During a closed-door House Republican Conference meeting on November 14, 2014, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) proposed reinstituting earmarks for “state, locality (including county and city governments), or a public utility or other public entity.” His effort had startlingly significant amount of support in the Republican caucus: the proposal was defeated by a vote of 145-67. Rep. Rogers’ act netted him the dubious honor of being named Citizen Against Government Waste (CAGW)’s “Porker of the Month” for November 2014. Rep. Rogers is a repeat offender, also earning the award in April 2012, after his first failed attempt to end the earmark ban on March 30, 2012.
114th Congress: The New Sheriff(s) in Town
Unlike the United States Senate, control of the House of Representatives did not change as a result of the November 4, 2014 elections. However, the Republican majority did expand to at least 244 members, its highest level since the 1928 elections. Two seats in Louisiana will be decided by a December 6, 2014 runoff election, while the 2nd Congressional District of Arizona is the subject of a mandatory recount, with Republican Martha McSally slightly ahead of incumbent Democrat Ron Barber.
New Study Shines Light on CFPB’s Discrimination Claims
As Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has previously pointed out, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is in the midst of a war against the auto financing industry. In March 2013, the agency issued guidance, stating that auto finance sources would be held accountable for alleged discriminatory loan pricing occurring through a practice known as dealer reserve. However, a study released on November 19, 2014 concludes that CFPB’s method to determine instances of discrimination is flawed.
The Government Slumlord
It is no secret that the federal government has too much real property. Plainly put, Uncle Sam is one extremely disorganized landlord that likes to purchase, lease, and hoard large amounts of costly real estate. And as with most operations left to languish at the hands of bureaucrats, the business is terribly wrought with mismanagement and a serious lack of transparency.
Dueling Agencies
On October 22, 2014, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) released his annual “Wastebook 2014. What Washington Doesn’t Want You To Read.” The new edition includes 100 wasteful programs or projects, ranging from the bizarre to the truly egregious, worth $25 billion. Here are just a few examples: A $331,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) […]
Procurement Legacies of the Afghan War
One of the most vivid and enduring images of the U.S. departure from Vietnam remains the Navy offloading perfectly good helicopters into the South China Sea as the last of its ships sailed away. The ongoing U.S. exodus from Afghanistan has produced a similar moment, albeit for a less useful aircraft.
A Glimmer of Hope at Yucca Mountain
On October 16, 2014, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued its Yucca Mountain Safety Evaluation Report 3, which confirmed what unbiased observers have long known: the facility meets the government’s long-term regulatory and safety requirements as a nuclear-waste repository. Progress on opening Yucca has continually stalled due to a variety of factors, but chief among them has been the opposition of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who has used his position of power to thwart efforts to open the site. Now that the Republican Party has captured the majority in the Senate, common sense may finally win the day.
Blaming Republicans for Ebola: A Seedy Campaign Ploy
Less than two weeks after the first person with Ebola in the United States was admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on September 30, 2014, Democrats and their allies began blaming Republicans for his plight and everything else connected with preventing and treating the disease.
By Your Leave: Federal Employees on Administrative Leave Cost Taxpayers Billions
ICYMI, this American Public Media interview with the Washington Post reporter Lisa Rein is a quick primer on a very big problem. In a nutshell, over a three-year period, 2011 to 2013, more than 57,000 federal employees hung out at home for a month or longer while cases of wrongdoing or malfeasance or whatever were […]
The CFPB’s Auto Loan Financing Fight
In March 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued guidance stating that auto finance sources would be held accountable for discriminatory pricing resulting from the indirect financing practice known as dealer reserve. This attack on a longstanding and previously unquestioned industry standard was amped up on September 17, 2014, when the CFPB proposed expanding its oversight to non-bank auto lenders, such as Ford Motor Credit Co. and Toyota Financial Services. Although the agency contends that its regulations are necessary to fight discrimination in lending practices and protect consumers, the CFPB has not produced reliable evidence to support its claims.