"YES" on H.R. 3409, The Stop the War on Coal Act
"YES" on Disapproval of HHS's Waiver of Welfare Work Requirements
Today on MSNBC, Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-OH) credited Heritage Action and other conservative organizations with helping to kill the Simpson-Bowles inspired tax hike embedded in the Cooper-LaTourette budget plan. As one of the sponsors of the budget, he certainly didn't intend to pay Heritage Action a compliment. However, our goal was to ensure that Americans would not be hit with another massive tax hike. So the fact that only thirty-eight...
Washington—Today, 36 U.S. Senators released a letter promising to oppose ratification of any treaty during a lame-duck session. Heritage Action released the following statement from CEO Michael A. Needham: Today's announcement ensures American sovereignty will not be eroded by last-minute negotiations involving lame-duck Senators. We applaud the 36 Senators for promising to avoid past lame-duck mistakes and urge their colleagues to make a similar pledge. In 2010, the Senate ratified...
The legislative battle to thwart the nearly $1 trillion food and farm welfare bill is on hold as lawmakers hit the campaign trail, but the fight is far from over and far from won. Nevertheless, conservatives have seen remarkable progress thus far. As evinced by a recent op-ed from Heritage Action CEO Michael Needham and Representative Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), support for separating food stamps from the farm bill has reached...
Heritage Action opposes the Export-Import Bank because it's a tool for cronyism and an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars, putting us on the hook for multi-million dollar loans to foreign companies. Our money has gone to a number of frivolous projects, such as an aquarium in Brazil and the export of PV modules (solar panels) to the Barbados-based company, Williams Industries-Williams Evergreen. The Ex-Im Bank is used very strategically by...
Days before Hurricane Sandy slammed into the mid-Atlantic, the media hype was in full steam. While the potential dangers of any large storm should never be underestimated, we cannot allow sensationalism to pave the way for poor public policy. It would be a mistake to expect the federal government - which is also shut down by the incoming storm - to respond effectively. As the Heritage Foundation explained in 2010...
The National reports that Flydubai, an airline founded in 2008 by the Government of Dubai, is likely to make a profit for the first time, at least according to the airline's chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith. Why should you care? Well, if you're an American, you have a vested interest in this airline flourishing, because $117.5 million of your taxpayer dollars have gone to finance the airline's purchase of its...
"NO" on Appropriations Measures Exceeding Ryan Budget Level
Conservatives remain committed to preventing the devastating economic effects of tax hikes and excessive government spending. We have sent the following message to Congress which can also be found here: Conservative Movement Stands United During Lame Duck Session Opposes Tax Hikes, Insists on BCA Spending Reductions November 13, 2012 Dear Member of Congress, As the 112th Congress's lame duck session progresses and on behalf of the millions of Americans represented...
"NO" on the Cybersecurity Act of 2012
Heritage Action, along with more than a dozen other free market organizations, wrote an open letter to the U.S. House of Representatives urging lawmakers not to pass a long-term farm bill in the lame duck session. The farm bill, as it currently exists, violates conservative principles and free market principles in a number of ways and is need of a great deal of reform. The letter is below and can...
"NO" on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Washington—Today, Senator-elect Ted Cruz (R-Texas) announced Chip Roy as his chief of staff. Heritage Action released the following statement from CEO Michael A. Needham: Senator-elect Ted Cruz made an outstanding choice in naming Chip Roy as his chief of staff. Chip brings unquestionable conservative credentials and a firm grasp of how the Senate can be used to advance conservative policies. The choice demonstrates Ted Cruz is coming to Washington for...
Today, the U.S. Senate refused to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Heritage Action released the following statement from CEO Michael A. Needham: We congratulate the Senators who stood for American sovereignty by refusing to ratify this treaty. While today's vote is important, it does not mark the end of the fight. Bad treaties never die in Washington and Heritage Action will remain vigilant...
"NO" on S. 3637, the Transaction Account Guarantee Two-Year Extension
Thanks to Heritage Action activists and their diligent involvement in the political process, American sovereignty was protected from a misguided and unnecessary treaty. The United States Senate voted against ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which would have given an unaccountable "committee of experts" in Geneva, Switzerland authority to make decisions that would affect Americans. Our activists' calls in opposition to the treaty, combined...
This week, buried in the midst of fiscal cliff drama, our nation took an important step forward in the ongoing fight for real Medicare reform when retiring Congressman Wally Herger (R-CA) introduced the Save and Strengthen Medicare Act. By putting a Medicare premium support plan in legislative text, Rep. Herger has significantly advanced the debate about conservative health care solutions and resolving America's deep fiscal problems. Heritage describes the bill...
On Monday, the Senate will begin consideration of the Obama administration's $60.4 billion disaster assistance supplemental appropriations. The request, supposedly an emergency response to Hurricane Sandy, was marked up by the Senate Appropriation Committee earlier this week. A quick read through reveals the request "vividly illustrates the problems with the federal government's...current approach to natural disasters" and "advance[s] a political agenda that could not win congressional approval." Oh, and "64%...
Senators should approach the Obama administration's $60.4 billion "emergency" funding request for Hurricane Sandy with caution. The Fiscal Year Disaster Assistance Supplemental (summary), as marked up by the Senate Appropriations Committee, is a fiscally irresponsible package that goes well beyond responding to the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy. Funding to American Samoa. On January 16, 2012, "as a result of the September 2009 tsunami," then-Secretary of Commerce John Bryson declared...