06/17/19 Filed in:
Spending | Budget As though it wasn’t hard enough to assess competing government programs on a benefit/cost basis, comparisons are further complicated by using varying funding strategies. Read More...Tags: ethanol blending mandate, President Donald Trump, benefit/cost ratio, strategic importance, job training programs, disability awards, Social Security payments to dead people, Medicare, low balling costs, targeted spending cuts, log rolling, filibuster rule, trust fund, Social Security, regulatory mandates, renewable energy , student loan mess, Alice Rivlin
06/10/19 Filed in:
EnergyIf ethanol made sense as a fuel, why would a government mandate be needed? Read More...Tags: Renewable Fuel Standard, ethanol blending mandate, E10, E15, American prairie, flooding, carbon emissions, EPA, Environmental Working Group, fracking revolution, President Ronald Reagan, President Donald Trump, Big Oil, Big Ethanol
05/27/19 Filed in:
Budget SAFE board mulls some tough issues, including reviving the interest of our political leaders in balancing the budget vs. promising “free stuff” that taxpayers aren’t willing to pay for. Read More...Tags: joe Biden, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Beto O'Rourke, President Donald Trump, President Barack Obama, China trade war, Strategas Research Partners, Morgan Stanley, Lewis Powell, Federal Researc monetary policy, Fed inflation target, Sen. Tom Carper, Bloom Energy, PSC, DNREC, John Nichols, Sen. Harris McDowell, John Greer, Gov. John Carney, MD Governor Larry Hogan
04/08/19 Filed in:
Political SystemAbolishing the electoral college may or may not be a good idea, but in any case an interstate compact isn’t the way to go about it. Read More...Tags: President Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Electoral College, national popular vote, NPv compact, Federalist Paper 68, Alexander Hamilton, House of Representatives, Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, John Quincy Adams, Andre w Jackson, Rutherford B. Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, George W. Bush, early voting, voting by mail, DE Sen. Gerald Hocker, DE Sen. Brian Pettyohn, Convention of the States
03/25/19 Filed in:
Spending | BuidgetThe House and Senate Budget Committees reviewed the president's budget proposal from every angle. Republicans seem worried about budget deficits; Democrats are more concerned about spending cuts. Read More...Tags: pesident's budget proposal, President Donald Trump, Office of Management and Budget, Mick Mulvaney, Russell Vought, House Budget Committee, Rep. John Yarmuth, Rep. Steve Womack, Overseas Contingency Operations, Rep. Seth Moulton, Sen. Mike Enzi, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen . Debbie Stabenow, Sen. David Perdue, Sen. Ron Wyden, Sen. Ron Johnson, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Sen. John Kennedy, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, discretionary spending caps
03/18/19 Filed in:
Spending | budgetThe president’s budget proposal doesn’t go far enough, but it will represent a big step in the right direction – if Congress is paying attention. Read More...Tags: President Donald Trump, SAFE letters, Office of Management and Budget, Budget Proposal 2020, defense spending, nondefense spending, mandatory programs, Interest expense, budget caps, Overseas Contingency Fund, Medicare, Congressional Budget Office, budget deficits, Russell Vought, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, "modern economic theory", This time is different
03/11/19 Filed in:
Political System For voters who would favor less partisan strife in DC, don’t hold your breath because the Democratic game plan ensures it’s not going to happen. Read More...Tags: President Donald Trump, James Comey, Robert Mueller, William Barr, Alan Deshowitz, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Elijah Cummings, Rep. Richard Neal, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, joe DiGenova, Green New Deal, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Mitch McConnell , Medicare for all, For the People Act, voter ID, early voting, absentee ballots, same day voting, border security , government shutdown, Declaraton of national emergency, Resolution of disapproval
02/25/19 Filed in:
Spending | Taxes | Budget SAFE contacts selected political leaders re path forward for the fiscal problem. Effective presidential leadership would be essential as Congress isn't equipped to get the job done on its own.
Read More...Tags: Congressional Budget Office, President Donald Trump, Peter Schiff, budget caps, Rep. John Yarmuth, carbon tax, President Ronald Reagan, targeted spending cuts, Major Savings and Reforms, presidential leadership, President Bill Clinton
Let's hope the president's SOTU address will inspire Congress to resolve the battle over border "wall" funding. None of the default options are appealing. Read More...Tags: border wall, security barriers, President Donald Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan, continuing resolutions, Illegal immigrants, Shutdown pause, conference committee, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Normandy fence, Rep. James Clyburn, State of the Union address, National Emergencies Act of 1976, Resolution of disapproval, institutional decline of Congress
02/18/19 Filed in:
Spending | Taxes | Budget SAFE suggestions: Abolish debt limit, prune spending, don't expand entitlements, don't raise taxes, expect 2020 presidential candidates to support balancing the budget.
Read More...Tags: Rep. Paul Ryan, President Barack Obama, Congressional Budget Office, Social Security, healthcare programs, Interest expense, Green New Deal, Medicare for all, President Donald Trump, Office of Management and Budget, Joint Select Committe re budget process, Balanced Budget Amendment, Sen. Mike Lee, Sen. Chuck Grassley, debt limit, Steven Mnuchin, Citizens Against Government Waste, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security 2100 Act , Ivankacare, tariffs, carbon tax, business tax breaks, Budget Reconciliation Act, Rep. Kevin Brady
02/11/19 Filed in:
Political SystemThe president’s address to Congress was politically astute, but it painted an excessively rosy picture of the true "state of the union." Read More...Tags: SOTU, President Donald Trump, President Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama, tea party movement, border barriers, Illegal immigration, dreamers, Right to Try, International Pricing Index, manmade global warming theory, fossil fuels, Green New Deal, Medicare for all, socialism, deficits, debt, paid family leave, tariffs, trade talks with China, NAFTA, USMCA, Reciprocal Trade Act, National Taxppayers Union, INF Treaty, South China Sea, Taiwan, Kim Jong Un, Juan Guaido, Maduro regime, principled realism, ISIS, USS Cole attack, Iran Nuclear Deal, anti-Semitism
01/14/19 Filed in:
Political SystemThis should be an interesting year, judging from the predictions of five astute pundits, but political consensus doesn’t seem to be on the menu. Read More...Tags: Doris Day, Karl Rove, Jared Bernstein, Kurt Schlichter, Veronique de Rugy, Justin Wallin, Mueller report, Trump Tower meeting, impeachment , US economy, Democratic presidental candidates, Joe Biden , Federal Reserve, trade war with China, Trump fatigue, Afghanistan, Michael Cohen, monster tech, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Kamala Harris, Chief Justice John Roberts, Amy Barrett, fiscal problem, crony programs, help the dreamers, President Donald Trump, Fed Chair Jerome Powell, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Tom Steyer, Michael Bloomberg
12/24/18 Filed in:
Political System | EssaysThere are heroes left in America, not necessarily in the top jobs, and this end-of-the-year essay celebrates the contributions some of them have made in the current political environment. Read More...Tags: Ship of Fools, Tucker Carlson, border wall funding, President Donald Trump, partial government shutdown, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Sen Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Rep. Jim Jordan, Rep. Mark Meadows, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, First Step Act, farm bill, food stamps, Jared Kushner, federal prison reform, A.K.Van Jones, Sen. Mike Lee, Defense Secretary James Mattis, Turkish President Erdogan, troop withdrawal from Syria, troop reduction in Afghanistan
12/17/18 Filed in:
Political System SAFE proposed four relatively modest goals for the closing weeks of the 115th Congress; guess how many of them will be achieved this year. Read More...Tags: unified Republican government, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, President Donald Trump, repeal and replace GovCare, Sen. John McCain, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Bipartisan Budget Act, Joint Select Committe re budget process, debt limit, Sen. David Perdue, farm bill, governmment shutdown, border wall funding, Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, NAFTA, USMCA, Sen. Pat Toomey, Thomas Donohue, Robert Mueller, James Comey, Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Rep. Devin Nunes, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, Rep. Trey Gowdy
12/10/18 Filed in:
Political SystemElections are about power, and a “win at all costs” mindset seems increasingly common. If this trend is not reversed, we may have reason to regret it. Read More...Tags: voter fraud, voter turnout, updating voter rolls, voter suppression, russian election, Vladimir Putin, early voting, all-mail voting, same day voting, absentee ballots, President Donald Trump, Chris Wallace, peaceful transition of power, Presidential Advisory Commission on Electoral INtegrity, Vice President Mike Pence, Kris Kobach, Matt Dunlap, Hans Spakovsky, ballot harvesting, Jerry Brown, sole loser syndrome, Stacey Abrams, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Sherrod Brown, Hillary Clinton
12/03/18 Filed in:
EnergyDid Trump administration try to “bury” official report about adverse consequences of manmade global warming by releasing it on the day after Thanksgiving? Not likely! Read More...Tags: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Colin O'Mara, Bloom Energy, IPCC, Paris climae pact, Hearland Institute, EPA, CO2 ndangerment fiinding, William Happer, Patrick Michaels, NIPCC, man-made global warming theory, Heartland Institute, Jay Lehr, President Donald Trump, solar minima, Labrador current, Chicago snowstorm, global warming adaptation, carbon emissions reduction, global cooling, Camp Fire, Little Hoover Commission, forest management practdices, co-benefits, cost/benefit analysis, electric vehicle tax credit, Andrew Light, World Resources Institute, Andrew Wheeler, Al Gore, President Barack Obama
11/19/18 Filed in:
Political SystemFaster economic growth would be great, but the president’s plan may need some adjustments. Numerous opinions are reflected in the analysis, which transcends the standard liberal/conservative divide. Read More...Tags: GDP growth , President Donald Trump, Larry Kudlow, Stephen Moore, Art Laffer, US trade deficit, Republcan tax cuts, WSJ economist survey, David Stockman, Brett Aitken, Stansberry Research, Herbert Hoover, Michael Snyder, Ray Dalio, middle class lifestyle, "free stuff", David Smick, China, theft of intellecdtual property, Trans-Pacific Partnership, NAFTA, USMCA, Paul Volcker, Ted Kaufman
11/12/18 Filed in:
Political SystemSAFE to DC: Between now and 12/31, please focus on budget process reform, FY 2019 appropriation bills, approval of USMCA, and disclosure of how/why the Trump campaign investigation was started.
Read More...Tags: early voting, Joint Select Committe re budget process, Rep. Steve Womack, debt limit, border wall funding, President Donald Trump, amnesty, DACA , Supreme Court, 9th Circuit, NAFTA, USMCA, Mueller probe, Jeff Sessions, Andrew Whittaker, Sen. Chris Coons, James Comey, Clinton campaign, Rep. Adam Schiff, Rod Rosenstein, Rep. Devin Nunes, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, Rep. Trey Gowdy
11/05/18 Filed in:
SAFE StrategiesFor a little, all-volunteer “think tank,” SAFE has punched well above its weight. In part this is due to our habit of periodically coming down from the ivory tower to engage with the real world.
Read More...Tags: Bill Morris, Barry Dorsch, Edgar Fasig, Jerry Martin, Steve McClain, John Nichols, Newark Community Day, University of Delaware, George Jurgensen, Social Security, Climate Common Sense, Rick Jensen , 6.2 percent solution, Colin O'Mara, Retired Men's Luncheon Club, Maurice McTigue , New Zealand Miracle, Tom Schatz, Spear Lancaster, Jim Venema, National Taxpayers Union, David Walker, Robet Bixby, Fiscal Wakeup Tour, James Wiest, I.O.U.S.A., President Barack Obama, healthcare , Sen. Tom Carper , tea parties, March on Washington, Restoring Honor Rally, Glenn Beck, Dr. Ben Carson, Conservative Caucus of Delaware, Justice Antonin Scalia, NIgel Farage, Daniel Kerrick, Patrick Barron, Erskine Bowles, Alan Simpson, President Donald Trump, Dr. Christopher Casscells, David Legates, John Greer, Heritage Foundation, Texas Public Policy Foundation, offshore wind working group, DE Public Service Commission, Bloom Energy
10/29/18 Filed in:
HealthcareRepublicans have demolished Democratic arguments for doubling down on GovCare, and the administration is working on (but hasn’t clearly explained) some worthwhile improvements. Read More...Tags: Kaiser Family Foundation, Karl Rove, President Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz. , Rep. Beto O'Rourke, socialist takeover of healthcare, Medicare for all, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Milton Friedman, preexisting condittions, Tax Cut and Jobs Act, Supreme Court, individal mandate eliminated, high drug prices, International free rider situation, Alex Azar, "right to try", opioid epidemic, Veteran's Administration, VA healthcare services, Medicare, Medicaid, Gov. Larry Hogan
If our political leaders lack the judgment (energy policy), diligence (fiscal problem), or integrity (immigration laws) to do their jobs, call them out for practicing politics without a license. Read More...Tags: occupational licensing, Huricene Michael, Sen. Chuck Schumer, manmade global warming theory, Richard Lindzen, Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Gale of 1878, Rep. Francis Rooney, sea level rise, budget deficits, Sen. Kamala Harris, debt ceiling, Speaker Paul Ryan, Sen. Mitch McConnell , entitlement programs, President Donald Trump, Sen. William Proxmire, caravan of illegal immigrants, George Soros, Rep. Nancy Pelosi
10/15/18 Filed in:
SAFE StrategiesWhat do the Kavanaugh confirmation battle and an unsuccessful petition to the Delaware PSC have in common? In both cases, the losing side needs to engage in some self-examination. Read More...Tags: Alcoholics Anonymous, scientific method, grieving process, Brett Kavanaugh, partisan divide, Federalist Society, mob rule, Goerge Soros, Sen. Tom Carper , Sen. Chris Coons, Senate filibuster rule , American Bar Association, Paul Moxley, Christine Blasey Ford, Neil Gorsuch, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, President Donald Trump, Jonathan Turley, Delaware PUblic Service Commission, Drew Slater, Bloom Energy, Delamarva Power
10/08/18 Filed in:
Political System The Senate confirmation process was severely tested in reviewing the Kavanaugh nomination. If nothing else, something needs to be done about invasion of the premises by protestors. Read More...Tags: midterm elections, President Donald Trump, Brett Kavanaugh, hLS Dean John Manning, American Bar Association, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Tom Carper, Roe v. Wade, Obergefell v. Hodges, tV ads, Prersidernt George W. Bush, Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Prof. Christine Blasey Ford, Sen. Jeff Flake, Sen. Chris Coons, FBI, Michael Hayden, HLS Professor Alan Dershowitz, Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. Joe Manchin, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Steve Daines, Chief Justice John Roberts, former Justice Anthony Kennedy
09/24/18 Filed in:
SpendingWhat to hope for this fall: acknowledgement that the fiscal problem is serious and advocacy of credible solutions versus the usual finger pointing. Read More...Tags: Hillary Clinton, President Donald Trump, Tax Reform 2.0, trade war with China, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Chuck Schumer , Joint Select Committe re budget process, Rep. Paul Ryan, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Tom Schatz, Michael Tanner, Mick Mulvaney, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Sen. Bob Corker, Rep. Roger Aderholt, Rep. Hal Rogers, Leon Panetta, David Obey, Rep. Steve Womack, President' s budget proposal, A Brighter American Future, Prime Cuts
Festering disagreements about immigration (border security, admission policies, voting rights) must be squarely addressed to avert serious long-term consequences. Read More...Tags: Newt Gingrich, President Donald Trump, build a wall, merit-based immigration, sanctuary cities, open borders, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, "No tolerance" policy, family separations, E-verify system, cheap imported labor, Illegal voting, "catch and release", MS-13 gang members, Northern border, visa overstays, Sen. Ted Cruz, Beto O'Rourke, immigration levels, assimilation, voter fraud, motor voter laws, Rep. Jeff Duncan, California secession
09/10/18 Filed in:
EnergyNever mind climate science or how the electric power grid works, renewable energy policies are based primarily on political considerations.
Read More...Tags: Paris climate agreement, President Donald Trump, man-made global warming theory, global warming, climate change, fossil fuels, social desirability bias, virtue signaling, Judith Curry, John Christy, Michael Mann, Roger Pielke, crop yields, forest cover, solar activity, Maunder minimum, combined cycle natural gas, base-load power, Intermittent power, American Wind Energy Association, 350.org, Sen. Chris Coons, Gov. John Carney, offshore wind power study, Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Power Plan, Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards Act , fracking boom, DNREC
08/27/18 Filed in:
HealthcareRepublicans have a pretty good story on healthcare if they are willing to stand up and be counted, but they need to get over the idea that it’s possible to please everyone. Read More...Tags: President Donald Trump, healthcare , Mueller probe, impeachment , pressure on the president, GovCare, single payer system, Affordable Care Act, individal mandate eliminated, GOP sabotage, Department of Justice, preexisting condittions, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Greg Walden, waivers, options, HHS Secretary Alex Azar, association healthcare plans, Junk insurance, Newt Gingrich
08/20/18 Filed in:
Political SystemNo Labels posits that unity will result if politicians discuss the issues, but experience suggests otherwise. It might be better to debate the issues and aim for timely and well-informed decisions. Read More...Tags: The Three Musketeers, "No labels" movement, Obama administration, economic redistribution, economic growth , President Donald Trump, A Better Deal, Medicare for all, Kerri Harris, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Tom Carper, Irrational exuberance, SAFE's job manifesto, David Smick, Main Street capitalism, Social Security, John Stossel, Leon Panetta, Illegal immigration, government shutdown
08/13/18 Filed in:
Social Security | EnergyIf some people get handouts, others must pay. Social welfare programs are the biggest cost in government; ethanol is a costly substitute for oil; fuel cells are unsuitable for commercial scale power generation. Read More...Tags: Frederic Bastiat, National Retiree Legislative Network, Social Security, Medicare, 75-year deficit liability, biofuel manddate, speical interests, corn farmers, ethanol producers, fracking boom, US oil production, Renewable Fuel Standard, Renewal Identification Numbers, Philadelphia Energy Solutions, Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Chuck Grassley et al, Colin O'Mara, President Donald Trump, Bloom Energy, Delamarva Power, Public Service Commission, QFCP tariff, binary choice, combined cycle natural gas, Rick Jensen, John Nichols, Lindsay Leveen
08/06/18 Filed in:
Political SystemThe national political climate is disturbing, and critics blame the president. Trump's supporters should abandon him, they say, without acknowledging that their side may also be at fault. Read More...Tags: representative democracy theory, President Donald Trump, Violence in Portland, ICE, Jim Acosta, Ted Kaufman, Edmund Burke, good Republicans, Trans-Pacific Partnership, China, tax cut , deficits, wasteful spending, Russia , Vladimir Putin, meddling in US elections, Helsinki summit, one on-one meeting, Russian support against Iran, Trump tough on Ruissia, administration successes, Ruth Marcus, Robert Mueller, rule of law, Paul Manafort, James Comey, Rep. Trey Gowdy, Rod Rosenstein, mid-term outlook, president's "lose the House" strategy, swing electoral districts, president's approval ratings, immigration, border wall funding, shutdown threat, appropriation bills, healthcare
07/02/18 Filed in:
Political SystemRobust political debate is great, but underhanded tactics and vicious personal attacks are dangerous. Never mind who threw the first stone, our political leaders should get back to the issues. Read More...Tags: 2116 presidential election, President Donald Trump, James Comey, Robert Mueller, Rod Rosenstein, Heraclitus, Illegal immigration, family separations, FBI Trump-Russia investigation, Hillary Clinton, IG report, Michael Horowitz, Christopher Wray, Rep. Jim Jordan, Rep. Trey Gowdy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Kristjen Nielsen, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, "families belong together", "abolish ICE"
06/04/18 Filed in:
HealthcareThe US healthcare system has deep-rooted problems, the two parties disagree as to solutions, and the situation is deteriorating. The president is pushing for action; will he get it? Read More...Tags: repeal and replace GovCare, legislative outlook, administrative action, American Patients First plan , President Donald Trump, drug price cuts predicted, expansion of Medicaid, qualified individual healthcare insurance, "short-term limited duration" indiviaul coverage, renewal guarantees, Michael Cannon, Alex Azar, pharmacy benefit managters, CVS, doctor/hospital relationship, concierge medical practice, hospital prices, Dr. Marc Siegel
05/28/18 Filed in:
HealthcareThe administration's plan to bring down drug prices seems relatively sensible, as far as it goes, but the promises being made of quick and dramatic results are unrealistic. Read More...Tags: prescription drugs, drug development costs, Food and Drug Administration, President Donald Trump, Alex Azar, Scott Gottlieb, Seema Verna, Drug Pricing: American Patients First, generic drugs, biologics, biosimilars, foreign free-riding, Medicare Part D, Medicare Part B, out of pocket payments, prescription benefit managers
05/21/18 Filed in:
SpendingThe fiscal problem needs to be attacked more aggressively than it has been in recent years. and we agree with Milton Friedman that there is no chance of success without doing a much better job of controlling government spending. Read More...Tags: president's budge proposal, Mick Mulvaney, Senate Budget Committee, House Budget Committee, Congressional Budget Office, appropriation bills, Senate filibuster rule, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. David Perdue, President Donald Trump, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Joint Select Committe re budget process, Milton Friedman, Peterson Foundation, fiscal summit, Debt matters, Insuffiicent revenues, carbon tax, Erica Werner, Sen. Jeff Flake, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Sen Bob Corker
We agree that the balance of payments deficit with China is of serious concern, but the administration is not making the right moves to combat it. Read More...Tags: budget deficits, balance of payments, China, Warren Buffet, IOUSA, comparative advantage, Adam Smith, state-managed trade, unfunded liabiliites, President Donald Trump, protectionist instincts, Trans-Pacific Partnership, TPP -11, NAFTA, tariffs, steel & aluminum, Wilbur Ross, Larry Kudlow, unfair Chinese trade policies, forced sharing of US-owned intellectual property, tariffs a tax, stocks swoon, World Trade Organization, Indigenous innovation, Made in China 2025
03/12/18 Filed in:
Political SystemRoutine use of politically motivated lawsuits to challenge administrative policies is contributing to the political gridlock that everyone professes to be concerned about. Read More...Tags: majority rule, republic vs. democracy, Constitution , congressional rules, filibuster rule, Bill of Rights, DACA , DAPA, state lawsuits, Justice Antonin Scalia, President Donald Trump, DNC Chairman Tom Perez, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Janet Napolitano, Judge William Alsup, Judge Nicholas Garaufis, Judge Roger Titus, DACA fix plan, Senator Tom Carper, super legislators, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Judge Merrick Garland, Congress , jurisidiction stripping, forum shopping, Supreme Court, general public, law schools, judicial restraint
03/05/18 Filed in:
SpendingThe GOP tax cut may have been a reasonable bet, but trillion-dollar deficits are sure to backfire. Read More...Tags: fiscal meltdown, economic gamble, Federal Reserve, streamlining regulations, cut taxes, Child Tax Credit, Wind Production Tax Credit, protectionist trade policies, tariffs, Sen. Orrin Hatch, Sen. Pat Toomey, Sen. Mike Lee, Joshua Bolten, Larry Kudlow, Lord Maynard Keynes, deficit experiment, productivity miracle, inflation, GOP tax cut, Bipartisan Budget Act, Global financial crisis of 2008-2009, inflation spike in 1966, Paul Volcker, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Senate filibuster rule, Social Security, Medicare, House Speaker Paul Ryan, paid family leave, Ivanka Trump, Sen. Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump
02/26/18 Filed in:
Political SystemSAFE has been warning of deficits & debt since 1996, so far without avail. This week we sent individualized pitches to the president, six members of Congress, and the budget director.
Read More...Tags: Jim Thomen, budget-deficit disorder, President Donald Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Tom Carper , Sen. Chris Coons, Rep. Kevin Brady, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney
02/19/18 Filed in:
SpendingIn the wake of the budget deal and subsequent delivery of a "dead on arrival" budget, prospects for solving the fiscal problem seem remote - but SAFE isn't about to give up. Read More...Tags: Bipartisan Budget Act, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Chuck Schumer , joint select committee, An American Budget, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, infrastructure program, President Donald Trump, gas tax increase, DACA Program, Sen. Ted Cruz, Jose Alvarez, filibuster rule, omnibus appropriation bill, Rep. Jeb Hensarling, Sen. Patty Murray, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Congressional Budget Act ot 1974, impoundment, Congressional Budget Office, Dick Timberlake, budget red line, discretionary spending, mandatory spending, entitlement programs, tax preferences, Rep. Kevin Brady, Neil Brechtel, term limits
02/12/18 Filed in:
SpendingThe more one examines last week's bipartisan, bicameral budget deal, which raised government spending levels across the board, the uglier it looks. Read More...Tags: Bipartisan Budget Act, DACA , President Donald Trump, border wall , dreamers, Diversity Visa Lottery, chain migration, Sen Chuck Schumer, Sen Mitch McConnell, deficits, debt ceiling, House Speaker Paul Ryan, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Sen. John Thune, Sen. Chris Coons, budget caps, CHIP, community health[care] centers, tea party, President's budget proposal, defense spending, debt limit, tax preferences, fuel cell investment tax credit, Medicare, Independent Payment Advisory Board, donut hole, Joint Select Committe re budget process, "Super Committee" in 2011
The State of the Union address was effective political theater, which received a favorable response from the American public. But when and how is the GOP going to tackle the fiscal problem? Read More...Tags: Constitution , State of the Union address, President Donald Trump, US economy, streamline regulations, cut taxes, one American family, veterans , American flag, Illegal immigration, external threats, Ashlee Leppert, David Dahlberg, Steve Staub, Sandy Keplinger, Corey Adams, Preston Sharp, Kayla Cuevas, Neesa Mickens, Celestino Martinez, Ryan & Rebecca Holets, Justin Peck, Otto Warmbier, Mr. Ji Sung-Ho, Rep. Luis Guterrez, congressional generic ballot, fiscal problem, appropriation bills, defense budget caps, paid family leave, Ivanka Trump, DACA fix, path to citizenship, border wall funding, visa lottery, chain migration, infrastructure, firing federal employees for cause, Right to Try, Guantanamo, Iran Nuclear Deal
01/29/18 Filed in:
SpendingTo avoid being blamed for the next government shutdown, which is set for February 8, Republicans should consider taking a harder line. Read More...Tags: continuing resolution, GovCare, tax cut , apppriation bills, CHIP, debt limit, DACA Program, government shutdown, defense spending, budget caps, Sen. Tom Carper , dreamers, Sen Chuck Schumer, President Donald Trump, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Schumer Shutdown, Trump Shutdown, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, Legislative Affairs Director Mark Short, Sen. Mitch McConnell, moderate senators, Sen. Chris Coons, Sen Joe Lieberman, "No labels" movement, path to citizenship, border wall funding, Senate filibuster rule, Sen. Ted Cruz. , nuclear option
01/08/18 Filed in:
SpendingThe current minority party is fixated on delegitimizing the president; Republicans must put their foot down in spending level negotiations or they will be rolled over. Read More...Tags: tax cut , spending levels, Speaker Paul Ryan, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Mitch McConnell , Sen. Chuck Schumer, bipartisan talks, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Sen. John Cornyn, Camp David, President Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, Reince Priebus, Michael Wolff, deficit reduction, defense spending, nondefense spending, disaster relifef funding, Federal Reserve, infrastructure program, trillion-dollar deficit, budget caps, Sen. Dick Durbin, DACA Program, border wall funding, 1970's budget rules
12/11/17 Filed in:
Spending | TaxesNo one wants to be blamed for a government shutdown, but there are deep divisions on several issues and neither side will give up easily. Don’t count on anything until the dust settles. Read More...Tags: President Donald Trump, Sen. Chuck Schumer Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Republican tax plan, Sen. Tom Carper, ANWR, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Child Tax Credit, Alternative Minimum Tax, estate tax, GovCare individual mandate, Roy Moore, Sen. Susan Collins, Speaker Paul Ryan, Rep. Mark Walker, DACA Program, Pensacola rally, border wall funding, visa overstays, sanctuary cities, chain migration, E-verify, continuing resolution, omnibus spending bill, Senate filibuster rule, Budget Contol Act, government shutdown
10/23/17 Filed in:
Political SystemDon’t stop at political style in assessing the president’s performance; also consider his policies. Read More...Tags: President Barack Obama, President Donald Trump, negative media coverage, President George W. Bush, GovCare, "the talent", NATO funding, opioid epidemic, debt limit, filibuster rule, budget reconciliation process, Republican healthcare bill, Republican tax plan, joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Mitt Romney, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, New World Order, open borders, Brexit vote, Illiblerals
10/02/17 Filed in:
Political SystemGridlock in fixing the fiscal problem is unfortunate, but in other cases it's not necessarily a bad thing. Read More...Tags: President Donald Trump, drain the swamp, Gresham's Law, national debt, gridlock, economic stimulus , happytalk, Great Recession, Sen. Tom Carper, economic growth rate, hurricane damage, tax cut , Reagan tax cut, Treaasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama, Graham-Cassidy bill, Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. John McCain , Sen. Rand Paul, single payer system, cap and trade proposal, manmade global warming , climate change, offshore wind power, DE Governor John Carney
09/25/17 Filed in:
HealthcareGraham-Cassidy bill would lower federal profile in healthcare and give more authority to the states. Read More...Tags: GovCare, individual HCI business, Graham-Cassidy bill, Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. John McCain, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Bill Cassidy, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Dean Heller, Sen. Ron Johnson, HHS Secretary Tom Price, Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion, work requirement for Medicaid, Medicaid block grants, Congressional Budget Office, Avalere Health, Senate filibuster rule, reconciliation process, former President Barack Obama, Jimmy Kimmel, Sen. Chris Coons, Alan Blinder, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Medicare for all, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Kamala Harris, President Donald Trump, Yogi Berra, August recess, Sen. Lamar Alexander, Senate HELP Committee, Sen. Patty Murray
Two deadlines were extended by bipartisan agreement, but don’t expect a new spirit of cooperation in DC. Read More...Tags: debt limit, government spending authority, CHIP, budget resolution, infrastructure, GovCare, hurricanes, North Korean nuclear threat, bipartisan deal, Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, President Donald Trump, continuing resolution, government shutdown, appropriation bills, Sen. John McCain , Defense Secretary James Mattis, Joint Chiefs Chairman Joseph Dunford, proposal to nationalize defense intellectual property, Sen Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Claire McCaskill, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, Sen. John Cornyn , Sen. Pat Roberts, "Not One Penny" campaign, Sen. Bill Cassidy, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Dean Heller, Sen. Lamar Alexander
Republicans haven’t yet revealed their tax plan, but Democrats have already rejected it. SAFE has questions for both sides. Read More...Tags: Newt Gingrich, Treaasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, President Donald Trump, Route 66, corporate income tax rate, double taxing business income, pass through entities, middle class tax relief, Keynesian economics, entitlement programs, child care benefit, offshore profits, former Senator Ted Kaufman, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Not One Penny More ad campaign
08/28/17 Filed in:
SpendingThere is no bipartisan consensus to solve the fiscal problem so the majority party should lead the way. Read More...Tags: political posturing, debt limit, Treasury Department, Treaasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Republcan Study Committee, Rep. Mark Walker, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, appropriation bills, continuing resolution, MASA Act, Rep. Diane Black, filibuster rule, border wall funding, Sen. John Cornyn, DACA Program, President Donald Trump, Phoenix rally, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, immigration reform
08/14/17 Filed in:
Political SystemThe president was elected with a change agenda, but the establishment isn’t cooperating. Time for a COS? Read More...Tags: Convention of States project, President Donald Trump, deficit spending, regulatory bloat, Congressional Review Act, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Susan Collins, K Steet lobbyists, Veteran's Administration, John Koskinen, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, GovCare, Special Counsel Robert Meuller, Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein, James Comey, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, David Rivkin, simulated COS, Balanced Budget Amendment, debt limit amendment, Congressional term limits, Jerry Martin, Ken Quinn, Conservative Caucus of Delaware
07/03/17 Filed in:
HealthcareSenate healthcare bill has some good points, and a “bipartisan” approach wouldn’t yield better results.
Read More...Tags: Sen. Mitch McConnell, Better Care Reconciliation Act, Michael Harrington, Congressional Budget Office, Sen. Susan Collins, Speaker Paul Ryan, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, Medicaid, Indiana, Rhode Island, Delaware, AARP, President Barack Obama, tax cut for the wealthy, President Donald Trump, Sen. Dick Durbin, Robert Reich, assisted suicide
06/26/17 Filed in:
SpendingConversations about raising the debt limit are a waste of time; the money is already spent or committed. Read More...Tags: debt limit, President Barack Obama, debt limit deal in 2011, Joint Committee, sequester, Speaker John Boehner, President Donald Trump, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Bipartisan Policy Center, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, filibuster, August recess, Gordian knot, Tresury Secretary Jacob Lew, "essential" government functions, Professor Oscar Varela, Neil Gorsuch, reconciliation process, Kurt Schlichter
05/15/17 Filed in:
HealthcareThe American Health Care Act is being attacked as extreme, but the case against it seems underwhelming. Read More...Tags: American Health Care Act, President Donald Trump, Rose Garjden, wealthy and healthy, Trumpcare, preexisting condittions, high risk pools, 2018 mid-terms, Congressional Budget Office, Medicaid, block grant system, death spiral, high risk pools, age tax, AARP, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Jimmy Kimmel, Kellyanne Conway, Sen. Tom Carper
03/27/17 Filed in:
Political SystemWhat’s the problem in DC; some say partisanship but a better answer might be too much wishful thinking. Read More...Tags: first 100 days, Keystone pipeline, FY 2018 budget proposal, budget blueprint, defense spending, American Health Care Act, Freedom Caucus, President Donald Trump, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker Paul Ryan, Heritage Action, tax reform , border adjustment, Infrastucture renewal, conniving with Russians, government surveillance, Illegal leaks, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, FBI Director James Comey, Rep. Devin Nunes, Rep. Adam Schiff, special prosecutor, Merrick Garland, Neil Gorsuch, Amerrican Bar Association, Sen. Ted Cruz, wishful thinking
01/30/17 Filed in:
Political SystemChanging the way government has been working will take some epic battles, and they may not all be won. Read More...Tags: President Donald Trump, US Senate, cabinet nominees, executive actions, pending repeal of ACA, School Choice Week, Betsy DeVos, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Wilbur Ross, Keystone pipeline, Dakota Access pipeline, US steel for pipelines, TPP renunication, Renegotiate NAFTA, southern border wall, Mexican President Enrique Nieto, sanctuary cities, JFK International Airport, ACLU, Defense Secretary James Mattis, hiring freeze, Trump budget, first weekly address