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Obamacare’s subsidy cliff: How many enrollees are actually affected?
Democrats in Congress have put Obamacare front and center in their opposition to the Republicans’ temporary budget. One provision of the American Rescue Plan…
Blog
Closing the window on public media funding
A door has closed, but windows remain open. Recently, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced that it would discontinue operations in light of…
Blog
Sovereign wealth funds: Should governments invest in private businesses?
President Trump recently signed an executive order to study creating a sovereign wealth fund for the US government. If the proposal comes to pass,…
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Letters
Oppose the Federal Stimulus Bill
We the undersigned public interest organizations, representing millions of members and supporters nationwide, hereby call upon you to reject the $819 billion spending bill that…
Blog
Obama’s defense of weatherizing homes as “stimulus” with Anderson Cooper on CNN is priceless
The President actually said: –it puts people to work –it saves families on their energy bill –it reduces dependence on foreign oil.
Newsletter
Stimulus Trade Wars, Smart Grids and Bank Nationalization
Lawmakers propose applying a “buy American” restriction to projects funded by the economic stimulus package. Energy companies lobby for subsidies for a national “smart” electrical…
Op-Eds
Eli Lehrer: “The U.S. government has no business taking over banks.”
Nationalize U.S. Banks: In light of the financial crisis, the U.S. should nationalize banks, taking over the most troubled ones. Pro: The…
News Release
Opposition Builds to Senate Stimulus Bill
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Blog
Should the U.S. Government Nationalize “Broken” Banks?
Such is the title of the latest BusinessWeek.com debate. Taking the “con” side is CEI’s own Eli Lehrer, who argues (in part): Long-term…
Blog
Stimulus Plan Repeats Mistakes That Spawned Great Depression
The European Union is threatening a trade war over provisions in the $800 billion “stimulus” package backed by Obama and Congressional leaders. The Great…
Newsletter
Stimulus Transparency, Springsteen on Wal-Mart and the Mirage of Green-Collar Jobs
Developers launch StimulusWatch.org to keep track of the hundreds of billions of dollars Congress is planning to spend to stimulate the economy. Bruce Springsteen grabs…
Blog
Springsteen clashes with Obama advisor on Wal-Mart
In between playing at the Lincoln Memorial for Barack Obama’s inaugural concert and performing the half-time show last night at the Super Bowl, Bruce Springsteen…
Blog
Opposition to “Stimulus” Package Rises
Opposition to the $800 billion stimulus package continues to rise, and polls show support for it has fallen to 42%. Independent swing-voters oppose…
Newsletter
A Plea for Bottled Water, Stimulus to Nowhere and Al Gore’s Venus Envy
Emergency officials in Kentucky put out the call for volunteers and donations of bottled water. Republicans leaders doubt that the federal stimulus spending bill will…
Newsletter
Green Stimulus, Bottled Water and Big Labor Infighting
Congress sets aside billions in the economic stimulus package for environmentally oriented energy and infrastructure projects. The New York Times’ “Freakonomics” column debunks the argument…
Blog
COP, America’s Financial Paper Tiger
The Congressional Oversight Panel (COP) recently issued a report on the TARP. This report represents the second in a monthly series of reports to be…
Newsletter
Economists Disagree on the Stimulus, Gore Self-Serving Testimony and the Trouble with TARP
Two-hundred economists dispute President Obama’s claim that there is “no disagreement” about the need to expand government spending to jumpstart the economy. Former Vice President…
Newsletter
Stimulus to Nowhere, Banning Cell Phone Cameras and More Money for Ethanol
Republicans on Capitol Hill attack the $825 billion economic stimulus bill championed by President Obama. Rep. Peter King (R-NY) introduces legislation to ban silent cell…
News Release
Senate Testimony Masks a Personal Financial Agenda
Al Gore, Corporate Lobbyist?…
Blog
Is the TARP Unconstitutional?
Also at Heritage today, FreedomWorks chief economist Wayne Brough described his organization’s legal analysis of the constitutionality of the Troubled Assets Relief Program. “There…
Blog
Kiss Off to Consumers
The appropriations portion of the House stimulus bill is not the only legislation with bad ideas. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has also marked…
Blog
Stimulus Bill Triggers Legislative Logjams, Perpetuates Credit Crisis
Obama’s stimulus package is the problem, not the solution. No one wants to make any hard decisions until they see what goodies they may get…
Newsletter
A New Agenda for Congress, Geithner Confirmed and New Rules for Car Makers
Democrats debate how far to go in compromising with Republicans in order to pass major legislation. The Senate confirms Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary by…
Blog
The Thrilling Feeling of Spending Other People’s Money
There’s nothing quite like using someone else’s credit card. No wonder the Washington Post headlined a front-page article today: “Stimulus Bill Sends Thrill Through…
Blog
Geithner confirmed — but with bipartisan “nays”
The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Timothy F. Geithner tonight, but the vote was closer than expected with more “nays” than any previous nominee of…
Blog
John Berlau on the Geithner Confirmation
As Timothy Geithner receives 34 No votes on his confirmation, John Berlau reflects on how Geithner can right his wrongs. He can start by calling…
News Release
Statement on Senate Vote to Confirm Timothy F. Geithner
Contact: Cord Blomquist, 202-331-2282 John Berlau, 202-415-3192 Washington , D.C. , January 26, 2009—It looks as if Timothy F. Geithner…
News Release
CEI Unveils Agenda for Congress
Washington, D.C., January 26, 2009—With the incoming Obama administration and the opening of the new Congress, the House and Senate are…
Blog
No Consensus for “Stimulus” Among Economists
Contrary to claims by the Obama administration, there is no consensus among economists for a “stimulus” package, much less the trillion-dollar pork-filled “…
Blog
Regulating Our Way to Recovery
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Tucked in the massive stimulus bill passed by the House Appropriation Committee is a $4.5 billion appropriation for…
Blog
Shock, Shock–Politics Infects Federal Bail-Out
Who would have imagined that the honorable Barney Frank, head of the House Financial Services Committee and chief culprit in the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac disaster,…
Newsletter
$1 Million Federal Jobs, Green Energy and Union Dues
Public interest groups launch a campaign to encourage citizens to read Congress’ proposed $850 billion stimulus bill. Representatives of renewable energy companies acquire enhanced influence…
Blog
Avoiding Political Erectile Dysfunction
According to the Congressional Budget Office, “Bailout to Nowhere” money for the proposed new infrastructure stimulus won’t be spent within the next two years–far too…
Blog
Trillions for Nothing
Barack Obama claims his plan “will likely save or create three to four million jobs.” The House gave us a glimpse of what we’re…
Blog
The Not So Good, the Bad, and the Really Ugly
Not all stimulus programs are created equal. If the goal of the latest economic bailout package that Congress is considering is as President Elect Obama…
Newsletter
Full Stop on New Regulations, Infrastructure Confusion and the Problem with ‘Priming the Pump ‘
President Obama orders a halt to implementation of all pending federal regulations. President Obama calls for increased spending on roads, bridges and electrical grids. President…
Blog
Milton Friedman counters Kennedy inaugural–and Obama’s
Before President Barack Obama gave his inaugural address, it had been reported that he was heavily studying John F. Kennedy’s speech at…
Blog
Britain Prays for Obama Miracle
With a trillion dollar national debt, a currency crisis and their own bank bailout having conclusively failed, Britain is on the edge of bankruptcy. That…
Blog
VIDEO: Barack Obama and the Price of Change
How much will President Obama’s plans for economic stimulus and other federal spending cost the American taxpayers? We do the math.
Newsletter
EPA Confirmation Hearings, Obama’s Stimulus and Ken Salazar for Interior
Lisa Jackson responds to questions during her confirmation hearing to become the next head of the Environmental Protection Agency. President-elect Obama proposes a massive economic…
Blog
D.C. Event: BB&T’s John Allison on the Financial Crisis
Our friends at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights are hosting what promises to be a fascinating public lecture on the state of…
Blog
How gullible are we?
Scrolling through the $825 billion dollar monstrosity, my first question is–how many unemployed construction workers do they think there are? Don’t they realize that…
Blog
Obama’s Trillion Dollar “Stimulus” Fantasy, at $300,000 per Job
Barack Obama claims his trillion-dollar stimulus package, financed through new deficit spending, will “create or save” 3 million jobs. That’s pure fantasy —…
Blog
We Can’t Afford Much More Stimulus!
The deficit for this year already exceeds that for all of last year. Reports Reuters: The United States racked up a record $485 billion…
Newsletter
Geithner’s Tax Trouble, Paycheck Protection and Obama’s Science Advisor
Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner comes under fire for past irregularities with his income taxes. The House of Representatives approves the misleadingly-named “Paycheck Fairness Act.” NASA…
Letters
Requesting a TARP Disapproval Resolution
Full Document Available in PDF United States Congress Washington, DC 20515 Dear Member of Congress: On behalf…
Newsletter
The FCC and Media Ownership, Ford’s Auto Bailout and Vilsack for Agriculture
President-elect Obama’s pick to head the Federal Communications Commission favors stronger diversity and “media ownership” regulations. Poor sales figures may push the Ford Motor Company…
Blog
Bipartisanship Washington-Style
President-elect Barack Obama has received plaudits for reaching across the aisle. That includes appointing Republican Rep. Ray LaHood to be Transportation Secretary. But no budget…
Citation
Geithner’s Nomination
Citation
Why Geithner Is A Bad Choice
Citation
The Embattled Geithner’s Nomination
News Release
Statement on Treasury Secretary Nominee Timothy Geithner’s Failure to Pay Self-Employment Taxes
Treasury Secretary Nominee Timothy Geithner's failure to pay four years’ worth of self-employment taxes for Social Security and Medicare is absolutely astonishing. And as more…
Blog
Geithner should withdraw nomination for failure to pay self-employment taxes
Treasury Secretary Nominee Timothy Geithner’s failure to pay four years’ worth of self-employment taxes for Social Security and Medicare is absolutely astonishing. And as…