by Jane Richey | Apr 25, 2013 | Fiscal Responsibility
The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744)—commonly called the “Gang of Eight bill” after the eight Senators who came up with it, Charles Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), John...
by Jane Richey | Apr 25, 2013 | Fiscal Responsibility
It is one of the oddest spending habits in Washington: This year, the government will spend at least $890,000 on service fees for bank accounts that are empty. At last count, Uncle Sam has 13,712 such accounts with a balance of zero. They are supposed to be closed....
by Jane Richey | Apr 24, 2013 | Fiscal Responsibility
The federal government is spending $152,000 to study “voice therapy” for transgenders, saying it is incumbent to being “accepted as one’s preferred gender.” “This study will illuminate the capabilities of the human larynx and inform the relationship between...
by Jane Richey | Apr 24, 2013 | Fiscal Responsibility, Health Care
The Obama Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has arranged to pay public relations firm Weber Shandwick an additional $8 million to promote enrollment in ObamaCare’s health insurance exchanges. Advertising Age reports that the campaign will...
by Jane Richey | Apr 23, 2013 | Fiscal Responsibility
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) overpaid between $11.6 billion and $13.6 billion in tax credits designed to help low-income families in fiscal 2012 , the Treasury Department announced in a report released Monday. The overpayments account for 21 percent to 25...
by Jane Richey | Apr 22, 2013 | Constitutionally Limited Goverment, Fiscal Responsibility, Free Markets
Every time Congress has taken a serious look at proposals to boost Internet sales taxes, it has rejected them. That’s probably why pro-tax Senators are trying to rush through an online tax hike with as little consideration as possible. As early as Monday, the...
