Policy Papers
New Leadership at the FCC
The Senate confirmed Tom Wheeler to be the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and Michael O’Rielly to fill the vacant Republican seat on the Commission on October 29, 2013 by unanimous consent. This gave the FCC a full slate of five commissioners (three Democrats, two Republicans) for last Thursday’s meeting for the first time in nearly six months. “Keep an eye on the Wheeler-O’Rielly relationship. This could be interesting.” --Medley Global... Continue Reading
November 14, 2013
Americans Can’t Trust Healthcare.gov with Their Personal Information
In the months leading up to HealthCare.gov’s launch, Administration officials claimed that the Obamacare exchanges would be tested, secure, and ready to start enrolling people on October 1. Republicans and outside observers repeatedly questioned how well the Federal Data Hub and other Obamacare website system components would protect Americans’ private information. The Obama Administration ignored the warnings and simply said, “trust us,” we’re “on... Continue Reading
November 13, 2013
Democrats’ Minimum Wage Gimmicks Cost Jobs
The national unemployment rate is 7.3 percent, with 11.3 million Americans unemployed – the rate has been above seven percent since President Obama took office. The labor force participation rate has sunk to 62.8 percent, the lowest in more than 35 years. And job growth has sputtered all year. Yet, as the country struggles to recover economically, Senate Democrats with misplaced priorities are pushing for an increase in the minimum wage, knowing that it will cost jobs. Their economic... Continue Reading
November 13, 2013
Labor Force Participation Hits 35-Year Low
Employment rose by 204,000 jobs in October and the jobless rate increased 0.1 points to 7.3 percent. While job growth for October beat expectations, there remain 11.3 million Americans unemployed and hundreds of thousands dropping out of the labor force altogether. Labor Force Participation Lowest Level Since 1978 In October, labor force participation fell by 720,000 people, to a rate of 62.8 percent -- a decrease of 0.4 percent from last month and the lowest rate in more than 35 years.... Continue Reading
November 13, 2013
More than 4.2 Million Health Insurance Cancellations
November 13, 2013
The Demise of the Dual-Track Approach on Iran?
The Obama Administration has consistently described its policy on Iran as a “dual-track” approach of both engagement and pressure, i.e, carrot and stick. It is being reported Secretary of State John Kerry will ask at a briefing of the Banking Committee today to abandon the pressure side of that equation, so that the United States can make capitulations to Iran in exchange for steps Iran already has a legal obligation to take. Here are some questions Senators can ask the Secretary to... Continue Reading
November 8, 2013
October 2013 Unemployment
October 2013 Unemployment Rate: 7.3 percent Unemployed Americans: 11.3 million “Real” Unemployment The “real” unemployment or U-6 rate is 13.8 percent for October 2013, an increase of 0.2 percentage points. This is the total percentage of unemployed and underemployed workers. The “real” number of unemployed Americans is 21.8 million. These are people who are... Continue Reading
November 7, 2013
‘You can’t keep your doctor’
Thanks to the Obama Administration’s grandfather regulation, more than 3.5 million Americans have lost their health insurance plan. Led by Senator Mike Enzi, Republicans tried to overturn the Administration rule that put strict tests in place employers and individuals must meet in order to keep their health plan. Senate Democrats voted in lockstep to keep the rule on the books. Washington Democrats believe the federal government knows better than individual Americans what kind of health... Continue Reading
November 7, 2013
Obama’s Economy Underwhelms Again
The economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.8 percent in the third quarter of 2013. This comes on the heels of an already weak economy: growth in the first quarter of 2013 was 1.1 percent and second quarter growth was 2.5 percent. It has now been six consecutive quarters where growth has failed to break three percent. And still the Obama Administration fails to focus on jobs. Washington Democrats have made it clear that they would like to cancel the sequester and replace it, in whole or in part,... Continue Reading
November 5, 2013
Fiscal Path Forward
Over the next several months, Congress will need to fund the government for the rest of fiscal year 2014 and will be asked to raise the debt limit. This must be done in a way that lowers future deficits, bends the curve on our national debt, and fosters economic growth. Revenue Should Not Be Used to Offset Sequester Democrats are renewing their typical calls for tax hikes, but Republicans should not agree to revenue increases that would only serve to offset hard fought spending cuts. It is... Continue Reading
November 5, 2013
EPA’s Selective Hearing on Coal
The EPA recently announced that it will hold 11 “listening sessions” across the country to “solicit ideas and input from the public and stakeholders” about its rules to limit carbon emissions at existing power plants. The locations demonstrate the Administration’s selective hearing on coal. It will listen to the President’s supporters in major cities like San Francisco, Seattle, New York, and Boston – all places that don’t rely on coal. It will... Continue Reading
November 5, 2013
Millions of Health Insurance Cancellations
Source: AP and other media reports “All we’ve been hearing the last three years is if you like your policy you can keep it… I’m infuriated because I was lied to.” -- Deborah Cavallaro, California “You don’t get to keep your premiums. You don’t get to keep anything.” -- Nikki Gibson, Washington “I had heard the... Continue Reading
November 5, 2013
Democrats Double Down on Dishonesty
On September 10, 2009, President Obama spoke about his health care reform plan and promised: “Nothing in this plan will require you, or your employer, to change the coverage or the doctor you have. Nothing will change for you if you have insurance. Nothing in the plan will require any changes.” But just yesterday, more than three years later, President Obama refined his pledge: “Now if you had one of these plans before the Affordable Care Act came into law and you really liked... Continue Reading
October 31, 2013
Democrats Knew Millions Couldn’t Keep Insurance Plan
Back on September 10, 2009, President Obama spoke about his health care reform plan – a plan that would later be signed into law. During his speech, President Obama promised: “Nothing in this plan will require you, or your employer, to change the coverage or the doctor you have. Nothing will change for you if you have insurance. Nothing in the plan will require any changes.” Senate Democrat leaders reaffirmed the President’s promise. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid... Continue Reading
October 29, 2013
Obama/Reid Court Stacking
Majority Leader Reid has made clear his intention to push for the confirmation of judicial nominees to stack the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. But the most underworked appeals court in the country should not be manipulated by the President and his political allies to advance their agenda. Rather than put more judges on a court with a dwindling caseload, Senate Republicans should coalesce around legislation that will equitably re-allocate judgeships to appellate courts that... Continue Reading
October 29, 2013
Delaying the Mandate Is a Start, not a Solution
Four weeks ago, Washington Democrats put on a united front – every single Senate Democrat voted against reasonable legislation passed by the House of Representatives delaying Obamacare’s individual mandate for one year. In the wake of HealthCare.gov’s failure, however, some of those same Senate Democrats are singing a different tune. Rapidly growing numbers now argue that because the White House cannot quickly fix the federal exchange website, the open enrollment deadline must... Continue Reading
October 29, 2013
Website Was Supposed to Be the Easy Part
Months before their launch, top Administration officials and lead contractors insisted Obamacare’s insurance exchanges would be tested, secure, and ready to start enrolling people on October 1. A week before the launch, in a desperate sales pitch to college students, the President claimed that signing up would be as easy as a few simple keystrokes: “Don’t take my word for it, go on the website. … If you’ve ever tried to buy insurance on your own … I promise... Continue Reading
October 29, 2013
Tip of the Iceberg
Cancelled Coverage President Obama promised that Americans could keep the health insurance they had and liked. The Administration said the law’s “grandfathering” policy would protect people. What the President didn’t say is that there was fine print. The “grandfathering” policy doesn’t apply if an insurer stops offering coverage or if people make changes to their policy. If there’s any change like that, the President’s promise vanishes.... Continue Reading
October 22, 2013
September Unemployment Report
Unemployment Rate: 7.2 percent Unemployed Americans: 11.3 million “Real” Unemployment The “real” unemployment or U-6 rate is 13.6 percent for September 2013, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points. This is the total percentage of unemployed and underemployed workers. The “real” number of unemployed Americans is 21.5 million. These are people who are unemployed (11.3 million), want work but have stopped searching for a job (2.3 million), or are... Continue Reading
October 17, 2013
Obama Refused to Delay Awful Exchange Rollout
It has been nearly three weeks since the Obamacare exchanges went live, and HealthCare.gov remains broken. The Administration feigned surprise at the exchange rollout’s epic failure. President Obama claimed the system was temporarily overwhelmed by a large volume of interested shoppers. Prior to the launch, top HHS officials had insisted that the exchanges were “on track,” and the President never wavered from his position that the law was “working the way it is supposed... Continue Reading