Divided Government Is Good. In 2023, Bipartisanship Would Be Better.
From immigration to drug reform, there is plenty of potential for productive compromise.
Congress
The Political Class Has Consistently Ignored Warnings of Fiscal Doom. Now Americans Are Paying the Price.
Warnings of inflation and rising interest rates have long been tied to high and rising debt levels.
Here's Why Biden Is Wrong About the Deficit
His administration has expanded deficits by $400 billion more than expected, even before we count recent spending.
Supreme Court Leaves Georgia's Onerous Ballot Access Law in Place
Despite the state's law allowing no third-party House candidates to get on the ballot in 60 years, the Court declined to hear the case.
Bill Introduced To Bring Independent Oversight to Federal Prison System
The Federal Prison Oversight Act would create an independent ombudsman to investigate complaints about the Bureau of Prisons, something prison advocacy groups have long called for.
If Sanders and Warren Think Climate Change Is an Emergency, Why Are They Against These Green Energy Reforms?
If climate change is an emergency that requires immediate action, it makes sense to streamline environmental reviews that tangle green energy projects in red tape.
Most Americans Say Immigrants Make the U.S. Better. So Why Don't Politicians Do Anything About It?
Democrats pander to immigrants but do little to liberalize the system. Meanwhile, Republicans' hostility to immigrants has increased.
Expected Interest Rate Hike Will Add $2 Trillion to the Deficit
So much for the idea that low interest rates meant the government could borrow endlessly with no consequences.
No Senate Vote on Gay Marriage Until After Midterms
A genuine surprise: Politicians prioritize a bill’s possible success over partisan campaign signaling.
How Railroad Unions Almost Broke the Economy
The narrowly averted strike would have been an economic catastrophe. The story of how we reached the brink of that disaster is an illustrative one.
Lindsey Graham's Abortion Ban, Which Would Override State Laws, Shows Contempt for Federalism
The Republican senator improbably claims his bill is authorized by the 14th Amendment and the Commerce Clause.
Senate May Take Up Federal Same-Sex Marriage Bill This Month
A compromise to protect religious freedom may bring on more Republican support.
Why Are Democrats Dragging Their Feet on the Electoral Count Reform Act?
Biden says Republicans are plotting a repeat of 2020 in 2024. Maybe Congress should do something to prevent that?
Don't Blame Ranked Choice Voting. Sarah Palin Was a Bad Candidate.
Blaming the ballot system ignores the fact that many Alaskans simply did not think the former governor really represented them.
Does Anyone Have Standing to Bring a Lawsuit Against Biden's Student Loan Debt Cancellation Policy?
The likely answer is "yes." There are three types of potential litigants who probably qualify.
The War on Terror Continues Apace in Africa
U.S. counterterrorism action in Somalia hasn’t been approved by Congress, but it rages on anyway.
Alaska Elected a Democrat to Congress for the First Time in 50 Years
Mary Peltola will only be the third Democrat, as well as the first Native Alaskan, to represent Alaska since it became a state.
A Few Ideas for the Better Government Americans Desperately Want
From cronyist subsidies to an unfair tax code, there are several key fixes Congress could make to better serve the public.
Carolyn Maloney Loses to Jerry Nadler in Hotly Contested House Race
After redistricting, neither representative was willing to run in a different district, leading to a lengthy, expensive, and unnecessary campaign.
Redistricting in New York Will Cost a Longtime Democrat a House Seat
Despite an overwhelming sense that the country is headed in the wrong direction, the only way most voters will fire an incumbent is by voting for a different incumbent instead.
How To Waste $1 Trillion
Why should we believe that this boondoggle will produce better results than hundreds of other corporate welfare programs?
The Inflation Reduction Act Barely Puts a Dent in the Deficit
But it will raise taxes and sic thousands of new IRS agents on American households.
Gerrymandering Is Making Elections Less Competitive
Cynical single-party gerrymandering contributes to and is driven by the hyperpartisanship that defines American politics right now.
Six More States Could Legalize Recreational Marijuana This Fall
If all of the ballot initiatives succeed, pot will be legal in 25 states.
Biden Shouldn't Meet Xi Jinping in China. He Should Do It in America.
The U.S. may not realize it, but it has the upper hand. It turns out communism doesn't work.
Judicial Review of Congress Updated and Expanded
A comprehensive catalog of every case in which the Court considered a constitutional challenge to an act of Congress
The Next Farm Bill Will Probably Stink Worse and Cost More
Asking America's agriculture industry to stand on its own two feet remains a third rail in American politics.
Congress Just Passed the Inflation Reduction Act. It Will Hike Taxes on Some Middle-class Households.
It also spends billions on new green energy programs, and it lets the IRS hire 87,000 new agents.
The Disappearing Differences Between Republicans and Democrats on Federal Family Spending
Many conservatives no longer appear to care much for fiscal conservatism.
IRS Controversially Claims Hiring 87,000 New Agents Won't Mean Higher Audit Rate for the Middle Class
So why do Democrats keep equivocating on the point that households making under $400,000 may be targeted for more audits by an expanded IRS?
Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act To Help Afghan Evacuees Stay in the U.S.
But thousands of Afghans who helped U.S. forces are still stuck in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
Senate Passes $740 Billion 'Inflation Reduction Act' That Will Probably Make Inflation Worse
Plus: Inside Trump's family separation policy, a Grammarly for government, and more...
After a $54 Billion Airline Bailout, Elizabeth Warren Thinks She Gets To Make the Rules
More airline workers and more flights—not bailouts and restrictions on mergers—is the better policy.
Joe Manchin Strikes a Deal To Fix Antiquated Environmental Review Regulations. Will It Do Any Good?
The West Virginia senator proposes marginal reforms to a federal permitting process that policy wonks say needs a root-and-branch overhaul.
Democrats Don't Care Whether Banning 'Assault Weapons' Is Constitutional
Even while conceding that the rifles they want to ban are commonly used for lawful purposes, they refuse to grapple with the implications.
The Dubious and Doomed 'Assault Weapon' Ban That the House Approved Today May Cost Democrats This Fall
Recent polling suggests that Americans are starting to recognize that such laws make no sense.
House Passes New Human Trafficking Bill
Here's what's in the $1 billion reauthorization package.
Maxine Waters Says She May Not Vote for 'Shameful' Inflation Reduction Act, Citing Lack of Housing Spending
The new reconciliation bill also nixes a zoning reform program that had been included in the more expansive Build Back Better bill.
How Many People Have To Be Assaulted or Killed Before Chuck Schumer Stops Resisting Marijuana Banking Reform?
The Senate majority leader has repeatedly blocked a bill that would address the robbery threat to state-licensed pot shops.
The CHIPS Act Is Corporate Welfare Disguised as Industrial Policy
If you believe that moving most of our chip production onshore is good for national security, you should labor for regulatory reforms rather than subsidies.
With Deception and Misdirection, House Democrats Vainly Try To Make the Case for Banning 'Assault Weapons'
No, these rifles are not "the weapon of choice in most mass murders."
Don't Give U.S. Chipmakers a $76 Billion Government Handout
Making the U.S. semiconductor industry dependent on subsidies is not the way to stick it to China.
Chuck Schumer Learned Nothing From the Failure of Pot Legalization in California
The Senate majority leader’s marijuana bill would pile on more taxes and regulations, despite years of complaints about the barriers they create.
Elizabeth Warren Wants To Stop Airline Mergers, Despite Evidence That They Lower Airfares
The senator urged the Department of Transportation on Monday to regulate airline consolidation and levy heavy fines for canceled flights.
Poll: Tech Regulation Should Focus on Privacy and Security—Not Breaking Up Big Tech Companies
Plus: Arizona prisons censor The Nation, Facebook's feed changes, and more...
