In 2010, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously said to find out what was in President Obama’s health care bill Congress would have to pass it. After nearly three years, it has become obvious why Congressional Democrats wanted to hide the facts from the public before the president’s health care bill became the law. You’ve probably read about the 21 new taxes the bill requires in an effort to impose an individual insurance mandate, and how the law cuts more than $700 billion out of Medicare to fund a... Read more

It’s past time for President Obama to offer concrete, realistic solutions to our nation’s fiscal crisis and to prevent the tax increases and arbitrary spending cuts set to go into effect on January 1, known as the fiscal cliff. While the president continues to reject serious proposals from Republican leaders, his own plan is merely talking points aimed at appeasing Americans who believe the root cause of our nation’s fiscal situation is an addiction to spending. If the president believes that el... Read more

Tennesseans could wake up to find a lump of coal in their stockings if the fiscal cliff isn’t addressed before the holidays. According to a new report from the White House, taxes on middle class families will increase by $2,200 per year, resulting in a loss of $200 billion in consumer spending, if the fiscal cliff is not addressed. Similarly, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development stated that, if not avoided, the fiscal cliff could lead to a global recession. This very serious... Read more

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude for the blessings in your life. It’s about spending time with your family and loved ones. It’s about giving back and giving thanks. As Americans, we have so many blessings to give thanks for. We live in a free country and, despite our differences, all wish for a prosperous future for our children and grandchildren. We’re blessed with a peaceful governing process where citizens are given the privilege of electing their le... Read more

Veterans Day Veterans Day is a chance to give thanks to all the men and women who fight tirelessly to keep us free, including the 495,800 veterans in the state of Tennessee. Veterans Day serves as a powerful reminder of how our nation’s liberty and justice has been preserved by the dedication of our armed forces. But this special day also underscores our nation’s commitment to its veterans and their families. It is my highest duty and privilege to ensure the veterans of the First District of Ten... Read more

As 2012 comes to a close, we face many challenges: averting the fiscal cliff that could send us spiraling back into a recession, tackling our crippling deficit and the dire need to balance our budget. But equally worrisome are the sweeping changes coming to our health care system in the new year. These changes include: more premium increases, the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) starting to look for ways to cut Medicare, payment cuts to physicians, and the cuts to Medicare required by t... Read more

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised its World Economic Outlook on Tuesday, which found that our already sluggish economic growth has further slowed. Carlo Cottaralli, director of IMF’s fiscal affairs department, said in an interview that the automatic spending cuts and tax hikes set to take effect in January, which has been referred to as the “fiscal cliff” by some, would be “very negative and very bad for the U.S. economy.” Cottaralli went on to suggest that if America fails to adopt ... Read more

Have you ever wondered how school administrators decide what goes into school lunches? As is the case with most federally-run programs, there’s a thick stack of instruction papers for that. On the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) webpage for the Food and Nutrition Services Department, you can find a copy of the 81-page rule that sets nutrition standards. According to the School Nutrition Association’s (SNA) analysis and explanation of the latest rule for school lunch nutrition standards, ... Read more

According to the 2011 Financial Security Index, 58 percent of Americans track their spending against a monthly budget. What if this was the case for the federal government? James Harrigan from the Institute of Political Economy at Utah State University and Antony Davies from Duquesne University posed that question in an op-ed published in Real Clear Markets. Harrigan and Davies state “if the federal government were to spend the same amount of money each day starting on January 1, it would run th... Read more

Next Monday we observe Labor Day. This federal holiday originated as a day to pay tribute to the contributions of the American worker and their achievements. Unfortunately, this Labor Day will not be a day filled with picnics and parades for the 8.3% of Americans that are unemployed. Still, President Obama states that the private sector is “doing fine” while the unemployment lines get longer and longer. It is painfully clear just how out of touch the president is with both the workers of our cou... Read more