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As the Heritage Foundation's James Sherk predicted, workers across the country are being harmed by Obamacare. Sherk explained that because the health care law requires employers to offer health benefits to full-time employees, many unskilled workers would be forced out of full-time employment. Such is the case with one Taco Bell employee who has had her hours reduced to part-time status making her ineligible for employer-provided health insurance. What is...

Suppose you've got a project for which commercial banks just won't give you a loan because they realize that you have a poor business model and your concept isn't likely to work. Suppose you have some political connections. Suppose the federal government is foolish enough to get your back instead. Now suppose you connect the dots. Unfortunately, this is not a hypothetical. It's already in the works. And the temptation...

It pays to have friends in high places. It also pays to have friends on the advisory committee of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, which we've exposed several times in the past for the blatant, gratuitous cronyism in which they engage and for the bank's part in the left's global green energy agenda. The Washington Free Beacon reports that the Ex-Im Bank "recently steered hundreds of millions of...

Despite what President Obama and his ilk may have you believe, America has a spending problem. CQ reports (sub. req'd) Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), the new chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, is going to use his position to "promote the idea of limiting overall spending to a percentage of the gross domestic product." He has already drafted legislation that would limit overall spending to about 19 percent of GDP...

The Washington Post reports that two start-up electric car companies "sued the U.S. Department of Energy, claiming Secretary Steven Chu and his federal agency awarded money to politically-favored firms and strung along their firms and others in a 'fixed' race for federal funds." They continue: The two lawsuits filed in federal court by the fledgling San Francisco companies echo what has become a familiar complaint since 2010 and throughout the...

The results are in, and economic freedom is not on the march. In the Wall Street Journal (sub. req'd), Terry Miller expounds upon an unfortunate reality: The foundations of economic freedom are weakening around the world, according to the 2013 Index of Economic Freedom, published today by the Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal. Even more deplorable, he adds: The United States, ranked only 10th most free in the...

When the House returns to session next week, one of the items on the agenda will be tackling the remaining $51 billion in supplemental disaster relief spending for Hurricane Sandy. The House already approved $9 billion in increased funds for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)-a program that has historically been poorly managed and needed several bailouts. Unfortunately, much of the $51 billion yet to be voted on is chock...

Today, in the Wall Street Journal, David Rivkin and Lee Casey set forth a compelling argument that the notion that the federal government will default on its debt is a myth. And that myth is motivated by the left's desire to cover up the real issue in the debt ceiling debate: the need to cut federal spending. Obama, his administration, and the media would have us believe otherwise, and they...

The Washington Post reports that four Senate Democrats, Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Patty Murray (D-WA), have written a letter to President Obama to express their blind and loyal support should he choose to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling. The letter says: In the event that Republicans make good on their threat by failing to act, or by moving unilaterally to pass a debt...

House Cloakroom: January 14 - January 18 Analysis: The 113th Congress begins its first full week in session on Monday as the House of Representatives returns to Washington. The members were officially sworn in on January 3. This week the House will take up the Hurricane Sandy disaster relief bill. There is a fair amount of spending that is, at best, tenuously related the effects of the storm as Heritage's...

Washington—This morning, President Obama declared he would not negotiate with Congress on efforts to reduce spending; instead, he demanded a clean debt ceiling increase. Heritage Action released the following statement from CEO Michael A. Needham: Rather than lecturing Americans and their elected representatives, President Obama should propose concrete solutions to our nation's pressing fiscal problems. Invoking the false specter of default is not leadership; it's theatrics. Demanding another debt limit...

This morning during his press conference, President Obama engaged in fear mongering about what will happen if he doesn't get his way on the debt ceiling. As he lectured us about how important it is to pay our bills, he trotted out the same scare tactics: If congressional republicans refuse to pay America's bills on time, Social Security checks and veteran's benefits will be delayed. We might not be able...

This week, the House will consider the remainder of the Hurricane Sandy relief legislation. This evening, the Rules Committee, which is essentially controlled by Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), will decide which amendments will be allowed on the $50 billion Sandy package. Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) will offer the initial $17 billion package, which will likely be amended Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) to add $33.67 billion. Reckless spending by any...

"NO" on Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Assistance

"Everything's on the menu, which is why business is good. Those fiscal deals potentially impact everybody. There's almost no client who's not interested in the outcome. And it's hard to predict." That statement is disconcerting both because of who said it and what he was referring to. It's what Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic strategist who runs Elmendorf|Ryan, had to say (sub. req'd) about prospects for K Street lobbyists in 2013...

Last night, House Rules Committee approved the rule for the passage of the Sandy spending package, and unfortunately the committee, which is controlled by Republican leadership, blocked most of the conservative amendments that were intended to cut or offset excessive spending. That so many good conservative amendments that included specific program cuts were left behind is a bad sign for a party that needs to get serious on spending. The...

Yesterday, we formally announced that the vote on H.R. 152 would appear on our Legislative Scorecard. Most of the spending in this bill would happen during the 2014 fiscal year and would be spent on programs completely unrelated to hurricane relief. Opposing this kind of wasteful spending is a small first step in reining in a runaway federal government. Use this form to email your Representative to oppose using Hurricane...

The Energy Freedom and Economic Prosperity Act (H.R. 259), introduced by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS), would amend the Internal Revenue Code to terminate certain energy tax preferences and lower the corporate income tax rate. It would amend our tax code in the least distortionary way possible.

"NO" on Frelinghuysen Amendment

During his time in office, President Obama has proven a good storyteller, but he has failed to use this same window of opportunity to demonstrate his budgeting skills. His budget will be late again - for the fourth time in five years. And of course, the president was not elected to tell stories. He was elected to lead in a country based on the rule of law. The Constitution, the...