Policy Papers
What's Going On With Roe?
KEY TAKEAWAYS On September 1, the Supreme Court declined to issue an injunction against Texas’ new abortion law, allowing it to go into effect. Since then, there has been a tremendous amount of confusion about the constitutional status of abortion restrictions, including incorrect assertions that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. If the court ultimately overturns Roe, it will be in a future ruling, and possibly as soon as the term starting next month in a case involving a Mississippi... Continue Reading
September 16, 2021
Democrats' Irresponsible Plan to Undermine Medicare
KEY TAKEAWAYS The Biden administration and Democrats in Congress have put forth policies that would distort, disrupt, and undermine Medicare. One proposal calls for lowering the eligibility age from 65 to 60, giving Washington bureaucrats even more control over health care and increasing the burden on taxpayers. The Medicare program is already on shaky financial ground and is projected to reach insolvency within the next four years. Democrats in Congress support lowering the Medicare... Continue Reading
September 16, 2021
August 2021 Biden Border Crisis Report
Southwest Border Encounters August 2021: 208,887 Change from 2020: +158,873 Breakdown of Southwest Land Border Encounters August 2021 Single Adults: 103,129 (up 134% vs. 2020) Unaccompanied Children: 18,847 (up 507% vs. 2020) Individuals in a Family Unit: 86,487 (up 3,086% vs. 2020) In August, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 208,887 people attempting to enter the country illegally, up 318% from August of 2020. Continue Reading
September 15, 2021
Biden's Failure in Afghanistan
KEY TAKEAWAYS President Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan left American citizens and allies behind while emboldening our enemies, diminishing our counterterrorism capabilities, and damaging trust with our allies around the globe. The administration has sought to blame the Afghans and President Trump for a failure that belongs to President Biden. The Biden administration’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan left behind American citizens and allies to face the wrath of the... Continue Reading
September 13, 2021
Democrats Plot Tax Hikes Across Entire U.S. Economy
KEY TAKEAWAYS President Biden and Democrats in Congress plan to raise taxes across every facet of our recovering economy to help pay for their sweeping liberal agenda. Democrats are pushing ahead on reckless tax increases even as the Congressional Budget Office predicts revenues as a share of the economy will continue to match the 50-year average in the coming years. Democrats’ tax hikes will hit small businesses, family farms, and the paychecks and retirement plans of working Americans,... Continue Reading
September 13, 2021
Democrats Hitch Climate Plans to Reckless Tax and Spend Spree
KEY TAKEAWAYS Democrats have made clear their reckless tax and spend spree will impose their radical climate agenda. Their proposals – from a carbon import fee to a national clean energy standard – threaten to undermine American energy jobs and reliability, and would mean higher prices for consumers. The left is pursuing this partisan path despite Senate passage of comprehensive, bipartisan infrastructure legislation that would provide billions of dollars for renewable energy and... Continue Reading
September 10, 2021
Fall 2021 Policy Calendar
aa aa July 31 – The 2019 suspension of the debt limit expired, and the debt limit was reset at the current level of debt outstanding: $28.4 trillion. Treasury began using “extraordinary measures” to temporarily avoid passing the limit. aa aa September 6 - Temporary, enhanced federal unemployment benefits expired, including the extra $300 weekly payment. September 15 – FY 2022 budget deadline for House and Senate committees to submit their recommendations for... Continue Reading
September 3, 2021
August 2021 Jobs Report
Unemployment Rate: 5.2 percent Jobs Created: 235,000 Employment and Unemployment The Department of Labor reported the unemployment rate decreased 0.2 percentage point to 5.2 in August. Nonfarm jobs increased by 235,000 in August, after increasing by more than 1 million last month. In August, there were sizeable job gains in professional and business services, as well as transportation and warehousing. Meanwhile, retail saw a decline, and jobs were unchanged in leisure and hospitality. In... Continue Reading
August 12, 2021
July 2021 Biden Border Crisis Report
Southwest Border Encounters July 2021: 212,672 Change from 2020: +171,743 Breakdown of Southwest Land Border Encounters July 2021 Single Adults: 110,443 (up 204% vs. 2020) Unaccompanied Children: 18,962 (up 656% vs. 2020) Individuals in a Family Unit: 82,966 (up 3,947% vs. 2020) In July, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 212,672 people attempting to enter the country illegally, up 420% from July of 2020. Continue Reading
August 9, 2021
FY 2022 Budget Amendment Tracker
August 6, 2021
Medicaid Home and Community-based Services
KEY TAKEAWAYS Democrats are trying to expand Medicaid and increase spending by $400 billion to advance their liberal wish list, disguising it as an expansion of home and community-based health care services. Their plan does not address the underlying challenges facing the Medicaid program, and it goes well beyond the program’s scope by providing mandates on states for non-health care benefits. For decades there has been bipartisan support for providing home and community-based health... Continue Reading
August 6, 2021
July 2021 Jobs Report
Unemployment Rate: 5.4 percent Jobs Created: 943,000 Employment and Unemployment The Department of Labor reported the unemployment rate decreased 0.5 percentage point to 5.4 in July. Nonfarm jobs increased by 943,000 in July, including sizeable job gains in leisure and hospitality. In May and June, job gains were higher on net than first reported. The department revised the change in nonfarm jobs for those months up by a combined 119,000 jobs. ... Continue Reading
August 3, 2021
SCOTUS Election Law Update
KEY TAKEAWAYS At the end of its term in July, the Supreme Court decided two major cases that were noteworthy wins for conservative jurisprudence on election law. In Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta, the court struck down a California statute requiring disclosure of the identities of donors who give more than $5,000 to a charity. In Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, the court upheld Arizona election laws that exclude ballots cast in the wrong precinct and ban ballot... Continue Reading
August 2, 2021
Threats to the U.S. in Space
KEY TAKEAWAYS Space-based systems such as satellites provide a range of services for the global economy and the United States military. Our competitors, like China and Russia, have tested weapons that can put U.S. space systems at risk and potentially jeopardize U.S. military operations. Congress created Space Force to respond to this threat and to give the Department of Defense a dedicated service to protect the U.S. in space. Congress and the Trump administration established the U.S.... Continue Reading
August 1, 2021
2021 Infrastructure Amendment Tracker
July 29, 2021
College Athletics: Name, Image, and Likeness Rights
KEY TAKEAWAYS The NCAA recently began allowing student athletes to enter into endorsement and other deals that pay them for their name, image, and likeness. Governors in 28 states have signed legislation or issued executive orders that allow these athletes to profit off of the deals. The NCAA is at an inflection point, with some people suggesting that it take a smaller role in governing intercollegiate athletics. The U.S. Supreme Court issued an antitrust decision last month that sent... Continue Reading
July 21, 2021
Democrats' Radical Climate Plans
KEY TAKEAWAYS In their fight against American energy, Democrats in Congress have been busy introducing legislation to stifle energy production, prescribe how electricity providers get their power, and increase the tax burden on energy producers. They continue to ignore the reality that fossil fuels account for nearly 80% of U.S. energy consumption and roughly 60% of electricity generation. Democrats should work with Republicans on bipartisan policies that use all types of energy sources to keep... Continue Reading
July 20, 2021
Major Decisions by Republican-Appointee Circuit Judges
KEY TAKEAWAYS During the Trump administration, Republicans confirmed 54 circuit judges, 27% of total circuit court judgeships. Even as Democrats control Congress and the presidency, Republican-appointed circuit court judges are authoring influential conservative opinions and issuing important rulings. Republican appointees have made major rulings relating to abortion, agriculture, and internet regulations. Circuit court judges are the final arbiters of most federal legal issues. Well over 99%... Continue Reading
July 19, 2021
Biden Breaks Tax Pledge
KEY TAKEAWAYS President Biden has repeatedly pledged that he would not raise taxes on any American making less than $400,000 a year, but his agenda would hike taxes on average Americans nationwide. Even the liberal Tax Policy Center estimates that 60% of taxpayers would lose money next year under the president’s plan. Alongside reversing Republican-enacted tax cuts on job creators and workers, the president’s budget does not prevent individual tax increases across the... Continue Reading
July 16, 2021
June 2021 Biden Border Crisis Report
Southwest Border Encounters June 2021: 188,829 Change from 2020: +155,780 Breakdown of Southwest Land Border Encounters June 2021 Single Adults: 117,602 (up 297% vs. 2020) Unaccompanied Children: 15,253 (up 802% vs. 2020) Individuals in a Family Unit : 55,805 (up 3,224% vs. 2020) In June, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 188,829 people attempting to enter the country illegally, up 471% from June of 2020. Continue Reading