When asked if earmarks are making a comeback at a press conference last week, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) responded, “conversations are making a comeback.” But if Congress is serious about improving the lives of Americans by limiting the power of Washington and ensuring faith in our system, then this is a conversation that needs to end...
In an interview with NPR late last year, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the Senate would turn away from pursuing Obamacare repeal through budget reconciliation in 2018 and “probably move on to other issues.” Indeed, as the second session of the 115th Congress gets underway, there have been many statements from both the Trump...
On January 31, the Texas Senate’s State Affairs Committee will travel to Texas State University in San Marcos to hold a hearing to “ascertain any restrictions on Freedom of Speech rights that Texas students face in expressing their views on campus.” This coming event did not occur in a vacuum. Over the past few...
Lower taxes and more freedom is a winning combination in Texas, and it will work for the rest of the country, too. Congress is finally taking note of the burgeoning prosperity in economically free states like Texas, which has far outpaced economic gains seen in less-free states, such as California. And D.C. is belatedly...
As Texans seek to implement their New Year’s resolutions, a safer, more just society should be at the top of the list. Fortunately, state lawmakers took many steps in this direction in 2017, but there is much more work to be done to ensure Texas remains a national leader in advancing criminal justice policies...
When David Blumenthal speaks, people listen. Unfortunately, when the president of the Commonwealth Fund, a distinguished foundation specializing in health care analysis and reform, contends that a “drop in U.S. life expectancy is an indictment of the American health care system,’” he misspeaks. His indictment was based on a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and...
Texas’ economic policies keep it near the top in economic freedom, but government barriers hinder more human flourishing. The Fraser Institute gleans these insights in its recently released annual Economic Freedom of North America report. Based on variables related to government spending, taxes and labor market freedom, Texas and Florida tied for second place, behind only New...
As 2018 begins, there’s chatter about what Congress will do after passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The Trump administration signaled a new bipartisan approach on infrastructure, a sentiment shared by Senate leadership. The House, however, seems poised to reform welfare through budget reconciliation. Static analyses of the recently passed tax bill fail to capture...
After a short period of decline, public pension debt is once again piling up in the Lone Star State. According to a November 2017 report from the Pension Review Board, unfunded liabilities, or the gap between promised benefits and the funds on hand to make good on those promises, among state and local pension plans...
In the wake of the deadly Amtrak train derailment that claimed three lives in Washington state, The Seattle Timesreported that state transportation officials were under a tight federal funding deadline which, if missed, would have resulted in millions of federal stimulus dollars going unclaimed. Absent the federal incentive, state transportation officials had targeted a 2019...
Congress just passed the most sweeping tax reform package in a generation, helping unshackle the U.S. economy and ease the burden on working families. That’s nothing short of a home run — and the Texas Legislature should take note. When state lawmakers return to Austin in 2019, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to revamp...
January 8, 2018 Dear Legislative Staff: If you have at least one session but not more than five years of Texas legislative experience, the Texas Public Policy Foundation invites you to join the second class of Texas Capitol Leaders – a year-long leadership program that promotes the philosophical, policy, and professional development of early-career Texas...