Tax Increases Don't Reduce Deficits, Reform Taxes for Economic Growth

The President is arguing for tax increases in the debt-ceiling debate. History shows higher taxes don’t go to the bottom line but, instead, fuel more government spending. In just the last two years, government spending has increased 22 percent, not even counting the failed stimulus program. Higher taxes hurt the economy’s ability to recover. I’m all for tax reform that works to make America more competitive. In a statement in the Senate this week, I made the case against tax increases that result in more government spending. I highlighted tax loopholes I’ve closed through reform legislation... Read more

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Cows Moo, Pigs Squeal, Regulators Regulate

There’s a saying in Washington that “cows moo, pigs squeal, regulators regulate.” Over the last two years, we’ve seen just how true that is. I’ve been riding herd on the EPA to keep the agency from placing further economic pressure on rural America as it considers, for example, placing more stringent regulations on dust. In yet another sign of the disconnect between Washington bureaucrats and rural America, the Federal Motor Carriers Safety... Read more

 

United Effort for Flood Protection

Senators from states up and down the 2,341-mile Missouri River met this week in an effort to make flood protection a higher priority for the Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps has been in charge of a system of dams on the river since the 1940s. In recent years, the focus on flood control has been diluted by competing interests, including irrigation, hydropower, water supply, water quality, recreation, navigation, and fish and wildlife. This year’s flood is bringing different stakeholders together like never before. This kind of unity should lead to real progress. I want to make sure that flood protection is the main focus of Missouri River... Read more

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What's Behind Law School Accreditation

Is a law degree worth acquiring $250,000 of debt by age 27 in this economy? That’s the question surrounding a young lawyer profiled in a newspaper account of tough times facing recent law school graduates as law firms, like other employers, cut jobs. The young lawyer has no immediate prospects for paying off his debt. Many others are in the same boat. It’s not for the federal government to determine who should go into what field of study, but when students take out federal student loans and are unable to pay, the taxpayers end up with the bill. The federal government estimates that it will make 24.3 million loans totaling $116.4 billion to students and their parents for higher education, including graduate... Read more