Progressives’ faith in the federal government’s ability to make policies to better Americans’ lives goes back at least a century. President Joseph Biden certainly has shown a zeal for having the federal government do more. Both his State of the Union address and fiscal year 2025 budget would add more items to the fed’s to-do list. Left unaddressed is the underlying assumption […]
Congress should get ready for a post-Che...
For much of the 20th century, conservatives have criticized the administrative state. At bottom, they are troubled that executive agencies can issue regulations that go beyond the plain text of statute. A president is supposed to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed,” according to the U.S. Constitution’s Article II. Yet, president after president has […]
Our nanny state and the loss of everyday...
Last week, I spent approximately three hours trying to help my teenage son apply for a learner’s permit. The time-suck began with the Department of Motor Vehicles website, which was prolix with rules and unclear about the process. I did my best to compile all sorts of evidence to prove that, yes, he is my son […]
Ultimatums from the House Freedom Caucus...
Presently, members of the House Freedom Caucus and a few of its allies are in a cage match with the rest of Congress and the White House over excessive federal spending. Last month, they led an unsuccessful charge against the continuing resolution that was enacted to keep the government open through early March. To be sure, they […]
Side hustles won’t save the US Postal Se
The holiday season came and went, and it appears the U.S. Postal Service did a good job. Yes, there were some reports of letter carriers getting swamped with packages here and there. And, yes, there were citizen complaints about delivery delays and mail theft. But on the whole, the USPS delivered in late 2023. There was […]
Why did anyone vote against expelling Ge...
On Friday, Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) was expelled from the House of Representatives. The vote was 311 to 114. Democrats overwhelmingly supported booting Santos, whose many misdeeds have been described in both a House Ethics Committee report and the media. Some have wondered why anyone would vote against booting Santos. The partisan breakdown of the “nay” votes tells part of the […]