Could This Be the Best Government Shutdown Ever?
Take your opportunities for smaller government where you find them.
Congress
Government Set To Shut Down Tomorrow
Plus: Eric Adams drop out, Assata Shakur gets fawned over, James Comey gets roasted, and more...
Trump's Public Comments Could Further Complicate the Shaky Case Against James Comey
By demanding that the Justice Department punish the former FBI director for wronging him, the president provided evidence to support a claim of selective or vindictive prosecution.
Kash Patel Tellingly Ties James Comey's Indictment to the Legally Unrelated 'Russiagate Hoax'
The FBI director's portrayal of the case exemplifies the emptiness of his promise that there would be "no retributive actions" against the president's enemies.
Gift to Trump
Plus: Robert Munsch chooses Canadian healthcare, Argentina in trouble, ignoring Greta, and more...
The Forced Sale of TikTok Is Crony Capitalist at the Core
Forcing the sale of a social media company for political reasons was always going to be a power grab for the White House—whether its occupant was Democratic or Republican.
House Republicans Just Voted To Give Even More Tariff Power Away to Trump
House Republicans passed a resolution that prevents Congress from ending the national emergency Trump is using to impose tariffs until March 31.
GOP Rep Proposes Canceling People Over Mean Posts About Charlie Kirk
Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins, who once opposed government jawboning, now says people should be banned from both social media and public life over their posts.
Trump's Tariffs Face a Major 'Major Questions' Problem at the Supreme Court
The same legal theory that tripped up Joe Biden's student loan scheme could also sink Donald Trump's tariffs.
The 5th Circuit Rejects Trump's Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act
The appeals court blocked the removal of alleged Venezuelan gang members under that law "because we find no invasion or predatory incursion."
The Gun-Free School Zones Act Is Doubly Dubious
The federal law relies on a risible reading of the Commerce Clause to restrict a constitutional right.
The Weird Law That Keeps the NFL Off (Most) Friday Nights
An antiquated law gives high school and college football first dibs on Fridays and Saturdays.
The Federal Circuit's Tariff Ruling Highlights the Audacity of Trump's Power Grab
Seven judges agreed that the president's assertion of unlimited authority to tax imports is illegal and unconstitutional.
Trump's $4.9 Billion 'Pocket Rescission' Violates Federal Law and Usurps Congressional Authority
Congress holds the power of the purse in our system of government, and further eroding congressional responsibility for spending decisions will not end well.
The Real Threat to Fed Independence Isn't Trump. It's Congress' Debt Addiction.
The president's clear attempt to interfere in the Federal Reserve is not a one-off crisis.
Trump's Tariff Spin Is Putting Republicans in an Awkward Spot
Should they brag about raising taxes, like the White House is doing, or try to distance themselves from those same tax increases?
Compensation for Legal Fees Is a Critical Protection Against Civil Forfeiture Abuses
A recent federal appeals court decision underlines the importance of that safeguard.
Chip Roy on Why He Backed Trump's Spending Bill
Texas Rep. Chip Roy joins Nick Gillespie to talk about runaway spending, the uphill battle for health care reform, and where immigration fits into the liberty vs. sovereignty debate.
D.C. Sues Pam Bondi and the Trump Administration for Replacing Police Commissioner
The latest escalation in the showdown between the Trump administration and D.C. elected officials
Colorado's AI Law Is a Cautionary Tale for the Nation
A rushed attempt to regulate artificial intelligence has left lawmakers scrambling to fix their own mistakes.
Congress Spent At Least $27,500 on Poster Displays in 2 Months. Here Are 4 Ridiculous Examples and 1 Good One.
It's a drop in the bucket compared to the national debt, but any wasteful government spending should be eliminated.
Why Trump's Plan to Exclude Undocumented Migrants From Census Count Determining Apportionment of Congressional Seats is Unconstitutional
The Constitution requires apportionment to be based on a count of all "persons," excluding only "Indians not taxed."
Federal Circuit Judges Question Trump's Discovery of Vast Tariff Powers
The president is claiming "unbounded authority" to impose import taxes based on a law that does not mention them.
Lawmakers Sue ICE To Protect Right To Visit Detention Centers Unannounced
Lawmakers say a new DHS rule requiring advance notice for detention center visits undermines congressional oversight.
Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Dead Wrong About Outlawing Climate Geoengineering
An unholy alliance between MAGA and progressives to ban research on an emergency backup plan to cool the planet may be emerging.
The CEO of NPR Made the Best Case for Defunding It
The notion that NPR can somehow become unbiased is about as believable as the IRS sending you a fruit basket to commend you for filing your taxes.
Congress Cut $500 Billion in Energy Subsidies. That's Good—and Proof Reform Is Possible.
Green energy is promising. But subsidies distort the tax code, misallocate capital, and favor companies already in the game.
The Rescission Bill Reveals How Difficult It Is To Get Congress To Make Even Tiny Spending Cuts
The bill, which could pass the Senate on Wednesday, would trim 13 cents from every $100 of federal spending.
The 'Big Beautiful Bill' Expands Health Savings in a Rare Policy Win
In a bill packed with spending, one provision offers real gains for health care choice and savings.
Leaked Documents Show 'Alligator Alcatraz' Could Cost Over $600 Million
More questions arise over how Florida’s newest immigration detention center is being funded by the Trump administration.
Gun Rights Groups Welcome the Demise of Illogical and Constitutionally Dubious Federal Firearm Taxes
The taxes on sound suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns, originally enacted in 1934, were meant to be prohibitive, imposing bans in the guise of raising revenue.
Either Repeal or Enforce—but Ideally Repeal—the TikTok Ban
The ban is a bad law. But leaving it on the books and willfully ignoring it sets a potentially more dangerous precedent.
The Department of Education Is in Limbo. Let's Kill It.
Congress should now turn its attention to abolishing the unnecessary federal education bureaucracy.
The $4 Trillion 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Breaks the Bank and Violates Congress' Own Budget Rules
This is what Washington calls compromise: The House proposes $1, the Senate proposes $2, and somehow, the government ends up spending $3.
Add It to the Tab
Plus: Trade deal with Vietnam, Romanian right-wing presidential candidate sent to trial, and more...
Republican Holdouts
Plus: Zohran Mamdani doesn't understand what New York's families need, Lia Thomas titles revoked, and more...
Senate Votes 99–1 To Remove AI Moratorium from 'Big, Beautiful Bill'
Now nearly 100 state AI laws will remain in force—and nearly 1,000 more are already waiting in the wings.
Why the 'Current Policy' Baseline Is a Massive Gimmick That Effectively Kills the Filibuster
Republicans are creating a budgetary loophole that will allow Democrats to pass Medicare for All and pretend it costs almost nothing.
Senate's Tax Bill Will Add $270 Billion to the Deficit Next Year, Despite Gimmicks
The House-passed version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was fiscally irresponsible. The Senate has made the bill worse.
Big, Beautiful Bill Finds Its Opponents
Plus: The anti-socialist moment, muscle-building drugs counteract Ozempic, arsony gunman in Idaho, and more...
New Orleans City Council Considers Ordinance To Adopt Real-Time Facial Recognition Technology
America is slipping steadily down the slippery slope to a surveillance state.
Criminal Justice Reformers Should Welcome Pam Bondi's Gun Rights Restoration Initiative
Democratic critics of the new program overlook the injustice of permanently disarming Americans who pose no threat to public safety.
Ro Khanna: Congress Must Take Back Its War Powers
Rep. Ro Khanna (D–Calif.) discusses the War Powers Resolution he co-sponsored with Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.), the Israel-Iran conflict, and why the antiestablishment left and right must work together.
Why Do Republicans Support the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit?
Publicly funded homes in some cities are costing taxpayers more than $1 million per unit, but Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” would increase funding for these inefficient projects.
Senate Parliamentarian Rejects Dangerous Provision of "Big Beautiful Bill" that Undermines Judicial Protection for Constitutional Rights
The parliamentarian ruled it cannot be enacted as part of a reconciliation bill not subject to the filibuster.
The Attack on Iran Is Unlawful
Trump's attack on Iran plainly violates the War Powers Act. Limits on executive power are most important when they are inconvenient.
The 9th Circuit Rejects Trump's Audacious Claim That He Can Use the National Guard However He Likes
Although the appeals court said the president probably complied with the law he invoked to justify his California deployment, it emphasized that such decisions are subject to judicial review.
ICE Insists That Congress Needs Its Permission To Conduct Oversight
But that's not what the law says.
