Overrun
What to know: The Border Patrol reports 302,000 migrant encounters in the month of December, the highest ever. Yet the White House continues to say the situation at the border is “not unusual.”
The TPPF take: While the Biden administration stands down at the border, Texas is stepping up.
“The challenges at the border are strikingly evident today, with news that the U.S. Border Patrol keeps reporting new record highs for encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border,” says TPPF’s Melissa Ford. “These numbers show the urgency to act. The Texas Public Policy Foundation supports an aggressive effort by the state to both continue standing in the gap and standing up to a federal government that has neglected its first duty to protect its citizens.”
For more on the border, click here.
A Non-Starter
What to know: The Dallas Morning News claims that “Texas car dealers hold the keys to electric vehicle adoption in the state,” as opposed to, say, the consumers who simply don’t want overpriced, underperforming vehicles.
The TPPF take: The federal government is already propping up the EV industry with subsidies that serve to hide the real costs (as well as lack of demand). TPPF’s new study shows how much is being picked up by taxpayers, ratepayers, and buyers of gasoline vehicles.
“Proponents of EVs have falsely pushed the claim that EVs will soon cost less than gas-powered cars; our study shows that EVs are still a long way from being competitive without massive subsidies,” says TPPF’s Brent Bennett. “The Biden administration’s stringent fuel economy standards and regulatory manipulations are driving American automakers toward bankruptcy and adding thousands of dollars to the cost of every gasoline vehicle.”
For more on electric vehicles, click here.
Wins in Court
What to know: TPPF’s legal arm, the Center for the American Future, scored some big wins in court in 2023.
The TPPF take: For example, TPPF attorneys successfully defended Texas’ important election reforms.
“In 2021, Texas passed a state requirement that voter registration applications contain an original signature to assist in verifying the identity and qualifications of the person registering to vote,” says TPPF’s Robert Henneke. “A federal court sided with TPPF and the Texas Attorney General, explaining that requiring voters to physically sign registration forms—which list the qualifications for voting and threaten penalties for perjury by the signature line—can dissuade false statements and help Texas determine if a voter is qualified to vote.”
For more on CAF and TPPF litigation, click here.