Washington lawmakers are scheduled to bolt out of town later this month for their annual monthlong winter recess, marking the end of another year of missed opportunities.
Congress and the administration failed to bring closure to several pieces of business that would spark economic growth and job creation, while alleviating growing uncertainty in the business community. Here are Washington’s top five biggest failures in 2013, in no particular order:
Whether watching Tuesday's election stats or today's IPO, you've probably hit refresh on your Twitter feed countless times in the past couple days. The 140 character chatter venue has come a long way since 2006. Just look at the numbers: 230+ million monthly active users and 500 million Tweets sent per day! The speed and volume of information distributed via Twitter can seem overwhelming.
Thomas Friedman’s column in The New York Times yesterday, “Sorry, Kids. We Ate It All,” got me thinking. What’s happening—or, more accurately, not happening—on entitlement reform is exactly like Jimmy Kimmel’s skit where parents tell their kids they ate all their Halloween candy.
Many of our nation’s challenges are not being met, and many opportunities aren’t being seized, because our leaders are talking past one another. You’d think that the stakes of our ongoing budget and fiscal fights, for example, might inspire cooperation. Our economy hangs in the balance, and the full faith and credit of the United States is at risk. Yet our lawmakers can’t seem to come to the table or negotiate in good faith, let alone achieve lasting solutions. The best we’ve come to hope for these days are Band-Aid fixes that kick the can down the road.
It’s Friday and 5:00 is just on the horizon, but your libation options may be limited as a result of the government shutdown. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), responsible for issuing permits for breweries, wineries, and distilleries, has closed up shop until Congress and the White House find a way forward.
Despite the backdrop of a potential government shutdown, the new health care exchanges under President Barack Obama's health care reform are set to launch on October 1.
Grover Hermann Budgetary Affairs Fellow Romina Boccia of the Heritage Foundation sat down with Fox Business’ Gerri Willis to discuss the upcoming debt ceiling showdown.
Emergency steps to keep the government from hitting the debt ceiling will run out on Oct. 17, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said on Wednesday. Congress must raise the $16.7 trillion debt ceiling or face “catastrophic results,” Lew warned.
But while the White House and congressional Democrats say they won’t negotiate on the debt ceiling, there is room to cut, Boccia says at the 2.52 minute mark.
This post is excerpted from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Enterprising Cities report. The report highlights seven cities with policies and practices that will help strengthen our free enterprise system.
This post is excerpted from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Enterprising Cities report. The report highlights seven cities with policies and practices that will help strengthen our free enterprise system.
