News Release
Senate Should Question Biden SEC, CFPB Nominees About Needed Constraints on Regulators
Today, the Senate Banking Committee is considering President Biden’s nomination of both Gary Gensler to head the SEC and Rohit Chopra to head the…
News Release
Richard Morrison Statement on the Confirmation Hearing of Gary Gensler to Be SEC Chair
Senior Fellow Richard Morrison reacted to the confirmation hearing of Gary Gensler to be SEC Chair: “Chairman-designate Gensler’s prepared remarks for today’s…
News Release
CEI Files Amicus Brief in Thompson v. Marietta Education Association Appeal for Cert at Supreme Court
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) filed an amicus brief in support of a petition for cert at the Supreme Court in the…
News Release
Federal Minimum Wage Hike will Force Cuts Elsewhere
With the Democrat-controlled Congress aiming to imminently pass a plan to increase the federally-mandated minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 per hour nationwide as…
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CEI Opposes Haaland Confirmation Based on House Record Hostile to Property Rights and Resource Development on Federal Lands
WASHINGTON, DC – President Biden’s nominee to be Secretary of the Interior Representative Deb Haaland (D-NM) answered questions before a Senate committee ahead of…
News Release
UK Court Ruling Against Uber Will Mean Fewer Drivers
The UK’s Supreme Court has ruled that Uber drivers must be treated as workers instead of self-employed, which could put Uber on the…
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House Hearing on Robinhood/GameStop Controversy Should Focus on Helping, Not Restricting Investors
On February 18 (tomorrow), the House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on the recent Robinhood-GameStop controversy. CEI Senior Fellow John Berlau…
News Release
Grid Problems in Texas Won’t Be Solved by More Subsidies and Mandates for Wind and Solar
Freezing temperatures and strong storms led to widespread blackouts in Texas over the weekend, with more than 4 million Texans living without power.
News Release
CEI Backs Sen. Johnson’s Call for President Biden to Re-Instate Transparency in Agency Guidance Executive Order
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) and 20 of his colleagues sent a letter to President Biden, requesting he reverse his decision to overturn Executive Order…
News Release
CEI Endorses POWER Act to Halt Biden Administration Bans on Energy and Mineral Leasing on Federal Lands
Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) today introduced the Protecting Our Wealth of Energy Resources (POWER) Act, which, if enacted, would prohibit the Biden Administration from…
News Release
CEI Praises Biden Decision Suspending ‘Fair Access’ Banking Rule
President Biden’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency today announced that it was halting publication of a final banking rule, pending review. The…
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CEI and FreedomWorks Foundation Intervene to Protect Faster Dishwashers and Consumer Choice
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) and the FreedomWorks Foundation intervened today in lawsuits from eco-groups and their allies seeking to overturn…
News Release
CEI Paper Shows Antitrust Enthusiasts Misconstrue the Lessons from Past Cases
WASHINGTON, DC – Today’s advocates for a more expansive enforcement of antitrust laws – frequently referred to as devotees of “Hipster Antitrust” – often…
News Release
Senate Should Question Biden’s Choice to Head CFPB, Rohit Chopra, on Fair Process for Regulating Businesses
The Senate should question President-elect Biden’s nominee to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau out of concern that businesses get fair treatment in the…
News Release
Federal Minimum Wage Hike to $15 an Hour Will Hurt Small Businesses, Lead to Lost Jobs
President-elect Joe Biden today announced a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 recovery plan that includes not only $1,400 stimulus checks to many Americans but a federal…
News Release
CEI Files Opening Brief in Case Seeking More Lenient CAFE standards
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) filed its opening brief in CEI v. NHTSA, contending the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the…
News Release
New Bank Fair Access Rule Will Cause Costly State of Uncertainty, Red Tape
Today the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, an independent bureau within the United States Department of the Treasury, finalized a new…
News Release
Biden’s SEC Pick Should Focus on Commission’s Core Mission, Not Political Causes: CEI Experts
President-elect Biden is reportedly set to select Gary Gensler to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. Gensler is a current MIT professor who previously…
News Release
December Job Losses in Leisure & Hospitality Eclipse Gains in Other Sectors – What Can Policymakers Do?
The Labor Department reported today the economy lost 140,000 jobs in December 2020. Gains in various sectors were eclipsed by 500,000 jobs lost…
News Release
Biden’s Labor Dept. Pick Will Likely Seek Union-First Policies
President-elect Joe Biden announced Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as his pick for Labor secretary. That signals a union-first approach to labor policy, predicts…
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Statement from Kent Lassman, president and CEO at the Competitive Enterprise Institute
Shock and horror are natural responses to violent mobs. CEI condemns the lawlessness and violence in the nation’s capital. Every day CEI engages…
News Release
CFPB Taskforce Offers Recommendations to Help Consumers, Fintech Firms
In response to a new report from the CFPB Taskforce on Federal Consumer Financial Law, CEI Senior Fellow John Berlau praised recommendations aimed at…
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EPA Administrator Wheeler Unveils Final Science Transparency Rule During CEI Forum
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler unveiled the agency’s final rule on strengthening transparency in pivotal science this morning during a…
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State AGs’ Lawsuit Against Energy Dept. Dishwasher Rule Will Soak Consumers
In response to a lawsuit filed by 15 state attorneys general and the City of New York against the Department of Energy’s (DOE)…
News Release
New Law Banning Refrigerant Will Harm Consumers and Benefit Special Interests
WASHINGTON, DC – Congress intends to include ban a chemical commonly used in air-conditioners and refrigerators and extend billions in existing government spending toward…
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Third Antitrust Suit against Google since October based on Flawed Argument
A coalition of more than 30 states and territories today filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, alleging the search engine has abused its power…
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Texas Antitrust Case Against Google would Harm Consumers and Small Businesses
The State of Texas announced today it is filing an antitrust lawsuit against Google, alleging the company’s online advertising platform harms competition and…
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Energy Department Reforms #Neverneeded Regulations on Consumer Washers, Dryers, Showerheads
Today the U.S. Department of Energy issued a set of two new rules that, respectively, allow the sale of faster clothes washers and…
News Release
Senators Should Object to Manchin-Murkowski Costly Energy and Climate Restrictions
Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) are pushing a plan to attach far-reaching energy and climate legislation to the government funding bill…
News Release
New EU Tech Rules will Chill Innovation and Harm Consumers
The European Union today announced new rules it claims will change the way technology companies operate. The EU says the Digital Services Act…
News Release
Final NEPA Rule Offers Measured Reforms to Benefit Stakeholders
In the decades since the original regulation was adopted, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process has become a thicket of red tape and…
News Release
CFPB Makes Needed Changes to Qualified Mortgage Rules
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today issued final rules related to qualified mortgage loans, which require lenders to determine at the onset that…
News Release
New CEI Paper Calls on EPA to Revise Faulty Assessment of Key Medical Supply Sterilant
A new report from the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) finds faulty science by an EPA program led to an unfounded health scare around…
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State AG and FTC Antitrust Actions against Facebook Fail to Prove Consumer Harm or Anticompetitive Behavior
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 48 State Attorneys General today announced antitrust lawsuits against Facebook, asserting the social media company’s acquisitions of Instagram…
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Report Urges Reforming Surface Transportation for Long-Term Sustainability
The president and Congress opted to extend the multiyear surface transportation authorization for another year through Sept. 2021, due to pandemic uncertainties and ongoing…
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Corporate Transparency Act Threatens Small Businesses, Privacy Rights
The House today is expected to pass a controversial bill impacting a wide swath of American businesses, as part of the must-pass National Defense…
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House Vote to End Cannabis Prohibition Complicated by Big Government Provisions
The House today passed legislation that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. CEI led a coalition supporting that provision of the bill. But…
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Federal Bailouts for States Forestall Necessary Reforms Needed for Long Term Resilience
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) today reacted to reports that Congress is considering including a provision for state bailouts in legislation aimed…
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In Praise of the Late Walter E. Williams
Legendary economist and free market champion Walter E. Williams passed away this week at the age of 84. Competitive Enterprise Institute President Kent…
News Release
Repealing Section 230 Would Be Devastating to Free Expression Online
The Trump administration is pressing for a repeal of the tech industry’s liability-limiting statute, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, as a part…
News Release
Chairman Ajit Pai’s FCC Advanced the Cause of a Freer, Fairer, More Industrious Nation
Economic and social resilience relies upon modern, evolving communications systems. Since beginning service as a Commissioner in 2012, the actions of Ajit Pai demonstrate confidence…
News Release
Trump Administration Denies Alaska Pebble Mine Permit, Denying Economic Opportunity to the State and the Nation
The Trump administration, via the Army Corps of Engineers, today denied a permit to the Pebble Mine in Alaska, to the great detriment of…
News Release
Comptroller Plan to Impose ‘Fairness Doctrine’ for Banks Goes Against Freedom of Association
CEI Senior Fellow John Berlau criticized a proposal by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to impose a “fairness…
Watch Rushing In: The John Wood Story
New CEI Documentary Spotlights Entrepreneur Who Kept Diner Open To Feed Thousands during Lockdowns
During this pandemic and time of social unrest, many people wish they could take action and might not think that small, organized steps could…
News Release
New CEI Paper Asks: Would More Electric Vehicles be Good for the Environment?
The environmental benefits of “zero emission” electric vehicles are often touted, but rarely discussed are the many environmental downsides associated with creating and powering…
News Release
EU’s Antitrust Charges against Amazon at Odds with Reality
The European Commission today announced it was charging Amazon with antitrust violations, accusing the retailer of using data from third-party sellers to benefit its…
News Release
New CFPB Debt Collection Rule Will Help All Concerned
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today put out its long-anticipated rule overhauling federal regulations on debt collectors. CEI financial policy experts praised the…
News Release
Record GDP Numbers: Good News and Next Steps
Today’s GDP numbers are good news — but what policies will help people who still suffering and aid a fuller recovery? Ryan Young, CEI…
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EU’s Inconsistent and Protectionist Approach to Antitrust in the Digital Age Stifles Innovation and Harms Consumers
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) released a new paper today examining the European Union’s approach to enforcing antitrust policy against large and innovative technology…
News Release
DOJ Suit Against Google Seeks to Expand Antitrust Standard Beyond Consumer Harm
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit today alleging Google has broken antitrust laws with its search function and digital advertising practices. Associate Director…
News Release
Senate Defeats Effort to Undo Reforms to 1977 Community Reinvestment Act
Senate Democrats tried unsuccessfully tonight to undo recent reforms made to the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act. CEI financial policy expert Matthew Adams explains why…
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Report : Making Sure a COVID-19 Vaccine Is Used
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report examines what employers, businesses, and political leaders can and should do to help people get vaccinated against the coronavirus,…
News Release
House Report on Tech and Antitrust Ignores the Consumer Harm Standard
Today the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law released a report advocating changing antitrust laws and using them to break…
News Release
Banning Common Refrigerant Would Impose Huge Costs on American Consumers and Businesses
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), joined by 19 free market groups, sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell opposing an amendment to…
News Release
September Brought Uptick in Jobs – Will Next Government Steps Help or Hurt?
Employers added 661,000 jobs in September, and the unemployment rate declined to 7.9 percent from 8.4 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said…
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Laws to Limit Section 230 Protections Would Lead to More Government Oversight of Speech
Large technology companies were the focus of multiple proceedings in Congress today, including a markup of a bill to change Section 230 of the…
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CEI Presents 2020 Simon Award to Economist Steven Horwitz
Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute presents its annual Julian L. Simon Memorial Award Dr. Steven Horwitz, Distinguished Professor of Free Enterprise at…
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CEI Experts Applaud Sens. Lankford, Johnson, and Portman for Independent Regulatory Commission Legislation
On Thursday, Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced the Pandemic Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Act. The…
News Release
DOJ-Recommended Changes to Section 230 Would Lead to More Moderation of Conservative Speech
The Department of Justice today asked Congress to make changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a provision that protects any website…
News Release
Antitrust Investigations against Tech Threaten to Hamper Pandemic Response and Recovery
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) released a new report today arguing that large technology companies are making invaluable contributions to our quality of…
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Report: Politics, Not Science, Drives Double Standard on Cannabis, Nicotine Policies
As the House votes on a bill this month to end the federal prohibition on cannabis – once unthinkable – a new Competitive…
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Antitrust Claims Against Google Ad Platform Fail to Meet Consumer Harm Standard
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing later today claiming to look into antitrust concerns related to Google’s online advertising platform.
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WTO Rules Against Trump’s China tariffs, but the Problem Remains the Tariffs Themselves
The World Trade Organization ruled today that President Trump violated global trade rules by unilaterally imposing tariffs on over $350 billion worth of…
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Trump Administration Backs Down on Tariffs on Canada Aluminum, But Long-Term Problems Unfixed
In another high stakes trade matter today, the Trump administration decided to back down from plans to impose tariffs on Canadian aluminum. Just…
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Main Cause of Catastrophic Wildfires is Decades of Mismanagement by Federal and State Governments
Later today, President Trump will visit California for an update on the catastrophic wildfires raging in the country’s most populous state. Recent headlines…
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New CEI Report Finds Bipartisan Embrace of Harmful, Interventionist Tech Policies
Neither major political party holds a monopoly on bad ideas when it comes to federal policy towards the technology sector, according to…
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CEI Names Dr. Steven Horwitz 2020 Julian L. Simon Memorial Award Winner
Each year since 2001, CEI pays tribute to free-market economist, professor, and consummate optimist Julian Simon by presenting the Julian L. Simon Memorial…
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CEI Congratulates Consumer Advocate Melissa Holyoak on Appointment as Utah Solicitor General
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SEC Takes Step Towards Equality, Against Privilege with Change to Accredited Investor Rule
Today the Securities and Exchange Commission announced action to liberalize so-called accredited investor regulation. John Berlau, a longtime proponent of such reform, praised the decision.
News Release
CEI Successfully Challenges Harmful and Unlawful Conditions on Charter-Time Warner Merger
In Competitive Enterprise Institute v. Federal Communications Commission, the DC Circuit Court agreed with CEI and co-litigants Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute (HLLI) that several major…
News Release
Regulatory Report Card Act Brings Accountability to Government, Wins Praise from CEI Expert
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Arizona) introduced a Regulatory Report Card Act directing the Comptroller General of the United States to issue regulatory scorecards to agencies. The…
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Report: #Neverneeded 1920 Jones Act Hinders Coronavirus Economic Recovery
A 100-year-old law that imposes restrictions on commercial shipping now stands as a barrier to economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and imposes unfair costs…
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July Jobs Numbers Show Economic Impact of Coronavirus Policy Reversals
CEI labor policy expert Sean Higgins breaks down what the jobs numbers from July are telling decision makers:…
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Aluminum Tariff Increase is #NeverNeeded, Should Be Repealed Instead
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Ebell Pushes Back on Discredited and Illegitimate Attacks Against Critical Project for Alaska’s Economy
Last month, the Trump Administration released a final environmental analysis finding the proposed Pebble Mine project would not pose serious risk to the environment or fish population…
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House Hearing with Big Tech Companies Unwarranted on Antitrust Grounds
The Subcommittee on Antitrust, Administrative and Commercial Law of the House Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing Wednesday noon on ““Online Platforms and Market Power,…
News Release
Price Controls for Medicines Risk Harming Innovation When Breakthrough Drugs or Vaccines May Mean Life or Death
President Trump is expected to issue an executive order today directing his administration to take a series of actions related to pharmaceuticals and the price…
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Report: Anti-Price-Gouging Laws Do More Harm Than Good
Policymakers called for price gouging laws in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when massive shortages—and rising prices—ensued nationwide for hand sanitizer, personal protective equipment,…
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CEI Urges House To Vote No on Massive Federal Land Acquisition Bill
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Great American Outdoors Act (H.R. 1957), which previously passed the Senate.
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Repeal #NeverNeeded Regulations Hindering Use of Tech at Home During Deadly Pandemic
The COVID-19 crisis has severely tested individuals and businesses, making access to technologies and services that enabled large swaths of the American economy to move…
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Trump Administration Rule Reforms NEPA, Congress Must Finish the Job
President Trump today announced a final rule reforming the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process of evaluating and granting permits for major new energy infrastructure…
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#NeverNeeded Report: Systemic Regulatory Reform Will Aid Economic Recovery from COVID-19
Policy makers at all levels of government have waived more than 600 regulations, including rules impeding access to medical care and making the economic shock…
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Report: Tariff Relief Would Help COVID-19 Recovery
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report proposes three plans Congress and the Trump administration can enact immediately to lift trade barriers in the way of…
News Release
CFPB Offers Relief on Small Dollar Loans
Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released its long-awaited final rewrite of the payday lending rule, formally titled the Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain…
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Cancellation – CEI Annual Dinner 2020
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House Infrastructure Spending Bill Serves as Green ATM
House Democrats will vote today on the INVEST in America Act (H.R. 2), a massive $1.5 trillion infrastructure spending bill. CEI experts across a spectrum…
News Release
House Climate Proposal Would Benefit Special Interests Over Consumers and Taxpayers
The House Select Committee appointed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to address climate change today released their report and proposal. …
News Release
Rather than reversing new fair-lending rules, Congress should instead completely repeal the Community Reinvestment Act
Today, House Democrats plan to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn recent actions taken by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)…
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CEI Opposes the Protecting Your Credit Score Act
The House of Representatives today is considering H.R. 5332, the Protecting Your Credit Score Act, a bill that would require credit bureaus to jointly create…
News Release
Supreme Court’s Ruling On CFPB-A Good Advance For Accountability, But Not a Great One
The Supreme Court ruled today in a case challenging the constitutionality of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). CEI filed an amicus in the case,…
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CEI Opposes EARN IT Act
The Senate Judiciary Committee today will mark up S. 3398, the EARN IT Act, a bill that would condition Section 230 protections for tech companies…
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Congress Should Take Net Neutrality Regulations Off the Table Permanently to Aid Economic Recovery
Proponents of net neutrality regulations promised dire consequences for Internet user experience if the Obama-era rules were repealed, but time has shown their predictions to…
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100 Year-Old Jones Act Shipping Restrictions an “America Last” Policy
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report details extensive damage inflicted by a 100 year old law called the “Jones Act,” which requires any ship traveling…
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#NeverNeeded Regulation Report: Trump Administration Should Stop Funding WHO Agency Pushing Faulty Findings About Cancer Risks
The Competitive Enterprise Institute is calling for the Trump Administration to defund the International Agency for Research on Cancer. A division of the World Health…
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Dr. Nancy Beck Will Bring Thoughtful Consideration of Science to Consumer Product Safety Commission
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will today hold a hearing to consider the nomination of Dr. Nancy Beck to be chair…
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Report: Youth Vaping Rate Increased with Anti-Vaping Campaigns
Today the Competitive Enterprise Institute released a report on the connection between underage e-cigarette use and anti-vaping advocacy.
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#NeverNeeded Report: EPA Should Grant Waivers to Renewable Fuel Standard, Congress Should Sunset the Program Entirely
A bipartisan group of governors of five states -- Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming -- have requested a waiver from requirements of the federal…
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Report: FedNow and FedCoin are Dangerous Expansions of Federal Reserve Power
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report criticizes proposals for a central bank-issued cryptocurrency, which many call Fedcoin or digital dollar, as well as the Fed’s…
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Great News on Job Recovery
Upending expert predictions, the U.S economy added 2.5 million jobs in May and the unemployment dropped to 13.3 percent, according to the Labor Department. This,…
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CEI Opposes $494 Billion Transportation Bill
House Democrats today introduced a bill that proposes to spend more than $490 billion on bad policies that would increase the cost of energy in…