02/10/20
This was a major event every day kind of week, either in DC or on the campaign trail. Sadly, some new lows were hit. Read More...Tags: iowa caucuses, Tucker Carlson, Bernie Sanders , Pete Buttigieg, Ellzabeth Warren, Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar, Hew Hampshire primary, SOTU address, President Donald Trump, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Jerry Nadler, HR3, Juan Guaido, Nicolas Maduro, Rush Limbaugh, Charles McGee, Sen. Mitt Romney, Chief Justice John Roberts, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Chuck Schumer, National Prayer Breakfast, Trump victory lap, GOrdon Sondland, Alexander Vindman, Eugene Vindman, Sen. Lindsey Graham , Hunter Biden, Alan Dershowitz, Andrew Yang, Tom Steyer, Michael Bloomberg, Sen. Tom Carper, Sen. Chris Coons
01/27/20
The Senate impeachment trial appears headed for an acquittal; our political leaders should get back to preparing for the political campaigns that will be decided in November. Read More...Tags: President Donald Trump, President Andrew Johnson, President Bill Clinton, Chief Justice John Roberts, impeachment proceedings, articles of impeachment, Senate trial, Sen. Mitch McConnell, John Bolton, Hunter Biden, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Drake University, Tom Steyer, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar, Michael Bloomberg
10/22/18
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
10/08/18
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
08/27/18
Republicans 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
02/26/18
SAFE 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
01/08/18
The 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
11/27/17
The US economy is perking up, but the government’s fiscal affairs are still being mismanaged and the Republican tax plan won’t save the day. It’s high time to cut spending. Read More...Tags: defense spending, roads and bridges, parks, police and fire fighters, municipal bankruptcies, unfunded employee retirement benefits, Department of Education, Pentagon overhead, National Defense Aurhotizations Act, discretionary spending caps, Defense Secretary James Mattis, Infrastucture spending, Sen. John Barrosso, Economic Advisor Gary Cohn, gas tax hke, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Detroit banruptcy, Delaware school district consolidation, hypersonic missiles, GovCare rollout, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, GovCare Taxes, House Speaker Paul Ryan
10/23/17
Don’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
09/04/17
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
07/17/17
Why is a special counsel investigating alleged GOP collusion with the Russians in the 2016 elections? Read More...Tags: Wilkileaks, Russian hackers, Clinton campaign, Trump campaign, FBI investigation, FBI Director James Comey, Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein, former FBI Director Robert Mueller, special counsel appointment, banker Jamie Dimon, no free lunch principle, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Mike Lee, Sen Ted Cruz, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. John McCain, Mark Short, Donald Trump Jr.
04/24/17
The filibuster will handicap Republicans in coming battles, without necessarily promoting better outcomes. Read More...Tags: Neil Gorsuch, legislative filibuster, Sen. Mitch McConnell , Sen. Chuck Schumer, GovCare, reconciliation process, American Health Care Act, community rating, high risk pools, single payer system, continuing resolution, governmment shutdown, build a wall, tax reform, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, first 100 days, House tax plan, border adjustment, carbon tax, JFK , Infrastucture spending, lower payroll taxes
04/03/17
Filibuster rule leads to: gridlock, congressional decline, one-way ratchet, poor bills, budget blackmail. Read More...Tags: nuclear option, Neil Gorsuch, Sen. Mitch McConnell, advise and consent, Sen. Chuck Schumer, gridlock, one way ratchet, Congressional Budget Office, American Health Care Act, government shutdown, debt limit, spending authority
01/30/17
Changing 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
01/16/17
Will the parties work together to repeal and replace GovCare? What could improve the odds for a favorable outcome?
Read More...Tags: Affordable Care Act, repeal and replace, budget reconciliation process, Coach Darrell Royal, concurrent resolution, Senate filibuster rule, president-elect's press conference, Rep. (and HHS Secretary-designate) Tom Price, president's farewell speech, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Tom Carper, Lou Stahl - Phoenix AZ
12/05/16
Fixing GovCare looks doable, but our political leaders need to act quickly versus vainly seeking perfection. Read More...Tags: Affordable Care Act, GovCare, SAFE healthcare reform plan, Sen. Tom Carper, healthcare insurance, HCI, Donald Trump, Sen. John Barrosso, repeal and replace, health savings accounts, sale of HCI across state lines, Medicaid block grants, first 100 days, reconciliation process, Sen. John Cornyn, Hillary Clinton, filibuster, public option, single payer system, Rep. Tom Price, Sen. Chris Coons, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Bill Cassidy, Rep. Pete Sessions
03/07/16
Let’s hope Justice Scalia’s replacement will share his skepticism of the EPA et al. Read More...Tags: Supreme Court, justice Scalia, EPA, Mercury and Air Toxic Standards (MATS), Michigan v. EPA, Clean Power Plan, DC Circuit Court of Appeals, Chief Justice John Roberts, FERC, Justice Kagan, Sen. Mitch McConnell , Sen. Chuck Grassley, Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Tom Carper, Donald Trump, Eric Holder