Deep Breath Before the Plunge It would be an understatement if the hearing on February 8th, 2011 would be considered as anything less than tame. During opening statements alone, which were typically no longer than two minutes, both attacks and decibels were on the rise. Whether on the attack or coming to the defense of … Continue reading
Today’s hearings in the Senate and House Budget Committees highlight the ocean of varying perspectives on the President’s budget and the appropriate approach to take on essential reforms and deficit reduction. Though committee members were certainly guilty of playing the blame game, on both sides of the aisle, many showed a genuine concern for our … Continue reading
In the 8th Regulatory Reform Hearing, The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations discussed “Private-Sector Views of the Regulatory Climate One Year After Executive Order 13563.” Overseeing the committee, Mr. Stearns opened expressing concerns that over one half of private industry refuses to hire based on concerns due to healthcare costs and regulation overburden. The adjusted … Continue reading
Earlier this week, Guatemala’s newly elected President Otto Perez Molina said that the US’s inability to decrease illegal drug consumption has left Guatemala in a position where it must consider legalizing the use and transport of drugs. He plans to raise the issue of legalization of illicit drugs at an upcoming summit of Central American … Continue reading
With speedy communication networks and smartphone apps covering everything from restaurant reviews to interactive games, it seems that information technology (IT) is on the path to dominate the 21st century. With it, investments in IT promise to bring efficient communication methods to various industries including health care. A recent report published by the Bipartisan Policy … Continue reading
Last week, the Pew Research Center released a report examining the lives of young Americans in the wake of the Great Recession. Unsurprisingly, 41 percent of those interviewed felt that young people, ages 18-24, face greater challenges weathering the economic storm than their older counterparts. That said, perhaps the most astonishing statistic from the report is … Continue reading
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) led the charge today in confronting the President’s budget director on the real numbers behind the announced $4 trillion deficit reduction in the budget released on Monday. During the House Budget Committee hearing, Republicans grilled Acting White House Budget Director Jeffrey Zients on the difference between what the … Continue reading
Later today, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be launching an initiative to secure $5 billion “to transform the teacher profession from top to bottom.” [1] While there is quite a bit of political maneuvering surrounding this announcement, it truly represents the worst of the flawed ideology that has seriously damaged education in America. Perhaps … Continue reading
FEBRUARY 15, 2012 ECONOMY: Congressional negotiators reach tentative deal on payroll tax, unemployment benefits http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-renews-pressure-for-payroll-tax-cut-even-as-gop-leaders-agree-to-compromise/2012/02/14/gIQAyZEbDR_story.html Congressional negotiators reached a tentative deal Tuesday to extend a payroll tax holiday, unemployment benefits and Medicare payment rates for doctors, while finding more than $50 billion in cuts to reduce the effect on the federal deficit. Geithner Says Business-Tax Plan … Continue reading
Yesterday, the President announced his budget for fiscal year 2013, a plan that, if implemented, would raise taxes and burden younger Americans with a legacy of chronic budget deficits. The budget the President is proposing is a house of cards on a foundation of volatile debt that is quite obviously not “built to last.” During … Continue reading
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