Senate Judiciary Committee Seals the Fate of the Gang Immigration Bill

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  May 9th at 01:47 PM  | 

Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee began its markup of the gang of 8 immigration deform bill (s.744). The striking thing about the markup is that any casual observer would think we were living in 1965 or 1986, when there was either relatively low legal immigration or no failed amnesty to look back upon. To most of the senators sitting around the table, the border is more secure than ever (despite the sharp rise in crossings), our record levels of immigration don’t exist, and there is no reason to implement the enforcement before the legalization.

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Senate Republicans Willfully and Knowingly Lie to Their Constituents

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  March 22nd at 03:30 AM  | 

Last night, having noted the list of Republicans in the Senate who voted to fund Obamacare in yesterday’s Morning Briefing, I went through a series of emails from readers. Readers from Texas, Kentucky, Utah, South Dakota, and Georgia all had the same story. They’d called the offices of Senators Chambliss, Cornyn, Hatch, Thune, McConnell, and Isakson to object to those senators funding Obamacare. They were | Read More »

Mitch McConnell Votes to Fund Obamacare

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  March 21st at 03:35 AM  | 

Hey, remember that awesome CPAC speech by Mitch McConnell? The one where Mitch McConnell said — and I quote — “Obamacare should be repealed root and branch. And we’re not backing down from this fight.” And the same speech where Mitch McConnell also said, “This law is a disaster, and anybody who thinks we’ve moved beyond it is dead wrong.” Well, as I told you, | Read More »

Tech at Night: As usual, Republicans are right and Democrats have an alternate agenda in the Senate

By: Neil Stevens (Diary)  |  March 9th at 02:30 AM  | 

A lot of conservatives seem to be getting behind a Hatch-Rubio bill to increase immigration for skilled individuals. No wonder Harry Reid wants to block it for partisan reasons. Have to put politics over anything else. Can’t let Republicans do a good thing.

Though I think the Senate priorities are pretty messed up. Jay Rockefeller is talking about workforce standards in the context of cybersecurity legislation. Talk about using any excuse to grow government. At least guys like John Thune recognize the need for the government and private business to work together against foreign Internet threats.

I mean, we can’t rely solely on NSA doing its best to do the right thing on its own.

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Thank Bipartisan Committee Work for Corporate Welfare in Tax Bill

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  January 3rd at 06:38 AM  | 

Throughout the tax debate, we heard righteous indignation from both parties regarding the need to close up special interest loopholes in the tax code.  Yet the special interest loopholes were the only items preserved in the cliff tax bill.  The entire package of over $40 billion in corporate subsidies and green social engineering was taken from a Senate Finance Committee Bill, which unfortunately, was supported | Read More »

The RSC should not have pulled the Copyright paper

By: Neil Stevens (Diary)  |  November 20th at 12:00 PM  | 

The Republican Study Committee backed off on copyright reform after publishing what was an important paper on the topic. The excuse is that the paper needed further review, but what I fear is that the paper actually went further than rent-seeking allies of squishy centrist Republicans are willing to go. I have no evidence to sustain this. It’s just my gut feeling. The paper went out, industry groups had to have seen it, given all the attention it got. Over the weekend they complained, and down the paper went on Monday.

I have a copy of the paper, and if we go point by point, it’s hard to find a real reason to oppose it though. So if there is another reason, I’d love to hear it.

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The Finance Committee’s Special Interest Tax Extenders

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  August 7th at 11:40 AM  | 

Last week, with the help of Senator Orrin Hatch, the Senate Finance Committee voted to extend dozens of special interest tax preferences for green energy – preferences that are nothing more than subsidies and market distorters.  Included in the $205 billion package is the Production Tax Credit, which subsidizes up to 80% of wind energy production.  Score one for Big Wind! Other special interest handouts | Read More »

Orrin Hatch’s Election Promise Gone With the Wind

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  August 2nd at 11:05 AM  | 

Whew!  It’s good the Utah primary is over.  Now Senator Hatch can relapse into his natural modus operandi. As we’ve noted before, at the end of every calendar year, Congress passes a ‘tax extenders’ bill to temporarily reauthorize specific tax breaks that have not been permanently written into law.  Some of these extenders include universal tax cuts such as, the AMT patch, the R&D business | Read More »

Saxby Chambliss Does the Right Thing, Re: SWATting

By: Jake (Diary)  |  June 6th at 10:12 PM  | 

I must admit, I’m happy my state has two Republican Senators, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson. It’s certainly better than the alternative, whether one or two Democrats. However, there are so many times that I wish they’d give us conservatives more than what they’d do. So, for once, I am happy to see one of my guys taking the lead on an issue, especially one | Read More »

Obama Wants to Redistribute Our Sovereignty with the Law of the Sea Treaty

By: Jake (Diary)  |  May 28th at 01:25 PM  | 

From the diaries by Neil One of the problems we find in politics these days is the rash of bills with rather Orwellian titles. The best example in recent years is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (you know, Obamacare). But fortunately, some things have titles that are all too appropriate. The Law of the Sea Treaty is one of them, which is rather | Read More »

Victory in NC and IN, But There’s More to Do

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  May 8th at 11:19 PM  | 

The big news of the night is that Richard Mourdock absolutely eviscerated John Kerry and Vladimir Putin’s favorite Republican 60-40%, an unprecedented feat going up against a 35-year incumbent.  On the other hand, it’s not surprising, and yet, it serves as a potent lesson for the Tea Party going forward. Richard Mourdock wasn’t always this inexorable juggernaut.  He was way behind in the polls for | Read More »

Operation Counterweight Comes To Indiana

By: Dan McLaughlin (Diary)  |  May 7th at 02:00 PM  | 

Indiana Republicans go to the polls tomorrow to decide whether to re-nominate 80-year-old 36-year Senate veteran Richard Lugar or to pick instead State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, running as the conservative alternative. In the usual course of events, my advice for activists and pundits alike in these races is to not forget that every race is unique, based on the individual candidates, the state or district, | Read More »

The Problem With Orrin Hatch

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  May 3rd at 08:02 AM  | 

Last week, conservative Dan Liljenquist surprised everyone by denying Orrin Hatch an outright victory at the convention, forcing a competitive primary.  This, despite millions of dollars spent by Hatch urging newcomers to astroturf the convention on behalf of the old bull. Ever since Hatch perceived a threat on his right flank two years ago, he has latched himself onto the junior senator, Mike Lee, and | Read More »

For Some Republicans, Free Markets are Gone With the Wind

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  April 17th at 09:45 PM  | 

One of the most appalling features of Obama’s presidency is the expansion of green venture socialism on behalf of corporate cronies who helped finance his campaign.  Obama’s use of stimulus funds to distort the energy market with subsidies and loans to unprofitable solar energy companies has become the hallmark of his presidency, and it has theoretically provided us with a potent political weapon.  Yet for | Read More »

Kimberley Strassel vs.a Republican Majority

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  March 16th at 12:30 AM  | 

In what’s become a biennial spectacle, supporters of unprincipled Republicans – who often vote with Democrats – are maligning conservatives as “purists” and accusing them of gambling away Republican control of the Senate.  Today, Kimberley Strassel published a column in the WSJ, “Conservatives vs. a Senate Majority,” insinuating that Freedom Works and The Club for Growth are helping elect Democrats to the Senate.  Specifically, she | Read More »