The Colombia FTA

Andrew Roth

The GOP isn't going to let the Colombia free trade agreement die.

Posted at 5:39 PM, May 9, 2008 | Trackback (0) | Print | | #

Blue Dogs Hit Farm Bill Jackpot

Andrew Roth

If the Farm Bill becomes law, the Blue Dog Democrats are going to hit the jackpot. Here's how much their constituents would receive in subsidies over the next 5 years.

And these are the House members who insist on a balanced budget?

Posted at 4:39 PM, May 9, 2008 | Trackback (0) | Print | | #

Club for Growth Opposes Farm Bill

Press Release

Club for Growth Commends Bush for Veto Signal on Farm Bill

Washington – After intense negotiations and conference meetings, the new Farm Bill revealed yesterday offers taxpayers little in the way of true reform. The Club for Growth commends President Bush for threatening to veto the legislation and urges all members of Congress to uphold the president’s veto when the time comes.

Supporters of the Farm Bill are touting its many reforms, but most of them are nothing more than window dressing. These same supporters also neglect to mention the large increases in subsidies and the further distortion of the agricultural market that will occur as a result. Some of the bill’s most egregious elements include:

• Increased farm subsidies at a time of record-high farm income
• New subsidies for sugar, fruit, and nut producers
• The new caps on income in order to qualify for subsidies do not go far enough and leave wiggle room for wealthier farmers to continue to collect subsidies.
• Budget gimmicks that hide as much as $10 billion in extra spending so that the real cost of the Farm Bill will be even higher than supporters claim
• A new program that pays farmers for weather-related farm losses, creating incentives to grow the wrong crops on bad land in bad weather and leading to economic distortions and greater conservation pressures
• Severely hampers progress on the DOHA Round for world free trade negotiations
• Tax breaks for race horse owners and timber companies

“Today, Agriculture Secretary Ed Shafer said the president will veto the Farm Bill, and we commend that action,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. “Congress should not be allowed to throw more and more taxpayer dollars at every special interest under the sun and call it ‘reform.’ There is nothing reform-minded about a bill that increases subsidies and tax breaks for special interests, further distorts the agricultural market, and hampers the country’s free trade agenda.”

The Club for Growth will be key-voting the vote on the Farm Bill conference report, urging all members to vote “No.” Key votes are included in our Congressional Scorecard for the 110th Congress. The scorecard provides a comprehensive rating of how well or how poorly each member of Congress supports pro-growth, free-market policies.

Posted at 2:32 PM, May 9, 2008 | Trackback (0) | Print | | #

The Most Influential People on the Right

Andrew Roth

Conservative bloggers rate the 25 most influential people on the Right.

Posted at 1:27 PM, May 9, 2008 | Trackback (0) | Print | | #

New TV Ad in New Mexico

Andrew Roth

ClubforGrowth.NET released a new TV ad in New Mexico today.

Posted at 12:09 PM, May 9, 2008 | Trackback (0) | Print | | #

Friday's Daily News

Andrew Roth

THE DAILY NEWS
Bush to Veto Farm Bill, Schafer Says - David Rogers, The Politico
House GOP Shifts Into Panic Mode - Reid Wilson, Real Clear Politics
Housing Bill Draws Support from GOP Vulnerables - Jessica Holzer, The Hill
Obama: "I Will Raise Taxes" - Amanda Carpenter, Townhall.com
Obama's Faulty Tax Argument - Andrew Biggs, Wall Street Journal

Democrats' Windfall Tax — On You - IBD Editorial
Washington D.C. Embraces Earmarks - Washington Post Editorial
China's Undervalued Currency Benefits U.S. - Amb. Terry Miller, Heritage
Foul Weather Austrians - Alex Tabarrok, Marginal Revolution
Economics and the Entrepreneur - Carl Schramm, RCP

Posted at 10:40 AM, May 9, 2008 | Trackback (0) | Print | | #

The Club's 2007 Congressional Scorecard

Press Release

Club for Growth Releases 2007 Congressional Scorecard

Washington - Today, the Club for Growth released its 2007 annual scorecard, awarding the Defender of Economic Freedom award to six senators and forty-nine representatives who scored a 90 or above on the Club's scorecard (see here).

"These top-scoring members of Congress are staunch defenders of American taxpayers," said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. "Their votes are critical to lowering taxes, cutting wasteful spending, and promoting economic growth for all Americans. The Club for Growth scorecard allows taxpayers to see how their senators and representatives are performing in Congress and find out who is truly fighting for pro-growth, limited-government policies. We hope that support for pro-growth principles will continue to grow, allowing more members to earn this award and more Americans to benefit."

The ratings are based on a comprehensive examination of votes in the House and Senate pertaining to key economic issues, including taxes, wasteful spending, entitlement reform, free trade, and regulation. Each lawmaker is given an economic growth score ranging from 0 to 100, with a score of 100 indicating the highest support for pro-growth policies. The Club is also introducing a searchable database that allows you to search past and current scorecards by party, state, house, and member.

Posted at 4:08 PM, May 8, 2008 | Trackback (0) | Print | | #

Cool Website

Andrew Roth

Ballotpedia.org: a website that keeps track of state and local ballot initiatives.

HT: Kristina Rasmussen

Posted at 2:32 PM, May 8, 2008 | Trackback (0) | Print | | #

SENATE Key Vote Alert - Flood Insurance

Key Vote Alert

KEY VOTE ALERT
"NO" on Nelson Amendment to Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007 (S. 4709)

The Club for Growth urges all Senators to vote "NO" on the Nelson Amendment (S. Amendment 4709) to the Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007 (S. 2284). This key vote will be part of our 2008 Congressional Scorecard.

This proposal would direct the Treasury Secretary to offer subsidized funding for state-run insurance programs, whether responsibly designed or not, potentially putting taxpayers on the hook for more billions of dollars in losses.

This amendment is fiscally irresponsible, and would further distort insurance markets and encourage unwise risk taking that would endanger lives and property. Perhaps the worst feature of this amendment is that it would encourage an irresponsible design of state catastrophe funds.

This reckless add-on to an already bankrupt national flood insurance program could dramatically increase spending and lead to higher taxes. It would clearly crowd out private reinsurance coverage, allowing government to increase its bureaucracy at the expense of the private sector. This amendment should be vigorously opposed.

Our Congressional Scorecard for the 110th Congress provides a comprehensive rating of how well or how poorly each member of Congress supports pro-growth, free-market policies and will be distributed to our members and to the public.

Posted at 12:19 PM, May 8, 2008 | Trackback (0) | Print | | #

HOUSE Key Vote Alert - Housing Amendment

Key Vote Alert

KEY VOTE ALERT
"NO" on Frank Amendment to the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 3221)

The Club for Growth urges all House members to vote "NO" on the Frank amendment to the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 3221). This key vote will be part of our 2008 Congressional Scorecard.

Part of this proposal would give the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) the power to guarantee refinanced mortgages up to $300 billion.

This amendment would be disastrous to taxpayers if it became law. It would create the moral hazard environment of people purposely defaulting so that they can become eligible for a FHA-backed mortgage. And since a person can't be denied coverage because of a low credit score, taxpayers could be on the hook for billions of dollars in defaulted mortgages. This could ultimately lead to higher taxes that would only worsen the housing situation even more. In its explicit veto threat, the White House correctly identified this amendment as a bailout, calling it irresponsible. This amendment should be vigorously opposed.

Our Congressional Scorecard for the 110th Congress provides a comprehensive rating of how well or how poorly each member of Congress supports pro-growth, free-market policies and will be distributed to our members and to the public.

Posted at 12:12 PM, May 8, 2008 | Trackback (0) | Print | | #

Thursday's Daily News

Andrew Roth

THE DAILY NEWS
In Defense of RINO Hunting - Pat Toomey, Wall Street Journal
Igniting Growth With Free Trade - IBD Editorial
Congress Goes Hog Wild With Farm Bill - Washington Examiner Editorial
Farm Bill to Rely on Budget Gimmicks - Brad Watson, RSC Blog
The 18-Cent Solution - Bryan Caplan, New York Times

Defeating the Washington Monument Syndrome - TM Lucas, Chicago Boyz
NM-Sen: ‘Landslide’ and the Conservative - Dave Freddoso, NRO
The Best Strategy: Free Trade - Daniella Markheim, Heritage
Valeo's Revenge - Ilya Shapiro, Cato Institute
Math Favors Hillary, Says Huckabee - The Borowitz Report (satire)

Cubs 0, Reds 9 - Associated Press (Ouch...)

Posted at 10:30 AM, May 8, 2008 | Trackback (0) | Print | | #

Do I Need a Permit to Get a Permit?

Andrew Roth

Radley Balko responds to this article by saying, "I don’t know which is worse, that the city of Cleveland requires a “music permit” and a “pool table permit,” or that failing to obtain one is a criminal offense."

Posted at 10:05 AM, May 8, 2008 | Trackback (0) | Print | | #

The 2007 Congressional Scorecard - Senate

Andrew Roth

Senate Vote 6 - Automatic Continuing Resolution Vote on a DeMint amendment that would automatically fund the government at the previous year's level in the event that Congress fails to pass a spending bill. The pro-growth vote was "yea" because this back up funding mechanism will help encourage fiscal responsibility.. Failed 25-72. January 11, 2007.

Senate Vote 17 - Grass-Roots Lobbyist Fundraising Vote on the Bennett amendment that would strike a provision that would require grass-roots lobbying organizations to disclose fundraising information. The pro-growth vote is "yea" because the provision would hamper First Amendment rights and force organizations to comply with costly regulations that could make them less effective. Passed 55-43. January 18, 2007.

Senate Vote 42 - Minimum Wage Hike Vote on the bill would raise the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour over two years and provide $8.3 billion in small-business tax incentives The pro-growth vote was "nay" because the minimum wage is a market-distorting price control on labor. Passed 94-3. February 1, 2007.

Senate Vote 85 - Point of Order Exemption on Tax Cuts Vote on the Sessions amendment that would exclude legislation extending the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts from the 60-vote budget point of order requirement. The pro-growth vote was "yea" because the Bush tax rate cuts need to be made permanent to keep the economy strong and to limit the growth of government by preventing a massive tax increase. Failed 46-52. March 21, 2007.

Senate Vote 89 - Social Security Reserve Fund Vote on the DeMint amendment that would stop the raid on the Social Security Trust Fund. The pro-growth vote is "yea" because this would encourage fiscal responsibility and may also lead to reform of Social Security. Failed 45-52. March 22, 2007.

Senate Vote 90 - Spending Reductions Vote on the Allard amendment that would reduce the discretionary spending limit on the FY08 budget by $18 billion. The pro-growth vote was "yea" because the amendment slow down the unsustainable growth rate in discretionary spending by reducing funding for programs rated ineffective by the Office of Management and Budget. Failed 33-64. March 22, 2007.

Senate Vote 104 - Budget Resolution - Reconciliation Vote on the Allard motion which instruct Senate committees to report bills to reduce mandatory spending growth by $71 billion over the next five years. The pro-growth vote was "yea" because long-term unfunded liabilities from mandatory spending need to be reined in. Failed 39-60. March 23, 2007.

Senate Vote 107 - Extension of Tax Cuts Vote on the Graham amendment that would extend the Bush tax cuts of 2001. The pro-growth vote was "yea" because the tax rate cuts have been vital at helping create economic growth. Failed 46-52. March 23, 2007.

Senate Vote 109 - Death Tax Repeal Vote on the DeMint amendment that would repeal the Death Tax. The pro-growth vote was "yea" because the Death Tax is a punitive tax that inhibits economic growth. Failed 44-55. March 23, 2007.

Senate Vote 132 - Medicare Prescription Drug Negotiation Vote on a motion that would require the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department to negotiate drug prices with drug companies under the Medicare Part D program. The pro-growth vote was "nay" because price negotiations invariably result in government-imposed price controls that would stifle pharmaceutical innovations that create well-paying jobs and save and enhance lives. Failed 55-42. April 18, 2007.

Senate Vote 139 - Sarbanes-Oxley Exemption Vote to kill a DeMint amendment to exempt smaller businesses from having to comply withSection 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The pro-growth vote was "nay" because the Sarbanes-Oxley regulations stifle economic growth and are overly burdensome on businesses. Passed 62-35. April 24, 2007.

Senate Vote 140 - The Morality of Deficit Spending Vote to kill a Coburn amendment that would express the sense of the Senate that Congress has a moral obligation to offset the cost of new government spending in order to reduce deficit spending and the national debt. The pro-growth vote was "nay" because the resolution would have encouraged fiscal responsibility. Passed 54-43. April 24, 2007.

Senate Vote 144 - Advanced Technology Program Vote on the Coburn amendment that would discontinue the Advanced Technology Program. The pro-growth vote was "yea" because this program is nothing more than corporate welfare. Instead, the money should be left in the private sector where it can be more effectively allocated. Failed 39-57. April 25, 2007.

Senate Vote 226 - Energy Bill Vote on the proposal that would increase and expand Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and require 36 billion gallons of biofuels to be produced and used domestically by 2022. The pro-growth vote was "nay" because the CAFÉ standards and the biofuel regulations increase costs and distort the market for cars and fuel. This bill also contains a tax increase. Passed 65-27: R 20-23; D 43-4 (ND 39-3, SD 4-1); I 2-0.

Senate Vote 227 - Card Check Vote on a bill that would allow unions to bypass secret ballot elections if a majority of eligible employees consent. The pro-growth vote is "nay" because secret ballots are a cornerstone of democracy that needs to be fervently protected. If secret ballots are removed, unions can intimidate employees into voting against their self-interest. Failed 51-48 (Sixty votes needed). June 26, 2007.

Senate Vote 305 - Interstate Insurance Coverage Vote on the DeMint amendment that would allow individuals to purchase health insurance from insurers licensed in any state. The pro-growth vote is "yea" because insurance competition among the states will give more economic freedom and choice to the consumer and because it will put pressure on states to eliminate costly mandates. Failed 37-62. August 2, 2007.

Senate Vote 307 - State Children's Health Insurance Vote on a proposal that would extend and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The pro-growth vote was "nay" because this proposal would greatly expand government intervention in health care. Passed 68-31. August 2, 2007.

Senate Vote 331 - Mexican Trucks Vote on a Dorgan amendment that would block the funding to establish a demonstration program to allow Mexican motor carriers to operate beyond the commercial zones along the U.S.-Mexican border. The pro-growth vote was "nay" because such a demonstration program could help show a way to reduce the cost of consumer goods.. Passed 75-23. September 11, 2007.

Senate Vote 334 - Davis Bacon Waiver A vote to kill the DeMint amendment that would prevent some projects funded in this bill from complying with Davis-Bacon requirements. The pro-growth vote is "nay" because Davis-Bacon requires wages to be paid at a "prevailing" rate, which is almost always higher than the market rate. This forces taxpayers to pay more than is necessary. Passed 56-37. September 12, 2007.

Senate Vote 353 - State Children's Health Insurance Vote on a proposal that would extend and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The pro-growth vote was "nay" because this proposal would greatly expand government intervention in health care. Passed 67-29. September 27, 2007.

Senate Vote 390 - Spending Cap Vote on a McConnell motion that would cap spending on the Labor-HHS appropriations bill to the $140.9 billion recommended in the president's fiscal 2008 budget. The pro-growth vote was "yea' because a cap on discretionary spending is badly needed after years of unprecedented growth. Failed 40-54. October 23, 2007.

Senate Vote 403 - State Children's Health Insurance Vote on a proposal that would extend and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The pro-growth vote was "nay" because this proposal would greatly expand government intervention in health care. Passed 64-30. November 1, 2007.

Senate Vote 406 - Water Resources Development Veto Override Vote on overriding President Bush's veto of the Water Resources Development Act. The pro-growth vote was "nay" because this bill was stuffed with pork projects and because the total price tag was over 400% larger than the President's initial request. Passed 79-14. November 8, 2007.

Senate Vote 412 - Farm Bill - Cloture Vote on the Farm Bill, which would authorize approximately $286 billion for commodity subsidies, nutritional assistance, and other spending programs. The pro-growth vote was "nay" because the bill had no meaning subsidy reforms. It still allows wealthy farmers to collect market-distorting and trade-distorting subsidies paid for by taxpayers. The bill also included an unnecessary $4 billion tax hike. Failed 55-42 (Sixty votes needed). November 16, 2007.

Senate Vote 413 - Peru Free Trade Agreement Vote on a proposal that would implement a free trade agreement between the United States and Peru. The pro-growth vote was "yea" because freer trade leads to more economic growth, higher incomes, more economic freedom, more competition, and lower prices for consumers. Passed 77-18. December 4, 2007.

Senate Vote 434 - Farm Bill Vote on the Farm Bill, which would authorize approximately $286 billion for commodity subsidies, nutritional assistance, and other spending programs. The pro-growth vote was "nay" because the bill had no meaning subsidy reforms. It still allows wealthy farmers to collect market-distorting and trade-distorting subsidies paid for by taxpayers. The bill also included an unnecessary $4 billion tax hike. Passed 79-14. December 14, 2007.

Posted at 8:27 AM, May 8, 2008 | Trackback (0) | Print | | #

The 2007 Congressional Scorecard - House

Andrew Roth