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 →

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 →

Jordan Peele’s horror/sci-fi film Nope debuted in theaters late last month. I’ve yet to see the movie, but its release offered a welcome change of pace to the Hallmark Channel’s Christmas in July special my mom watches every night. Nothing against Hallmark, but I’m thrilled Halloween in August has arrived.   Last year, Americans spent a … Continue reading →

Taxpayers spend between $400 million and $800 million each year (approximately $1 to $2 million per day) on nuclear waste storage due to the federal government’s failure to dispose of spent fuel sitting at nuclear power plants across the country. For the past 35 years, nuclear power plants have accumulated over 3,000 dry used fuel … Continue reading →

As a response to the increased oil process the President Biden proposed a gas tax holiday representing an 18-cent per gallon reduction until September and encouraged states to cut their gas taxes as well.   Reduction (or elimination) of taxes on fuel can potentially mitigate the burden of increased fuel prices on consumers in the short … Continue reading →

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 →

A day after his 21st birthday, one of my best friends won $6,000. He’d wagered $1,000 on Minnesota Twins’ catcher Gary Sánchez to hit a home run against the Oakland A’s. Beginner’s luck.  Except it wasn’t. Hitting that bet may have been lucky, but he is no beginner. Nearly all my friends, and what seems … Continue reading →

In January 2022 the Department of Homeland Security announced the amendment of the list science, technology, engineering, and math degree programs by adding 22 qualified fields of study to the F-1 visa program. The amendment allows qualified international students to apply for a 24-month extension of their Optional Practical Training beyond the already existing 12-month … Continue reading →

That’s Enough: America’s Surplus No, I’m not talking about the federal government’s balance sheet – its budget hasn’t experienced a surplus in over 20 years.  The surplus I’m referring to isn’t economic in nature, but rather one of words – excess spending leads to deficits in the form of a lack of clarity. A recent … Continue reading →