Blog
CEI’s The Surge: US withdraws from climate change convention, proposed Endangered Species Act reform, 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 and…
Blog
The 2026 Unconstitutionality Index: 18 rules for every law
Article I of the Constitution vests enumerated legislative powers solely with Congress. In practice, however, administrative agencies do most of the lawmaking. Congress enacts weighty…
News Release
Trump’s criminal investigation of Fed chairman a mistake: CEI analysis
The Trump Justice Department’s newly announced criminal investigation of the Federal Reserve chairman, ostensibly concerning renovations of the Fed’s headquarters, is a mistake. Ryan Young,…
Blog
The week in regulations: Taconite and label shapes
President Trump deposed Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and embarked on a nation-building project. ICE agents killed an American citizen in Minnesota. Agencies issued new regulations…
Fox News
Levin: There’s no ‘conflict’ between Trump and Congress, just ‘talk’
Mark Levin from Fox News mentioned CEI’s expert on 10kc report Watch more at Fox News…
Blog
Politicians need to think beyond stage one on credit card price controls
President Trump, in a Friday news dump on social media, proposed price controls on credit card interest rates. He wants to cap annual rates…
Washington Examiner
Trump plan to bar institutional investors from homebuying faces free-market skepticism
The Washington Examiner cited CEI’s expert on housing shortage. “It won’t get to the root of the government-induced housing shortage, it will make things worse,”…
The Orange County
America’s AI electricity ‘crisis’ is easily fixed: Unleash market forces
The Orange County Register cited CEI’s expert on data centers public utility price. Communities are rebelling against the construction of massive data farms.
Orange County Register
America’s AI electricity ‘crisis’ is easily fixed: Unleash market forces
Orange County Register cited CEI’s expert on data centers Communities are rebelling against the construction of massive data farms. Some opposition…
News Release
Tariffs loom over US economy’s disappointing job gains for December 2025
The US economy added a disappointing 50,000 jobs in December 2025, according to government data. CEI experts point to tariffs and economic uncertainty as a…
NOTUS
Trump’s War on Labor Data Didn’t Change the Economic Outlook
NOTUS cited CEI’s expert on economic output Ryan Young, a senior economist at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, said he believes BLS is “operating in…
News Release
House votes to extend Obamacare subsidies, prolonging problems: CEI analysis
On Thursday, the House passed a three-year extension of the enhanced premium tax credits for Obamacare enrollees. These enhanced credits were originally created during COVID…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: FDR’s political legacy with David Beito
In this week’s episode we talk about communist housing policy in New York City, the best economics and history books to read…
Blog
Rescinding the blanket 4(d) rule is good for species and people
At the close of 2025, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) proposed to rescind the blanket 4(d) rule in part due to a…
The Washington Examiner
Trump pulls US from UN’s ‘premier’ agreement on climate change in sweeping order
The Washington Examiner cited CEI’s expert on economic prosperity “Affordable and reliable energy is vital to growth and prosperity, as is removing harmful governmental policies…
News Release
CEI commends President Trump for withdrawing US from 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
President Trump announced this evening that the United States is withdrawing from many international agreements, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate…
News Release
Trump ban on institutional investors will harm housing affordability
President Trump today called for a government ban on “large institutional investors” purchasing single-family homes. While the ban may be aimed at making housing…
Blog
AI and the electricity blackout America needs
The Washington Post’s latest coverage of the so-called “data center rebellion” highlights a trend building across America: communities rising up against server farms powering…
Blog
HSAs: A silver bullet for the silver loading conundrum
After the longest government shutdown in American history — ostensibly caused by the expiration of the expanded Obamacare subsidies — Republicans have debated health care…
Legal Brief
Brief of Amicus Curiae: In Support of Inclusion of Fixed ACS Costs as Incremental Costs under Regulation II
The Competitive Enterprise Institute requests that the court reverse the district court’s ruling that fixed ACS costs are not considered incremental costs under the Durbin…
Blog
Burned by the sun: How tax incentives distort the residential solar market
As the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, a much-hyped tax credit boosting the installation of solar panels on residential rooftops came to a…
Reason
Federal Red Tape Plunges Under Trump
Reason cited CEI’s expert on regulatory activity “While Biden’s 2024 Federal Register totaled 106,109 pages—the highest in history—the 2025 volume closed the year with ‘only’…
News Release
Report urges yearly sunset for all government regulations following Idaho success
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report urges an annual sunset date for all government regulations, offering a case study on this reform already implemented by…
Blog
New CEI study: Zero-based regulations
A new CEI study by Alex Adams looks at a regulatory reform approach that succeeded in Idaho: zero-based regulation. The idea is similar to…
Study
The Beauty of Regulatory Sunsets
Introduction In 2019, Idaho pioneered zero-based regulation (ZBR), an orderly approach to statewide regulatory reform. Like zero-based budgeting, ZBR starts with the presumption that existing…
Blog
Courts reject states’ efforts to take over union law enforcement
A California court late last month struck down a law that would have allowed the Golden State to usurp the role of the National Labor…
Letters
CEI Joins ATR in Free-Market Coalition Urging Approval of Warner Bros. Discovery Acquisition
Dear Members of Congress, The proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. by an existing studio would provide great benefits to consumers. Regulators and legislators…
Comment
CEI Submits Comment to Properly Define Regulated Waters under the CWA
RE: Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322Dear Ms. Jensen and Mr. Boyd: On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, I appreciate this opportunity to provide comments on…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: China’s economy and the US with Derek Scissors
In this week’s episode we talk about corporate real estate investing, woke pension funds, changing fuel economy rules, and questions about…
Blog
The week in regulations: 2025 year-end special
Happy New Year, everyone. The final numbers for 2025’s regulations are in. The first half of this post summarizes those numbers and compares them with…
Citation
Minimum-wage hikes affecting hourly workers in 19 states
The Washington Times cited CEI’s expert on labor’s minimum wage Sean Higgins, an analyst at the libertarian Competitive Enterprise Institute, said U.S. workers earn…
Washington Examiner
Electricity grid reliability diminished by bad government policies
The purpose of the nation’s electricity grid that powers our homes and businesses is to provide reliable electricity. That’s hardly a radical concept. But tell…
Pacific Legal Foundation
Federalism 240 years after the Constitutional Convention: Federalist 32
Pacific Legal Foundation cited CEI on 10kc Federal regulatory accumulation has swarmed the states and localities with hundreds of requirements. Congress has delegated increasing…
Blog
Trump slashed rulemaking in 2025. The hard part starts in 2026
The new year, 2026, marks nearly the first full year of Donald Trump’s second administration. It’s a moment to assess whether regulatory liberalization has genuinely…
Blog
Let’s resolve to repeal Durbin’s debit card interchange price controls in 2026
One safe New Year’s political prediction is that the fight between retailers and financial institutions over so-called swipe fees will continue. The debate has raged…
The Sacramento Bee
POINT: Throwing parental rights on the barbie won’t fly in the United States
The world’s first social media ban of users under age 16 is now in effect in Australia. Whatever parents’ genuine concerns and understandable frustrations around…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Climate policy endangerment with Marlo Lewis
In this week’s episode we talk about tariff refunds, Affordable Care Act subsidies, Ryan Young’s Books of the Year for 2025,…
Blog
Possible Fed pick Warsh has government-backed crypto problem
Kevin Warsh, financial executive and former Federal Reserve governor, is now reportedly among the top contenders being considered to replace Jerome Powell as Fed chairman.
Blog
CEI’s The Surge: Clean Water Act reform, new CAFE standards, 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 and…
News Release
Third quarter 2025 GDP growth impressive despite tariff burden: CEI analysis
After a shutdown-related delay, the initial estimate for third quarter GDP is in – a strong 4.3 percent growth. That’s impressive in the midst of…
Blog
Best books of 2025: Johan Norberg’s Peak Human
Johan Norberg’s latest book, Peak Human, is a history of golden ages. After starting in Ancient Greece and then Rome, Norberg tours the Abbasid…
Blog
California and EU’s Climate Disclosure Policies Face Major Setbacks
As we close out 2025, corporate leaders in the US should breathe a sigh of regulatory relief. On top of the deregulatory spree that many…
Blog
Deregulation’s year-end illusion
As the year winds down, The Trump administration is congratulating itself on deregulation. In a White House statement and in what it described as an…
Comment
CEI Comments on the Proposed Rescission of the Blanket 4(d) Rule
Dear Mr. Tirpak, On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, I appreciate this opportunity to provide comments on the Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) proposed…
Citation
How Trump’s First Year Reshaped U.S. Energy and Climate Policy
The Daily Economy
Breakneck: Dan Wang Explores the Strange Symmetry of US and China
The title of Dan Wang’s book Breakneck focuses on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) specifically, but it is really about the self-conscious great-power rivalry…
Blog
The week in regulations: Neck floats and stablecoins
Unemployment went slightly up, and inflation went slightly down. President Trump gave a primetime speech, and earlier in the week commented on Rob Reiner and…
News Release
Rescheduling marijuana to a less restrictive category will benefit liberty and public health
President Trump signed an executive order today intended to fast track the rescheduling of cannabis from a Schedule I substance, the same as heroin,…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Consumer finance and privacy with James Erwin
In this week’s episode we talk about the decline of electric vehicles, liberation for home appliances, the failure of tariffs to…
Blog
Government shouldn’t engage in debanking or forced banking
December is turning into a month in which Congress and Trump administration financial regulators are attempting to tackle debanking – the closure of accounts or…
News Release
Inflation increased by 0.2 percent in November but year-over-year inflation remains above the Fed’s target
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for November showed a 0.2 percent increase in inflation across all sectors, lower than market expectations. But the…
News Release
CEI Study: Government laws against pharmacy ownership would increase costs, restrict access for consumers
Innovation is reshaping how Americans get their prescription medications. Whether picking up medications in person, ordering online, or getting same-day delivery from services like Capsule,…
Study
A Free Market is the Best Medicine
Introduction The pharmaceutical supply market is seeing extraordinarily high levels of innovation and consumer-benefiting evolution. The combination of a competitive market for generic drugs, rapid…
The Daily Economy
Keeping the Towers Open When Government Closes
On most days, America’s air traffic control system is invisible. The radar screens flicker, the controllers thread needles as planes approach and depart, and millions…
Blog
Everyone hates congestion pricing…until it is shown to save time, air, and sanity
New York City is famously referred to as “the city that never sleeps.” The hustle and bustle that makes New York City iconic makes it…
News Release
US economy added 64,000 jobs in November but underemployment and stagflation cause concern: CEI analysis
The US Labor Department released its report today on jobs added to the economy in November 2025, a modest gain. But underemployment and the…
Blog
Time to end the Christmas tree tax
Fun holiday fact: the federal government has a Christmas Tree Promotion Board. It works a bit like a trade association does in the private…
Blog
Trump’s AI order: Preempting the states without unleashing Washington
A new Trump executive order, “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence,” pushes back on most state law and rulemaking affecting AI. Top…
Blog
CEI study says it’s time to unplug federal appliance regulations
Stoves, air conditioners, ceiling fans, water heaters, light fixtures, refrigerators, washing machines, furnaces, dishwashers, and more – nearly everything that plugs in or fires up…
News Release
Report: Government regulations on household appliances increase costs, worsen performance
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report explains how needless government regulations have made everyday household appliances cost more and perform worse. “Appliance regulations have gotten…
Blog
The week in regulations: Fuel casks and water beads
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates. President Trump proposed $12 billion in giveaways to farmers harmed by his tariffs. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from…
Study
Free the Appliances!
Introduction The Department of Energy’s (DOE) appliance efficiency standards program has been in place for decades, subjecting nearly every major home appliance to multiple rounds…
News Release
AI Executive Order preempts state regulation, promotes US competitiveness: CEI analysis
President Trump on Dec. 11 signed an executive order to preempt states from regulating artificial intelligence and establishing a federal framework focused on child…
Blog
AGOA renewal should hold South Africa accountable
Free traders scored a victory in Congress this week when the House Ways and Means Committee passed the AGOA Extension Act. The legislation, sponsored…
Blog
Trump’s baby accounts: Wealth builder or redistribution trap?
A White House roundtable this week spotlighted Michael and Susan Dell’s $6.25 billion philanthropic contribution seeding newborn investment “Trump Accounts” beyond the federal…
Congressman Gabe Evans
Reps. Evans’, Gray’s bipartisan FIRE Act passes through E&C’s Environment Subcommittee.
Congressman Gabe Evans cited CEI’s expert on the CAA “Congress needs to take action to ensure that, codified within the CAA, states are not unfairly…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: The business of America with Neil Bradley
In this week’s episode we cover the economic effects of net-zero policies in blue states and Europe, top targets for environmental…
Blog
Debanking flows downhill from progressive policymakers
The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), a leading federal financial regulator, has released preliminary findings from its review of debanking…
News Release
Fed cuts interest rates in December meeting: CEI analysis
The Federal Reserve today cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points, a sign the board is wrangling with tradeoffs, say CEI economy experts. Ryan Young,…
Blog
CEI files amicus brief in SCOTUS case to protect homeowners from tax equity theft
On December 8, 2025, CEI filed an amicus brief in the case Michael Pung v. Isabella County, Michigan at the United States Supreme Court. This case…
Blog
What’s coming in 2026 for energy and environmental policy
There are many important energy and environmental developments in the works, both in the executive branch and in Congress. The following are two different lists.
Blog
Subcommittee to markup commonsense Clean Air Act bills
Tomorrow, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment Subcommittee is scheduled to hold a markup of several Clean Air Act-related bills.NAAQS refers to the…
Blog
The Supreme Court should restore the president’s removal authority
This week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in one of the most consequential administrative law disputes of the century. Trump v. Slaughter…
Blog
A year end blessing: No net neutrality
As we approach the end of the year, it’s a natural time to reflect on what we’re grateful for. While many blessings come to mind,…
Legal Brief
Brief of Amici Curiae: Pung v. Isabella
In Pung v. Isabella County: CEI attorneys urged the U.S. Supreme Court to stop tax-foreclosure practices that strip homeowners of their equity, because they violate…
Blog
Two cheers for ending Humphrey’s Executor
Oral arguments in Trump v. Slaughter begin today. While debates over the legitimacy of presidential removal authority and the degree of Senate involvement…
Blog
The week in regulations: Cable television rates and estate sales
President Trump announced an easing of vehicle fuel economy standards. Netflix struck a deal to buy Warner Bros. and HBO. The Defense Secretary is in…
The Daily Wire
Australia’s Novel Social Media Ban For Kids Sparks Debate As Some Platforms Get A Free Pass
The Daily Wire cited CEI’s expert on kids safety online “We haven’t really seen a plan like this be put into action,” said Jessica Melugin,…
Letters
CEI Joins Center for Freedom and Prosperity to Highlight Urgent Need for Reform at the SEC
Dear President Trump: We are writing to highlight an important issue that directly impacts your administration’s efforts to democratize access to the alternative investments in…
Blog
Politics over pensions: An ESG report card for proxy voting
Unleashing Prosperity (UP) recently released a timely report, “Putting Politics Over Pensions: The 2025 Unleash Prosperity Report Card on Investment Fund Managers and Proxy…
News Release
Consumer price inflation accelerating, recent government report shows: CEI analysis
Today the federal government released inflation data on consumer prices dating back to the month of September (having been delayed due to the weeks-long government…
Comment
Supporting Clarification for Consumer Regulated Electricity: Reply Comments of Paige Lambermont
Reply Comments of Paige Lambermont of the Competitive Enterprise Institute I appreciate this opportunity to provide feedback on the Secretary of Energy’s advance notice of…
Civitas Outlook
In the Long Run, the Meta Case Is Dead
It’s official: Meta is not illegally monopolizing the “personal social networking” (PSN) market through its 2012 purchase of Instagram and 2014 purchase of WhatsApp. The…
Blog
Off the rails and behind the times: How FRA rules hinder automated track inspection
The railway system has long been the backbone of the American economy by connecting communities, supporting supply chains, and carrying passengers safely to their destinations.
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Balancing the budget with Kurt Couchman
In this week’s episode we talk about our 150th episode anniversary party, the documentary Dear Mr. President: The Letters of Julia…
Comment
Reply Comments of the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Support of Charter Communications, Inc. and Cox Communications, Inc.
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) appreciates the opportunity to file reply comments on the application to transfer control of Cox Communications, Inc. (Cox) to Charter…
News Release
Transportation Department seeks to restore sanity to fuel economy standards: CEI analysis
The Trump administration is proposing new fuel economy standards for vehicles that would get rid of unwarranted and unrealistic requirements set during the Biden…
Blog
Politico’s failed critique of DOE’s climate science report – who’s misleading on hurricanes?
In September, Politico published an article titled “How a major DOE report hides the whole truth about climate change.” In October, I rebutted that…
Letters
CEI In Support of the SCORE Act and Opposition to the SAFE Act
Dear Speaker Johnson, We write today in support of H.R. 4312, the “Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act.” The SCORE Act…
The Washington Times
Record-high 203 million people shopped over Thanksgiving weekend, says National Retail Federation
The Washington Times cited CEI’s expert on The Federal Bureau of Economic Analysis “The good news is that inflation hasn’t deterred people that much,” said…
Blog
Stop the snapback: Congress can make small-business deregulation stick
This week, CEI sent a letter to Congress urging the House to pass Rep. Beth Van Duyne’s (R-TX) H.R. 2965, the Small Business…
News Release
CEI supports SCORE Act protecting college athletes’ right to profit
The Competitive Enterprise Institute endorses the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act sponsored by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), which would ensure…
Letters
CEI Letter of Support on the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act
Members of Congress, We write to reiterate our strong support for Rep. Van Duyne’s (TX-24) Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act (SBRRA). Recent…
Blog
Court rejects New York bid to take over federal labor enforcement
An effort by the New York legislature to usurp the role of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the main federal labor law enforcement agency,…
News Release
Melugin: Preempting state-level AI regulation shouldn’t come at the expense of speech rights and parental responsibility
The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade will hold a hearing this morning on several bills related to technology,…
Comment
How EPA’s Regional Haze Overreach Undermines State Authority and Ignores Emissions Progress
I. Introduction The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is a policy and research organization dedicated to advancing the principles of free markets and limited government.
Blog
The week in regulations: From postal possession to foreign atomic energy
It was a four-day week due to Thanksgiving. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from postage pricing to non-endangered woodpeckers. On to the data: Agencies issued…
DC Journal
Public Interest Requires the FCC to Abolish the News Distortion Standard
For decades, the Federal Communications Commission has invoked the public interest to regulate the speech of television and radio stations licensed by the agency. Television…
Law & Liberty
America’s Hidden Judiciary
Unbeknownst to most Americans, federal regulatory agencies have their own court system for adjudicating disputes that businesses and citizens have with regulators. These agencies rely…
The Daily Signal
The Woman Who Redeemed Chester Arthur
The new Netflix series “Death by Lightning” (based on the fantastic book, “Destiny of the Republic”) tells the true story of President James Garfield’s assassination in 1881 and…