Policy Papers
Obamacare’s Inflated Enrollment Numbers
Last week the Obama administration exuberantly proclaimed Obamacare’s “surging” enrollment had topped five million people. This was up from 4.2 million people in the previous week’s official HHS report, which gave cumulative enrollment figures through February. Several factors could cause the bloated figures to fall significantly. Monthly Enrollment Rate Falling Democrats hope more people will sign up as the enrollment deadline approaches, but this year’s sign-ups... Continue Reading
March 25, 2014
LNG Can Hit Russia Where it Hurts
Russian forces recently seized a natural gas distribution station in the Ukrainian village of Strilkove. The action showed President Putin’s willingness to use energy exports as a weapon. It is also a reminder that energy can be a powerful weapon to counter Russian aggression. “Russia is a gas station masquerading as a country.” – Sen. John McCain, CNN, 3/16/2014 About half of Russia’s revenue comes from oil and gas. By expediting approval of facilities to export... Continue Reading
March 13, 2014
Administration Fails to Hit Obamacare Enrollment Targets, Other Metrics
This week, HHS issued its monthly report updating cumulative enrollment figures to include February data. The Administration claims more than 4.2 million people have signed up in the exchanges so far; 942,800 million of them in February. Unfortunately the report still doesn’t provide quantifiable metrics or answer key questions. Why won’t the Administration disclose objective data so that independent analysts can determine how much the law is helping or hurting the American people?... Continue Reading
March 11, 2014
March 2014: Policy by the Numbers
The key number for March is unknown. At the end of this month, Obamacare enrollment ends. The Administration’s goal is for 7 million people to enroll, but according to HHS, there is no data to measure how many enrolled people were previously uninsured. Other recent numbers that also have major policy implications: Continue Reading
March 11, 2014
Democrats’ Political Fix Amounts to Less than it Seems
Democrats famously lied to the American people when they promised some version of, “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.” When more than five million people learned last year that Obamacare actually caused their insurance company to cancel their plan because it didn’t meet the law’s new rules and mandates, the President reluctantly announced he would allow some people to keep their soon-to-be cancelled plan. Last week the President – under extreme... Continue Reading
March 11, 2014
Job Growth Remains Sluggish
Employers created 175,000 jobs in February -- job growth continues to be sluggish, and our unemployment rate remains high. February’s job-creation figure is roughly what it must be to keep up with our growing population and has fallen from an average pace of approximately 200,000 jobs created between last June and November. Sluggish Unemployment Situation The Department of Labor reported an unemployment rate of 6.7 percent for February 2014, up 0.1 percent from January. The... Continue Reading
March 7, 2014
The Obama Malaise: GDP Downgraded
Last week, 2013’s fourth quarter growth was sharply downgraded from the first estimate of 3.2 percent to a more disappointing 2.4 percent. Real GDP in 2013 is now estimated to be just 1.9 percent. This year is off to a rocky start with indicators pointing to 2014 first quarter growth worse than last quarter. President Obama’s economic stewardship has gotten worse, and his growth record shows that the government cannot regulate, tax, and spend its way to prosperity. Obama's Economic... Continue Reading
March 7, 2014
February 2014 Jobs Report
Unemployment Rate: 6.7 percent Unemployed Americans: 10.5 million Employment The Department of Labor reported an unemployment rate of 6.7 percent for February 2014, up 0.1 percent from January. It reported an increase of 175,000 nonfarm jobs over last month. The employment figure for December was revised from 75,000 to 84,000 jobs created, with the figure for January revised from 113,000 to 129,000 new jobs. According to the Wall Street Journal, “February’s job growth... Continue Reading
March 6, 2014
President Obama’s Latest Executive Power Grabs
Last summer, a reporter questioned whether President Obama had the legal authority to unilaterally delay the health care law’s employer mandate. President Obama responded: “[I]f Congress thinks that what I’ve done is inappropriate or wrong in some fashion, they’re free to make that case … But ultimately, I’m not concerned about their opinion – very few of them, by the way, are lawyers, much less constitutional lawyers.” President Obama threw down... Continue Reading
March 5, 2014
The Obama Budget: Punting on Third Down
On Tuesday, President Obama released a budget that makes no tough choices. He increases spending. He increases taxes to pay for it. He allows the national debt to continue to increase without the slightest reforms. It shouldn’t be this way. The President has three years left in office, yet he has abandoned all pretense of bipartisanship in favor of election year pandering. He has proposed “investments” in programs his base favors and tax increases on businesses that create jobs... Continue Reading
March 5, 2014
March 2014 Policy Calendar
March 5, 2014
Foreign Policy: Energy Is America’s Strategic Asset
Last week, Russia invaded Crimea, escalating crisis in Ukraine and further demonstrating the failure of President Obama’s Russian “reset.” On December 31, 2006 and again on January 1, 2009, Russia cut off its vital natural gas exports to Ukraine to bully its neighbor into concessions in commercial and foreign policy disputes. Russia could stop supplies again to increase its leverage in the current crisis. Ukraine imports about 60 percent of its natural gas from Russia and... Continue Reading
March 5, 2014
Fifth Anniversary of the Russia Reset
Five years ago, in February 2009, Vice President Biden announced a “reset” in relations with Russia. A few weeks later, on March 6, Secretary of State Clinton presented to her Russian counterpart a button marked “reset.” When the Senate was considering President Obama’s arms control capitulation to Russia in the form of New START, Secretary Clinton promised that ratifying the treaty “would also continue our progress toward broader U.S.-Russian... Continue Reading
February 27, 2014
Small Businesses Face Obamacare Sticker Shock
In an October 2009 speech to small business owners, President Obama promised his health care plan would “make the coverage that you’re currently providing more affordable.” Once again, the President’s rhetoric doesn’t match Obamacare’s stark reality. Last Friday, February 21, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of the Actuary quietly released a new report confirming the Democrats’ health care law will increase health insurance... Continue Reading
February 26, 2014
Republican Alternative to S. 1982: Considerations on the Iran Sanctions Provisions
This amendment adds to S. 1982 the Nuclear Weapons Free Iran Act (S. 1881), which carries out President Obama’s stated policy on Iran. He said in the State of the Union Address that if Iran does not “seize this opportunity, then [he would] be the first to call for more sanctions.” This bill provides new sanctions authority, but holds that authority in abeyance until the expiration of the interim deal, thereby giving Iran a chance to seize this diplomatic opportunity and... Continue Reading
February 25, 2014
Obama Budget Preview: Tax, Spend, & More Gimmicks
Next Tuesday, President Obama is expected to release his fiscal year 2015 budget. It will be 29 days late, but Americans should not expect to see any evidence of leadership. The President’s budget is not expected to make any tough decisions or be in touch with reality any more than it has been in the past. The President’s previous budgets have taken the untenable position that he can increase spending, increase taxes, and increase the debt without any meaningful reforms. Obama... Continue Reading
February 25, 2014
Democrats’ One-Two Economic Punch
More than four years into the economic recovery, the unemployment rate remains near levels previously seen only during recessions. Despite this, the Obama Administration and Senate Democrats are pushing for an increase in the federal minimum wage that the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says will lead to further job loss. CBO Estimates the Effect of a $10.10/hour Minimum Wage Source: CBO Bad Time to Increase the Minimum Wage Weak jobs reports suggest momentum needed to boost... Continue Reading
February 25, 2014
Obama Can’t Fix Obamacare
Earlier this month, the Congressional Research Service calculated that President Obama has signed 16 laws that amend, rescind, or repeal components of his health care law. Another source shows that during the past six months alone the Obama Administration has delayed parts of the law at least 21 times. These makeshift rewrites are designed to try to hide Obamacare’s harmful effects and protect endangered congressional Democrats. None of these small fixes can change the fact that many... Continue Reading
February 20, 2014
Obamacare Pounds Medicare Advantage
Seniors looking for health insurance have a choice of whether to enroll in the traditional, government-run Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) program or in an alternative, private option called Medicare Advantage (MA). Today 15 million people – roughly 29 percent of all Medicare patients – voluntarily enroll in an MA plan. Under MA, private health plans receive a capped monthly rate, determined by an annual bidding process, to cover Medicare Part A (hospital) and Part B (physician)... Continue Reading
February 18, 2014