Policy Papers
November 2021 Biden Border Crisis Report
Southwest Border Encounters November 2021: 173,620 Change from 2020: +101,507 Breakdown of Southwest Land Border Encounters November 2021 Single Adults: 114,419 (up 81% vs. 2020) Unaccompanied Children: 13,959 (up 204% vs. 2020) Individuals in a Family Unit: 44,939 (up 945% vs. 2020) In November, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 173,620 people attempting to enter the country illegally, up 141% from November of 2020. Continue Reading
December 16, 2021
One Year In: Biden Tanks American Energy
KEY TAKEAWAYS Inflation is at a four-decade high – compared to a year ago, prices for gasoline are up 58% and natural gas up 25%. Instead of embracing inexpensive, reliable American energy, President Biden caved to the radical left and embraced Green New Deal policies. President Biden and Democrats in Congress are pushing a host of policies in their reckless tax and spend spree that will make inflation even worse. As we approach the end of President Biden’s first year in office,... Continue Reading
December 15, 2021
Awful Health Care Ideas in the Reckless Tax and Spend Spree
The reckless tax and spend spree being pushed by Democrats includes a slew of health care proposals that would harm the health care of all Americans. Here are some of the most egregious ideas in the bill: Dictating Drug Prices – Democrats’ tax and spend bill includes a proposal that would dramatically reduce biomedical research, leading to fewer new medications and fewer options for people with rare diseases. It contains provisions to let the secretary of health and human services... Continue Reading
December 15, 2021
Accurate Broadband Maps Can Help Bridge The Digital Divide
KEY TAKEAWAYS FCC broadband availability maps have been plagued with inaccurate data and have overstated existing coverage. The FCC appears to overstate coverage in every state, with an average 21% false positive rate across the U.S. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act authorized six different grants and programs to help bridge the digital divide and allocated more than $60 billion toward this goal. There has been bipartisan interest in closing the “digital divide” for homes... Continue Reading
December 14, 2021
Reckless Tax and Spend Spree Isn't on Anyone's Christmas List
KEY TAKEAWAYS Americans celebrating the holiday season cannot avoid the damage caused by President Biden in his first year in office. Families are struggling to make ends meet, as rising costs and supply chain pressures put a damper on holiday plans. Democrats are so uninterested in the struggles of American families that, instead of focusing on rising prices on the table and at the gas pump, they are stuffing their reckless tax and spend spree full of billions of dollars in handouts for the... Continue Reading
December 10, 2021
Biden's Ukraine Crisis Reaches a Crescendo
KEY TAKEAWAYS Russia has amassed around 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border in an effort to threaten, and possibly invade, Ukraine. Missteps and inaction by the Biden administration have sent the Kremlin the signal that the U.S. will not defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and will not seriously act to deter Russia. Democrats in the Senate have not helped, impeding Republican efforts to sanction the Kremlin’s Nord Stream 2 project due to Biden administration pressure. The... Continue Reading
December 10, 2021
Inflation Soars, and Dems Push for More
KEY TAKEAWAYS Democrats’ disastrous big-spending agenda has led to soaring inflation. The Consumer Price Index increased 6.8% over the last year, reaching a high not seen since 1982. A CBO estimate of Democrats’ reckless tax and spending spree found that, without the bill’s many budget gimmicks, it would hike the deficit by $3 trillion over 10 years, more than eight times the theoretical score. Since Democrats passed their partisan $1.9 trillion spending law in March,... Continue Reading
December 7, 2021
Democrats' Handout for the Wealthy
As Democrats negotiate with themselves on their out-of-touch, reckless, tax and spending spree, they continue to prioritize tax breaks for the wealthy. The House-passed bill would increase the cap on the deduction for state and local taxes from $10,000 to $80,000 – and even make the tax break retroactive for 2021. This handout, estimated to carry a $230 billion price tag, is one of the most costly policies in the first five years of their legislation. Democrats try to sell the bill as... Continue Reading
December 7, 2021
Democrats Use the Fine Print to Hide Big Climate Regulation
Democrats are proposing to spend $555 billion in their reckless tax and spending spree on what they say is the “largest effort to combat climate change in American history.” As expensive as that would be, additional costs will come from several provisions buried in the bill that constitute a fraction of overall spending but will have a significant effect on American families. Money for Regulators Leads to Pain for Americans Their plan includes $45 million for the Environmental... Continue Reading
December 7, 2021
Democrats Fuel High Gas Prices
In 2019, for the first time in nearly 70 years, the United States became a net total energy exporter and the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the world. President Joe Biden has made it his mission to reverse these achievements. Gas Prices Up 40% Since January When he took office, the average cost for a gallon of gasoline was $2.46 – the price was $3.44 on December 6; a 40% increase. The president and Democrats in Congress should recognize that their policies are damaging our... Continue Reading
December 6, 2021
Democrats' Reckless Plan to Drive Up Child Care Costs
The Democrats’ reckless tax and spending spree includes a plan to transform America’s child care system – for the worse. Families will pay more and have less say about the care their children receive. Expect Dramatic Increases in Child Care Costs The legislation includes a one-size-fits-all model for child care and a massive new federal entitlement program for families earning up to 250% of their state’s median income. The federal government would impose onerous mandates... Continue Reading
December 3, 2021
November 2021 Jobs Report
Unemployment Rate: 4.2 percent Jobs Created: 210,000 Employment and Unemployment The Department of Labor reported the unemployment rate decreased 0.4 percentage point to 4.2% in November. Nonfarm jobs increased by 210,000 in November, with sizeable job gains in professional and business services. In September and October, job gains were higher on net than first reported. The department revised the change in nonfarm jobs for those months up by a combined 82,000 jobs.... Continue Reading
November 29, 2021
The Cost to "Transform" the Economy
KEY TAKEAWAYS CBO says Democrats’ reckless tax and spend spree will increase the federal deficit by $367 billion, not the $0 Democrats had promised. CBO also estimates that Democrats’ bill spends $1.7 trillion, but that estimate exists only on paper because of all the gimmicks in their scheme. More realistic estimates go as high as $4.9 trillion. When Democrats passed their partisan $1.9 trillion spending law in March, they said it would be “transformational.” Since... Continue Reading
November 18, 2021
Big Tech Gets Bigger, Calls for Antitrust Changes Get Louder
KEY TAKEAWAYS Americans are concerned about the power that big tech platforms wield, as well as the amount of personal data they hold. The House Judiciary Committee reported a package of bipartisan antitrust bills this summer intended to restore competition in the digital marketplace, strengthen antitrust laws, and invigorate antitrust enforcement. Many of the bills have been introduced in the Senate. Supporters contend the bills will rein in big tech and put consumers at the forefront of... Continue Reading
November 16, 2021
October 2021 Biden Border Crisis Report
Southwest Border Encounters October 2021: 164,303 Change from 2020: +92,374 Breakdown of Southwest Land Border Encounters, October 2021 Single Adults: 108,583 (up 74% vs. 2020) Unaccompanied Children: 12,807 (up 166% vs. 2020) Individuals in a Family Unit: 42,726 (up 800% vs. 2020) In October, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 164,303 people attempting to enter the country illegally, up 128% from October of 2020. In President Biden’s first nine months in office, CBP... Continue Reading
November 16, 2021
Democrats Push Up Energy Prices
As we head into winter, American families are coping with high energy bills; and prices are projected to keep climbing. Democrats’ reckless tax and spend spree will only make the situation worse. Projected Increase in Winter Home Heating Fuel Bills A gallon of gas costs $3.39 on average, up $1.28 since last year, with prices reaching their highest level in more than seven years. The average family is spending an estimated $19.65 more to fuel up their car than they did a year ago. The Energy... Continue Reading
November 15, 2021
Biden's Backward Immigration Policies
KEY TAKEAWAYS President Biden’s immigration policies have created a crisis of historic proportions at our southern border, and his administration is taking steps that will make it even worse. The administration is ignoring the law and making it harder for border and immigration authorities do their jobs. Democrats in Congress are pushing mass amnesty in their reckless tax and spending bill, which will draw more migrants to the border. The response by the Biden administration and... Continue Reading
November 15, 2021
Bidenomics Hits the Holidays
KEY TAKEAWAYS Soaring inflation and supply chain woes have Americans worrying about the holiday season. Increases in the cost of food production have raised prices for consumers, leading to predictions that Americans are in for record prices as they prepare their Thanksgiving meals. Retailers are contending with supply chain bottlenecks, which will mean long waits, shortages, and higher bills for shoppers. Americans are worrying about the upcoming holiday season. Soaring inflation and... Continue Reading
November 4, 2021
Democrats' Priority: Tax Cuts for the Rich
Voters trying to figure out what’s in Democrats’ reckless tax and spend spree might be surprised to see plans for billions of dollars in tax breaks for wealthy Americans. Restoring the federal deduction for state and local taxes – now capped at $10,000 – remains one of Democrats’ “endgame” priorities. The latest iteration of their bill increases the deduction cap, retroactive to the beginning of 2021. Eliminating or increasing the SALT cap would be a... Continue Reading
November 4, 2021
Democrats Push Government Jobs Amid Worker Shortage
In Democrats’ reckless tax and spend spree, they have embedded billions of dollars to create a “Civilian Climate Corps” – a massive Green New Deal government jobs program. Amidst a worker shortage that has small businesses scrambling to keep their doors open, progressives are demanding the federal government hire hundreds of thousands of green activists to “combat” climate change and provide a boon for big labor. Their model is the Depression-era programs... Continue Reading