Blog
Free the Economy podcast: The ESG Agenda with Jack McPherrin
In this week’s episode we talk about job recruiters who lie to applicants, post-Covid reforms to the CDC, debunking socialist takes…
“Sen. Cruz Blasts FTC for Colluding with EU to Target American Businesses”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) sent letters to FTC Chair Lina Khan and the head of the EU’s San Francisco office to inquire about collusion between…
Truth on the Market
“Antitrust at the Agencies Roundup: The Cat’s Tuches of Summer Edition”
Daniel J. Gilman from the International Center for Law & Economics discusses the FTC’s upcoming Amazon case and advanced notice of proposed rulemaking on commercial…
Blog
EPA won’t rush ozone decision. Good. Now do the same for particulate matter.
On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) put an end to the possibility that it would soon revise the existing ozone standards. This was…
Blog
‘Economically significant’ regulations: an obituary
I never thought I’d miss “economically significant” rules and regulations. But Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14094 (“Modernizing Regulatory Review”) has redefined “Significant regulatory action.”…
Blog
How regulations crush small businesses and the poor
Today, the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship is holding a field hearing in Iowa on the topic of “One Size Does Not…
Testimony
The Disproportionate Burden of Federal Regulation on Small Businesses
Submission to the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship Hearing on “One Size Does Not Fit All: Understanding the Importance of Rightsizing Regulations…
New York Post
Don’t believe doomsayers — new COVID outbreak is mild, and masks don’t help
COVID-19 cases are expected to rise this fall as new variants become more prevalent. And, as unfortunately expected, it’s already triggered demands by…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: baby bumpers and AI campaign ads
A wildfire in Hawaii killed more than 100 people. Donald Trump was indicted again. Meanwhile, agencies issued new regulations ranging from magnificent ramshorns to pasteurized…
National Review
How to Help Discouraged Working-Age Men
More blue-collar American men aged 25–54 than ever are no longer employed and seeking work. That sad trend started in the late 1960s, coinciding…
Forbes
Beware: The Biden Administration Refers To “Economically Significant” Regulations In The Past Tense
The past few days have brought renewed attention to Biden’s Executive Order 14,094 on “Modernizing…
Reason
“The Biden Administration’s Antitrust Changes Would Be Great for Bureaucrats—and Bad for Consumers”
Veronique De Rugy from the Mercatus Center discusses the new merger guidelines and the negative effects they would have for consumers.
City Journal
“Failing Upward”
Corbin Barthold from TechFreedom points out that FTC Chair Lina Khan’s actions have become more bolden, despite her losing record.
Law and Liberty
The Moral Foundations of Freedom Conservatism
The Freedom Conservatism Statement of Principles, which several of us launched in July, is a simple restatement of the principles that have…
American Banker
Reach out to employees before unionizing becomes an issue
With labor making a bid to unionize the financial services sector, management should proceed with the utmost delicacy. The National Labor Relations Act is almost…
National Review
“The Feds’ ChatGPT Probe Threatens Free Speech”
Christopher Koopman and Neil Chilson from the Center for Growth and Opportunity explain how the FTC’s new investigation into OpenAI raises constitutional concerns.
Truth on the Market
“Competition Increases Concentration”
Brian Albrecht from the International Center for Law & Economics argues that the new merger guidelines ignore economic evidence from the past 20 years.
Blog
Free the Economy Episode 34: Permitting Prosperity with Daren Bakst
In this weeks episode we talk about labor union history, demands for a 4-day work week, YIMBY policy wins, and Reason’s…
Washington Examiner
Industry groups fear new Biden regulatory changes could hobble growth
Washington Examiner cites CEI’s Clyde Wayne Crews economic growth hindrance: Even under the current $100 million threshold, the Biden administration has released a torrent…
Blog
America’s insurance commissioners still pursuing bad investment charges that EU is scrapping
Last month, a significant development took place in Europe that so far has not been widely reported in the US, even though it will likely…
Blog
How the Inflation Reduction Act takes aim at gas stoves
The American people have reacted very negatively to potential federal regulations targeting natural gas stoves in favor of electric versions. But beyond regulations, there…
Blog
Inflation Reduction Act turns one, and wow that’s an ugly baby
As President Joe Biden celebrates the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (here’s the White House “Fact Sheet“) we…
News Release
CEI leads coalition urging Congress to dismantle the environmental subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), joined by more than 40 representatives of free-market oriented and conservative groups, sent a letter to Congress today calling…
Fox News
On Inflation Reduction Act anniversary, energy groups demand end to ‘Green New Deal-type policies’
Fox News cites CEI’s Daren Bakst on the Inflation Reduction Act:The letter to Congress, led by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), argued that “cronyism” and…
Letters
Dismantling the Inflation Reduction Act green Subsidies Coalition Letter
August 16, 2023Dear Members of Congress:On the first anniversary of enactment of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the undersigned organizations strongly urge you to…
DC Journal
Railway Safety Act Will Drive Up Prices Without Adding Safety, Critics Say
DC Journal cites CEI’s Iain Murry on the Railway Safety Act: Competitive Enterprise Institute’s vice president for strategy and senior fellow, Iain Murray, agreed, arguing…
Fox News
New report reveals how CDC can be ready for the next pandemic
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a new director, Dr. Mandy Cohen. Her predecessor, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, acknowledged CDC was…
Wall Street Journal
Regulators Gone Wild
Wall Street Journal cites CEI’s Clyde Wayne Crews on overabundance of regulation: According to the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Clyde Wayne Crews, the Biden Administration has 297…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: ice fog and pre-merger paperwork
Inflation more or less held steady. The FTC is reportedly getting ready to file an antitrust suit against Amazon. The Federal Register had…
Blog
Don’t regulate AI. Defund it.
Just yesterday, Smart Home speakers were infuriating us with their confused and stubborn responses to simple questions. These days, the ascent of something closer to…
Washington Times
“Targeting Amazon: ‘Bidenomics’ at Work at the FTC”
Scott Brown, former U.S. Senator and ambassador, discusses the FTC’s anticipated antitrust suit against Amazon.
Citation
Dr. Joel Zinberg discusses his report on refocusing and reforming the CDC after COVID-19 on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal
CEI Senior Fellow Joel Zinberg joined Washington Journal on August 11, 2023 to discuss new study from CEI and Paragon Health Institute which found…
Blog
America receives first debt downgrade in 12 years as history repeats itself
Fitch Ratings, a credit reporting agency, recently issued a foreboding outlook on America’s credit health. For the first time in 12 years, the United States…
Fox News
Biden turns the lights out on yet another one of your home’s essentials
Don’t expect to see incandescent light bulbs for sale anymore. They are now an illegal product thanks to a Biden administration regulation, and…
Wall Street Journal
Biden Knocks Opportunity Cost
The federal government is about to upend how regulations are imposed on businesses and citizens. The White House Office of Management and Budget is quietly…
Blog
Work, dignity, and the common good
Many on the right (especially self-described “national conservatives”) say that there is no “dignified work” for Americans today. What they mean by this is,…
Blog
Free the Economy Episode 33: Federal Trade Commission Failures with Kimberlee Josephson
In this week’s episode we talk about defending financial privacy, new polling on what Republican voters want, reactions to new employment…
News Release
Falling energy prices mask inflation, despite official numbers showing little change from June to July: CEI analysis
The Consumer Price Index ticked up slightly from June to July, but CEI Senior Economist Ryan Young explains why the true inflation problem was…
Bloomberg Law
“The FTC Doesn’t Have the Power to Issue Substantive Rules”
Professor Richard Pierce from George Washington University Law School explains that the FTC lacks the statutory authority to issue a ban on employee non-compete agreements.
Blog
CEI warns EPA: Biden Blackout Plan is unauthorized, harmful, and unrealistic
In West Virginia v. EPA, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, which was the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)…
USA Today
“If Biden’s FTC Breaks Up Bezos’ Company, Consumers Lose.
Yaël Ossowski from the Consumer Choice Center warns against Chair Lina Khan’s desire to break up Amazon.
DC Journal
“FTC Is Expanding Big-Is-Bad Philosophy to Food”
Trey Price from the American Consumer Institute highlights the FTC’s growing interest in regulating sugar and grocery store mergers.
News Release
Biden Labor Department offers new rule on “prevailing wages” that is less accurate
The Biden Labor Department today announced the issuance of the final rule making changes to Davis-Bacon Act labor regulations, ostensibly aimed at helping construction…
New York Times
Climate Is Now a Culture War Issue
Comment
CEI Comments on the EPA’s CO2 Powerplant Emission Performance Standards
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards and guidelines for new and existing…
Blog
Amazon doesn’t have a monopoly in everything
As the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently released their draft merger guidelines, Amazon has found itself in the…
Blog
GOOD Act only first step in forcing federal agencies to come clean on guidance documents
Alongside the familiar profusion of notice-and-comment regulations, federal agency guidance can include memoranda, notices, bulletins, directives, news releases, letters; even blog posts and…
Blog
New premerger filing rules raise costs for no benefit
In late June, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) antitrust division proposed a new set of premerger notification rules.
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: steroids and cyber scholarships
Unemployment remained at 3.5 percent, and Donald Trump got indicted again. Meanwhile, agencies issued new regulations ranging from cooking products to squid harvests. On to…
Washington Examiner
Labor Department to issue pro-union final rule on construction worker pay: Report
Washington Examiner cites CEI’s Sean Higgins on union regulations: Sean Higgins, a research fellow at the libertarian Competitive Enterprise Institute, told the Washington Examiner that the key…
Truth on the Market
“The FTC’s Gambit Against Amazon: Navigating a Multiverse of Blowback and Consumer Harm”
Lazar Radic and Geoffrey Manne from the International Center for Law & Economics argue that the FTC’s anticipated lawsuit against Amazon is unlikely to be…
Townhall
“Antitrust Enforcement Takes a Regressive Turn”
Rachel Chiu from the Committee for Justice discusses how the draft merger guidelines depart from accepted antitrust principles.
News Release
Economy adds 187,000 jobs in July 2023: CEI analysis
The U.S. economy added 187,000 jobs in July, according to the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Not spectacular but not bad, say CEI…
News Release
Myron Ebell to retire from CEI in 2024, Daren Bakst promoted to be Director of the Center for Energy and Environment
Myron Ebell, longtime Director of CEI’s Center for Energy and Environment and a key leader on energy and environmental issues, has stepped down from that…
National Review
The FTC’s Flawed Antimerger Ideology
The Biden administration has unveiled a draft version of new merger guidelines, courtesy of the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of…
Real Clear Markets
The Global Rejection of CBDC
The Biden Administration and the Federal Reserve are taking steps toward the potential roll-out of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). In attempting to do…
Blog
New merger guidelines have a concentration problem
The new draft merger guidelines from the FTC and the Justice Department have sparked a lot of commentary. Over at National Review’s Capital Matters…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Government rules behind a paywall with Patrick McLaughlin
In this week’s episode we talk about banning incandescent light bulbs, mission creep at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, new nuclear capacity…
National Review
“The Problems at the FTC Go Beyond Losing Merger Battles”
Mark Jamison from the American Enterprise Institute provides insight on numerous problems at Khan’s FTC.
Real Clear Markets
“The Biden Administration’s Twisted, Anti-Growth, M&A Policies”
Paul Steidler from the Lexington Institute argues that the new merger guidelines are overly broad and arbitrary.
Blog
Let them eat public transportation
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released its latest attack on Automobility with proposed CA standards on combustion engine vehicles. The war on…
Forbes
Joe Biden’s Split Personality on Energy Project Permitting
On Friday, the Biden Administration proposed a new rule to amend the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations. Unfortunately, the new rule risks…
Blog
What you don’t know about the Wagner Act
What stance does the National Labor Relation Act, the main federal law regarding union rights, take towards workers joining unions? A long-held article of…
Blog
The Paycheck Protection Act gives Congress a chance to defend the little guy
Freshman Missouri congressman Eric Burlison (R) has introduced legislation called the Paycheck Protection Act. The act, a project of the nonprofit American Legislative…
Townhall
“Lina Khan Keeps Dodging Congressional Oversight to Effect Her Radical Agenda”
David McGarry from Taxpayers Protection Alliance talks about Chair Lina Khan’s departure from institutional and ethical norms.
Law360
“Merger Guidelines’ Broad Tack Ignores Recent Precedent”
Attorneys from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP, Jay Rybnicek, Laura Onken, and Tim Swartz, discuss the new merger guidelines.
Study
The Forgotten History of the Wagner Act
Introduction President Joe Biden on April 26, 2021, announced the creation of a special Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment. The purpose of the…
News Release
Report disputes role of federal government in labor union participation, reveals forgotten purpose of the National Labor Relations Act
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report disputes claims by President Biden and others that the 1935 National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) directs the federal…
Blog
Why are America’s insurance commissioners trying to import harmful European rules?
With high prices and the threat of recession looming over America’s economy, another threat is emerging. Influential policymakers overseeing the U.S. insurance industry are on…
Federalist Society
Explainer Episode 58 – Natural Gas Bans, Appliance Efficiency Standards, and Consumer Choice
Ben Lieberman, Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute joins James W. Coleman, Professor of Law, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law to discuss…
Fox News
Biden’s new crackdown on another appliance will be worse than gas stoves
We have seen a big consumer backlash in 2023 over Biden administration bureaucrats targeting gas stoves, but that could pale in comparison to…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: dishwashers and shore leave
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates again, and GDP grew at a healthy 2.4 percent annualized rate. Meanwhile, agencies issued new regulations ranging…
Blog
Life lessons from Alfred Kahn, father of airline deregulation
“Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie.” Alfred Kahn’s opening words during an American Bar Association session were strange and confusing. Why would a man known for…
Washington Examiner
Cryptocurrency back in spotlight in legislative push from Congress
John Berlau, a senior fellow and director of finance policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told the Washington Examiner that Congress should tread lightly in granting more…
Blog
Good news about new business starts nationwide
The Economic Innovation Group has a fascinating report out this week on how we’re seeing a boom in new businesses being started – definitely a…
Blog
Are we ready for a ‘Carbon’ Futures Trading Commission?
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is testing the waters for its commodity-based carbon credit market. As an agency traditionally tasked with regulating commodities, the…
Experts warn Biden admin’s water heater crackdown will hike prices, reduce consumer choice
Fox News cites Ben Lieberman on consumer choice issues: “One of the things about these appliance standards — they’re all problematic…
Blog
No, Florida, you can’t sue corporate directors for ‘going woke’
Recently Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called on the Sunshine State’s pension fund manager to consider action against Bud Light’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch InBev. In a…
Citation
The FTC is burdening small business activity
Ryan Young on the Bob Harden Show, July 28th 2023.
Blog
CEI Hill event shows how the FTC is burdening small businesses
Many have praised Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), for her commitment to regulate “big business.” Under her leadership, the FTC…
Discourse Magazine
Red and Blue States Take Sides in Federal ESG Fight
The environmental, social and governance (ESG) movement has become one of the most divisive issues among state legislators in 2023. ESG refers to a set…
Study
FTC’s Subscription Deception
Proposed Negative Option Rule has no opt-out from bureaucratic overreach Introduction The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a Negative* Option Rule Notice of…
Blog
Raise the Wage Act reintroduced, still wouldn’t help workers
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) has reintroduced the Raise the Wage Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 per hour. Previous…
Study
Four Principles for Real Permitting Reform
Federal legislators continue to focus on permitting reform. For example, the Senate is reportedly1 working on more ambitious reform than those recently enacted in the…
Blog
Free the Economy Episode 31: Reforming the States with Carrie Conko
In this week’s episode we talk about the Federal Trade Commission’s takeover of AI policy, shareholder lawsuits against “woke” corporations, an encouraging…
ICLE
“Five Problems with a Potential FTC Challenge to the Kroger/Albertsons Merger”
Brian Albrecht, Dirk Auer, Eric Fruits, and Geoffrey A. Manne from the International Center for Law & Economics discuss the FTC’s interest in challenging the…
Real Clear Markets
“Why Is Congress Allowing Lina Khan to Collaborate with the EU?”
Charles Sauer, president of the Market Institute, calls on Congress to prohibit the FTC from corroborating with the European Union in enforcing the European Digital…
New York Post
“Cracking Down on AI Companies Could Rob America of Economic Growth”
James Czerniawski from Americans for Prosperity cautions against the FTC’s eagerness to regulate AI companies.
News Release
Economy avoids recession, grows 2.4 percent – but falls short: CEI analysis
GDP numbers released this morning show a healthy 2.4 percent annualized growth in the second quarter. CEI Senior Economist Ryan Young thinks it could…
Wall Street Journal
Population Growth Is Not a Threat to Prosperity
Marian Tupy and David Deutsch’s op-ed “We Will Never Run Out of Resources” (July 21) recalls the work of Julian Simon. The…
Blog
Hollywood and the collateral damage of strikes
The current Hollywood strike by writers and actors has forced several others who don’t have an issue with the studios to stop working.
News Release
Fed raises interest rates, as needed: CEI analysis
The Federal Reserve decided to raise the federal funds rate a quarter of a percent, as expected, at today’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting.
Blog
Teamsters’ UPS win suggests more strikes coming
Tuesday’s announcement that the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and UPS have agreed on a contract is a likely sign that strikes and other union…
Blog
EEOC finds something to do!
Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) introduced a sensible bill in Dec. 2022 providing that before issuing a regulation, the Securities and Exchange Commission must “clearly identify…
News Release
CEI supports prohibition on multi-billion-dollar government slush fund in agriculture appropriations bill
The House of Representatives is set to vote on H.R. 4368, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act…
The Washington Examiner
Carbon tariffs will hurt trade, national interests, and consumers
Carbon tariffs are a bad idea that won’t go away, and now the European Union has launched the first one, the …
Forbes
Careful: Misbegotten Government-Business “Blueprints” Can Lobotomize Artificial Intelligence
Atop numerous directives and another of Washington’s periodic “Bill of Rights” proclamations misconstruing who is protected from what by such documents,…
Blog
Carbon tariffs are all pain, no gain
Europe recently introduced a carbon tax. The proposed PROVE IT Act would lay the groundwork for one in the United States. Over in the…
Wall Street Journal
“Antitrust Regulation by Intimidation”
Gus Hurwitz and Geoffrey Manne from the International Center for Law and Economics explain that the new merger guidelines provide little clarity and much uncertainty.
Blog
CEI asks Supreme Court to overturn Chevron deference to regulators
Earlier today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute filed an amicus brief at the United States Supreme Court asking the Court to overturn Chevron. Our brief…