House to Vote on 'Human Trafficking' Bill That Strengthens PATRIOT Act Spying
The PATRIOT Act fell out of fashion-but swap "human trafficker" for "terrorist" and let the civil liberties infringements roll!
Law & Government
Will Republicans Pay a Political Price for Trump's Trade War?
The GOP's willingness to follow Trump down an anti-trade cul-de-sac risks alienating voters who could be crucial on the margins of close races.
Why We Shouldn't "Just Enforce the Law"
The case of a woman who may be prosecuted for sheltering animals during Hurricane Florence highlights some reasons why it is often wrong to enforce the law.
The California Legislature Is Finally Out of Session. Here's How Much Damage It Did This Year.
No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session. That goes double in California.
Meet the Robot Lawyer Fighting Fines, Fees, and Red Tape
DoNotPay is launching a "denial of service attack on the legal system to make it better."
Patients Will Feel the Pain as FDA Slams Medical Device Industry With Growing Regulatory Burdens
Businesses that founder or just never get launched won't suffer anywhere nearly as much as the people who would have benefited from their innovations.
Virginia Republican Announces Senate Campaign to Protest Corey Stewart
"If you surround yourself with white supremacists and Nazis, then you're telling me that you're one of them," Winsome Sears tells Reason.
Trump's Tariffs Will Cost More Than Obamacare's Taxes
If Trump presses ahead with plans to tax all Chinese imports, the added costs would cancel out the economic benefits of last year's corporate tax cut.
The Senate Needs to Hear Out Kavanaugh's Accuser
A fast-moving, public airing of the claims against Kavanaugh would serve the public interest-and could help restore trust in a battered institution.
Louisiana Congressman Wants to Drug-Test All of Congress
Because that's totally going to fix congressional incompetence.
Why Is Public Employee Disability Claim Data Being Kept Secret?
Lawsuit says California pension agency withholds crucial data.
Congress Just Passed a $150 Billion Spending Package Without Any Consideration for Looming Trillion-Dollar Deficit
Just days after the latest CBO projections showed the deficit getting worse, Congress signs off on another bi-partisan spending increase.
Clarence Thomas Mocks Cory Booker's 'Spartacus' Grandstanding
"If you can't debate hard issues honestly, with honor, with integrity, how do we keep a civil society?" Thomas said.
Universal Savings Accounts a Silver Lining in GOP Tax Reform
The Republican tax plan contains one reform worth cheering for.
Louisiana Voters May Dump Rule Allowing Convictions Without Unanimous Verdicts
End of a Jim Crow-era law a potential win for jury nullification.
Libertarian Lucy Brenton Polling at 8 Percent in Toss-up Indiana Senate Race
This time the Libertarian Party seems to be hurting the Democrat, who's trying to run out the clock on confirming Brett Kavanaugh.
GOP's 'Tax Reform 2.0' Will Make It Harder to Balance the Budget
Plan would extend last year's tax cuts past 2025, but spending cuts are still missing.
House Considers Stupid, Unnecessary Bill Making It Illegal to Kill Cats and Dogs for Food
Americans don't eat their pets. Why does the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act even exist?
Who's Ready for an Obama Lecture About Trump?: Podcast
Critiquing an ex-president's warnings about anti-media rhetoric, non-voting, and unelected bureaucrats
Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke's Sprint for the Senate Heats Up
The Texas Senate race is officially a toss-up.
House Passes Bill to Reclassify Dozens of Offenses as 'Crimes of Violence'
Opponents say the bill, rushed to the floor without a hearing, would dangerously expand what's considered an "aggravated offense."
Despite Indictment, Rep. Duncan Hunter Remains Favorite to Win Another Term in Congress
The Republican lawmaker is accused of misusing campaign dollars for for personal expenses including a trip to Italy, massive bar tabs and video games.
Kerri Evelyn Harris, Delaware's Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Loses Her Senate Race
The challenger received help from the group that worked on Ocasio-Cortez's campaign.
Cory Booker Risks Senate Expulsion, Releases Confidential Kavanaugh Emails About 'Racial Profiling'
Booker's totally not running for president or anything.
Brett Kavanaugh Dodges Question About the 9th Amendment and Unenumerated Rights
The Supreme Court nominee recites precedent instead of explaining his views.
The Senate's Driverless Car Bill Is Broadly Deregulatory and Promisingly Bipartisan. Naturally, It's Going Nowhere.
Tepid attempts at loosening federal regulations have crashed into senatorial intransigence.
The Best Parts of the Kavanaugh Hearing
A great set of colloquies on originalism, the Federalist, and human imperfection.
Ben Sasse is Half-Right About Congress' Excessive Delegation of Power to the Executive and the Courts
He's right that Congress has delegated too much power, but wrong about the reason, which is not that Congress is afraid to legislate but that it legislates too much.
Kavanaugh's Testimony on Executive Power [Updated with Material from the Afternoon Session]
No great surprises so far. But some notable points nonetheless.
Ben Sasse Explains Why the Politicization of the Supreme Court Is a Dangerous Thing
"Government is about power. Government is not just another word for things we do together," said Sasse.
New Poll Shows Inclusion of Libertarian Candidate Helpful to Claire McCaskill in Toss-up Missouri
With Japheth Campbell in the survey, Claire McCaskill Has a 4-point advantage over Josh Hawley in new Marist College poll of likely voters. Without? Dead heat.
Jon Kyl Is Replacing John McCain. What Will That Mean?
He's a social conservative, but not necessarily an immigration hawk or a Trump loyalist.
5 Questions for SCOTUS Nominee Brett Kavanaugh
What the Senate Judiciary Committee should ask the Supreme Court nominee.
Gorsuch's Record Was More 'Liberal' Than Kennedy's This Term
Of course, Gorsuch had his share of clashes with the liberal bloc too.
Washington Post Symposium on Brett Kavanaugh's Jurisprudence
The Post has a symposium in which a a variety of legal commentators (myself included) discuss what they consider to be Judge Kavanaugh's most important opinions.
Things I Hate About the Constitution
Legal scholars are often accused of claiming that the Constitution fits their political views. Here are several important issues where it doesn't fit mine.
Orrin Hatch Wants the FTC to Investigate Google
Hatch's letter to FTC Commissioner Joseph Simons comes amid President Trump's attacks on the search giant.
Democracy Is Not the Central Value of the Constitution
Efforts on both right and left to make the democracy-promotion the key focus of constitutional law should be rejected.
Upsets in Florida, Business as Usual in Arizona, and No Clear Answers About Future Elections
A Trump loyalist, a Bernie-backed progressive, and lots of moderates were victorious. It's hard to create an overarching narrative out of that.
Ignorance Is Trump's Excuse
Given the president's confusion about campaign finance law, how could he have "knowingly and willfully" violated it?
Trump's Trade Deal with Mexico Looks Like a Dud
The deal empowers "government bureaucrats rather than markets to determine the components in cars and other goods," says Sen. Ben Sasse.
My Latest Guest Appearance on First Mondays: "A Bunch of Printers"
I discuss the Kavanaugh nomination, originalism, and much more with Professors Dan Epps and Ian Samuel.
Some Reluctant Skepticism About the New Law Clerk Hiring Plan
An important post by Professor Aaron Nielson asks whether the new law clerk hiring plan is broken, and worse than no plan at all.
More on the Debate over the Space Force and the Constitution
The National Constitution Center summarizes contributions to the ongoing debate over the constitutionality of the Space Force - including a new Congressional Research Service report on the subject.
Criminal Justice Reform in Congress Is On Hold, but Advocates Remain Hopeful
Trump and Republicans will wait until after midterm elections to try to pass a long-awaited prison reform bill.
Senate Budget Votes Are a Sign of the Trump Era's Other Legacy
One of the most lasting consequences of the Trump years will be Republicans' complete abdication of fiscal responsibility.
Rep. Justin Amash: Don't Impeach Trump Just Because You 'Dislike' Him
The allegations against Trump are serious, Amash says. But impeachment, he adds, isn't something to take lightly.
