July 3, 2008
No Celebration for June Jobs Report
By Rea S. Hederman, Jr., and James Sherk
(WebMemo #1980)
The American economy continues to stall, making the atmosphere even less conducive for tax increases.
July 3, 2008
Hostage Rescue Major Blow to the FARC: U.S. Support for Colombia Increasingly Effective
By Ray Walser, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1981)
The safe rescue of Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans is a stunning success that symbolizes the huge gains made under the U.S.-funded Plan Colombia program ...
July 2, 2008
Health Care Reform in Massachusetts: Medicaid Waiver Renewal Will Set a Precedent
By Greg D’Angelo and Edmund F. Haislmaier
(WebMemo #1979)
As the Medicaid waiver for Massachusetts's health care reform is up for debate again, federal and state officials should remember the intent of the original ...
July 2, 2008
Nuclear Energy: What We Can Learn From Other Nations
By Nicolas Loris and Jack Spencer
(WebMemo #1977)
With energy supplies at a premium, it's even more imperative that the U.S. look overseas for ideas on how to use nuclear energy safely and ...
July 2, 2008
The ADA Restoration Act: Defining Disability Down
By Andrew M. Grossman and James Sherk
(Legal Memorandum #27)
The ADA Restoration Act would water down the definition of disability, potentially allowing the bulk of American workers to claim disability status and the protections ...
July 1, 2008
Getting Better All the Time: Improving Job Quality in the United States
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1975)
The best estimates indicate that despite the current weakness in the economy, long-term job growth will continue to occur in higher-paying occupations. Today, the typical ...
July 1, 2008
The Iraq War Bill Was the Wrong Place to Create a Permanent New Entitlement
By Brian Riedl
(WebMemo #1976)
Once again, Congress and President Bush have turned legislation intended to fund American troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan into a Christmas tree for domestic ...
July 1, 2008
Colombia and Mexico: Vitally Important U.S. Allies and Trading Partners
By James M. Roberts
(WebMemo #1978)
The positions put forth by John McCain and Barack Obama reflect the sharply different approaches each would take in shaping future U.S. policy toward Latin ...
June 30, 2008
NATO in Afghanistan: A Special Address by the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
By General Bantz John Craddock
(Heritage Lecture #1092)
NATO is succeeding in Afghanistan, and we will continue to succeed, but we in the international community can and must do more. We need to ...
June 30, 2008
Terrorism, Insurgency, and Drugs Still Threaten America's Southern Flank
By Ray Walser, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #2152)
The United States faces a continued security challenge in the Western Hemisphere from terrorism, political violence, and organized crime. Establishing effective security in the Hemisphere ...
June 30, 2008
Executive Summary: Terrorism, Insurgency, and Drugs Still Threaten America's Southern Flank
By Ray Walser, Ph.D.
(Executive Summary #2152)
The United States faces a continued security challenge in the Western Hemisphere from terrorism, political violence, and organized crime. Establishing effective security in the Hemisphere ...
June 30, 2008
U.S. Should Defy Chinese-Russian Attack on Missile Defense
By Baker Spring
(Backgrounder #2154)
China and Russia need to recognize that the more defensive strategic policies that have been formulated by the Bush Administration, including support for missile defense, ...
June 30, 2008
Transforming the U.S.-South Korean Alliance
By Bruce Klingner
(Backgrounder #2155)
The U.S.-South Korea security alliance must evolve to respond to a changing threat environment, an evolving U.S. military strategy, and South Korea’s desire to assume ...
June 27, 2008
CBO's Warning on Raising Taxes to Pay for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security
By Stuart M. Butler, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #2153)
Three former CBO directors and other budget analysts from across the political spectrum have urged a fundamental restructuring of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security to ...
June 26, 2008
Addressing the Global Food Crisis
By Brett D. Schaefer, Ben Lieberman, and Brian M. Riedl
(Backgrounder #2151)
Measures to deal with the food crisis should include eliminating the artificial demand created by ethanol and other biofuel mandates, making food assistance more effective ...
June 26, 2008
The U.S. Position in Asia: Stronger Than Ever
By The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
(Heritage Lecture #1091)
The rise of Asia is a profound geopolitical trend that is reshaping our world today, and the United States is in a stronger position in ...
June 26, 2008
More Energy Supplies, Not More Taxes and Regulations, Are What We Need
By Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #1969)
Congress should be opening up energy resources instead of looking for scapegoats.
June 26, 2008
Africa Must Confront the Growing Crisis in Zimbabwe
By Thomas M. Woods and Brett D. Schaefer
(WebMemo #1970)
Morgan Tsvangirai's withdrawal puts the onus on the U.N. and African leaders to control Robert Mugabe's campaign of terror.
June 26, 2008
Seismic Suppression: Chinese Censorship After the Sichuan Earthquake
By John J. Tkacik, Jr.
(WebMemo #1971)
Those who thought that the devastating Sichuan earthquake of May 12 brought out the best in the Chinese government should think again.
June 26, 2008
Hurricane Insurance: Forcing All to Subsidize the Few
By Matt A. Mayer
(WebMemo #1972)
Congress's involvement in insurance in the hurricane-prone South distorts the markets and forces us all to subsidize the risk of those who choose to live ...
June 26, 2008
European Levels of Taxation: Barack Obama's Tax Plan
By Rea S. Hederman and Patrick Tyrrell
(WebMemo #1973)
Barack Obama's tax plan would give the United States one of the highest tax rates in the industrialized world.
June 26, 2008
Limited Progress on North Korean Denuclearization: Critical Questions Lie Ahead
By Bruce Klingner
(WebMemo #1974)
Pyongyang's June 26 delivery of a data declaration regarding its nuclear weapons programs and the anticipated destruction of the cooling tower at the Yongbyon nuclear ...
June 25, 2008
AMT Patch Bill Disguises a Tax Hike, Again
By J.D. Foster, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1968)
There they go again. The House of Representatives passed another huge tax increase. Earlier in the year they passed a big, economically harmful tax hike ...
June 25, 2008
How Will Freedom Succeed?
By The Reverend Robert A. Sirico
(Heritage Lecture #1090)
Human freedom is insufficient in itself to provide a good and prosperous life for people. It is not its own safeguard. Rather, it requires institutions ...
June 25, 2008
Risk and Resiliency: Developing the Right Homeland Security Public Policies for the Post-Bush Era
By James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
(Testimony )
Testimony before the Sub-Committee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection Committee on Homeland Security United States House of Representatives
June 25, 2008
Border Inspection "Search" Strategies: Managing Risk and Focusing Resources
By James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
(Testimony )
Testimony before Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate
June 25, 2008
The SAFE Commission Act (H.R. 3654) and the Long-Term Fiscal Challenge
By Alison Acosta Fraser
(Testimony )
Testimony before the Committee on the Budget, United States House of Representatives.
June 24, 2008
Missile Defense in Europe: The Window of Opportunity Is Closing
By Sally McNamara and Baker Spring
(WebMemo #1966)
Despite a number of positive signals regarding America’s plan to field a U.S. missile defense system in Europe, two setbacks now threaten the possibility of ...
June 24, 2008
Fidel's Propaganda Victory? European Union Removes Cuba Sanctions
By Ray Walser, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1967)
The EU's decision to lift sanctions on Cuba represents a retreat from the hard-line stance the world should be taking on the Castro regime.
June 24, 2008
Resiliency and Public-Private Partnerships to Enhance Homeland Security
By James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #2150)
To make it easier for the U.S. government, state and local jurisdictions, and America’s allies to adopt strategies of resiliency, Congress and the Administration should ...
June 23, 2008
Naturalization, Citizenship, and Presidential Elections: Lessons for 2008
By James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #2147)
Any undue pressure to speed up naturalization processing before the 2008 national elections would likely repeat the failures of the 1996 Citizenship USA (CUSA) program. ...
June 23, 2008
Why NATO Must Win in Afghanistan: A Central Front in the War on Terrorism
By Sally McNamara
(Backgrounder #2148)
NATO members cannot afford to underestimate the threat that al-Qaeda continues to pose to the West and its values of freedom, liberty, human rights, equality, ...
June 23, 2008
Why NATO Must Win in Afghanistan: A Central Front in the War on Terrorism
By Sally McNamara
(Executive Summary #2148)
NATO members cannot afford to underestimate the threat that al-Qaeda continues to pose to the West and its values of freedom, liberty, human rights, equality, ...
June 23, 2008
A Free-Market Approach to Managing Used Nuclear Fuel
By Jack Spencer
(Backgrounder #2149)
A Free-Market Approach to Managing Used Nuclear Fuel
June 20, 2008
Safer Kids, Better Test Scores: The D.C. Voucher Program Works
By Shanea J. Watkins, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1965)
In January 2004, Congress passed the District of Columbia School Choice Incentive Act of 2003, the first federally funded school voucher program in the United ...
June 20, 2008
Discussion of the Costs of the Iraq War
By William W. Beach
(Testimony )
Testimony before the Joint Economic Committee United States Senate
June 19, 2008
Guidelines for Structuring Health Insurance
By Stuart M. Butler, Ph.D.
(Testimony )
The way in which Americans access health care is uniquely different from any other major country. As an immigrant to this country, I was immediately ...
June 19, 2008
Critics of Nuclear Power's Costs Miss the Point
By Jack Spencer and Nick Loris
(WebMemo #1961)
Carbon-capping legislation and recent studies that conclude that a massive build-up of nuclear power is needed to minimize the negative economic impact of CO2 caps ...
June 19, 2008
American Companies, Taiwan, and U.S. Anti-boycott Law
By John J. Tkacik, Jr.
(WebMemo #1962)
The recent news that China threatened Boeing Aircraft because of the company's dealings with Taiwan only sharpens the sense of cynicism prevalent among critics of ...
June 19, 2008
Opening America's Waters to Energy Production: A Positive Step in the Fight Against High Energy Prices
By Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #1963)
Washington, D.C., must do something about the increasing price of gasoline, now topping $4.00 per gallon. One important step would be to tap our own ...
June 19, 2008
Electronic Travel Authorization: Important for Safer and More Secure Overseas Travel
By Jena Baker McNeill
(WebMemo #1964)
On June 3, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) took the next step toward mandatory implementation of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). ...
June 19, 2008
Courageous Reforms in Ryan's Entitlements Road Map: Where Is the Democratic Response?
By J. D. Foster
(WebMemo #1958)
For years, political deadlock has stymied pressing reforms from health care to taxes to entitlements. Congressman Paul Ryan (R–WI), ranking member of the House Budget ...
June 19, 2008
Taiwan's "Unsettled" International Status: Preserving U.S. Options in the Pacific
By John J. Tkacik, Jr.
(Backgrounder #2146)
The U.S. should publicly reaffirm that Taiwan's sovereignty is unsettled. Current U.S.-China relations make it impossible to declare that Taiwan is a state, but nothing ...
June 19, 2008
Executive Summary: Taiwan's "Unsettled" International Status: Preserving U.S. Options in the Pacific
By John J. Tkacik, Jr.
(Executive Summary #2146)
The U.S. should publicly reaffirm that Taiwan's sovereignty is unsettled. Current U.S.-China relations make it impossible to declare that Taiwan is a state, but nothing ...
June 18, 2008
The Tax Relief Program Worked: Make the Tax Cuts Permanent
By . D. Foster, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #2145)
The 2001 and 2003 tax reduced tax burdens and got the economy growing again: lowering tax rates, reducing the tax bias against saving and investment, ...
June 18, 2008
Medicare: Congress Is Poised to Block Competitive Bidding for Medical Supplies
By Robert E. Moffit, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1959)
Members of Congress, under pressure from industry lobbyists, are poised to block competitive bidding for durable medical equipment and supplies in the Medicare program.
June 18, 2008
Beltway-Centric Approach to Disaster Response Is a Recipe for Disaster
By Jena Baker McNeill, J.D.
(WebMemo #1960)
On June 11, 2008, the House Homeland Security Committee (HHSC) held a hearing to examine whether the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is ready to ...
June 17, 2008
U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Relationship
By Lisa Curtis
(Testimony )
Despite a successful election four months ago, Pakistan’s political and security situation remains highly unstable and demands close attention from U.S. policymakers.
June 17, 2008
Paying for America's All-Volunteer Military: Reform Is Not a Dirty Word
By Mackenzie M. Eaglen
(Backgrounder #2144)
Military compensation reform should not be treated as a "third rail" of annual budget submissions or as an effort to cut benefits. A serious discussion ...
June 17, 2008
A Good Job Is Not So Hard to Find
By James Sherk
(Center for Data Analysis Report #08-04)
Good jobs are at least as common today as in the past. Rather than addressing a nonexistent crisis by, for example, depriving workers of the ...
June 16, 2008
Ending Pervasive Inequities in Gas Tax Burdens
By Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #2143)
Halfhearted efforts to fix the federal highway program’s allocation formula have yielded little or no benefit to losing states. With its original goals fulfilled in ...
June 16, 2008
Revisiting the Explosive Growth of Federal Crimes
By John S. Baker, Jr.
(Legal Memorandum #26)
Congress has enacted 452 new crimes over the eight-year period between 2000 and 2007—a rate of about 57 new crimes per year—for a total of ...
June 16, 2008
Hugo Chávez, Colombia, and the FARC: A Change of Heart?
By Ray Walser, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1956)
For months, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were the darlings of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. He urged the public to consider the FARC ...
June 16, 2008
LOST in the Arctic: The U.S. Need Not Ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty to Get a Seat at the Table
By Steven Groves
(WebMemo #1957)
Last month at the Arctic Ocean Conference (AOC) in Ilulissat, Greenland, high-level diplomats from the United States and the other four nations that border the ...
June 13, 2008
Scanning for Common Sense: Congressional Container Security Mandate Questioned
By James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1955)
Yesterday, in a hearing before a subcommittee of the Senate Science, Commerce, and Transportation Committee, Homeland Security officials briefed legislators on the results of the ...
June 13, 2008
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: An Effective Tool for Winning Hearts and Minds
By Jeffrey Gedmin, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #1089)
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has changed in terms of technology and medium, but its core principles, philosophy, and guidelines remain the same as they were ...
June 13, 2008
The Success of Medicare Advantage Plans: What Seniors Should Know
By Robert E. Moffit, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #2142)
Medicare Advantage is a success and can serve as the first stage of reform, but Congress will have to change the existing payment system and ...
June 13, 2008
Executive Summary: The Success of Medicare Advantage Plans: What Seniors Should Know
By Robert E. Moffit, Ph.D.
(Executive Summary #2142)
Medicare Advantage is a success and can serve as the first stage of reform, but Congress will have to change the existing payment system and ...
June 12, 2008
Congress Again Lards Iraq War Spending Bill
By Brian M. Riedl
(WebMemo #1953)
Despite vowing to rein in spending, cut the budget deficit, and implement pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rules, the Democratic Congress recently voted to cast these promises aside. ...
June 12, 2008
Giving Employees Free Choice in the Workplace
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1954)
Workplace relations and the economy have changed substantially since the 1930s, but federal labor law has not evolved with these changes. The National Labor Relations ...
June 11, 2008
Medicare: Drifting Toward Disaster
By The Honorable Michael O. Leavitt
(Heritage Lecture #1088)
Medicare is based on the cost of seniors' health care being borne primarily by younger workers. The demographic reality is there are diminishing numbers of ...
June 11, 2008
Welfare Reform a Factor in Lower Voter Registration at Public Assistance Offices
By David B. Muhlhausen, Ph.D., and Patrick Tyrrell
(Center for Data Analysis Report #08-03)
While voter registrations at welfare offices have declined, this does not mean that former welfare recipients are not registering to vote. Low-income Americans have numerous ...
June 10, 2008
President Bush's Transatlantic Tour: The U.S. Must Pressure Europe on Afghanistan and Iran
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1952)
The war in Afghanistan and the looming Iranian nuclear threat will be priority issues for the United States as President Bush crosses the Atlantic this ...
June 9, 2008
H.R. 6003 Would Be the Costliest Bailout in Amtrak's 40 Years of Federal Subsidies
By Ronald D. Utt
(WebMemo #1949)
This June, Members of the House of Representatives will be asked to support or reject the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (H.R. ...
June 9, 2008
What Is Driving the High Oil Prices?
By Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., and Owen Graham
(WebMemo #1951)
As oil and gasoline prices surpass $134 per barrel and $4 per gallon, respectively, it is clear that significant change is underway in global energy ...
June 9, 2008
The Pentagon's Balancing Act: A Special Address by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
By Admiral Michael G. Mullen
(Heritage Lecture #1087)
U.S. military challenges are highlighted by incredible uncertainty about the future and the incredibly dangerous time that we're living in. It's a very delicate balance ...
June 9, 2008
The Consumer-First Energy Act of 2008 Will Only Increase Gas Prices and Energy Costs
By Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #1950)
ood energy policy is easy to distinguish from bad energy policy: Good policy leads to ...
June 6, 2008
May Employment Report Reveals that School Is Out Early
By Rea S. Hederman, Jr., and James Sherk
(WebMemo #1948)
Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the May employment report, which showed that the labor market has continued to weaken.
June 5, 2008
Congress's Budget Resolution Promises Spending Hikes Now and Tax Hikes Soon
By Brian M. Riedl
(WebMemo #1946)
Disregarding their promise to restore fiscal responsibility in Washington, the House is about to follow the Senate in passing a budget resolution conference report that... ...
June 5, 2008
War Funding Bill: PAYGO Awry, Surtaxing Toward GI Benefits
By J.D. Foster, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1947)
The Congress is readying legislation to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and threatening to load up the bill with unrelated related programs and ...
June 4, 2008
The Local Role in Disaster Response: Lessons from Katrina and the California Wildfires
By Matt A. Mayer, Richard Weitz, Ph.D., and Diem Nguyen
(Backgrounder #2141)
The federalization of disaster responses continues to accelerate. further stretching FEMA's already strained resources and encouraging state and local governments to divert their disaster-response resources ...
June 3, 2008
Congress Should Reform Flawed Wage Determinations Before Expanding Davis-Bacon in the Lieberman-Warner Bill
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1945)
Three sections of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2008 (S. 3036) would extend the reach of the Davis-Bacon Act into private-sector construction. Under Davis-Bacon, ...
June 2, 2008
The Dodd-Shelby Housing Bill: A Bad FHA Refinance Plan Hijacks Good GSE Reforms
By David C. John
(WebMemo #1941)
The Senate Banking Committee’s housing package contains some very important reforms and one very bad idea. Chairman Chris Dodd’s (D–CT) version of legislation to use ...
June 2, 2008
U.S. Air Force Guard and Reserves Are Force Multipliers that Deserve Support
By Mackenzie M. Eaglen and Samuel C. Mahaney
(WebMemo #1942)
While Congress continues debate on the fiscal year (FY) 2009 defense bills, the services continue their work on the Pentagon’s 2010 budget proposal in consultation ...
June 2, 2008
Workers' Compensation Growing with Their Productivity
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1943)
Americans frequently hear that workers work harder than ever, but do not reap the fruits of their labor. A simple comparison of productivity and wage ...
June 2, 2008
Nuclear Power Needed to Minimize Lieberman-Warner's Economic Impact
By Jack Spencer
(WebMemo #1944)
Anxiety over human-induced global warming is driving the debate over energy policy. The Lieberman–Warner climate change bill (S. 2191) is the political manifestation of this ...
June 2, 2008
The Lieberman-Warner Climate Change Act: A Solution Worse Than the Problem
By Ben Lieberman
(Backgrounder #2140)
America's Climate Security Act of 2007 requires significant emissions reductions before the technologies capable of achieving them affordably are available. The science points away from ...
May 30, 2008
The Proposed Iran-Pakistan-India Gas Pipeline: An Unacceptable Risk to Regional Security
By Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., Lisa Curtis, and Owen Graham
(Backgrounder #2139)
The Iran–Pakistan–India pipeline would be contrary to U.S. strategic interests, would destabilize the Persian Gulf, and would strengthen Russia’s grip over Central Asia, decreasing both ...
May 30, 2008
Executive Summary: The Proposed Iran-Pakistan-India Gas Pipeline: An Unacceptable Risk to Regional Security
By Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., Lisa Curtis, and Owen Graham
(Executive Summary #2139)
The Iran–Pakistan–India pipeline would be contrary to U.S. strategic interests, would destabilize the Persian Gulf, and would strengthen Russia’s grip over Central Asia, decreasing both ...
May 30, 2008
Five Myths About the Lieberman-Warner Global Warming Legislation
By Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #1940)
On June 2, the United States Senate will begin debate on America’s Climate Security Act (S. 2191), sponsored by Senators Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and John ...
May 29, 2008
Strategizing Strategic Communication
By Tony Blankley and Oliver Horn
(WebMemo #1939)
The United States can and must improve in strategic communications. There is no national security strategy for strategic communications seven years into the War on ...
May 27, 2008
Argentina Farmers Strike: Refusing to Foot the Bill for the Kirchners’ Populist Politics
By James M. Roberts
(WebMemo #1938)
Peronists Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the presidential couple who have ruled Argentina since 2003, have exploited record-high commodity prices to finance their ...
May 23, 2008
International Trade as an Engine for Development
By Ambassador Terry Miller
(WebMemo #1936)
International trade is fulfilling its promise as the most significant source of external financing for development, surpassing all other external sources combined. In the first ...
May 23, 2008
The United States Must Increase the Pressure on Zimbabwe
By Thomas M. Woods
(WebMemo #1937)
The second round of Zimbabwe’s presidential elections will be held on June 27 according to Zimbabwe’s Electoral Commission. The runoff pits the first round winner, ...
May 22, 2008
Effect of the Lieberman-Warner Global Warming Legislation on States
By William W. Beach, Ben Lieberman, David W. Kreutzer, Ph.D., and Nicolas D. Loris
(WebMemo #1930)
Workers and families in the United States may be wondering how climate change legislation before Congress will affect their income, their jobs, and the cost ...
May 21, 2008
Preserving Coalition Government Key to U.S. Objectives in Pakistan
By Lisa Curtis
(WebMemo #1935)
A power struggle is underway between Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman (and widower of Benazir Bhutto) Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League/Nawaz (PML/N) leader Nawaz ...
May 21, 2008
U.S. International Broadcasting on the Frontlines of Freedom
By James K. Glassman
(Heritage Lecture #1086)
U.S. international broadcasting is by far the largest public diplomacy program, reaching the largest number of people—some 175 million per week. Its language services are ...
May 21, 2008
Fighting Terrorism, Addressing Liability: A Global Proposal
By James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #2138)
The SAFETY Act provides protections to manufacturers, distributors, and providers of anti-terrorism technologies for cases under the jurisdiction of U.S. courts, but terrorism is a ...
May 20, 2008
Ending the Physician Payment Crisis: Another Reason for Major Medicare Reform
By John S. O’Shea, M.D.
(WebMemo #1931)
Under existing congressional formulas, Medicare payment rates for the services that physicians provide to Medicare beneficiaries will be reduced by 10 percent in July of ...
May 20, 2008
California Court's Judicial Activism Threatens the Institution of Marriage
By Jennifer A. Marshall, Daniel Patrick Moloney, Ph.D. and Matthew Spalding, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1932)
On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court overturned California voters' 61 percent majority, expressed in 2000's Proposition 22, in favor of affirming marriage as ...
May 20, 2008
SCHIP: The Bush Administration's Effort to Preserve Children's Private Health Coverage
By Nina Owcharenko
(WebMemo #1933)
In August of 2007, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid released a directive on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The directive keeps the ...
May 20, 2008
Congress Should Not Attach Extended UI Benefits to Troop Funding
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1934)
The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted to attach a provision extending unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to H.R. 2642, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs ...
May 20, 2008
Cuba Solidarity Day 2008: Remembering Our Totalitarian Neighbor
By Ray Walser, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1928)
May 21 is Cuba Solidarity Day. The day seeks to remind Americans that 90 miles away from the United States is an island nation controlled ...
May 20, 2008
Bolivia: Santa Cruz Voters Stand Firm-Against Morales and for Democracy
By James M. Roberts and Ray Walser, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1929)
President Evo Morales is intent upon gathering unchallenged and unending power to impose “21st Century Bolivarian Socialism” in Bolivia. Although pro-democracy, free-market forces appear to ...
May 19, 2008
The Good and Bad Approaches to Affordable Energy Policy
By Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #1927)
Good energy policy is easy to distinguish from bad energy policy: Good policy leads to ...
May 16, 2008
Homeland Security in the Next Administration
By James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #1085)
The Department of Homeland Security has received disparate and, at times, contradictory direction from Congress, which has resulted in a plethora of unrealistic mandates. Congress's ...
May 16, 2008
No-Match Immigration Enforcement: Time for Action
By Charles D. Stimson and Andrew M. Grossman
(Legal Memorandum #25)
The next Administration is unlikely to take workplace immigration enforcement seriously. Now is the time to put employers on notice that they cannot bury their ...
May 15, 2008
'Sunshine' Should Not Trump Privacy in Civil Litigation
By Andrew M. Grossman
(Legal Memorandum #24)
The Sunshine in Litigation Act would limit judges' discretion to approve and enforce litigants' confidentiality agreements. In many cases, discovery would grind to a halt ...
May 15, 2008
Time to Repeal the Ethanol Mandate
By Ben Lieberman and Nicolas Loris
(WebMemo #1925)
Though intended to help consumers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the ethanol mandate has done just the opposite, contributing to high food and gas prices ...
May 15, 2008
Russia 123 Agreement: Not Ready for Primetime
By Jack Spencer
(WebMemo #1926)
Though intended to help consumers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the ethanol mandate has done just the opposite, contributing to high food and gas prices ...
May 15, 2008
Federal Funds and State Fiscal Independence
By Sven R. Larson, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #2136)
If the present trend in federal aid to states continues, federally sponsored programs will soon eclipse state budgets and turn the federal government into the ...
May 14, 2008
Improving Education in the Nation's Capital: Expanding School Choice
By Dan Lips and Evan Feinberg
(Backgrounder #2137)
Over the past decade, the District of Columbia has made strides in offering families greater choice about which schools their children attend, thanks to a ...
May 14, 2008
Blocking Medicaid Rules: Hurting Families and Taxpayers Alike
By Daniel Patrick Moloney, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1924)
Congress is about to make a bad decision on Medicaid that will affect taxpayers and families alike. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), ...
May 13, 2008
From Good Intentions to Bad AIDS Policy: The Moral Hazards of Redesigning PEPFAR
By Daniel Patrick Moloney, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1921)
The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has received praise from across the political spectrum, both for its principles and for its successes in ...
May 13, 2008
The U.S. Should Oppose Hezbollah and its Iranian and Syrian Masters in Lebanon
By Ariel Cohen, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1922)
As President Bush prepares to travel to the Middle East, Lebanon's survival as a multi-ethnic, multi-denominational state is at stake. Hezbollah, the Shi'ite terrorist army ...
May 13, 2008
Mandatory Public-Safety Collective Bargaining Could be Made Less Onerous
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1923)
Many Members of Congress want to require state and local governments to bargain collectively with police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel. Congress should not deny ...
May 13, 2008
Individual Income Tax Reform
By J. D. Foster
(Testimony )
Mr. Chairman, Senator Grassley, Members of the Senate Finance Committee, my name is J.D. Foster. I am the Norman B. Ture Senior Fellow in the ...
May 13, 2008
How Reforms in Mexico Could Make the U.S. More Secure
By James M. Roberts and Israel Ortega
(Backgrounder #2135)
Failures in Mexico's economic model have pushed millions of unemployed workers toward the U.S., creating a crisis on both sides of the border. President Felipe ...
May 13, 2008
Executive Summary: How Reforms in Mexico Could Make the U.S. More Secure
By James M. Roberts and Israel Ortega
(Executive Summary #2135)
Failures in Mexico's economic model have pushed millions of unemployed workers toward the U.S., creating a crisis on both sides of the border. President Felipe ...
May 12, 2008
Seven Reasons to Veto the Farm Bill
By Brian M. Riedl
(Backgrounder #2134)
Since the enactment of the last farm bill in 2002, crop prices and net farm income have more than doubled. Yet the new farm bill ...
May 12, 2008
The Economic Costs of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Change Legislation
By William W. Beach, David W. Kreutzer, Ph.D., Ben Lieberman, and Nicolas D. Loris
(Center for Data Analysis Report #08-02)
The Lieberman-Warner climate change bill is, in many respects, an unprecedented proposal. Its limits on CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions would impose significant costs ...
May 12, 2008
Just War and Endgame Objectives in Iraq
By Joseph Capizzi, Ph.D., and Kim R. Holmes, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #1081)
The just war theory connects the use of military force to politics, reminding statesmen that war and politics serve the same goals—namely, justice, order, and ...
May 12, 2008
Congress Should Not Tamper with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
By Ariel Cohen, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1920)
Congress is about to legislate that the U.S. government stop purchasing oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). Some believe that this would bring gasoline ...
May 8, 2008
China's Undervalued Currency Benefits Americans
By Ambassador Terry Miller
(WebMemo #1919)
Politicians looking for quick fixes to perceived U.S. economic ills have focused yet again on trade. The China Currency Manipulation Act of 2008 was introduced ...
May 7, 2008
NATO: "Finding a Way Ahead"
By Dr. Liam Fox, MP
(Heritage Lecture #1083)
The controversy surrounding the Lisbon Treaty should be viewed as a warning. It must be very clear on both sides of the Atlantic that NATO ...
May 7, 2008
The Best U.S. Export-Promotion Strategy: Free Trade
By Daniella Markheim
(Heritage Lecture #1084)
U.S. government programs that subsidize risk offer above-market returns by privatizing gains while socializing losses. Advancing freer trade through a comprehensive and substantive conclusion to ...
May 7, 2008
The Rulemaking Process and Unitary Executive Theory
By James L. Gattuso
(Testimony )
The Rulemaking Process and Unitary Executive Theory
May 6, 2008
The Bucharest Summit: NATO and the Future of the Transatlantic Alliance
By Kurt Volker
(Heritage Lecture #1082)
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) faces diverse threats, such as terrorism, proliferation, and the consequences of failed states. NATO must sharpen its focus on ...
May 6, 2008
Meeting Energy Challenges in the Western Hemisphere
By Ray Walser, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #1079)
Meeting the nation’s petroleum needs from affordable and secure sources is vital for national security. The best guarantee for future energy security remains a stable, ...
May 6, 2008
Consumer Product Safety Database Poses Risks
By Andrew M. Grossman
(WebMemo #1915)
The panic over lead-contaminated toys revealed a serious shortcoming in safety efforts: Consumers, particularly parents, lack trusted sources to turn to for detailed information on ...
May 6, 2008
H-1B Workers: Highly Skilled, Highly Needed
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #1916)
H-1B visas enable businesses to temporarily hire highly skilled immigrants to fill vital positions. Immigration opponents argue that workers on H-1B visas are not especially ...
May 6, 2008
Russia's Presidential Transition: Vladimir Putin Remains in Charge
By Ariel Cohen, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1917)
Amid Kremlin pomp and circumstance, Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev will be inaugurated the third president of Russia on May 7. His presidency, however, is likely to ...
May 6, 2008
H.R. 5830, the Frank–Dodd FHA Refinance Plan, Is Still the Wrong Policy for the Housing Mess
By David C. John
(WebMemo #1918)
Chairman Barney Frank (D–MA) of the House Financial Services Committee has proposed H.R. 5830, which would use the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to refinance at-risk ...
May 6, 2008
The FCC's Cross-Ownership Rule: Turning the Page on Media
By James L. Gattuso
(Backgrounder #2133)
Critics of the FCC’s decision to allow newspapers to be owned jointly with TV and radio stations under certain limited circumstances argue that cross-ownership would ...
May 3, 2008
April Jobs Report Provides a Glimmer of Sunlight
By Rea S. Hederman, Jr., and James Sherk
(WebMemo #1914)
The American economy continued to shed jobs in April due to the housing market crash, but according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ payroll survey, ...
May 2, 2008
The U.S. Is Right to Shun the U.N. Human Rights Council
By Brett D. Schaefer
(WebMemo #1910)
The U.N. Human Rights Council is a sham that does not effectively promote or protect human rights. Until the Council takes its responsibilities seriously--censuring major ...
May 2, 2008
The Medicaid Regulations: Stopping the Abuse of Taxpayers' Dollars
By Nina Owcharenko
(WebMemo #1911)
Congress may soon undermine efforts to instill integrity into the Medicaid program by weakening important safeguards against its abuse. These safeguards are embodied in seven ...
May 2, 2008
Ethanol and Other Biofuels: A Global Warming Solution Worse Than the Problem
By Ben Lieberman
(WebMemo #1912)
There are risks to global warming policy as well as risks to global warming, and although the former could be costlier than the latter, they ...
May 2, 2008
Magnequench: CFIUS and China's Thirst for U.S. Defense Technology
By John J. Tkacik, Jr.
(WebMemo #1913)
One of Senator Hillary Clinton's Asia policy advisers quit her presidential campaign several days ago, complaining that the candidate was engaging in "gratuitous China bashing." ...
May 2, 2008
The Crisis in the Andes: Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela
By Ray Walser, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #1080)
On March 1, 2008, the Colombian military eliminated a key leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in a raid on a camp in ...
May 2, 2008
Free Trade Agreements: Promoting Prosperity in 2008
By Daniella Markheim
(Backgrounder #2132)
Congress has an opportunity to help America reap the rewards of free trade. If lawmakers can separate myth from fact and assess upcoming trade initiatives ...
May 1, 2008
The U.S. Should Reject the U.N. "Responsibility to Protect" Doctrine
By Steven Groves
(Backgrounder #2130)
Advocates of "responsibility to protect" believe that the international community has an obligation to intervene, militarily if necessary, in another country to prevent acts of ...
May 1, 2008
Executive Summary: The U.S. Should Reject the U.N. "Responsibility to Protect" Doctrine
By Steven Groves
(Executive Summary #2130)
Advocates of "responsibility to protect" believe that the international community has an obligation to intervene, militarily if necessary, in another country to prevent acts of ...
May 1, 2008
Yucca Mountain Remains Critical to Spent Nuclear Fuel Management
By Jack Spencer and Nicolas Loris
(Backgrounder #2131)
Nuclear energy can be clean, safe, and affordable, but managing spent nuclear fuel has been a political sticking point for the advancement of nuclear energy ...
April 30, 2008
The U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Strengthening a Good Friend in a Rough Neighborhood
By James M. Roberts
(Backgrounder #2129)
On April 10, the congressional leadership forced a vote that has indefinitely delayed consideration of the U.S.–Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Defeat of this agreement would ...
April 30, 2008
Executive Summary: The U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Strengthening a Good Friend in a Rough Neighborhood
By James M. Roberts
(Executive Summary #2129)
