Policy Papers
Democrats Attempt to Spin Historically High Gas Prices
As gasoline prices finally dipped from their record high of $5 per gallon earlier this summer with demand squeezed, Democrats have cheered in recent weeks what they consider to be “low” prices. In reality, Americans are paying far more for gas now than they were before President Biden took office and over a dollar more than they were a year ago, when gas prices were already high. Democrats are on a mission to normalize historically high prices and deflect attention from their radical... Continue Reading
August 10, 2022
Biden Drains the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
KEY TAKEAWAYS Last fall, after months of rising gasoline prices, President Biden directed the first of several releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Despite his action, prices remain about 70% higher than they were when he took office. The SPR was intended to maintain a reliable source of energy in the event of a catastrophe, not to give a floundering president political cover. Instead of draining America’s emergency reserves, Democrats should abandon their anti-American energy... Continue Reading
August 10, 2022
Reviews Are In On The "Inflation Reduction Act"
Democrats just jammed through their so-called Inflation Reduction Act, despite widespread predictions that it will do nothing to bring down inflation. This reckless tax and spend sequel to last year’s $2 trillion stimulus is largely a rerun of the same bad ideas that have fueled high inflation and driven the country into a recession. If the early reviews are any indication, it looks like it’s going to be a flop. Continue Reading
August 6, 2022
Reckless Tax and Spend Spree Amendment Tracker
August 5, 2022
What Dictionary are the Democrats Using on Inflation?
August 4, 2022
Conservative Victories at the Supreme Court
KEY TAKEAWAYS The 2021-2022 Supreme Court term featured a number of cases that are significant victories for the legal doctrine of originalism. Conservative victories this term were possible because of the three justices nominated by President Trump and confirmed by Senate Republicans. Conservatives justices ruled to strengthen religious liberty, protect the Second Amendment, reduce the authority of unelected bureaucrats, and return power to the people through their elected... Continue Reading
August 3, 2022
Taboo - The Game of Unspeakable Truths
Ages: All Americans Players: 50 Senate Democrats Contents: Higher taxes * Higher energy costs * Stagflation * Recession Objective: Jam through a second partisan reckless tax and spending spree, without saying anything that would admit the truth about what’s in the bill or how it will hurt Americans. Inflation Inflation “Reduction” Act State of Economy Do not say: American Rescue Plan $2T Stimulus Spending 40-Year High 4 months... Continue Reading
August 2, 2022
Biden Missteps in the Middle East are China's and Russia's Gain
KEY TAKEAWAYS Early in his administration, President Biden alienated our allies in the Middle East by prioritizing domestic politics over security in the region. The administration’s missteps have afforded China and Russia opportunity to increase their influence in an important part of the world. President Biden should embrace the Abraham Accords, abandon his pursuit of a nuclear deal with Iran, and rebuild the U.S. image as a reliable security partner in the region. American policy in... Continue Reading
July 29, 2022
Dems are Digging Bad Ideas Out of the Trash at the Worst Time
Americans are suffering under the crushing burden of high inflation, and a recession weighs on their plans for the future. But Democrats have no plan to meet the needs of the moment. Instead, they are choosing to dig some of their most reckless schemes out of the trash heap of history at the worst possible time. Democrats Dumpster Dive in Dark Economic Days Deplorable Ideas from the “Build Back Better” Dumpster Continue Reading
July 28, 2022
The Economy Can't Handle A Reckless Tax and Spend Spree
KEY TAKEAWAYS The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.9% annual rate from April to June, the second consecutive quarter that gross domestic product declined. Soaring prices are hitting families hard, and consumer sentiment and small business optimism have plummeted. Democrats’ latest reckless tax and spending spree would make things worse, dealing a harsh blow to the economy. From April to June, the economy shrank by 0.9% on an annual basis, after it already declined by 1.6% in the first... Continue Reading
July 27, 2022
Democrats' "Temporary" Obamacare Scam
With inflation at 9.1%, and signs pointing to a recession, Democrats think they have figured out just what the American people are clamoring for: raid Medicare and give American families fewer cures for more big-government health care and subsidies for six-figure earners. Democrats Learned All the Wrong Lessons Last year, Democrats used their $2 trillion “COVID” stimulus to expand the Affordable Care Act. The law eliminated the income threshold that kept higher-earning... Continue Reading
July 21, 2022
Democrats Ignore the Warning Signs
July 20, 2022
Bidenflation Adds Up
KEY TAKEAWAYS Inflation has soared to a level not seen in four decades, as Americans are paying higher prices for everyday essentials and bigger-ticket things. With inflation surging and wages not keeping up, it’s no wonder people have soured on the economy. Consumer sentiment has plummeted and stands 37% lower than one year ago. Democrats’ excessive spending helped fuel inflation, and now, despite growing fears of a recession, they want to force through more reckless spending and... Continue Reading
July 20, 2022
Democrats Are Always Ready With the Wrong Prescription
President Biden inherited a recovering economy and a rapidly developed pipeline of treatments and vaccines to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Ignoring these gains, Democrats shocked the system with a $2 trillion “cure” for what did not ail it. A year and a half later, inflation has soared to new heights, a recession looms, and a new COVID-19 variant is running rampant. Democrats’ prescription is an innovation-stifling drug price control scheme that will result in fewer cures for... Continue Reading
July 19, 2022
The Infant Formula Shortage: An Avoidable Crisis
KEY TAKEAWAYS Parents have struggled to find baby formula, a situation that became a crisis in the spring when a large manufacturing plant closed. The Biden administration ignored the warning signs and ultimately made the crisis worse through its repeated failure to act. There remain many unanswered questions about why the Biden administration failed to prevent this crisis and how it intends to make sure this doesn’t happen again. All year, parents have been struggling... Continue Reading
July 19, 2022
Inflation Strangles Infrastructure
KEY TAKEAWAYS Last year, Republicans worked with Democrats to pass comprehensive legislation to improve America’s aging infrastructure, with significant increases in funding for transportation projects. The law is being undermined by surging inflation, with prices for essential materials soaring. Now, the left is pushing for reckless spending that will only make it harder for states to capitalize on investments made under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Last year,... Continue Reading
July 14, 2022
RPC Interview: Federal Trade Commissioner Noah Phillips
KEY TAKEAWAYS Recent policy changes at the Federal Trade Commission do nothing to protect competition; instead they slow or stop economic activity by driving up costs and creating uncertainty. Congress should be in charge of writing a national privacy law, not the FTC. Deemphasizing the consumer welfare standard comes with steep costs: consumers will end up paying more for less, and doing so will erode coherence and predictability in antitrust law. The Federal Trade Commission was established... Continue Reading
July 13, 2022
China's Threat to Taiwan: Emboldened by Russian Invasion
KEY TAKEAWAYS China has threatened to seize Taiwan by force. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine makes this threat even more real. If Putin is successful, Xi Jinping will almost certainly see that as a green light to invade Taiwan. The U.S. can help to avert a war in the Pacific by acting now to support Taiwan’s defense against increasing Chinese aggression. Ukraine’s fight has shown how a smaller country could take on a larger military, but it also exposed weaknesses in the... Continue Reading
July 13, 2022
Back to the 80s
July 13, 2022
Bidenflation is Changing People's Lives
Americans are feeling the heat from Bidenflation this summer. Prices increased 9.1% from June 2021 to June 2022 – and last June’s prices were already 5.4% higher than the year before that. A year of soaring prices has walloped families’ budgets and forced them to make tough choices. In a recent survey, nearly 70% of Americans said they’re having to dip into savings to make ends meet, and the financial strain is particularly acute for low-income households. President Biden... Continue Reading