Alex Nowrasteh and Ryan Bourne Shortly after winning the 2024 election, President-elect Donald Trump announced the creation of a parastatal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. The goal of DOGE is to “pave the way … to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Those goals don’t just require ...
Michael F. Cannon I submitted the following recommendations to the “Department of Government Efficiency,” a private-sector organization that will advise President-elect Donald Trump on how to reduce inefficiency in the federal government. The following recommendations would cut federal health spending 49 percent below baseline over the next 10 years and erase the primary federal deficit by 2027, even after increasing military ...
Hundreds of farmers gathered in Westminster today, chanting “no farmers, no food” outside Downing Street, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faced tough questioning in the Commons over proposed changes to inheritance tax. Tractors blocked parts of Whitehall during a demonstration organised by Save British Farming and Kent Fairness for Farmers, reflecting the industry’s growing anger over Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s ...
President Biden and key Democrats are now opposing a once bipartisan bill that would have authorized 63 new permanent district judgeships now that President-elect Donald Trump would be the one to fill 21 of those slots once he takes office. The Senate in August passed the ‘Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act’ or the ‘JUDGES Act of 2024,’ which ...
The Biden administration has renewed a controversial sanctions waiver that will allow Iran access to some $10 billion in payments from Iraq – an action that came just two days after President-elect Trump emerged victorious on Election Day. Secretary of State Antony Blinken again extended the waiver for humanitarian trade, which permits Iran to access accounts in Iraq and Oman. ...
Travel plans over the festive season are under threat as the UK’s rail minister warns of staff shortages and fresh strike action by Avanti West Coast train managers. Lord Peter Hendy, speaking at the House of Commons transport select committee, expressed concern that reduced staffing levels could disrupt Christmas train services, compounding the impact of planned industrial action. Central to ...
Mencap, one of Britain’s leading charities supporting people with learning disabilities, has warned it may have to close at least 60 of its services due to mounting cost pressures following changes announced in the Budget. The organisation says the rise in employers’ National Insurance contributions (NICs), combined with a sharp increase in the national minimum wage, will add up to ...
The cost of your morning cup of coffee could soon increase, after the price of arabica beans—the most widely produced variety—soared to a record high on international commodity markets. On Tuesday, the price of arabica surpassed $3.44 per pound, reflecting an increase of over 80% since the start of the year. Robusta beans, which are cheaper and more bitter, have ...
Strong consumer solidarity prevailed on Small Business Saturday despite blustery conditions sweeping the UK. According to new research by American Express, more than 10 million Britons shopped at independent retailers on 7 December, braving the impact of Storm Darragh to inject an estimated £634 million into small businesses both in-store and online. The study, which surveyed 4,000 adults across the ...
Romina Boccia This morning, December 11, I’ll testify before the House Committee on the Budget at a hearing on “Sounding the Alarm: Pathways and Possible Solutions to the US Fiscal Crisis.” The Honorable David Walker (former Comptroller General of the United States), Kurt Couchman (Americans for Prosperity), and Dr. Douglas Elmendorf (Harvard Kennedy School of Government) will also testify as ...