Marco Rubio Says He Won't Vote To Eliminate the Defense of Marriage Act, But His Explanation Makes No Sense
Rubio says states should decide marriage laws, but DOMA is a federal law that overruled state regulation.
Congress
Federalism and the Respect for Marriage Act
Does the bipartisan act protecting same-sex marriage run afoul of constitutional federalism principles? The answer is definitely not with respect to one of its provisions, and probably not with respect to the other.
Gun Owners Who Are Disqualified Under State Law Can Now Be Charged With 'Trafficking in Firearms'
That new crime, which is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison, includes receipt of firearms by "prohibited persons."
A New Gun Law Reflects the Worst Instincts of Both Parties
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act increases the penalties for violating arbitrary firearm bans.
Not Everything Is a National Emergency
If the National Emergencies Act goes without reform, presidents will continue to misuse emergency declarations as leverage to shift Congress.
Congress Considers Gay Marriage Bill To Avoid a Future Supreme Court Showdown
Passing an actual law is a good and proper way of enshrining recognition.
Better Immigration Laws Could Help Lower Food Prices
The Senate is considering legislation that would improve the visa program for temporary agricultural workers and help relieve labor shortages that push food prices higher.
Republicans Seek Child Support Payments for Fetuses
Plus: Judge blocks Title IX guidance, Amazon admits turning over Ring surveillance footage to cops, and more...
A Global Tax Cartel Is Floundering. Good.
Just as you don't attract bees with vinegar, you don't attract corporations by promising to tax them heavily.
Congressional Staffers Demand Their Bosses Enact Climate Legislation
"We've crafted the legislation necessary to avert climate catastrophe. It's time for you to pass it," proclaim staffers in a letter to Congressional leaders.
How Georgia's Outlandish Ballot Access Law Is Protecting Marjorie Taylor Greene (and the Two-Party System)
A ballot access law meant to block Communists has become an obstacle to third-party politics.
If Congress Bans Abortion, This New Deal Precedent Will Be at the Center of the Legal Battles
A 1942 decision about the Commerce Clause takes on new importance post-Roe.
Trump and Steve Bannon Waive Executive Privilege they do not Have
The "waiver" opens the door for Bannon to testify before the congressional January 6 Committee. But former presidents are not entitled to executive privilege, and especially not when it comes to testimony by private citizens.
Democrats Are Trying To Push Through Another 'Build Back Better' Bill. It Would Only Make Inflation Worse.
Here's hoping we don't wind up with more of the spending and favoritism that's become so common.
Did Cassidy Hutchinson's Testimony Clinch the Incitement Case Against Trump?
The former president's recklessness is beyond dispute, but that is not enough to convict him while respecting the First Amendment.
Maximalists Threaten a Federalist Compromise on Abortion
National legislation and extraterritorial application of state laws are inconsistent with the local leeway that the Constitution protects.
Marijuana Banking Legalization Gets Scrapped Again
Members of Congress keep saying they want to allow state-legal pot businesses to have access to the banking system, but they keep refusing to actually do it.
Blame Congress for Pandemic Fraud
The inconvenient truth behind all the COVID-19 relief fraud and waste is that these government programs never should have been designed as they were.
Biden's Gas Tax Holiday Plan Already Running on Empty
Prominent Democrats including Joe Manchin oppose a bad idea whose time has seemingly not yet come.
Congress and Biden Probably Just Made the Shipping Problem Worse
The Ocean Shipping Reform Act fulfills the political need to do something but probably won’t help.
Trade Associations, Chamber of Commerce Warn of Danger in Data Privacy Bill
Plus: Purity politics, the end of the "millennial consumer subsidy," an unhappy outcome for folks seeking to free Happy the elephant, and more...
Gun Controllers Say They Want 'Reform' but They're Really Pushing Criminalization
The government should loosen laws, reduce conflict between government and the public, and let people defend themselves.
'Red Flag' Laws Require a Tricky Balance
If Congress decides to encourage them, it should not overlook the importance of due process protections.
Can the January 6 Committee Hearings Break Through the Barriers of Political Ignorance and Bias Underpinning the Big Lie?
Most of those open to evidence already know that Trump tried to reverse the outcome of an election he legitimately lost. Reaching the rest is likely to be extremely difficult, at best.
The January 6 Hearings May Be Surprisingly Worthwhile
Plus: Competing stories about antitrust reform, capitalism didn't cause the formula crisis, and more...
Will Tonight's Capitol Riot Hearing Deliver Bombshells or Be Another Dud?
Plus: Families sue over Texas directive on care for transgender kids, teleworker taxes will come before Ohio Supreme Court, and more...
Biden Says the Deficit Is Falling. Actually, It's Rising.
Under Biden, Trump, and Obama, government federal spending almost doubled.
Would These 4 Gun Controls Prevent Mass Shootings?
An analysis of such crimes suggests the president’s policy prescriptions are unlikely to have a meaningful impact.
Today Marks 80 Years Since Congress Last Bothered To Declare a War
Presidents once treated congressional authorization as a requirement for the U.S. to enter conflicts. What went wrong?
Biden's Plan for Reducing Inflation Will Actually Make It Worse
The president's argument is amazing for its tone-deafness, inconsistent thinking, and sheer economic ignorance.
House Resolution Seeks End to U.S. Military Involvement in Yemen
It signals that many in Congress still condemn America's role in the war and actions from the president that lack proper authorization.
Bipartisan Support for Red Flag Laws Elides the Practical and Constitutional Issues They Raise
Because there is no reliable way to identify future mass shooters, it is inevitable that many innocent people will lose their Second Amendment rights.
Your Flight Is Delayed. Thank the Feds.
Congress has radically restricted the number of pilots without doing anything to increase safety.
Alien Civilizations Either Self-Destruct or Transcend to 'Homeostatic Awakening,' Argues New Study
And one or the other is likely our fate too.
Banning 'Unconscionable Excessive' Gas Prices Is Risky Economic Nonsense
Democrats are trying to inject a political solution into an economic problem.
Victories for Rand Paul, Pot, and Some MAGA Candidates in Primary Elections
Plus: a debate about sex work, Facebook blocks a baby formula recipe, and more...
The Failed Senate Abortion Bill Went Far Beyond Preserving Current Rights
Without citing any constitutional authority to dictate state abortion policies, the bill would have overridden regulations that have been upheld or have yet to be tested.
New Resolution Would Allow the President To Send U.S. Troops to Ukraine
Like AUMFs before it, Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s proposed authorization would lead to less transparency in conflicts and more unilateral decision making.
AOC Defends Due Process as Colleagues Greenlight Asset Seizure Bill
Plus: Homeland Security's new Disinformation Governance Board, the FDA's menthol ban, and more...
Congress Won't Legalize Pot Anytime Soon, but It Could Protect Marijuana Businesses by Passing Banking Reform
Chuck Schumer seems less interested in achieving cannabis reform than in making political hay from his inevitable failure.
Dianne Feinstein and the Dangers of Gerontocracy
Plus: Wikipedia vs. crypto, Elon Musk takes on Twitter, and more...
COVID Stimulus Checks Worsened Inflation
Four economists at the Federal Reserve say America's high rate of inflation relative to the rest of the world is the result of surging disposable income during the pandemic.
When Will Democrats Get Serious About Repealing Pot Prohibition?
Instead of building on Republican support for federalism, they seem determined to alienate potential allies.
The House Just Approved Marijuana Legalization Again, but GOP Support Remains Nearly Nonexistent
Just three Republicans voted for the MORE Act, two fewer than in 2020.
Deadly Pot Shop Robberies Underline the Need for Marijuana Banking Reform While the Senate Dithers
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer worries that approving the SAFE Banking Act would make broader changes less likely.
Here Is Why a Federal Judge Says Trump Probably Committed Felonies When He Tried to Overturn Biden's Election
A ruling in a dispute over emails sought by the January 6 committee agrees that Trump's actions likely violated two federal laws.
50 Years After Nixon's Commission Said Cops Should Stop Busting Pot Users, the Federal Ban Remains Unchanged
But 37 states allow medical or recreational use, and arrests are falling.
