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The Minimum Wage Fairness Act (S. 2223) would increase the federally mandated minimum wage to an unprecedented $10.10 per hour from the current $7.25 per hour by early 2016 and subsequently index it to inflation, which would force employers to curtail hiring.

The Republican Study Committee (RSC) “Back to Basics Budget” would balance in four years, reduce discretionary spending, reestablish national defense spending to support the military, repeal and replace Obamacare, reform Medicare and Medicaid, safeguard Social Security, and enact pro-growth tax reform.

The bill would extend emergency unemployment insurance benefits for five months and would provide retroactive payments to those who would have received benefits after the program expired in December.

What is the Export-Import Bank of the United States? Veronique de Rugy, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, nails it: The Export-Import Bank is one of the least defensible corporatist boondoggles that taxpayers are forced to subsidize. This US government-owned corporation styles itself as a self-sustaining independent executive agency that selflessly serves the public by "support[ing] jobs in the United States," "facilitating the export...

Over at National Review I argue that while winning elections is critical for conservatives, we also have to be concerned with winning policy victories after election day is over that distinguish us from the other major party and from Republican party strategists in Washington: [W]inning elections isn't sufficient. As the founder of the Heritage Foundation, Edwin J. Feulner, explained in a speech shortly after Ronald Reagan won the presidency, conservatives...

"NO" on Retroactive Extension of Emergency Unemployment Benefits Extension

As conservatives, we are opposed to the Export-Import Bank of the United States, an 80-year-old institution that allegedly exists to "facilitate exports and imports and the exchange of commodities between the United States and other Nations." That description sounds benign, or perhaps even beneficial, until the Bank's practices, such as using taxpayer backed loans and loan guarantees to support politically connected companies or to advance a particular ideology, are brought...

"YES" on the RSC's Back to Basics Budget

In my Foundry column this week, I argue progressives have seen too many successes over the last century for us to offer a timid response. Conservatives have to start winning the argument with the American people, and that won't be accomplished by continually compromising our principles: "[C]onservatives make two simple claims: Most policies under debate are liberal, and Republican leaders sacrifice conservative principles when they compromise. History shows they are...

What practical impact will the House-passed Ryan Budget have on policy making in an election year? Unfortunately, since 2010, there has been a notable unwillingness among House Republicans - particularly their leadership - to fight for the policies embodied in Ryan's budgets...House Republicans and Chairman Ryan deserve credit for passing a budget, but Americans are growing tired of Washington's budget-this-way, govern-that-way doublespeak. Lawmakers should not make the mistake, as Rep...

On Friday, the U.S. Export-Import Bank will hold a "Small-Business Exporter Boot Camp" at their 2014 annual conference in Washington, DC. The description of the session excitedly states: Learn from successful small business exporters how they are using Ex-Im Bank financing to grow their business profits and sell their products globally. Great for first timers! It's true. Some small business owners are perfectly content benefiting from taxpayer-backed loans to foreign...

A great letter to the editor today in the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Mike Budnick from Winchester, Tennessee called the end of the Export-Import Bank "long overdue." Congress will soon consider whether or not to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. Like many well-intentioned government programs, the bank has morphed into a cronyism stash for well-connected special interests. While the bank's original purpose was to facilitate our exports and imports, it is...

Background. In response to the surge of activist protest in the wake of the Senate-passed "Gang of 8" amnesty package, many members of Congress have come to understand that immigration reform should not be enacted given the current administration's lawlessness. Nonetheless, since the last round of "piecemeal" amnesty proposals were thwarted in the House earlier this year, a bipartisan coalition has been angling to keep amnesty possibilities alive. Two new...

Every single Senate Democrat has some explaining to do on Russia: Now, the very people who pushed New START during the reset are now pretending to be hard-liners on Russia. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) says, "Being sanctioned by President Putin is a badge of honor." Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) claims to be "deeply concerned with Russia's actions, which are in clear violation of existing treaties and agreements." Perhaps most ironic...

Washington - The Cincinnati Enquirer reports "House Speaker John Boehner theatrically mocked his fellow Republican Congressmen" at a Rotary Club in his district on Thursday. Heritage Action released the following statement from chief executive officer Michael A. Needham: It's disappointing, but by now not surprising, that the Republican Speaker is attacking conservatives looking to retake the Senate. The Republican Party should be large enough for fact-based policy debates. Unfortunately, John...

"NO" on Federal Minimum Wage Increase

Washington - Today the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) reported Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could require up to $190 billion in taxpayer aid in the event of another severe economic downturn. Last July, the House Financial Services Committee passed the Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners (PATH) Act to ensure hardworking taxpayers "never again have to bail out corrupt financial government enterprises like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac." The House...

Thirty organizations sent the following letter to Congress asking lawmakers to let the Export-Import Bank expire. Dear Members of Congress: On behalf of our groups and organizations, together representing millions of Americans, we urge you to oppose the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank. It unfairly hurts domestic companies and risks billions of taxpayer dollars. By paying foreign companies to buy American exports, the Export-Import Bank tilts the playing field away...

In my Fox News column this week, I argue that conservatives in Washington need to embrace an anti-cronyism and anti-corporate welfare agenda: The lessons of the 2012 election cycle are plain in the history books for all to see. When Republicans keep their heads down, worry about "not making ourselves the issue," and stick to safe, silent stump speeches, the vociferous left has everything it needs to reframe the debate...

The amendment would limit the use of funds for implementing the New START treaty until certification that the Russian Federation is respecting Ukrainian sovereignty and is no longer violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) or the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE).