The Competitive Enterprise Institute Daily Update
Issues in the News
1. BUSINESS
The House of Representatives votes to re-authorize the U.S. Export-Import Bank.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Journalism Fellow Tim Carney, author of the new book, The Big Ripoff: How Big Business and Big Government Steal Your Money, on how the Ex-Im Bank doles out taxpayer money to big corporations:
“A majority of Ex-Im subsidies go to underwrite sales of Boeing aircraft, and one pending Ex-Im loan deal would subsidize the agency of the Chinese government that has been caught in nuclear weapons material deals with Iran and Pakistan.”
2. ENERGY
The Senate considers a bill to revise rules on oil and natural gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Director of Energy Policy Myron Ebell on why the Senate bill merely pretends to expand access to oil and gas resources:
“The Senate bill pretends to do something about increasing oil and gas production in this country, but passing it will in fact be an obstacle to doing something real about high gas prices. If the Senate was really interested in helping provide affordable energy for American consumers, they would follow the lead of the House and allow coastal states to allow oil and gas exploration along the entire outer continental shelf.”
3. TECHNOLOGY
Calls for age verification on social-networking websites like MySpace.com could face significant hurdles.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Technology Analyst Peter Suderman on the misguided government demands for stricter age verification measures online:
“The computer literate younger generation isn’t going to be stymied by a little bit of software. Parents are going to have to stop relying on government, or government-mandated action by private companies, to watch over what their kids are doing.”
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