Last month, Senate Republicans introduced yet another bill to protect young undocumented immigrants from deportation after the Trump administration announced earlier this month that the Deferred Action for Childhood (DACA) program is being rescinded. DACA, an executive order signed by President Barack Obama in 2012, provided temporary legal status to young immigrants (commonly referred to … Continue reading
Category Archives: U.S. Senate
America / Politics / Presidency / Tax / U.S. Senate
Hatch Contends Dynamic Scoring no Magic Elixir
The GOP’s brawl against Obama’s executive actions persists with new postulations made by a Republican leader on Sunday pushing for a government shutdown to prevent Obama from addressing immigration policy with executive order. Despite this individual’s propping open the idea, numerous other Republicans objected to a government shutdown. Oklahoma GOP Representative Tom Cole raised concerns … Continue reading
How the Republican “Wave” was Possible
Obama’s 2012 Presidential victory cinched 60 percent of the youth vote, causing many Republican insiders to question where the party was headed. Republicans were warned that they must “get diverse” to continue the party’s survival. The College Republican National Committee found that young people saw the party as “lacking in diversity” and “old-fashioned.” Republican National … Continue reading
The Most Extraordinary Aspect of the Election is Not What You think!
Following an election, market participants strive to explore the new political landscape. Pundits are commenting, and slowly but surely, people discover what the new landscape looks like. Interestingly though, if you ask political economists (sometimes called Public Choice economists) the most fascinating aspect of an election is perhaps not what parties gain control of which houses of … Continue reading
Politics / Regulation / Tax / U.S. Senate
$15 Billion Tax Prevented by PIFTA
If the Senate opts in for H.R. 3086, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (PIFTA), $14.7 billion in taxes will be averted every year. During the Internet boom of the 1990s, Congress passed the Internet Tax Freedom Act (IFTA), which prevented state and local governments from collecting Internet specific taxes. Sponsored by Senate Finance Committee … Continue reading
America / Economy / Labor Force / Politics / U.S. Senate
The Myth of the Underpaid Minimum Wage Worker
One of greatest falsehoods that clouds the discussion over whether to raise the minimum wage is that these workers are underpaid compared to the value they provide to their employers. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren made the case, “If we started in 1960 and we said that as productivity goes up, that is as workers are … Continue reading
Senate Shake-Up: Retirements and 2014 Election Projections
A wave of high-profile retirement announcements continues to sweep through Congress. Consequently, there will be significant shifts of power within both chambers, as well as electoral developments that have the potential to change which party controls the Senate in the 114th Congress. New committee chairmanships and open-seat elections will have significant implications for both the … Continue reading
Senate’s Iranian Sanctions are Self-Interested
Recently, a new piece of legislation has hit the senate floor; one that entails expanding current sanctions on Iran as well as creating new sanctions for the purpose of impeding Iran from attaining nuclear weapons. This bill comes at a time when talks and a Joint Plan of Action (JPA) have already been made in … Continue reading
Redefining Preventative Defense in Benghazi
On January 15th, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) released a review entailing the official series of events that unfolded in Benghazi, Libya on September 11-12th of 2012 as well as findings and recommendations that could have prevented this attack and future attacks on U.S. embassies and facilities abroad from happening. SSCI was … Continue reading
Cruz Control: Long Senate Speeches and How a Non-Filibuster Can Still Wield Power
While Senator Ted Cruz’s September 24 speech condemning the Affordable Care Act was not technically a filibuster, the length of time he spent talking without yielding the floor is notable in the history of speeches delivered in the Senate. Filibusters are intended to delay or prevent voting on a piece of legislation. A senator may … Continue reading
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