CEI Daily Update
Issues in the News
1. HEALTH
Democrats in Congress vow to keep pushing the children’s health insurance bill known as “SCHIP,” even after a veto by President Bush.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Policy Analyst Michelle Minton on the President’s opinion of the bill:
“The upholding of Bush’s SCHIP veto is no big victory for spending control. As reported in Time magazine on Wednesday, Bush wasn’t exactly saying ‘no increase’ when he vetoed the bill raise — he was saying no to raising it that much. While virulently opposed to an increase of $35 billion, the White House has made it clear that it is willing to increase funding for SCHIP by $25 billion over a five-year period.”
2. ENERGY
Senators introduce a bill that would create a “cap-and-trade” system for curbing carbon dioxide emissions.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Director of Energy Policy Myron Ebell on the flaws in the plan:
“The Lieberman-Warner bill sets goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that would cripple the economy and impoverish people if seriously pursued. The method chosen is the same cap-and-trade scheme that is failing to reduce emissions in the European Union while at the same time enriching powerful special interests at the expense of consumers. There is nothing in the Lieberman-Warner approach to suggest that they have learnt why the EU’s Emissions Trading System is failing or how to fix it.”
3. ENVIRONMENT
Lawmakers from East and West feud as Congress considers designating 23 millions acres of land in five Western states as wilderness areas.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Adjunct Scholar R.J. Smith on the potential impacts of the legislation:
“The legislation’s sponsors—essentially carpetbaggers from the east coast—want to deprive people who live out west from using resources on this land. Leaving these forests unmanaged will mean yet more disease, insects, and unfightable wild fires. Apparently, the eastern liberals want to make the “public” lands the exclusive playground of only the wealthiest Americans. The sponsors appear to be “geographically challenged” as well. The Northern Rockies in their bill include not just Montana, Idaho and Wyoming — but also Oregon and Washington. Why not Hawaii?”
Blog feature: For more news and analysis, updated throughout the day, visit CEI’s blog, Open Market.
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