EPA Power Grab, Antitrust for Insurance and an Immigration Stimulus

The Environmental Protection Agency finds that greenhouse gases endanger human health and welfare.

The Senate may vote to repeal health insurance companies’ longstanding exemption from antitrust laws.

Pat Buchanan calls for an immediate moratorium on immigration as an economic stimulus measure.

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1. ENVIRONMENT

The Environmental Protection Agency finds that greenhouse gases endanger human health and welfare.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellows Marlo Lewis and Iain Murray on the consequences for the U.S. economy:

“The finding paves the way for a huge power grab by EPA bureaucrats — indeed, more power than even they think they can handle: The likely regulatory cascade will end up with the EPA having complete control over the nation’s energy supply and its use. Large apartment buildings and hospitals would need EPA operating permits to continue running their furnaces. Lawnmowers and aircraft alike would be regulated for fuel economy like automobiles. And as the EPA orders a retooling or even closure of the nation’s power plants, electricity prices would skyrocket, and blackouts would become common. If you wanted to design an anti-stimulus package, you’d be hard-pressed to top this.”

 

2. HEALTH

The Senate may vote to repeal health insurance companies’ longstanding exemption from antitrust laws.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Gregory Conko on why the repeal would hurt consumers and small businesses:

“Federalizing antitrust enforcement over the insurance industry would jeopardize state-sanctioned practices that help small insurers compete. Ironically, repealing the federal antitrust exemption could result in further consolidation by jeopardizing programs that help level the playing field for the smallest insurers.”

 

3. ECONOMY

Pat Buchanan calls for an immediate moratorium on immigration as an economic stimulus measure.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Policy Analyst Alex Nowrasteh on the economic benefits of immigration:

“As of 2008, one-third of all companies founded in Silicon Valley had Indians or Chinese immigrants as co-founders. Overall, 52.4 percent of all Silicon Valley firms started by 2005 had one or more immigrants as a key founder, compared with a California average of 38.8 percent. Mr. Buchanan does not employ economic reasoning or facts to support his contention that limiting immigration will give Americans jobs. Immigrants create businesses and products that employ many millions of Americans.”

 

Listen to LibertyWeek, the CEI podcast, here.