Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

November 20, 2009
Transparency and Accountability at the Federal Reserve
By J.D. Foster, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #2342)
Increasing transparency at the Federal Reserve is critical given the breadth of the Fed’s recent activities, but many of these activities involve private parties.  Congress ...

November 20, 2009
Taxes Proposed to Pay for Health Care Reform
By Curtis S. Dubay
(WebMemo #2706)
The U.S. Senate's proposal for a government-run hostile takeover of the entire U.S. health care system includes a barrage of higher taxes.

November 20, 2009
High-Income Surtax: How Not to Pay for Health Care
By Karen A. Campbell, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #2707)
Congress is proposing a surtax on high-income individuals to help pay for health care reform that would burden the economy and slow its recovery from ...

November 19, 2009
Estate Tax a Killer for Family-Owned Businesses and Their Workers
By Curtis S. Dubay
(WebMemo #2703)
Congress should repeal the estate tax once and for all to remove an unfair burden from the backs of American family-owned businesses and their workers. ...

November 19, 2009
START Follow-On Treaty Could Interfere with Conventional Strike Systems
By Baker Spring
(WebMemo #2704)
Early indications are that the successor to the START treaty will limit U.S. options to field conventionally armed missiles -- something Congress warned the Administration ...

November 19, 2009
Discounting and Climate Change Economics: Estimating the Cost of Cap and Trade
By David W. Kreutzer, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #2705)
Even using the EPA results shows that the cost of cap-and-trade legislation would be $2,872 per year in 2050. Those are some very expensive postage ...

November 17, 2009
Trade Dispute Undercuts Obama's Korea Trip
By Bruce Klingner
(WebMemo #2702)
It is increasingly obvious that the Obama Administration is willing to sacrifice the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement on the altar of auto-sector protectionism.

November 17, 2009
The "Kyoto II" Climate Change Treaty: Implications for American Sovereignty
By Steven Groves
(Special Report #72)
The Copenhagen conference's proposed "Kyoto II" successor agreement poses a clear threat to American sovereignty.

November 17, 2009
What Americans Need to Know About the Copenhagen Global Warming Conference
By Ben Lieberman
(Special Report #71)
In December, the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will meet in Copenhagen to work on a ...

November 17, 2009
Welfare Reform and Public Assistance Voter Registrations: A Reply to the Critics
By David B. Muhlhausen, Ph.D.
(Center for Data Analysis Report #09-07)
A previous Heritage Foundation report found that declining welfare caseloads contributed substantially to the decline in public assistance voter registrations from 1996 to 2006. Despite ...

November 16, 2009
The Legislative Trigger and the Public Health Care Option
By Stuart M. Butler, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #2700)
While the trigger idea may seem like a reasonable compromise, it is unworkable and would actually slow down or undermine creative solutions to coverage gaps ...

November 16, 2009
Swine Flu and Sick Leave: Improvements to the Emergency Influenza Containment Act Would Save Jobs
By James Sherk
(WebMemo #2701)
While responding to a genuine public health concern, the Emergency Influenza Containment Act will also cost jobs and encourage employers to keep sick employees at ...

November 16, 2009
Bipartisan Entitlement Commission Needed to Control Spending and Debt
By Stuart M. Butler, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #2698)
A fiscal reform commission is essential to tackling the coming tsunami of entitlement spending and deficit red ink that threaten the economy.

November 16, 2009
Move to Hastily Retire Legacy Fighter Aircraft Puts Air Sovereignty at Risk
By Mackenzie Eaglen
(WebMemo #2699)
Congress must ensure that the final version of the FY 2010 defense appropriations bill prevents the Pentagon from retiring Air National Guard legacy fighter aircraft ...

November 13, 2009
How the Medicare "Doc Fix" Would Add to the Long-Term Medicare Debt
By Andrew J. Rettenmaier and Thomas R. Saving
(WebMemo #2695)
The House will soon take up legislation to "fix" the Medicare physician payment update formula. The likely result: huge new costs on taxpayers.

November 13, 2009
The Three Reaffirms: Suggested Agenda for President Obama's Visit to China
By Dean Cheng
(WebMemo #2697)
President Obama should use this week's trip to China to reaffirm three major American principles.