Reason
Why DOGE Failed
Reason quoted CEI’s expert on DOGE Misunderstanding How the Federal Budget Works “DOGE failed because they got the order of operations wrong,” said Ryan…
Blog
Regulatory reform takes all three branches
Over at The Hill, Wayne Crews and I argue that regulatory reform requires all three branches of government. Not only is a healthy…
Blog
What the DOGE debates really reveal
Last week I took part in a point/counterpoint on the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), making a brief case for its mission…
News Release
President Trump MFN Drug Price for Medicare Executive Order
President Trump is expected to sign an executive order today directing his administration to pursue a “Most Favored Nation” approach to prescription drug…
Blog
Under Biden or Trump, taxing carried interest is stupid and destructive policy
No matter who’s in charge of the presidency or Congress, flawed proposals to close the so-called carried interest loophole just keep coming back. News…
Blog
Why IRA energy subsidies should be dismantled: A guide
This article is intended to be a useful resource about the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) energy subsidies and is broken into three sections: The…
Blog
The numbers don’t add up in new Medicaid paper
In a recently released working paper, authors Angela Wyse and Bruce D. Meyer purport to show that the ACA Medicaid expansion saved 27,400…
Blog
US-China tariff pause is good news, needs context
The Trump administration and the Chinese government announced a 90-day tariff reduction. While this is good news, it deserves context. The risk…
Blog
The week in regulations: Medical devices and tuna
President Trump proposed a 100 percent tariff on foreign movies, and reopening Alcatraz. The US and UK announced a trade deal. The Vatican named a…
Politico
Playbook PM: Setting the table for Switzerland
TRANSITION — Jeremy Nighohossian is now a senior fellow and economist at the Competitive Enterprise Institute focusing on health care policy. He previously worked at…
Blog
Initiative 82 will hopefully get 86’d
The city of Washington, DC has belatedly realized that passing a law whose purpose is to make a product or service more expensive will…
Blog
Congress should overturn harmful anti-bank merger regulation
Yesterday, the Senate approved a resolution pursuant to the Congressional Review Act to overturn a regulation from the Biden administration that would sharply…
News Release
Trump’s US/UK Trade Framework: One Cheer
President Trump today announced a framework for a US-UK trade deal, in a lengthy Oval Office press event. CEI trade policy expert Ryan…
Op-Eds
Counterpoint: DOGE’s Swift but Not-So-Terrible Sword
Critics swing between accusing the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) of overreach and declaring it a failure at cutting government. Here are…
Washington Examiner
Republicans ‘reimagine’ major regulatory reform to fit it in reconciliation bill
Washington examiner cited CEI’s expert on reform Wayne Crews, vice president for policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told the Washington Examiner that this would…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Dear Mr. President with Destry Edwards
In this week’s episode we cover the economic slowdown from tariffs, more accountability for independent agencies in the federal government, and…
Blog
US-UK trade deal: What it should contain
As I write this, we are awaiting the announcement of the US-UK trade deal from the White House, with reaction from UK Prime Minister…
Blog
SEC commissioners regain subpoena power, potentially curtailing record-level fines
After 16 years, commissioners at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) finally adopted a rule to regain the authority to launch investigations from…
Blog
Time’s up for the equal time rule
Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines “anachronism” as a person or thing that is chronologically out of place, “especially: one from a former age that…
Reason
The Case for Eliminating Energy Star
Reason cited CEI’s expert on the EPA A March white paper from the Competitive Enterprise Institute on modernizing the EPA says “green purchasing programs”…
Blog
America last? How the antitrust agencies could jeopardize both big and small business
At a time when trade deficits, particularly with China, are a major economic and political concern for the Trump administration, the antitrust authorities are…
News Release
Interest rates hold steady for now, markets still spooked by tariff troubles: CEI analysis
The Federal Reserve has decided once again to keep interest rates steady, likely in response to President Trump’s flurry of tariff policies. CEI…
News Release
CEI’s new documentary, Dear Mr. President: The Letters of Julia Sand, available for streaming beginning today on SalemNow.
Fox Business
US trade deficit hits record high in March
Fox Business cited CEI’s expert on trade deficits “Trump’s trade deficit fixation is a mistake,” said Competitive Enterprise Institute senior economist Ryan Young.
Forbes
House Reconciliation Bill Takes Aim At Regulation, But Needs Fixes
Congressional Republicans are moving one step closer to achieving their long-sought goal of overhauling the regulatory state. Tucked into the House Judiciary Committee’s …
Blog
Farm subsidies, car interest deduction show tariffs’ triple harms
Tariffs are a three-in-one tool for economic self-harm. The first harm comes from the tariffs themselves, which raise producer costs and consumer prices in…
Comment
CEI comments advising DOT to rescind Biden administration SAFE 1 Repeal Rule
Dear Mr. Cohen, On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), I respectfully submit these comments responsive to the Department of Transportation’s request…
News Release
Trade deficit grew in March, tariff effects just beginning: CEI analysis
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the US trade deficit grew by 14 percent in March ahead of President Trump’s broad tariff…
Blog
Let prediction markets predict – elections, sports, and other topics
In the 2024 presidential election, one of the big winners was prediction markets. During the weeks leading up to election day, venues such as…
Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee
Chairman Lee Introduces Bill to End Biden Era Lightbulb Ban
Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee cited CEI’s expert on Bill to end Lightbulb Ban “This bill is very good news for…
Blog
House Republican letter urges an end to all IRA handouts via the reconciliation bill
Congressional Republicans were unanimous in their opposition to the Green New Deal when it was introduced in 2019, and for very good reason given…
The Daily Signal
How Many Biden Appointees ‘Burrowed in’ to the Permanent Bureaucracy?
The Daily Signal cited CEI’s expert on political career placements Sean Higgins, a research fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, also highlighted the…
Blog
Why do so many countries have tariffs?
Over at the Center Square, Iain Murray and I ask an overlooked question: If tariffs are so bad, then why does nearly every…
Center Square Opinion
Why do so many countries have tariffs?
If tariffs are so bad, then why does nearly every country have them? It’s a fair question, and many Trump tariff defenders are asking…
Blog
The week in regulations: Steel tariff inclusions and policies for arresting journalists
The 2025 edition of Wayne Crews’s Ten Thousand Commandments is out now. The economy shrank 0.3 percent in the first quarter of…
Blog
CEI primer on agency adjudication
Agency adjudication is the process by which administrative agencies resolve legal disputes that implicate regulatory policies. Agencies render decisions through in-house tribunals commonly known…
Blog
CEI’s The Surge: California waivers, IRIS, and more
If you are interested in analysis and perspective on current energy and environmental issues, then we encourage you to subscribe to this new publication…
News Release
April adds 177,000 jobs to economy, tariff policies yet to majorly shakeup labor market: CEI analysis
The job numbers for April show 177,000 jobs were added to the economy, with the unemployment rate staying steady at 4.2 percent. While job…
Blog
CEI suggests DOT put the brakes on train two-person crew rule
The Transportation Department recently asked the public for comments on how to reduce the regulatory burden. One thought that the Competitive Enterprise Institute…
News Release
House moves to stop California ban on gas-powered cars: CEI statement
The House today overwhelmingly passed a resolution rejecting a Biden-era EPA waiver allowing California to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.
Comment
CEI’s Comments to the Department of Transportation on Ensuring Lawful Regulation
Dear Mr. Cohen: The Department of Transportation’s above-captioned request for information seeks “public comment on how best to ensure lawful regulation and to…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Waste, fraud, and tax hikes with Emily Ekins
In this week’s episode we cover workplace injuries, MAGA antitrust in theory and practice, portable benefits for gig workers, and…
CNN
America’s economy may actually be even weaker than it appears
CNN cited CEI’s expert on the financial state of the economy “People are stockpiling now. That’s helping the economy now — and…
Comment
Competitive Enterprise Institute Letter in Support of DOT Request to Reduce Regulatory Burden
On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), I respectfully submit the following comments in response to the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) request for…
Yahoo Finance
Trump decries ‘Biden’s Stock Market’ after capping worst 100-day market performance in decades
Yahoo Finance cited CEI’s expert on the newest GDP report The Competitive Enterprise Institute, a free-market-focused think tank in Washington, D.C., was one…
Letters
CEI joins ATR in a Call for Repealing Green New Deal Subsidies in Reconciliation
We, the undersigned organizations, are writing in support of repealing the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) green new deal subsidies to pay for tax cuts…
Blog
Congress can end California’s EV mandates
This week, the House is expected to vote on three important Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions of disapproval that would repeal California waivers…
Blog
That didn’t take long: Tariffs shrink economy in just two months
The US is halfway to a self-imposed recession, and tariffs are to blame. A healthy economy started shrinking even before President Trump’s Rose…
The Washington Post
House GOP proposes removing antitrust authority from FTC
The Washington Post cited CEI’s expert on antitrust “Consolidating antitrust enforcement at one agency would give businesses more certainty on the rules of…
Newsweek
US Industrial Output To Be Worst Hit Globally by Trump Tariffs
Newsweek cited CEI’s expert on tariffs Ryan Young, senior economist at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, previously told Newsweek: “Tariff-related shipping slowdowns will cause a…
News Release
Economy shrinks following Trump tariffs: CEI analysis
America’s GDP shrank during the first quarter of 2025 following President Trump’s spate of trade tariffs imposed on various countries in his first…
The Economic Standard
Rebecca Minkoff’s Success: A Testament to the Importance of Personal Credit
Nobody likes paying interest on a credit card bill. It may seem like an easy out to just have Congress forbid it. But what…
News Release
Pumping the brakes on permitting reform in Michigan: CEI report
Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute released a new report on Michigan’s recent history of environmental permitting policies. “Michigan has undergone several attempts…
Study
Pumping the Brakes on Reform
This report examines Michigan’s recent permitting reforms, highlighting how some productive efforts to enhance accountability and efficiency have largely stalled. While the state took…
Blog
Time to shut down IRIS—for good
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reportedly preparing to eliminate its Office of Research and Development, which houses the controversial Integrated Risk Information…
News Release
Ondray Harris joins CEI as General Counsel
The Competitive Enterprise Institute is pleased to announce that attorney Ondray Harris is CEI’s new General Counsel. Harris joins CEI from law firm Gordon…
Fox News
Trump’s executive order surge: The unprecedented use of presidential authority
Fox News cited CEI’s expert on federal government power Trump’s approach signals that power has been diverted away from Congress and that the …
Politico
Playbook: 100 days of magnitude
Politico cited CEI’s new General Counsel FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Ondray Harris is now general counsel at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. He previously was counsel…
Blog
Commencing deconstruction of the administrative state – Trump’s next 100 days
Federal regulation costs trillions of dollars each year. Call it the “costberg”—a vast, submerged amalgam of rules, guidance, and paperwork reshaping the economy without…
Washington Examiner
Trump 100-day report card: Tariff rollout ‘the biggest unforced error in American economic history’
The Washington Examiner cited CEI’s expert on tariffs In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Ryan Young, a senior economist at the Competitive…
Blog
The week in regulations: Taconite plans and ante-mortem horse inspections
Markets went down when President Trump threatened to fire Fed chair Jerome Powell and went up when he backed off. Agencies issued new regulations…
Bloomberg Law
Trump’s Plan to Control More Civil Servants Disrupts Opposition
Bloomberg Law cites CEI’s Devin Watkins on Trump’s civil service overhaul. Trump’s civil service overhaul could still be challenged in court once the…
Letters
CEI joins Institute for Energy Research to address EPA errors
Dear Administrator Zeldin: We applaud your efforts to reform the Environmental Protection Agency through the Powering the Great American Comeback initiative. In his…
930AM The Answer
Federal regulations cost average American household $16,000 a year, group finds
930AM The Answer cited CEI’s Ten Thousand Commandments report The nonpartisan Competitive Enterprise Institute released its annual Ten Thousand Commandments report Thursday. It shows…
Issues & Insights
Can Trump Kill This $2.2 Trillion Regulatory Beast?
Issues and Insights quoted CEI’s Ten Thousand Commandments report But that barely scratches the surface. Thursday, the Competitive Enterprise Institute released its annual …
NewsMax
Study: Biden’s ‘Hidden’ Tax on Households Hit $16K in 2024
NewsMax quoted CEI’s expert on Ten Thousand Commandments report Federal regulations imposed by the Biden administration reached costs of $2.16 trillion in 2024,…
Blog
Ten Thousand Commandments 2025 is out now
The 2025 edition of CEI’s flagship report, Ten Thousand Commandments, is out today. For more than 30 years, my colleague Wayne Crews has…
The Washington Times
Federal red ink now costs businesses more than $2.1 trillion per year, report says
The Washington Times quoted CEI’s expert on 10kc report “Congress should be held accountable for such large regulatory actions,” wrote Clyde Wayne Crews…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Reforming Washington’s 10,000 Commandments with Wayne Crews
In this week’s episode we cover the political roots of totalitarianism, why we should put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac out…
Daily Caller
Cost Of Regulatory Burdens Reached Staggering Levels In 2024, Report Says
Daily Caller cited CEI’s expert on Ten Thousand Commandments report Federal regulations added an estimated total cost of a whopping $2.155 trillion for…
The National News Desk
Biden leaves behind $16,000 hidden tax for everyone
The National News Desk quoted CEI’s expert on Ten Thousand Commandments report That according to a new report released Thursday from…
News Release
“Ten Thousand Commandments” report on federal regulatory burdens identifies problems, reforms
The Competitive Enterprise Institute today released its annual Ten Thousand Commandments report on the cost burden of federal regulations, revealing a cost exceeding $2…
Products
Chapter 11: 2025 Unconstitutionality Index: 19 rules for every law 78
Article I of the Constitution notwithstanding, administrative agencies, not Congress, do most of America’s lawmaking. Congress enacts weighty legislation but delegates the details to agencies.
Products
Chapter 4: Regulatory dark matter
Although executive actions are typically supposed to deal with the internal operations of the federal government, they increasingly can have binding effect and influence private…
Products
Chapter 3: Numbers of rules and page counts in the Federal Register
The Federal Register is the daily repository of all proposed and final federal rules and regulations. Although its page counts are often cited as a…
Products
Chapter 2: Why we need a regulatory budget
The federal government publicly discloses its fiscal costs. It does not disclose most of its regulatory costs. Federal spending programs are funded either by taxes…
Products
Chapter 7:Unified Agenda of regulatory actions
Along with the Report to Congress, Federal Register, and Code of Federal Regulations, another vehicle for regulatory disclosure is the spring and fall editions of…
Products
Chapter 12: An agenda for rightsizing Washington
Rule counts regularly topped 4,000 in the 1990s. That is the wrong comparison for Biden-era lower rule counts. Those fewer rules have higher costs, are…
Products
Chapter 5: Well over 20,000 agency public notices annually
Presidents issue a few dozen memoranda and other proclamations each year. Departments and agencies issue thousands. These include guidance documents, notices, memoranda, letters, bulletins, action…
Products
Chapter 6: A note on rule reviews at OMB
OMB’s Biden-era shift to regulatory advocacy, particularly since the Circular A-4 rewrite, diminishes what can be gleaned from EO 12866 rule reviews. Nonetheless, like pages…
Products
Chapter 1: Biden’s whole-of-government push
Let’s be clear, Kamala and I came into office determined to transform how the economy works—change the way it literally functions. —Joe Biden, September 23,…
Products
Chapter 8: Federal regulations affecting small business
The aforementioned National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) report found that average annual per-employee regulatory costs to firms vary by firm size. The smaller the firm,…
Products
Chapter 10: GAO database on rules and major rules
The federal government’s regulatory reports and databases serve different purposes. The Federal Register presents all proposed and final rules, along with numerous presidential documents and…
Products
Chapter 9: Federal rules affecting state and local governments
State and local officials’ concerns over federal mandates’ overriding their own priorities resulted in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) of 1995. It requires Congressional…
Study
Ten Thousand Commandments 2025
Introduction Record federal debt is contributing to record-setting regulatory burdens. While new spending programs show up in budget figures, new regulations requiring the private…
Blog
Otherwise Objectionable episode 6: ‘The Rest of the World’
The sixth episode of Otherwise Objectionable, the narrative-driven podcast that tells the true story of Section 230 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, focuses…
Blog
Earth Day is broken—only private conservation can fix it
With this week’s 2025 Earth Day came the usual media and progressive lawmaker fanfare lauding government programs and regulatory solutions to environmental concerns.
Comment
CEI Comments on Waters of the United States (WOTUS)
Dear Ms. Jensen and Mr. Boyd: I appreciate this opportunity to provide comments on the notice “Implementation of the Definition of Waters of…
Blog
How valuable will anonymous comments be to the Ferguson FTC?
Comments to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its “Inquiry on Tech Censorship” are due next month on May 21, 2025, and the public…
Wall Street Journal
“FTC Sues Uber, Alleging Deceptive Billing, Cancellation Practices”
The Wall Street Journal reports on the FTC’s lawsuit against Uber.
News Release
Escalating trade war with China won’t fix the need for reform: CEI analysis
On Monday, China vowed to retaliate against nations that corporate with President Trump’s tariffs against Beijing, putting potential trade deals between the US and…
Blog
Regulators right to approve Capital One/Discover merger
On Friday, federal financial regulators made the right decision in approving the merger of Capital One and Discover. In their joint approvals of the…
Blog
Don’t let the next crisis grow the government—again
“Now, I’m going to sign this, and it’s a great honor — $6.2 trillion. I’ve never signed anything with a…
Forbes
Trump Reforms Die Without An Abuse-Of-Crisis Prevention Act
Amid frustrations with interventionist elements of the Trump agenda—such as tariffs and revived antitrust zeal—many have nevertheless been encouraged by the…
Blog
The week in regulations: Wildfire appraisals and portable spas
President Trump and El Salvador president Nayib Bukele confirmed that they would continue to imprison people without due process. Agencies issued new regulations ranging…
Blog
Trump’s tariffs: Look for the union label
One of the biggest boosters of President Trump’s tariffs has been the United Auto Workers (UAW). The venerable union wants to see domestic factories…
Truth on the Market
“The FTC’s Zombie Antitrust Action Against Meta Continues to Lurch Forward”
Dan Gilman with International Center for Law & Economics discusses various aspects of the FTC’s case against Meta.
Reason
“The Trump Administration Wages War on Meta”
Reason’s Jack Nicastro details the facts in the FTC’s antitrust case against Meta.
News Release
Decision in Google antitrust case a major blow for online competitiveness: CEI analysis
On Thursday, a federal court ruled that Google violated antitrust law by maintaining a monopoly over online advertising. CEI experts caution about the precedent…
Washington Examiner
FTC’s antitrust crusade against Meta contradicts key parts of the Trump agenda
We’re all about to find out if it’s the White House or what’s left of the administrative state that’s calling the shots…