Policy Papers
March 2015 Policy Calendar
March 2, 2015
NLRB’s Ambush Election Rule: Good for Unions, Bad for Workers
The NLRB’s “ambush election” rule shortens the time between when a union files a petition and when the election happens. The rush is unwarranted, as the median time for a union election is just 38 days. The compressed time frame limits the ability of employees to hear both sides regarding unionization before an election. Under the new rule, employers must give substantial personal information to unions about employees without consent or confidentiality... Continue Reading
February 27, 2015
Home States Fight President’s Immigration Action When Senate Democrats Refuse
Senate Democrats once agreed that Congress, and Congress alone, has authority to legislate when it comes to immigration matters. These same critics of the president have now flip-flopped. Ten of the 26 states that challenged the Obama administration are represented by Democrat Senators – their governors and attorneys general have taken up the fight that those Democrats shied away from. Last fall, President Obama expanded the eligible population of immigrants who would not be subject to... Continue Reading
February 24, 2015
More Obamacare Incompetence
Almost one million people received bad Obamacare tax forms. The administration allowed subsidies to more than 300,000 people who didn’t have legal residence. The special enrollment period gives people the option of buying overpriced, undesirable coverage or paying a tax penalty. Exchange enrollment underperforms CBO estimates again. In the last two weeks, the American people learned that 300,000 people without lawful residence received subsidies, and the administration sent bad... Continue Reading
February 24, 2015
Obamacare’s Co-op Debacle
Only one Obamacare co-op made money during the first three quarters of 2014. Taxpayers are set to lose more than $1 billion of the $2.4 billion loaned to the co-ops – nearly double the loss of Solyndra. Many of the co-ops underpriced coverage and were counting on a bailout through Obamacare’s risk corridor program. Section 1322 of Obamacare established a $6 billion low-interest loan program for the creation of nonprofit health insurance start-up companies, dubbed co-ops. Through... Continue Reading
February 24, 2015
Court on Immigration: “It is Congress, and Congress alone"
President Obama said 22 times that he had no authority to unilaterally change immigration laws. After the election last November, he did an about-face on this position when he announced executive actions to change immigration law. Last week, a federal court found the president had over-stepped his bounds saying “It is Congress, and Congress alone, who has power under the Constitution to legislate in the field of immigration.” President Obama has spoken for years about his... Continue Reading
February 12, 2015
Regulatory Reform Can Keep Oil Prices Low
Oil prices are half what they were just eight months ago, partly due to increased U.S. production. While consumers benefit, low prices create challenges in the economics of oil production. Regulatory reforms could sustain U.S. oil production at low prices. Oil prices, and the prices for related things like gasoline, have plummeted recently. While low prices are good for the American people, low prices make oil production more difficult. To keep up the flow of oil, producers need to reduce... Continue Reading
February 11, 2015
S. 295 – The Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act of 2015
Noteworthy Background: The Senate Judiciary Committee reported S. 295 by a vote of 19-0-1 (Sessions, pass) on February 5, 2015. The House has introduced identical legislation, H.R. 595. Floor Situation: The Senate may consider this legislation later this week. Executive Summary: S. 295 creates a restitution process for victims of child pornography that is designed to address the unique harms to victims in such cases. This legislation enables victims to receive full restitution where harm is... Continue Reading
February 10, 2015
Obamacare Expanded Medicaid, Not Private Insurance
In 2014, 89 percent of Obamacare’s net effect on coverage resulted from an expansion of the failing Medicaid program. Obamacare’s perverse funding could lead states to provide generous services to healthy, working-age adults while skimping on care for the truly needy. In 2014, nearly all of Obamacare’s net effect on insurance coverage resulted from increases in the failing Medicaid program. This happened even though only about half of states chose to expand their Medicaid... Continue Reading
February 10, 2015
A Not-So Happy Sixth Birthday, Russia Reset
The Obama administration Russia “reset” was announced six years ago. Recent actions by Russia demonstrate that the reset was never anything more than a series of capitulations: invasion and annexation of part of Ukraine; violation of the INF Treaty without any discernable consequence or punishment; and the continued support to Syrian dictator Assad Six years ago this past weekend, Vice President Biden said it was “time to press the reset button” in the U.S. relationship... Continue Reading
February 10, 2015
Obama FCC Overreaches: More Onerous Internet Regulations
The FCC chairman has proposed burdensome regulations that depart from the bipartisan consensus that the Internet should be lightly regulated. His proposal to reclassify Internet service providers as common carriers would stifle innovation, chill investment in Internet infrastructure and jobs, create uncertainty for businesses, and likely lead to years of litigation. Commerce Committee Chairman Thune has offered bipartisan proposals to achieve an open Internet without the heavy-handed approach... Continue Reading
February 6, 2015
January 2015 Unemployment Report
Unemployment Rate: 5.7 percent Unemployed Americans: 9.0 million Employment and Unemployment The Department of Labor reported an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent for January, an increase of 0.1 percent from December. It reported an increase of 257,000 nonfarm jobs over last month. Employment for November was revised upward from 353,000 to 423,000 jobs created, and December was revised up from 252,000 to 329,000. The number of unemployed people in January was... Continue Reading
February 3, 2015
Policy by the Numbers
February 3, 2015
Same Old Story from New Obama Budget
President Obama’s budget would add $8.5 trillion in new debt, with the national debt eventually reaching $26.3 trillion. Interest on the debt triples from $229 billion in fiscal year 2015 to $785 billion in 2025. The president’s budget would raise taxes by $2.1 trillion over 10 years. The president has already raised taxes on Americans by $1.7 trillion. The fiscal year 2016 budget would spend $4 trillion for the first time in U.S. history. Debt Continues to Skyrocket This budget... Continue Reading
January 30, 2015
Obama’s Economy Needs Pro-Growth Policies
Americans should look at annual economic growth to see how the economy is doing. President Obama’s annual economic growth is historically poor. In the last 65 years, his five years of growth since 2009 rank 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th and 54th. Today the Bureau of Economic Analysis released GDP numbers for the fourth quarter of 2014 and for the full year of 2014. Inflation-adjusted GDP increased by 2.6 percent in the fourth quarter, below expectations of about three percent... Continue Reading
January 27, 2015
CBO’s Call to Action on Budget, Economy
CBO reports deficits are projected to increase from 2017 to 2025, with the 2025 deficit reaching nearly $1.1 trillion. The national debt is projected to increase to $27.3 trillion by 2025. Interest on the debt will become the third largest federal expenditure in 2025, behind only Social Security and Medicare. Economic growth is expected to average a paltry 2.1 percent per year from 2018-2025. CBO states that Obamacare will harm economic growth. Yesterday CBO released its new budget baseline,... Continue Reading
January 27, 2015
2015 Key Dates for Congress
The Senate will no longer leave matters unresolved. Under the new Republican leadership, the Senate will continue to work the rest of the year on issues that matter to the American people. Continue Reading
January 27, 2015
Working Again for the American People
Senate Republicans are making good on their promise to govern in a responsible, bipartisan way. In just 27 days, the Senate has had votes on 25 amendments, more than all of last year. Under Republican leadership, two Senate Democrats have finally had a chance to have their amendments considered. Under the leadership of Republicans, the Senate is working in a bipartisan way to hear all ideas. Last year, Senate Democrats lamented coming to work in a Senate that didn’t work. This month... Continue Reading
January 23, 2015
Republicans Welcome the President to the Table on Cybersecurity
President Obama recently introduced a number of cybersecurity proposals addressing information sharing, data breach notifications, and cybertheft. The president embraced important principles necessary to a bipartisan discussion on cyber, though the details need more examination. The most effective policy to thwart cybersecurity threats is through a balanced public-private partnership. The Growing Cyberthreat to Our Economy and National Security According to a 2013 study by the Center for... Continue Reading
January 20, 2015
SOTU 2015: What the President Won’t Say
This is the president’s second-to-last State of the Union address, his first to a Republican-led Congress, and an opportunity for bipartisan solutions. The president should not use this speech as another opportunity to divide Americans – there are too many bipartisan proposals such as the Keystone XL pipeline and Iran sanctions legislation that create jobs and enhance American security. Senate Republicans are working in a bipartisan way to deliver results, create a healthy economy,... Continue Reading