Congress
Murkowski’s Folly
The first rule of communications is getting the message right.
Eighteen Years and Counting
On February 8, 2014, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 will turn eighteen years old. For most eighteen year-olds this is a major milestone in life. Gaining a sense of maturity; showing that one is ready to face the world. You even get to vote.
Freeing Up Government Held Spectrum
On December 11, 2013, the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted to approve a bi-partisan measure that would provide incentives to federal agencies to free up more spectrum.
CBO Releases "Options for Reducing the Deficit 2014-2023"
The Congressional Budget Office released “Options for Reducing the Deficit 2014-2023” last week.
Put a Fork In it! Earmarks are Dead ... Almost.
In a November 4, 2013 blog published in The Hill titled “Congress should return to responsible earmark policy,” former Rep.
And Here’s To You, Mrs. Lautenberg!
The recent action by Congress to provide a death gratuity to the widow of the late Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) has raised a few eyebrows.
“As the Government Shuts Down to Save Money, Veterans Pay the Ultimate Price”
William Gladstone, Prime Minister of Great Britain in the 19th Century, once said: Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead, and I will measure exactly the sympathies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their...
A Clean CR is a Dirty Rotten Shame
On the October 2nd edition of Fox News Channel’s Special Report, columnist Charles Krauthammer decried the Democrats’ disingenuous insistence on a “clean CR,” implying that such an approach is actually a ratification of failure. On the one hand, it...
Debate and Compromise Is Not a One-Way Street
A few months back my 20-something niece was complaining about how Congress, in particular the Republican House, was just not cooperating with President Obama over spending, taxes, and government-investments like bridges and green energy. She said...
Death, Taxes, and Postal Rate Hikes
It seems that, in addition to death and taxes, one more thing is certain: the price rise of postage stamps. My earliest recollection of the price of a stamp? It was in 1972: an 8-cent stamp, providing my first appreciation for Dwight D.
Nancy’s Cupboard May be Bare but There are Certainly Bats in Her Belfry
On Sunday, when asked about deficit reduction, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) declared on CNN’s Sunday show State of the Union that
Legislation Puts Medicare Recovery Auditing, and Taxpayers, At Risk
Government waste, fraud, and abuse are a scourge on American taxpayers and a multi-billion dollar insult to the federal budget, but preventing improper payments, particularly in Medicare, is now running into roadblocks despite being a rare example...
