKEAWAYS President Trump has begun imposing tariffs on more than 1,300 kinds of foreign imports, the value of which could exceed $150 billion. Presidents have far-reaching authority to impose tariffs based on various legal powers Congress delegated to the executive branch in the 1960s and 1970s. Imported items subject to new tariffs include solar panels, steel, aluminum, televisions, and midsize cars. Over the last three months, President Trump has used his broad legal authority to... Continue Reading
April 6, 2018
March 2018 Jobs Report
Unemployment Rate: 4.1 percentJobs Created: 103,000Employment and UnemploymentThe Department of Labor reported an unemployment rate of 4.1 percent for March, unchanged from the previous five months.For March, the report shows an increase of 103,000 nonfarm jobs, with gains in manufacturing, mining, and health care. Jobs were revised down by 63,000 for January but up by 13,000 for February, for a net downward revision of 50,000.The U.S. has created 605,000 new jobs since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act... Continue Reading
March 20, 2018
Democrats' Deliberate Delay
KEY TAKEAWAYS President Trump’s executive branch nominees are being confirmed at the slowest pace in decades, with only 364 confirmed through March 16, compared with 564 for President Obama. Over President Trump’s first year, the Senate was required to cast 45 percent of its votes on executive branch nominees, versus only 7 percent of votes in President Obama’s first year. At the end of 2017, 66 executive branch nominations were returned to the president because Democrats... Continue Reading