Featured Posts
News Release
Fed stays the course on fighting inflation and proving its independence: CEI analysis
The Federal Reserve has decided to not move interest rates, an expected decision that signals the Fed’s independence and its continued fight against inflation. CEI…
Newsweek
What Trump’s Housing Executive Order Means for Mortgages
Newsweek cited CEI’s expert on mortgage costs However, John Berlau, financial policy director at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, called Trump’s proposal “misguided” and told Newsweek…
The Washington Post
Trump has lurched to the populist Left with recent economic proposals
The Washington Post cited CEI’s expert on financial policy “It won’t get to the root of the government-induced housing shortage, it will make things…
Search Posts
CEI Planet
TARP Transparency: A Good Start, but Not Enough
Herbert Allison is President Obama’s newly-confirmed head of the Treasury Department’s Office of Financial Stability. On Thursday, June 25, he promised to “emphasize transparency so…
Newsletter
EU Antitrust Rebuke, Record Deficit Numbers and the Costs of Global Warming Policy
European competition regulators get chastised for hiding evidence in a case against Intel. The Congressional Budget Office reports that the federal…
Newsletter
Apple under Investigation, CEO Pay Limits and Hurricane Safety
The Federal Communications Commission investigates Apple and AT&T over the decision to spurn Google Voice on the iPhone. The House of Representatives passes a bill…
News Release
Bonus Pay Bill: CBO Predicts Huge Costs to Private Sector, Broad Swaths of Employees Affected
Bonus Pay Bill: CBO Predicts Huge Costs to Private Sector, Broad Swaths of Employees Affected Statement of John Berlau, Center for Investors and Entrepreneurs Washington,…
News Release
CEI Blasts Rep. Neal’s Reinsurance Tax Bill
A Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a free market think tank, today blasted Rep. Richard Neal’s (D-MA) introduction of a bill to impose…
Newsletter
Cutting Back on Healthcare, Online Privacy and Front-Running on Wall Street
House Democrats debate how to cut healthcare costs as part of their effort to pass major new legislation. Online advertisers back voluntary industry guidelines for…
Newsletter
Labor Politics, Government Paternalism and Tobacco Profits
Labor unions push to establish “binding arbitration” in contract negotiations. The nomination of law professor Cass Sunstein to oversee new federal regulations moves forward. Cigarette…
Newsletter
Paulson’s Testimony, Ken Burns on National Parks and Obama’s Surgeon General Nominee
Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson testifies before the House Government Reform Committee on his handling of the banking crisis. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns announces his…
CEI Planet
Obama Administration = Waste, Corruption, Corporate Welfare
Rapidly-rising Medicare spending already threatens “to crush the federal budget,” and much Medicare spending is wasteful, yet the Obama Administration claims it can somehow…
Newsletter
Chemical Safety, Global Warming Balance Sheets and Hybrid Smugness
Canadian officials find that the presence of bisphenol A, a chemical used in plastic food containers, poses “no health or safety concerns.” The Securities and…
Newsletter
AIG in Court, Mobile Phone Competition and the Future of Solar Power
A federal jury rules in favor of Hank Greenberg, the former CEO of AIG, in a $4.3 billion stock dispute. The Department of Justice considers…
News Release
Hank Greenberg Wins One in Court, Hits Homerun against AIG and Spitzer
Washington, D.C., July 7, 2009—A federal jury today found in favor of ousted AIG Chairman Hank Greenberg today, in a case brought by the company…
Newsletter
Shareholder Rights, EPA Censorship and Honduran Democracy
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduces the “Shareholder Bill of Rights.” The Environmental Protection Agency censors an inconvenient study on global warming by career analyst Alan…
CEI Planet
Sink Schumer’s dangerous ‘Shareholder Bill of Rights’: It’s micromanaging madness
If deceptive labeling of bills in Congress were punishable by government agencies, Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Maria…
CEI Planet
Washington Post Sells White House Access to Lobbyists
Until it was publicly-exposed, the Washington Post was selling its access to the White House to lobbyists. As Politico reported, “For $25,000 to $250,000,…
CEI Planet
Ayn Rand at 100: When Will Businessmen Learn Her Lessons About Politicians?
She called businessmen "America’s persecuted minority." And today—as has been the case at least since the start of the Industrial Revolution—many businessmen and -women…
CEI Planet
Media Ignore Negative Aspects of Obama Agenda
Mark Tapscott is right that much of the media are “in the tank for Obama.” That’s why they failed to report on how his stimulus…
CEI Planet
Standing Athwart Nationalization
My organization, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, has frequently been accused of being "in denial" regarding important issues. It’s a charge we most often wear…
CEI Planet
Case of Denial
CEI Planet
Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Untouched in Financial Overhaul
The mortgage crisis was caused largely by the reckless government-sponsored mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and by federal affordable-housing mandates. But Obama’s…
CEI Planet
Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Untouched in Financial Overhaul
The mortgage crisis was caused largely by the reckless government-sponsored mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and by federal affordable-housing mandates. But Obama’s…
Newsletter
Burning Rivers, Broadband Price Controls and Beach House Bailouts
Residents of Cleveland observe the 40th anniversary of the infamous Cuyahoga River fire. Congress considers a bill to regulate the pricing of broadband Internet service.
CEI Planet
Nationalization Review
Given the Obama administration’s rapid takeovers of General Motors and Chrysler, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to conservatives that, in the…
Newsletter
Stimulus Waste, California’s Deficit and Internet Privacy
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) releases a report citing millions of misspent dollars from the federal economic stimulus package. The state of California faces a $24…
Newsletter
Clean Water, Banking Regulations and Air Quality
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee marks up the “Clean Water Restoration Act.” President Obama announces major new controls on the…
CEI Planet
Obama’s Latest Economic Overhaul Calls for More Risky Loans
The President has just announced proposals for a massive overhaul of the financial system. The proposals would force banks to make even MORE risky…
News Release
Obama Overregulation Plan Won’t Fix Financial Crisis
Obama ‘More of the Same’ Overregulation Plan Won’t Fix Financial Crisis President Should Lessen Burdensome, Ineffective Mandates, Like Sarbanes-Oxley Washington, D.C.,…
Newsletter
GM’s Bankruptcy, Barney Frank on CNBC and Internet Poker Persecution
The bankruptcy of General Motors is expected to proceed quickly in the wake of Chrysler’s reorganization. House Finance Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) storms off…
CEI Planet
Obama Administration = Waste, Corruption, Corporate Welfare
Rapidly-rising Medicare spending already threatens “to crush the federal budget,” and much Medicare spending is wasteful, yet the Obama Administration claims it…
Newsletter
Broadband Stimulus, Fiat Takes Over Chrysler and the UN’s World Oceans Day
Business and advocacy groups flood the Federal Communications Commission with comments on the agency’s proposed national broadband plan. Italian automaker Fiat…
News Release
Bank Chairman to Speak Out on Banking Crisis and Capitalism at CEI 25th Anniversary Gala
This Thursday evening John Allison, Chairman of BB&T Bank, will deliver the keynote address at the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s 25th Anniversary Gala. Allison will…
News Release
CEI Hails Supreme Court’s Freezing of Chrysler Bankruptcy
CEI Hails Supreme Court’s Freezing of Chrysler Bankruptcy Chrysler, GM bankruptcies on Collision Course with Constitution Washington, D.C., June 8, 2009— Statement of John…
News Release
Crushing, Hidden Tax of Federal Regulation Soars
Crushing, Hidden Tax of Federal Regulation Soars Lawmakers Fail to Scrutinize the "10,000 Commandments" of Federal Regulations Washington, D.C. June 3, 2009 – Federal…
News Release
CEI Praises Appeals Court for Halting Chrysler Bankruptcy
Kudos to the judges on the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for putting a stay on the Obama administration’s nationalization scheme for the bankruptcy…
Newsletter
Chrysler’s Future, GMO Foods and the New Black Panter Party
A federal bankruptcy judge clears the way for Chrysler’s sale to Italian automaker Fiat. The government of Zimbabwe bans the sale of genetically modified foods,…
News Release
Obama Should Respect Role of Bankruptcy Court, Judge Should Put Brakes on Government Motors
Washington, D.C. June 1, 2009—Statement by John Berlau, Director of CEI’s Center for Investors and Entrepreneurs: Last week, in nominating Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the…
Newsletter
Cybersecurity, Credit Cards and Hurricane Insurance
President Obama is expected to announce the appointment of a new cybersecurity czar. Credit card holders prepare for the changes recently passed by Congress. Congress…
Newsletter
Ethanol, Mortgages and General Motors
Efforts to subsidize ethanol production as a remedy to global warming hit resistance. The mortgage industry struggles to improve disclosure guarantees. Legal observers critique the…
Study
Ten Thousand Commandments 2009
Wayne Crews' annual accounting of the hidden taxes of regulation.
CEI Planet
Someone Has to Pay the Piper
As the cliché goes, the piper must be paid. And when the government decides that some folks are paying the piper too much,…
Newsletter
The Credit Card Bill of Rights, Chrysler’s Bankruptcy and Carbon Trading
President Obama signs the credit card “bill of rights” into law. A federal bankruptcy judge prepares to rule on Chrysler’s financial future. Carbon trading is…
Newsletter
Energy Rationing, Credit Cards and Car-Sharing in Maryland
The energy rationing bill sponsored by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) is approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
News Release
New Credit Card Law Limits Consumer Choice, Leads to Less Credit, Higher Rates
Today President Obama signed a major new law regulating the credit card industry, a move that will likely hurt consumers. John Berlau, Director of CEI’s…
Newsletter
Unemployment Numbers, Mileage Rules and Computer Recycling
Unemployment reaches its highest level since 1983. President Obama announces an increase in auto mileage requirements for new cars. Computer giant Dell announces it will…
CEI Planet
I’m All Right, Barack: The Perils of a Nationalized Car Maker
President Obama’s takeover of General Motors is a disaster in the making. Not only is it bad for GM, it also sets terrible legal…
CEI Planet
Supreme Court To Hear Sarbanes-Oxley Challenge
A major government abuse of power is about to get much-needed scrutiny, thanks to the Supreme Court, which this week decided to hear…
Letters
Lehrer Response Letter to Federal Insurance Regulation Not a Panacea
Full Document Available in PDF To: Congressional Staff and Members From: Eli…
News Release
Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Sarbanes-Oxley Accounting Board
The Supreme Court today announced it would hear a case brought by the Competitive Enterprise Institute and the Free Enterprise Fund challenging the constitutionality of…
Newsletter
Cap and Trade, Freddie Mac’s Losses and Hulu’s Success Story
Democrats push “cap and trade” global warming regulation in the House of Representatives. Housing giant Freddie Mac reports a $10 billion loss for the first…
Newsletter
Europe Investigates Intel, Obama Explodes the Deficit and Minnesota Jumps on the Banned Wagon
European antitrust officials prepare to rule in an investigation of Intel’s microchip marketing practices. The White House estimates that the deficit will explode to $1.8…