Year of Action or Overreaction?

During his State of the Union address, the President said that success is limited only by the “strength of our work ethic and scope of our dreams.”  By pointing out “the son of a barkeep is Speaker of the House,” the President identified a unifying principle in which 535 lawmakers and the President can agree.  America is the land of opportunity.  Americans enjoy an inherent right to work for their own success and keep the lion’s share of what they’ve earned... Read more

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A Better Approach on Military Retired Pay

It’s an ongoing challenge for the U.S. government to attract and retain quality military recruits.  When men and women sign up, they receive notice of the terms of service and potential retirement benefits. The government enters into a compact of sorts with these patriotic citizens in exchange for their service to the country.  That’s why it bothered me that a portion of the budget deal approved by the majority of Congress reduced military retired pay for service members under the age of 62 and applied the change to current service members and retirees.  It’s one reason I voted against the budget deal... Read more

Time to Decide on Keystone XL

After nearly six years of rigorous regulatory review, approval for the more than 1,700-mile Keystone XL oil pipeline remains in limbo.  The TransCanada Corporation awaits a U.S. Presidential Permit to begin construction of the transcontinental infrastructure connecting a 36-inch pipeline system from Alberta, Canada, to Steele City, Nebraska.  Starting from the oil sands of Canada through the Bakken region in Montana and North Dakota, the pipeline would carry up to 830,000 barrels per day of crude oil to U.S. refineries in the Gulf Coast region.  Its completion has the potential to bring enormous economic growth and energy stability to the United States... Read more

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Is the Justice Department Inspector General’s Office Violating Whistleblower Law?

Whistleblowers are patriotic citizens who bring to light waste, fraud and abuse that is hidden in the depths of the federal bureaucracy.  That’s why it’s disturbing to learn that the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General might be requiring some whistleblowers to sign non-disclosure agreements that fail to include information about an employee’s right to communicate with Congress.  The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act, which became law on Nov. 27, 2012, codified anti-gag provisions that ensure whistleblowers know of their right to talk with Congress without being retaliated against... Read more