FreedomTalks

The Wall Street Journal has an editorial today opposing the Specter-Daschle asbestos trust fund. They hit the nail on the head when they say, “The companies that support the trust fund would receive an immediate benefit, while taxpayers would be assuming a lifetime of political risk.” Full text below.
There’s a crucial vote today on [...]

The Viriginia Legislature is considering repealing the estate tax this session. Predictably, the tax-and-spend lobby is playing class warfare with this important issue. Their latest salvo revolves around the claim that the repeal would hurt only the select few “super rich.” Case in point:
According to the state Department of Taxation, of the 1,866 estate [...]

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (UPI) — Congress withdrew support for a U.S. cotton subsidy program Wednesday, ending export and import subsidies and normalizing world cotton prices.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation that would repeal a support program for cotton formally known as “Step 2″ as part of its Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act. Before the [...]

Sharp analysis here:
The administration’s new budget proposes spending $5.9 billion to promote math in America. This might not be a bad idea, if only because politicians seemingly cannot count. This year, the president wants to spend $2.77 trillion, including record amounts of money for both domestic programs and national defense/homeland security. The details are [...]

The White House released it 2007 budget today. The AP coverage is here and you can read it in all it’s official glory here(printed out, it’s about 7 inches thick).
For perspective, take a look at this new report from Brian Riedl at the Heritage Foundation called Federal Spending — By the Numbers. [...]

Griesheimer’s bill would spare phone companies from having to strike deals in each of the state’s 553 cable franchise areas and instead let them get a state-issued franchise allowing them to enter multiple markets.
A Federal Communications Commission report shows that for the year ending Jan. 1, 2004, cable TV prices were 15.7 percent lower in [...]

This afternoon, the House of Representatives elected a new House Majority Leader, the position once held by FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey. They chose Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), who issued the following statement:
I am humbled and honored by the confidence my Republican colleagues have expressed in me with today’s vote. This afternoon, House [...]

CongressDaily reports that the budget reconciliation bill has been passed, again, by the House.
The House narrowly approved legislation to trim the federal budget deficit by $39 billion over five years Wednesday, 216-214, finally sending the measure to the president’s desk after a process that began with President Bush’s FY06 budget proposal last February.
This [...]

We are looking for members who want to become more involved in the Kansas Telecom Campaign. Please call me at 202-942-7612 or email me at bsteinhauser@freedomworks.org if you would like to head a special task force on Kansas Telecom Reform!
Thanks!

The most engaging part of President Bush’s speech last night was when he spoke about Social Security reform. As he usually does when he talks about Social Security reform, he lit up and smoothly delivered his lines—a sign that he believes in what he’s saying.
The Democrats rose in a standing ovation when Bush said, [...]