FreedomTalks

The Competitive Enterprise Institute published their annual report on federal regulations, recently. Entitled “Ten Thousand Commandments,” the report highlights general trends in federal regulations and the spending related to those regulations, as well analyzing the costs of regulatory policy in specific sectors and industries.

Yesterday the House voted 232-187 to end a federal moratorium on offshore energy production and give states the opportunity to allow oil and natural gas operations off of their coastlines. It is estimated that offshore areas contain 86billion barrels of oil and 420trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the coastal seabed. When […]

Although an appeals court recently rejected a regulation forcing hedge funds to register with the SEC, many fund managers are beginning to feel the heat from government regulators. As such, many hedge funds are stepping up lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C., in hopes of fending off new regulations from Congress or the SEC. Currently, hedge funds operate in an environment with relatively […]

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) is attempting to block the telecom bill (S. 2686).  Please call Senator Wyden at his DC office (202) 224-5244 and at his Portland office at (503) 326-7525. Tell him to stop being an obstructionist, and to allow the telecom bill to proceed to the Senate floor for an up or down […]

Will he or won’t he?
After the U.S. House of Representatives passed Rep. Paul Ryan’s Line Item Veto legislation last week, all eyes turned to the Senate.  And for good reason.
Many of the Senators who voted for the Line Item Veto in 1995/1996 are still around.  Some may even be running for President in 2008.
In one […]

 
In an editorial Wednesday The Washington Post stated that it supports exploration of energy off our coastline to reduce our foreign dependence on oil and gas. The plan would increase our domestic energy supply, thus driving down prices and creating new jobs.
Rep. Pombo from California penned this op-ed for The Washington Times in support of […]

The Federal Reserve increased their target for the fed funds rate by 25 basis points to 5.25 percent today. This marks the 17th consecutive time the Fed has tightened credit to fight inflation. For the full statement by the FOMC, click here.

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine was elected in November partly by assuring voters he wouldn’t raise taxes like his predecessor Mark Warner had in 2004:
“I’m not going to be in for tax increases because we did it in 2004 and we’re going to have to live within our means.”
But that promise didn’t last long as Kaine […]

Yesterday the Senate Finance Committee voted to end the century old telephone excise tax.  The tax was originally levied in 1898 as a way to pay for the Spanish-American War by placing a charge on phone calls.  The bill, which also includes a moratorium on some Internet taxes, has yet to be voted on by […]

In an 11-11 vote, the Senate Commerce Committee rejected the proposed addition of a net neutrality amendment to a wide-ranging broadband bill as it goes to the Senate floor. Another win in the battle against government regulation of the internet!