Think immigration reform is passing Congress anytime soon? Think again. While the Senate may approve the bill, immigration reform faces little chance of passage in the House. Republicans might say that the Senate bill is too loose on border control, or they might object to amnesty. But the real reason immigration will fail is that … Continue reading
While politics and partisanship are the primary forces driving the discord in Washington today, it is power that will ultimately determine the outcome of such conflict. In our government, power is shared between branches, which in times of divided government like the present, essentially means shared between parties. With each side empowered to block the … Continue reading
Government agencies like FEMA are rarely the object of public attention, but when a crisis comes, their actions and decisions have important implications for citizens’ welfare. For government agencies to deliver effectively when the bright light of the national media is shining upon them, they must conduct careful planning when not under public scrutiny. The … Continue reading
With gun control stalled and budget negotiations on the back burner, all eyes have now turned to immigration reform. President Obama is seeking (and really needs) a large second term accomplishment to solidify and bolster his legacy. Republicans, meanwhile, are trapped at the bottom of an electoral well staring up at 70% of Latinos and … Continue reading
And so we enter another manufactured financial crisis here in Washington. The U.S. government is on the precipice of implementing massive spending cuts to federal programs. Totaling $1.2 trillion over the next decade, these cuts, known as (cue the headline buzzword) the “sequester,” will cut nearly every federal program’s budget by 8.2%. Both the left … Continue reading
By Chris Hartline The American political system is broken. Congress is broken. Our representatives don’t represent us. These are common refrains you hear particularly outside of Washington – though inside as well – and they possess some semblance of truth. The 112th Congress was the most unproductive Congress in 60 years and the 2nd year of … Continue reading
In the spring of 2011, a newly-elected Republican Congress claimed a mandate from the American people to cut spending at any cost. Twice – in February and April – Congress came within hours of a government shutdown before short-term spending measures (Continuing Resolutions) were passed, cutting spending in each case. As spring moved to summer, … Continue reading
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2i8KZtQRTI&feature=g-upl
That crazy bill our politicians refuse to address. Featuring economic policy experts Joe Minarik and Doug Holtz-Eakin. A video by Peter G. Peterson Foundation Interns Ben Gitis of American Action Forum and Kathryn Tinker of Committee for Economic Development.
Remember that debt limit fiasco last summer? Its repercussions still haunt us today. In order to motivate congress to come up with a cohesive debt reduction plan, the law passed to increase the debt limit stipulated that if the “super committee” failed to pass a plan by November 2011, across the board cuts (referred to … Continue reading
Following a jobs report released this morning showing the unemployment rate dropped from 8.5 to 8.3 percent last month, the President emphasized his plan to keep the economy growing at a fire station in Arlington, Virginia. “The economy is growing stronger. The recovery is speeding up. And we’ve got to do everything in our power … Continue reading
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