Policy Library

7,020 documents

Heritage Foundation Captures Media’s Attention After Election
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-14 · Commentary · 481 words
Since President-elect Donald Trump’s historic win last week, The Heritage Foundation is receiving some serious media attention. It seems that just about every major news organization—print, radio, and...
The War on Election Integrity
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-13 · Commentary · 787 words
The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) recently reported more than 1,000 noncitizens enrolled to vote in just eight counties in Virginia.
The FTC’s PAE Study Recommendations: Case Not Proven
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-13 · Commentary · 2,131 words
On October 6, 2016, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued its much-anticipated report on patent assertion entity (PAE) activity.
Obama's Post-Presidency Agenda Revealed: Attack State Redistricting in the Name of 'Fairness'
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-13 · Commentary · 1,188 words
President Barack Obama will be working with the NDRC after he leaves office, which the Washington Post rightly called “a rare, if not unprecedented, step in the modern era.”
Illinois Absolutely Tortured the Law to Restrict Your Second Amendment Rights
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-13 · Commentary · 1,383 words
Until recently, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has been the only federal appellate court to apply the Second Amendment correctly when it comes to concealed-carry rights..
Down with the Tart Cherry Cartel
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-13 · Commentary · 885 words
Today, independent growers wishing to market tart cherries as they see fit are stymied by a government-backed, industry-run cartel that controls the market.
Did Justin Timberlake Commit Voter Fraud in Tennessee?
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-13 · Commentary · 785 words
Timberlake’s possible improper registration in Tennessee is symptomatic of a larger problem — a voter-registration system that is filled with inaccurate, duplicate, and ineligible registrations.
The American Antitrust Institute Fruitlessly Searches for the Key to American Competitive Conditions Under the Antitrust Lamppost
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-10 · Commentary · 1,516 words
On September 28, the American Antitrust Institute released a report (“AAI Report”) on the state of U.S. antitrust policy, provocatively entitled “A National Competition Policy: Unpacking the Problem o...
Honoring an American Hero This Veterans Day
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-10 · Commentary · 1,177 words
“I was not a hero, but I was there”   Those were the words on a postcard that caught my attention as I sifted through mail at The Heritage Foundation. In my position at Heritage, I have the distinct p...
FCC Disregard of the Rule of Law Requires Legislative Reform
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-10 · Commentary · 1,580 words
On October 6, the Heritage Foundation released a legal memorandum (authored by me) that recounts the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) recent sad history of ignoring the rule of law in its enf...
The People Have Spoken: Change Must Start Now
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-09 · Commentary · 683 words
Last night, the American people soundly rejected the failed liberal policies of Hillary Clinton and the broken legacy of President Barack Obama. Instead, they elected a candidate who vowed to restore ...
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2006-2016
Congressional Research Service · 2016-11-09 · Reports · 9,295 words
The length of time a congressional staff member spends employed in a particular position in Congress—or congressional staff tenure—is a source of recurring interest to Members, staff, and the public. ...
Staff Tenure in Selected Positions in Senators’ Offices, 2006-2016
Congressional Research Service · 2016-11-09 · Reports · 9,933 words
The length of time a congressional staff member spends employed in a particular position in Congress—or congressional staff tenure—is a source of recurring interest to Members, staff, and the public. ...
Internet Gambling: Policy Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2016-11-07 · Reports · 12,962 words · PDF available
Gambling, once widely outlawed, is now a regulated, taxed activity that is legal in some form—bingo, card games, slot machines, state-run lotteries, casinos, and even online—in all states except Hawai...
Land Exchanges: Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Process and Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2016-11-07 · Reports · 8,068 words
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducts land exchanges with other land owners to acquire and dispose of land. The agency is authorized to conduct land exchanges under the Federal Land Policy and ...
Endangering Whistleblowers to Protect Planned Parenthood
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-04 · Commentary · 860 words
New California law, pushed by abortion giant, criminalizes First Amendment-protected truth-telling.
Christie Shouldn't Sign Rideshare Regulations Bill
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-04 · Commentary · 814 words
The rideshare bill is a step down a familiar road of regulatory protectionism that will make it harder to repeat the successes of Uber and Lyft.
Taxi Owners' Roadblocks Un-Fare
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-04 · Commentary · 789 words
Time for cities to abandon medallion and embrace the market.
A Win for Separation of Powers? Court Rules Against Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-04 · Commentary · 1,439 words
A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia struck down as unconstitutional the leadership structure of the CFPB.
How Can States Protect Their Election Systems?
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-04 · Commentary · 1,125 words
If state election officials need security advice, they would be much better off going to private industry.
Social Security Needs to Return to Its Anti-Poverty Roots
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-03 · Commentary · 752 words
Social Security is unsustainable. It faces an $11.4 trillion deficit over the next 75 years. Yet Donald Trump wants to maintain current benefits, and Hillary Clinton wants to expand them.
Why Mortgage Principal Forgiveness Policy Is a Bad Idea
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-03 · Commentary · 796 words
There’s nothing like a “good crisis” to give the federal government an opening to spread its tentacles further into private markets. Just look at the vast growth of federal housing programs since the ...
Propping up Disability Insurance With Social Security Bankrupts Both
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-03 · Commentary · 808 words
One year ago Congress decided to prop up the Disability Insurance (DI) program by siphoning off about $150 billion from Social Security’s retirement fund. But since Social Security’s retirement progra...
US Overtime Rule Will Ruin Workplace Flexibility
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-03 · Commentary · 677 words
You’ve probably heard about employers that block workers’ access to personal email accounts on work computers. But now, thanks to a new Department of Labor overtime rule, some employers are blocking w...
Red Tape on the Upswing
Heritage Foundation · 2016-11-03 · Commentary · 1,153 words
How much do federal regulations cost? That question has been debated for decades.
Recent State Election Law Challenges: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2016-11-02 · Reports · 8,603 words
During the final months and weeks leading up to the November 8, 2016, presidential election, courts across the country have ruled in numerous challenges to state election laws. For example, there have...
Protecting Clean Air in National Parks and Wilderness Areas
Congressional Research Service · 2016-11-02 · Resources · 1,397 words
In 1977, major amendments to the Clean Air Act (CAA) included provisions for the prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) of air quality. The PSD provisions were enacted for several purposes, inc...
Compensated Work Sharing Arrangements (Short-Time Compensation) as an Alternative to Layoffs
Congressional Research Service · 2016-11-01 · Reports · 8,501 words
Short-time compensation (STC) is a program within the federal-state unemployment insurance system. In states that have STC programs, workers whose hours are reduced under a formal work sharing plan ma...
Social Services Block Grant: Background and Funding
Congressional Research Service · 2016-11-01 · Reports · 10,640 words
The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) is a flexible source of funds that states use to support a wide variety of social services activities. States have broad discretion over the use of these funds. ...
Soaring Obamacare Premiums Hurt Consumers
Heritage Foundation · 2016-10-31 · Commentary · 735 words
Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services reported that premiums for the benchmark plans sold within the Obamacare health insurance exchanges would increase by an average of 25% next year...
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and Single-Employer Plan Terminations
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-31 · Reports · 3,249 words · PDF available
Questions may arise regarding the pensions of private-sector workers and how pension plans may be terminated, particularly in instances where a company experiences financial difficulties. The Employee...
Department of Homeland Security Preparedness Grants: A Summary and Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-28 · Reports · 5,732 words
Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Congress increased focus on state and local homeland security assistance by, among other things, establishing the Department of Homeland Security (...
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Navigation System: Options for Growth
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-26 · Reports · 13,130 words · PDF available
Congress faces infrastructure funding decisions that would support shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway (GLSLS). In the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (H.R. 5303, S. 2848), Con...
The Federal Minimum Wage: Indexation
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-26 · Reports · 9,539 words · PDF available
In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) established a federal minimum wage of $0.25 per hour. The minimum wage provisions of the FLSA have been amended numerous times since then, typically for th...
Removing Regulatory Obstacles in Agriculture
Heritage Foundation · 2016-10-25 · Commentary · 986 words
Discussions about agricultural policy usually focus on how the federal government should help farmers. However, the other side of the equation is also critical. How does the federal government interve...
Risk of ‘Mass Exodus’ of Doctors from Medicare
Heritage Foundation · 2016-10-25 · Commentary · 920 words
In what may be the most significant modification to Medicare since the program began in 1966, on Oct. 15, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final rule for implementing ...
Unemployment Compensation: The Fundamentals of the Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-25 · Reports · 6,023 words
The Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) of 1939 specifies the financing arrangement for the Unemployment Compensation (UC) program. Revenue for the program is provided through payroll taxes levied by ...
Online Privacy Regulation: A Tale of Two U.S. Agencies (and Some Foreign Bureaucrats)
Heritage Foundation · 2016-10-21 · Commentary · 1,667 words
In recent years much ink has been spilled on the problem of online privacy breaches, involving the unauthorized use of personal information transmitted over the Internet.
Social Security in Jeopardy
Heritage Foundation · 2016-10-20 · Commentary · 851 words
Social Security's trust fund will be depleted by the time today's newborns graduate from high school. Today's lawmakers know it, but they have yet to do something about it.
Felons Shouldn't Get Automatic Voting Rights
Heritage Foundation · 2016-10-18 · Commentary · 513 words
Ex-felons should establish a track record of responsible behavior before have their voting rights restored.
Time to Repeal the FTC’s Common Carrier Jurisdictional Exemption (Among Other Things)?
Heritage Foundation · 2016-10-18 · Commentary · 764 words
The Ninth Circuit’s AT&T holding threatens to further extend the FCC’s jurisdictional reach at the expense of the FTC.
Procedures for Contested Election Cases in the House of Representatives
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-18 · Reports · 11,052 words
Under the U.S. Constitution, each House of Congress has the express authority to be the judge of the “elections and returns” of its own Members (Article I, Section 5, clause 1). Although initial chall...
The High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) Grant Program: Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-18 · Reports · 8,209 words
Since 1964, when Japan opened the first rail line allowing trains to travel safely at speeds greater than 150 miles per hour, several European and Asian countries have built high-speed rail lines. The...
Irrigation in U.S. Agriculture: On-Farm Technologies and Best Management Practices
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-17 · Reports · 11,038 words
Recent threats to water availability as a result of moderate to exceptional drought in several states have raised questions about agricultural water use and efficiencies across the United States. An u...
Congress and the Budget: 2016 Actions and Events
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-17 · Reports · 7,170 words
The Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse, but does not dictate how Congress must fulfill this constitutional duty. Congress has, therefore, developed certain types of budgetary legislat...
Community Service Requirement for Residents of Public Housing
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-17 · Reports · 3,310 words
The Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-276) included provisions designed to promote employment and self-sufficiency among residents of assisted housing, including a mandator...
Receipt of Unemployment Insurance by Higher-Income Unemployed Workers (“Millionaires”)
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-12 · Reports · 6,555 words
Under the federal-state Unemployment Insurance (UI) system, there is currently no prohibition on the receipt of UI benefits by high-income unemployed workers. States, which determine many of the eligi...
By Spinning Early Results, CMS May Be Undermining Payment Reform
Heritage Foundation · 2016-10-11 · Commentary · 1,125 words
A recent press release by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) summarizes the 2015 Results for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization ...
Obamacare — It’s the Costs, Stupid!
Heritage Foundation · 2016-10-11 · Commentary · 718 words
President Obama says that Obamacare is a “success,” but has “real problems.”
Owcharenko: The ACA Started with a False Policy Premise, and It's Failing
Heritage Foundation · 2016-10-11 · Commentary · 826 words
Owcharenko: The ACA started with a false policy premise, and it's failing