Blog
The FTC vs. the Right to a Fair Trial
The Food and Drug Administration recently proposed capping the nicotine in cigarettes, which will encourage many smokers to smoke more to get the same…
Blog
A Breakdown of Rules in the White House’s Spring 2022 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions
Since the early 1980s, federal departments and agencies have highlighted selected regulatory priorities in spring and fall editions of the Unified Agenda of Federal…
Issues & Insights
Supreme Court Reins In The Regulatory Beast
The Supreme Court’s decision today in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency is an important brake on the administrative state that has inexorably grown since…
Comment
CEI Comments on FDA Proposed Menthol Standard
Center for Tobacco U.S. Food and Drug Administration 10903 New Hampshire Ave Silver Spring, MD 20993 Re: Tobacco Product Standard…
Legal Brief
Brief of Amicus Curiae in West Virginia v. EPA
INTEREST OF AMICUS CURIAE1 The Competitive Enterprise Institute (“CEI”) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization incorporated and headquartered in Washington, D.C., dedicated to…
News Release
CEI Experts React to Supreme Court’s West Virginia v EPA Decision
WASHINGTON—In deciding West Virginia v. EPA today, the Supreme Court held that Congress never authorized the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon emissions…
Townhall
Who Is the FDA’s Juul Ban Supposed to Help?
Townhall cites CEI Senior Fellow Michelle Minton on the FDA shutdown of the e-cigarette Juul. Don’t hold your breath…
Blog
Supreme Court Reins in the Administrative State in West Virginia v. EPA
The Supreme Court’s decision today in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency is an important brake on the administrative state that has inexorably…
Sky News
US Fossil Fuel States Win Important Legal Victory at Supreme Court
CEI Senior Fellow and Vice President for Strategy speaks to Sky News about the Supreme Court’s ruling that the Environmental Protection Agency won’t have…
Fox News
Supreme Court ruling limits EPA power, returns it to Congress where it belongs
For some time, the Environmental Protection Agency has wanted to destroy the American coal industry and has issued regulations with that end in mind.
Wall Street Journal
Behind Biden’s EPA Power Grab
The Environmental Protection Agency had its way with both the Clean Air Act and the U.S. Constitution for decades. The Supreme Court’s decision Thursday…
News Release
CEI Report: Reforms to Universal Service Fund Will Allow the FCC to Cut Taxpayer Costs and Improve Broadband Affordability for Underserved Americans
WASHINGTON—Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have an opportunity to both improve broadband connectivity and reduce costs to taxpayers by making some commonsense…
Study
How Congress and the Federal Communications Commission Can Help Improve Affordable Internet Access to Underserved Populations
June 30, 2022 …
Blog
DAOs: One Answer to Woke Corporations
Imagine a group of mothers upset about Disney’s opposition to a state parental rights bill in Florida. Instead of merely venting in a Facebook…
RealClear Markets
Blame Government, Not Bitcoin, for El Salvador’s Crypto Troubles
Real Clear Markets
Blame Government, Not Bitcoin, for El Salvador’s Crypto Troubles
The Laser Eyes that have become a signature MEME of crypto enthusiasts are gone from El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s Twitter profile—a…
Federal News Network
How do you protect your assets from seizures and forfeitures?
CEI Deputy General Counsel Dan Greenberg described seizures and forfeitures, how to protect your assets, and how difficult it is for consumers to retrieve…
Forbes
Biden Administration Releases Updated Regulatory Agenda
Apart from a one-time Obama-era glitch, federal agencies have highlighted selected regulatory priorities in Spring and Fall editions of the …
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The January 6 hearings continued and the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from nuclear fees to pelagic resources.
National Review
Playing Both Ends of the Field on Climate Risk
Blog
Federal Agency Tries to Extend Reach with Joint Employer Standard
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the federal labor law enforcement agency, is likely planning to vastly expand its reach through a rulemaking on…
Blog
Crisis Abuse in History
Last week, CEI released Wayne Crews’s paper proposing an Abuse of Crisis Prevention Act. (If you prefer the short version, see Wayne’s and…
Libertarianism.org
Socialism isn’t what it used to be
CEI Vice President for Strategy and Senior Fellow Iain Murray discusses the many faces of socialism, from the American experiments of the New Deal…
Washington Examiner
FDA’s Juul ban part of deadly war on nicotine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that it denied the application of Juul Labs, maker of the Juul e-cigarette, to market…
Blog
Current Antitrust Proposals No “Laffing” Matter
A new report by Laffer Associates released today, Read ‘Em and Weep: How the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (S. 2992) and…
Blog
FDA’s Juul Ban Part of Deadly War on Nicotine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that it denied the application of Juul Labs, maker of the Juul e-cigarette, to market…
Blog
Defeat of Pot Banking Liberalization Will Lead to More Violent Crime and Reduced U.S. Competitiveness
It is beyond disappointing that Congress once again dropped the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act—bipartisan legislation that would prevent the federal government…
News Release
FDA Juul Ban Bad for Public Health: CEI Comment
The Food and Drug Administration is on the verge of ordering Juul Labs Inc. to remove its e-cigarettes from the U.S. market, according to…
Testimony
CEI Expert Testimony at Legislative Hearing to Strengthen Energy Infrastructure, Efficiency, and Financing
House Subcommittee on Energy 2123 Rayburn House Office Building June 22, 2022 Legislative Hearing to Strengthen Energy Infrastructure, Efficiency,…
Blog
Yellen Proposes Capping Oil Prices? Not Quite
Cable news and Twitter are aflame with outrage today that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen proposed price caps for oil. Fortunately, the rumors are…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
Happy Juneteenth, everyone. The January 6 hearings continued. The Federal Reserve raised the federal funds rate by 0.75 percentage points. Agencies issued new regulations…
Blog
The Many Arbitrary and Capricious Aspects of SEC’s Climate Risk Disclosure Rule
Yesterday (June 16), CEI submitted two comment letters to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on its proposed rule: “The Enhancement and Standardization…
Blog
SEC Climate Rule a Bad Deal for Investors
This Securities and Exchange Commission proposed a new rule on climate change and corporate disclosure earlier this year, and today marks the…
Comment
CEI Comments on Proposed SEC Rule: Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors
Comments submitted by the Competitive Enterprise Institute et al. June 17, 2022 In the matter of the proposed rule “The Enhancement…
Letters
Coalition Opposes SEC’s Proposed Rule: Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investor
Vanessa Countryman, Secretary Securities and Exchange Commission 100 F Street NE Washington, DC 20549-0609 The undersigned individuals and organizations strongly…
Comment
CEI Comments to SEC on Proposed Climate-Related Disclosures Rule
Comment letter submitted by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, et al. June 2022 In the matter of the proposed rule “The Enhancement…
City AM
Before giving the CMA more teeth, we should look at its Meta shaped bite marks
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been flexing its muscles like a growing schoolboy recently. On Tuesday, it finally got a well-deserved admonishment…
Blog
Biden Says He Wants to Be the “Most Pro-Union President in the History of the United States”
Flattering the audience is one of the handiest tools a person has when giving a speech. It’s a simple way to establish a positive…
Blog
New CEI Paper: Abuse of Crisis Prevention Act
Government always grows during a crisis. And it rarely gives up all of its emergency powers when the crisis passes. This has already happened…
News Release
CEI Report Proposes Legislation to Stop Future Congresses from Exploiting National Crises to Grow Government
WASHINGTON—The United States has been rocked by three major economic crises so far in the 21st century—the 9/11 terror attacks, the 2008 financial crash,…
Blog
The American Data Privacy and Protection Act Fails to Streamline Privacy Laws Nationwide and Promote Technological Innovation
As more states pass state-level data privacy laws, federal privacy law is becoming increasingly necessary to prevent a patchwork of confusing state-level…
National Review
The Case for Letting Crises Go to Waste
If there is an iron law in politics, it’s that when crisis hits, government grows. Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s chief of staff, advised that politicians…
Study
The Case for Letting Crises Go to Waste
Executive Summary An Abuse-of-Crisis Prevention Act to reaffirm boundaries of politicians and the legislation they can pass has become necessary to the survival…
Richmond City Daily Journal
Baby formula shortage should spur new thinking about regulations
But I’ve also observed enough government regulation to know that the rules might be unnecessary. State authorities expressed their willingness…
Think
The tired corporate critique of Pride Month misses the point
More than 50 years after the famous Stonewall riots, the only Pride Month tradition more predictable than big city parades in June are the perennial complaints…
The City Journal
Better Late Than Never?
The federal requirement for a negative Covid-19 test prior to flying into the U.S. and the New York City toddler-mask mandate have both just…
Blog
The New Joe Biden – Friend of American Industry?
In recent months, President Biden has undertaken several measures he claims will encourage domestic drilling, mining, and manufacturing. It’s a big change from 2021…
American Banker
Financed emissions are banks’ latest climate-change challenge
American Banker cites CEI Senior Fellow Richard Morrison on financed emissions: Shareholders are already deciding whether companies should disclose more information about their…
NJ Star-Ledger
Donald Trump makes a corny argument for the 2024 nomination
The New Jersey Star-Ledger cites CEI Senior Fellow Ben Liberman on ethanol mandates: Virtually every free-market thinker in…
The Center Square
9th Circuit ruling against Washington state couple could mean more federal wealth taxes
The Center Square cites CEI General Counsel Sam Kazman on tax legislation: “They’ve never gotten a payment from that,” explained Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Sam Kazman,…
CrowdFund Insider
Competitive Enterprise Institute Securities Expert on Crypto Legislation: “It will have many positive effects”
CrowdFund Insider cites CEI Senior Fellow and Director of Finance Policy John Berlau on crypto: Berlau, a senior fellow…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
Wall Street Journal
A Permanent Pandemic Means a Huge Medicaid Expansion
Covid is now endemic, yet the Biden administration keeps extending the public-health emergency. Its goal is to preserve the expansion of the welfare state…
The Hill
An independent commission can bypass congressional dysfunction and help solve the worker shortage
Job openings have been at record highs for a while now, but companies can’t find the workers to fill them. How can Congress help?…
Blog
One Way to Address Worker Shortage: A Commission to Clear Out Job-Blocking Regulations
Earlier this week, the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee held a hearing to discuss ways to address the worker shortage. There are more…
Blog
As Gas Prices Rises, Ridesharing Industry Adjusts
Rideshare companies are currently feeling the pinch from high gas prices, but some of their drivers are weathering the change better than others. High…
E&E News
EPA blocks bid to review basis for climate regs
E&E News cites CEI Attorney Devin Watkins on climate regulation: “It’s shocking that it took more than five years…
InsideSources
Critics Get ‘Whiff of Racism’ in Progressive Attempts to Shut Down Tribal Lenders
InsideSources cites CEI Director of Financial Policy and Senior Fellow John Berlau on interest rates: John Berlau, Director of…
Blog
Crypto Volatility Heightens with Panic-Driven Regulation
In reaction to the volatile events of the last few weeks, both the stock and cryptocurrency markets have taken a deep dive. While this…
Blog
CPI Slightly Up, Inflation Slightly Down?
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for May increased to an annualized 8.6 percent rate over the last year, reaching another new 40-year high. Even…
The Hill
Authorizing congressional unions won’t end Democrats’ labor troubles
The Hill cites CEI Research Fellow Sean Higgins discussing congressional unions: Regarding unions, the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Sean Higgins …
Freedom Works
AUDIO: Sean Higgins of CEI on job gains
CEI Research Fellow Sean Higgins discusses job gains on Freedom Works Radio.
C-SPAN
VIDEO: National Cannabis Policy Summit
CEI Senior Fellow Michelle Minton participated in the National Cannabis Policy Summit Watch the full video at C-SPAN here.
The Washington Post
Biden wants to rebuild the EPA. He doesn’t have the money to do it.
The Washington Post cites CEI Director of Energy and Environment Myron Ebell on the EPA’s budget: “I’m happy to…
Blog
Dead Man’s Switch: Biden Administration Fights Railroad Automation
Of all modes of transportation, one would think that railways would be at the leading edge of automation. After all, they don’t use public…
Blog
America’s Heat Pump Emergency
The Biden administration announced it will use the Defense Production Act (DPA)—a Korean War-era statute allowing presidents to demand American industry increase production of…
The Hill
Congress can prevent an over-regulated US digital economy. Here’s how
Last month, Connecticut became the fifth state to pass a comprehensive consumer data privacy law. As more states appear poised to …
National Review
How the New FTC Majority Will Rewrite Antitrust Laws without Congress
As time runs out for major antitrust legislation on Capitol Hill, the Federal Trade Commission emerges as the last, best hope for neo-Brandeisians looking for…
Blog
“They’re Taking My Stuff!” – Now on Video!
News that involves the police is inherently dramatic, and stories about what police officers do regularly make the news—asset seizure of hundreds of thousands…
News Release
Ninth Circuit Ruling Against Washington State Couple Opens Door to Wealth Taxes
WASHINGTON—A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit today ruled against Charles and Kathleen Moore’s constitutional challenge to President Trump’s Mandatory Repatriation Tax. The panel…
Comment
CEI Comments to Senate Banking Committee on JOBS Act 4.0
Senator Pat ToomeyRanking Member, Senate Banking Committee455 Dirksen Senate Office BuildingWashington, D.C 20510Dear Senator Toomey,On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), it is…
News Release
Bipartisan Cryptocurrency Bill Takes Good Steps for American Innovation
Today, Senators Lummis and Gillibrand released their much anticipated bill on cryptocurrency regulation. CEI financial policy expert John Berlau praised aspects of the…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The unemployment rate held steady at 3.6 percent. The K-Pop group BTS made an official visit to the White House. Agencies issued new…
Comment
CEI Comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Regarding Report on Competition in the Mobile App Ecosystem
Alex Reinauer, Research Fellow, Competitive Enterprise Institute Comment Period Closes: May 23, 2022 Comment Submitted: May 23, 2022 Docket No. NTIA-2022-0001…
News Release
Latest Employment Report Shows COVID Effects Lingering, Inflation Taking Toll
WASHINGTON—The Department of Labor reported today a gain of 390,000 jobs last month and that the unemployment rate remained at 3.6 percent, as…
Blog
Eleven Lousy Tech Bills from the 117th Congress: Fair Repair Act
People drop their phones a lot. According to the electronic repair company uBreakiFix, 95 million smartphones are dropped annually in the U.S. and…
Blog
The Stablecoin Contagion That Wasn’t
A rare, recent real-life test case allowed observers to contrast government warnings with real-world events. Reining in cryptocurrency markets has become a key…
New York Post
How the FDA bungled the nation’s baby-formula supply
Infant formula provides the sole source of nutrition for infants who are not being breast fed and often supplements breast milk for those who…
News Release
SEC Climate Disclosure Mandate Exceeds Agency’s Statutory Authority, Raises Constitutional Concerns
WASHINGTON—The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) plan to mandate companies disclose energy use and planning for climate change-related financial risks lacks authorization from Congress,…
Study
The SEC’s Costly Power Grab
The concept known as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing has gained an increasingly high profile in recent years, with advocates producing a large…
CEI Planet
CEI Planet Summer 2022
Forbes
Inflation And Biden’s Whole-Of-Government Price Hike
The Trump era saw countless news stories quoting unnamed officials speaking disapprovingly of their boss “on the condition of anonymity.” Because of …
National Review
Don’t Follow Europe on Tech Regulation
Policy-makers in the EU are about to finalize new digital-platform rules, many of which mirror U.S. proposals currently stalled in Congress. Like past European tech…
Blog
Eleven Lousy Tech Legislation from the 117th Congress: Competition and Transparency in Digital Advertising Act
There is a late entry to the 117th Congress’ list of worst tech legislation, requiring a new title for the blog series. There were…
Blog
More Staycations This Summer, Thanks to Biden’s Gas Price-Raising Agenda
Memorial Day Weekend kicks off the summer driving season, and vacationers will be paying record-high gasoline prices—and quite a few families may even have…
Blog
Restating the Case for Free Trade
The case for free trade needs to be restated frequently. Politicians keep pushing the same protectionist policies, as though maybe this time the results…
Blog
George Washington, George Jarkesy, and the Administrative State’s Lack of Fundamental Justice
The recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Jarkesy v. SEC is a victory for limited constitutional…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
Just before the long Memorial Day weekend, the third version of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, a major antitrust bill, was introduced…
Issues & Insights
Militarizing The Baby Formula Crisis Is Infantile
A military cargo plane lands filled with vitally needed baby formula to be greeted by a top government official. A relief flight…
Blog
Congress Must Decide How to Choose Between Courts and Agency Adjudication
For some time, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has had a choice of prosecutorial forums. It has been able to choose between prosecuting…
Blog
EEOC Nominee Kalpana Thinks Transparency Is an Important Value, Less Clear on Need to Abide by It
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission may become a lot less accountable in its decision making than it was under the Trump administration should President…
Blog
Banning Menthol Cigarettes Will Do Nothing to Promote Racial Justice
Public support for the War on Drugs has never been lower, due in no small part to increased awareness about the devastation drug…
News Release
EU Digital Markets Act Threatens Consumer Access to Online Services, Products
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report examines a European Union proposal to impose restrictions on technology companies, like stopping companies from preferencing house-brand…
Study
The European Union’s Digital Markets Act Seeks to Regulate Competition with Little Regard to Impact on Consumers
Henrique Schneider is the deputy CEO of the Swiss Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises Coming full circle: For much of the 19th…
Blog
Trade, Mission Creep, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework
President Biden announced this week a major economic agreement with a dozen countries in the Indo-Pacific region, to be called the Indo-Pacific Economic…
Blog
Court Tells NLRB Sometimes a Joke Is In Fact a Joke
In a significant win for common sense, a federal appeals court has found that sometimes a joke is just a joke, even when…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The government’s Disinformation Board was ended before it began. President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to address the baby formula shortage.
Wall Street Journal
A Judicial Ruling Challenges the SEC’s Illegal Power
The Fifth Circuit says the agency violates the Constitution by acting as prosecutor, judge and jury. The U.S. Constitution’s separation of powers was…
Newsy
Government Combats Baby Formula Shortage With ‘Operation Fly Formula’
Newsy cites CEI Senior Fellow Ryan Young on regulating the formula shortage: Experts say the FDA’s requirements are cumbersome…
Fox News
Washington’s war on air conditioning heats up
It’s the scariest moment of the year for many homeowners – that first really hot day, usually in May, when we…