Politics

Repeal the Jones Act 

Introduction  During a time of declining bipartisanship in Washington, one law continues to enjoy the backing of members in both parties: The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, better known as the Jones Act. The law requires that shipping between U.S. ports is conducted by ships that are U.S.-built and at least 75 percent U.S.-owned. Proponents … Continue reading

Politics

The Case for Permitting Reform

Introduction  Last month, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) released the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022, a comprehensive permitting reform text meant to be included in the government funding bill. The proposal faced bipartisan opposition, with Senate Republicans still tiffed with Manchin’s decision to support the ironically named “Inflation Reduction Act” and progressives opposing the … Continue reading

Politics

Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan: Who is it really for and what are the economic consequences?

Introduction: On Monday, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that Joe Biden’s executive plan- put in place in August- to forgive thousands of dollars of student loan debt for millions of Americans will cost more than $400bn over three decades. While the White house has been reluctant in providing its own fiscal assessment of the plan, … Continue reading

Politics

Price Transparency and the Rising Cost of Health Care in the United States

Since 1990, the average cost of a hospital stay has grown by 600 percent—five times faster than the average price of a new car. Runaway health care costs are undermining our country’s health and prosperity and the lack of transparency perpetuates delivery of unnecessary health care services. Price transparency refers to the practice of making … Continue reading