Bringing Out the Big Guns Chairman Kline (R, MN-2) started off the two-hour hearing with his own personal opening statement. Being shocked by President Obama’s three recess appointments despite Congress, in his opinion, being in session. He stated the Obama must consider that he holds the power to appoint whomever he desires and that the … Continue reading
Category Archives: Regulation
Rep. Susan Collins: The Great Compromiser
Senator Susan Collin’s Bill S.1392 essentially does a lot of things for the EPA. First, this bill does away with four distinct rulings: (1) the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Major Sources: Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional Boilers and Process Heaters; (2) the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Area Sources: … Continue reading
Utility MACT Rule, Destroying Jobs and Saving Lives?
A Cast of Characters An Native American and an Evangelical walk into a bar… Or let me rephrase that; an Native American and an Evangelical walked into the Rayburn House Office Building on February 8, 2012 to act as a part of a panel put together by the Subcommittee … Continue reading
Post Office Cuts a Double Edged Sword
By Logan Albright Last week, the U.S. Postal Service announced plans to close facilities, lay off workers and generally reduce the quality of service in order to cut costs. For advocates of limited government, this is both good and bad news. The Post Office has long drawn scorn and ridicule for its reputation as embodying … Continue reading
House Committee on the Judiciary
Lie, Damn Lies, and Statistics This was Chairman Cobles (R, NC-6) opening statement for the House Committee on the Judiciary on February 27, 2012. He observed the Department of Labor concluded that unemployment is at 8.3% compared to 10% last October. Asserting that the federal government destroys jobs, and Congress is unable to create jobs, … Continue reading
America / Culture / Economy / Gov. Officials / Healthcare / Other / Politics / Presidency / Regulation / Tax
“Right of Conscience” Amendment: Blatant Misrepresentation of Constitution, Republicanism
The US Senate, today, March 1st, plans to vote on a Republican-sponsored amendment that would restore “the right of conscience” to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare). The Senate’s bill, which would hope to reverse the Sebelius/Obama Contraception regulation without any actual reference to ‘contraception’ or the regulation they hope to reverse. … Continue reading
EPA Budget Hearing: More Theatrics than the Academy Awards
The Oscars happened Sunday. I say the event “happened” as the actual event was quite underwhelming, with a group of artists patting each other on the back at artistically expressing the views they saw pertinent, while the true underlying issues of society were poked, joked, and unfocused. Very similarly, representative members of the Energy and … Continue reading
CFTC / Events / Regulation / Uncategorized
CFTC Amending the Dodd-Frank Act
Opening Statements Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Gary Gensler began what would be an almost four-hour hearing on several rules that may be applied to the Dodd-Frank Act. Declaring that the hearing was about promoting transparency, developing internal business conduct rules, and compliance rules to protect the public, he seemed very … Continue reading
America / Culture / Economy / Gov. Officials / Healthcare / Other / Politics / Presidency / Regulation / Rule of Law / Tax / U.S. Domestic Policy
Obamacare’s Medicaid Mandates on States; Oppresive and Wrong on Every Level
There are many unconstitutional elements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare). One of these elements, lurking the midst, not getting the attention it should receive in the mainstream, at least not anymore, is unconstitutional Federal mandates on the states (as it relates to Medicaid). Under Obamacare states can choose to either … Continue reading
State vs. Federal: the Fundamental Fight without the Facts
Judge Robert L. Hinkle on Saturday, February 18, 2012 upheld the 2009 determination that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had jurisdiction to mandate clean water regulations on the state of Florida’s major water bodies. In 1998, EPA mandated Florida to develop new rules to develop nutrient criteria on limiting phosphorus and nitrogen in waterways, which … Continue reading
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