The Competitive Enterprise Institute Daily Update
Issues in the News
1. CONGRESS
The House of Representatives approves changes to union organizing rules.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Editorial Director Ivan Osorio on why Bush should veto the bill:
“The U.S. House of Representatives today approved, by a 241-185 vote, the Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800), which would destroy secret ballot protections in union organizing drives. As I commented earlier, this provides President George W. Bush with an opportunity to reenergize the conservative Republican base — by vetoing this terrible bill. Now that the House Democrats have rammed this through, the conservative commentariat is making much indignant noise about this, which reinforces the argument that a card check veto presents Bush with a great political opportunity — beginning with today’s Washington Examiner op ed by House Education and Labor Committee ranking minority member Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA).”
2. TECHNOLOGY
European regulators hit Microsoft with a $357 million fine for antitrust violations.
CEI Experts Available to Comment: Vice President for Policy Clyde Wayne Crews, Jr. on how European regulators have caused difficulties for Microsoft—for no consumer benefit.
“Antitrust actions against successful businesses, such as the European Union’s antitrust penalties against Microsoft, threaten to disrupt innovation and economic growth by substituting political management for market processes, by protecting competitors rather than competition. Americans are increasingly less confident that ‘competition policy’ and antitrust regulations yield any real advantages to consumers or producers—but that they offer many opportunities for firms to use government to cripple innovation or their competitors.”
3. HEALTH
A new study finds that antioxidant vitamin supplements once thought to prolong life actually have no connection to increased lifespan.
CEI Experts Available to Comment: Adjunct Analyst Steven Milloy on the mega-vitamin mega-myth:
“Researchers reviewing 68 studies on the effect of antioxidants on life span reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association this week that consumption of beta carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium, whether singly or combined, did not reduce the risk of premature death.”