Policy Papers
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April 2013 Unemployment Report
April 2013 Unemployment Rate: 7.5 percent Unemployed Americans: 11.7 million “Real” Unemployment The “real” unemployment or U-6 rate is 13.9 percent for April 2013. This is the total percentage of unemployed and underemployed workers. The “real” number of unemployed Americans is 21.9 million. These are people who are unemployed (11.7... Continue Reading
April 26, 2013
Syria’s Pink Line & Iran’s Nuclear Program
In August 2011, President Obama called on Syrian President Assad “to step aside.” It was one year ago, in March 2012, that Secretary of State Clinton said it was only “a matter of time” before the Assad regime fell. At the beginning of this year, the United Nations estimated more than 60,000 people had died so far in this Syrian conflict. In diplomatic practice, drawing a “red line” is similar to drawing a line in the sand. Crossing that line—engaging in... Continue Reading
April 26, 2013
The Obama Economy Continues to Struggle
Today we learned the U.S. economy has continued its weak and uncertain recovery under President Obama. Real GDP grew at an annualized rate of 2.5 percent in the first quarter of 2013, below expectations of 3.2 percent. Since the recession ended in 2009, President Obama’s policies have led to underwhelming results: 2010 real growth was 2.4 percent 2011 real growth was 1.8 percent 2012 real growth was 2.2 percent 2013 Q1 growth is 2.5 percent President Obama’s stagnant economic... Continue Reading
April 25, 2013
Health Care Policy Update: Health Care Law’s Prevention “Slush Fund”
Section 4002 of the President’s health care law put $15 billion into the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF) over a 10-year period. After 10 years, the law mandates the PPHF receive $2 billion per year forever. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has nearly unlimited authority to spend these dollars. The health care law explicitly states that the PPHF must fund innovative prevention and wellness strategies that “help restrain the rate of growth in private and public... Continue Reading
April 23, 2013
Obamacare Federal Exchange – at Odds with the Law
The state of Oklahoma is challenging an IRS regulation allowing the federal insurance exchange to give qualified people a subsidy in order to buy health coverage. Oklahoma argues that the law only authorizes premium subsidies for state-based insurance exchanges. The House of Representatives also has launched inquiries and initiated oversight hearings into the IRS rule. Health experts and legal scholars point out that the IRS rule violates the law’s plain text. In fact,... Continue Reading
April 23, 2013
On Judges, Senate Democrats Lack Evidence
Last week, Senator Grassley set the record straight on Senate Democrats’ false charges of Republican obstructionism on judicial confirmations. The Ranking Member’s call for an end to the “crocodile tears” from Senate Democrats was warranted. For example, just a few hours after one Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing, Senator Coons took to the floor to express unfounded concerns over what he imagined to be a filibuster for the nominee. But in reality, there was no... Continue Reading
April 23, 2013
U.S. Citizen Terrorists
In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, Senator Feinstein said on Fox News Sunday it would be “unconstitutional” to hold the U.S. citizen bomber as an enemy combatant.1 Commentator Juan Williams later said “the U.S. Supreme Court has never said that someone who’s an American who’s captured here can be treated as an enemy combatant.” In fact, the Supreme Court has specifically held it is constitutionally permissible to hold in military custody a U.S.... Continue Reading
April 18, 2013
Health Care Policy Update: Warning: Train Wreck Approaching
Testifying before Congress this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius dismissed concerns that the Obama Administration won’t have its health insurance exchanges up and running on time. She claims HHS is “definitely on track to implement the law as it is anticipated and have open enrollment start in every state in the country on October 1st.” This time it isn’t just health care law opponents who don’t buy her spin. Senate Finance Committee... Continue Reading
April 18, 2013
Questions for Labor Secretary Nominee Perez
On March 19, President Obama nominated Thomas Perez to be Secretary of Labor. Mr. Perez currently serves as the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice. The Administration’s failure to revitalize the sluggish economy and create new jobs are well known. Earlier this week, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, and Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley... Continue Reading
April 16, 2013
Obama Budget: Health Care Law Costs Soar
The President’s budget doubles down on his health care law – proposing billions of dollars in new taxpayer spending to implement its components. Increases in discretionary spending to implement the health care law outlined below total approximately $5.4 billion next year. Upon close review, the Obama plan shows Washington Democrats were not honest with the American people about two things: 1) the total cost to administer the health care law; and 2) the ease with which the law’s... Continue Reading
April 16, 2013
Understanding the New Obama CPI
The President included a chained Consumer Price Index (CPI) proposal in his budget, which is a start toward real reform. But he did not propose the traditional idea of chained CPI; instead he proposed a “superlative CPI.” The White House claims this is chained CPI that would “protect vulnerable populations.” In other words, it would be means tested. “… means-testing chain CPI defeats the alleged purpose of the change. Why not just go all the way and invent a... Continue Reading
April 11, 2013
Health Care Policy Update: Premium Reduction Options: Just Bad Choices
President Obama repeatedly promised the American people his health care law would lower family premiums by $2,500 per year. But last week, the President’s top health care advisor – Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius – admitted that some people will see their premium costs go up because of the health care law. While it may come as a surprise to the Obama Administration, more than 30 separate studies already confirm the health care law will cause health... Continue Reading
April 11, 2013
Questions for EPA Nominee Gina McCarthy
Gina McCarthy is Assistant Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Air and Radiation (OAR). On March 4, President Obama nominated her to be Administrator of the EPA. This agency is armed with an $8.5 billion budget and more than 17,000 employees to regulate America’s air, water, and land. Its regulations cost a total of $353 billion per year. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will consider McCarthy’s nomination on April 11. Here... Continue Reading
April 10, 2013
Correcting the Record on Judicial Nominees
President Obama and his political allies are again falsely charging obstructionism on the confirmation of judicial nominations. Some have gone so far as to suggest the purported stall in confirmation rates warrants changes to long standing Senate rules. The facts simply do not support the allegations. The Senate is Confirming Judges at a Fair Pace The Senate is treating President Obama’s judicial nominees better in his second term than previous Presidents’ nominees have been treated... Continue Reading
April 10, 2013
Obama Budgeting from Behind
Today, 65 days after the legal deadline of February 4, President Obama finally submitted his fiscal year 2014 budget. Unfortunately, the President did not use that extra time to come up with a plan that will stabilize the nation’s finances. He just cut and pasted his rejected December fiscal cliff offer to his budget. The President’s fiscal cliff offer does contain some ideas worth pursuing on their own. But, sadly, he refuses to consider them unless they are paired with other parts... Continue Reading
April 9, 2013
Budget Votes: Democrats on the Record
Over the past four years with no budget, Majority Leader Reid protected Senate Democrats from having to go on the record on difficult policy positions. That’s why it was important that the Senate passed the “No Budget, No Pay” Act earlier this year. During the budget debate, Senate Democrats were forced to choose between their constituents and President Obama on issues of taxes, health care, energy, the economy, and others. The votes demonstrated where Senators stand on... Continue Reading
April 9, 2013
Obama Health Care Law Unraveling
The Obama Administration is desperate to explain why the President’s health care promises are not adding up. The latest explanation from HHS Secretary Sebelius just yesterday was that the slow roll-out of the law caused confusion, and that the Administration did not expect opposition to Obamacare to continue. “Probably no one fully anticipated when you have a law that phases in over time, how much confusion that creates for a lot of people. So that has been difficult.”... Continue Reading
April 9, 2013
Questions for Energy Secretary Nominee Moniz
On March 7, President Obama nominated Ernest Moniz to be Secretary of Energy. The Energy Department (DOE) is outfitted with a $27 billion budget and 16,000 employees to implement programs in support of renewable, nuclear, and fossil fuel energy; energy efficiency; energy statistics; environmental cleanup; nuclear weapons; and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will consider Moniz’s nomination on April 9. Moniz is Professor of Physics and... Continue Reading
April 5, 2013
Obama Prague Speech Meets Reality Four Years Later
Four years ago on this day in Prague, President Obama announced he would seek “a world without nuclear weapons.” Since that time: Iran has accelerated its nuclear program. North Korea has conducted at least two nuclear weapon tests and multiple tests of missile technology specifically designed to put the United States at risk. Russia was given the gift of a one-sided arms control treaty (New START), and another round of reductions continues to be sought. China continues to modernize... Continue Reading
April 5, 2013
March Unemployment Report
March 2013 Unemployment Rate: 7.6 percent Unemployed Americans: 11.7 million “Real” Unemployment The “real” unemployment or U-6 rate is 13.8 percent for March 2013. This is the total percentage of unemployed and underemployed workers. The “real” number of unemployed Americans is 21.6 million. These are people who are unemployed (11.7... Continue Reading