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H-1B Visa Holders: A Case Study for a Points-based Immigration System
September 28, 2023
The United States has more than 580,000 H-1B visa holders – highly skilled immigrants in in-demand fields – who are limited by the short duration of…
In response to the Chinese Communist Party’s well-documented human rights abuses and the significant threat it poses to U.S. national security, many…
On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 17 state attorneys general filed an expansive antitrust case against tech giant Amazon, arguing that…
Today Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Rosenworcel announced that the agency will revisit network neutrality rules designed to regulate how…
Under Chair Gary Gensler, the Securities and Exchange Commission has promulgated a staggering number of rulemakings to remake much of the financial services…
New Podcast Episode: Auto Strikes, Google, and a Government Shutdown
September 21, 2023
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
In September, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced the Strengthening Antitrust Enforcement for Meatpacking Act which would establish concentration thresholds…
Testimony on: Building a Green Energy Workforce
September 20, 2023
In testimony before the Joint Economic Committee, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses problems with the federal government's attempt to develop…
While much of the focus on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) antitrust actions against Google is on the company’s dominance in search advertising…
In a new primer, Vice President for Economic Policy Gordon Gray explains Social Security’s complex financial management system, including the path from…
In response to rising costs to train next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) models and increasing talent concentration in AI research and development…
Testimony on: The Impact of Biden’s Open Border on America’s Workforce
September 13, 2023
In testimony before House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, AAF President…
Housing market data remain contradictory and difficult to parse. While the rent growth rate seems to be slowing, home sale profits appear to be rebounding.…
In early September, the Senate voted to approve the nomination of Anna Gomez, giving the Biden Administration’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC)…
On September 12, the first and highly anticipated antitrust case against Google’s search market dominance will begin. In a new insight, Director of Technology…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
As directed by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is expected to soon release its first round of drug…
The Department of Treasury is soliciting comments for its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to promulgate rules for tracking and restricting…
In a statement for the record for a Senate Small Business Committee field hearing, Director of Regulatory Policy Dan Goldbeck reviews agencies’ failure…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
After 15 years seeking redress via the courts, this week shareholders of government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie…
The Department of Labor recently issued the final rule entitled “Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations,” which will revise regulations…
In June 2023, Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter announced plans to expand the scope of what the…
Driven by concerns of market concentration and anticompetitive conduct, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and its European counterparts have begun examining…
In the absence of a federal data privacy framework, many states have introduced or passed state-specific legislation, often incorporating ideas from the…
On June 15, the House of Representatives passed the Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2023 (SOPRA), which would permit courts to decide de novo questions…
Each month, AAF's Vice President for Economic Policy Gordon Gray predicts the results of the monthly employment survey. This month, Gray writes: For…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The United States has long required employment-based immigration reform that would patch holes in the system that result in the loss of productive foreign…
Air ambulances are a critical piece of transportation infrastructure for the health care industry that save thousands of lives every year, but often at…
The recently released Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice draft merger guidelines take aim at mergers involving multi-sided platforms, a…
The Senate overwhelmingly approved two amendments to its version of the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act that would increase scrutiny…
House lawmakers have introduced the Spectrum Auction Reauthorization Act of 2023 to renew the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) authority to…
On July 19, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) released their long-awaited draft of…
This morning, the Federal Reserve launched its real time payment rail network, FedNow, after a decade of effort and hundreds of millions of dollars in…
A debate over flights to and from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) has taken off as part of the broader discussion of the Federal Aviation…
In a new insight, Director of Health Care Policy Laura Hobbs examines whether the 340B Drug Pricing Program (340B Program) incentivizes hospitals and other…
In advance of two House Financial Services Committee hearings on proxy advisory firms tomorrow, Director of Financial Services Policy Thomas Kingsley explains…
On July 10, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs released its report on the “Time Tax” detailing recent Biden Administration efforts to…
Senator Klobuchar recently reintroduced the bipartisan American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA), a major antitrust bill designed to target self-preferencing…
On June 21, the House of Representatives passed a bill for Congress to formally approve of the first U.S.-Taiwan agreement under the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative…
The Federal Reserve’s Vice Chairman for Supervision, Michael Barr, has in prepared remarks previewed the likely contents of a sweeping bank capital restructure…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
On June 30th, the United States Supreme Court ruled to block President Biden’s blanket student loan forgiveness plan. In a new primer, Data and Policy…
Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is set to expire on December 31, 2023, requiring Congress to reauthorize the legislation…
The Federal Trade Commission and the Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice have proposed changes to the…
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) today released its updated Long-Term Budget Outlook that projected U.S. debt held by the public will nearly double…
The House recently introduced the Dignity Act of 2023 with the goals of reducing illegal immigration, providing a solution for undocumented immigrants…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23), set to convene in November, determines the regulatory approach to a wide range of international…
The Department of Education (ED) recently released a proposed rule on gainful employment that would restrict funding for for-profit higher education programs…
Against the backdrop of what appears to be a small but notable fall in the shelter component of the Consumer Price Index, the Federal Reserve has paused…
In a new primer, Technology and Innovation Policy Analyst Joshua Levine discusses recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI), where these technologies…
Competition in the baby formula marketplace remains severely limited, a consequence of restrictive formula sourcing regulations, poor federal oversight…
The PGA Tour, European Tour, and LIV Golf agreed to a merger in early June, sparking significant concern about potential monopolization of the market.…
The Biden Administration recently released its Spring 2023 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions (UA) detailing the approximately 3,200…
The Restoring Overtime Pay Act of 2023, recently introduced in the Senate, would increase the annual salary threshold for those who qualify for overtime…
Congress and executive agencies have recently launched investigations into health care market participants as part of the broader discussion surrounding…
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) signaled a major crackdown on the crypto industry with a series of lawsuits against industry giants Binance…
The PGA Tour, European Tour, and LIV Golf’s contentious relationship that turned the golf world upside down has ended in a merger which will combine…
In testimony before the House of Representatives Committee on Small Business, AAF Vice President for Economic Policy Gordon Gray discusses the impacts…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is in Washington, D.C. this week to meet with President Biden, Congress, and business groups to discuss a variety of…
For the first time in roughly two and a half years, the federal government published its supposedly annual report on government-wide paperwork burdens.…
Each month, AAF's Vice President for Economic Policy Gordon Gray predicts the results of the monthly employment survey. This month, Gray writes: For May...this…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
In a new primer, Health Care Policy Analyst Jackson Hammond reviews how the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the budget impact of preventive…
House Republicans introduced the National Drone and Advanced Air Mobility Initiative Act this month to promote domestic production and deployment of Unmanned…
In a new insight, Director of Regulatory Policy Dan Goldbeck breaks down the permitting reform provisions in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. Key…
In a new insight, Vice President for Economic Policy Gordon Gray breaks down the key proposals in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. Key points: …
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The United States is rapidly approaching the “X-date,” the day on which the Treasury Department will run out of cash unless Congress raises the federal…
In May, Minnesota signed into law its own right to repair legislation, the Digital Fair Repair Act. In an update to a previous American Action Forum primer…
In testimony before House of Representatives Committee on the Budget, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses the harmful impacts of excessive regulatory…
The Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) mandate that drug manufacturers pay a certain price concession (or rebate) may have the unintended consequence of…
The Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration is a relatively small, obscure agency with a rather unique mission: to be “the independent…
As the public health emergency ends, millions will be shifted off continuous Medicaid enrollment coverage and onto other sources of insurance. In a new…
The Senate recently reintroduced the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), which would broaden the scope of regulated websites…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) earlier this month accused Meta of violating a consent decree governing the company’s collection and use of consumer…
The Federal Direct Loan program was originally projected by the Congressional Budget Office to save taxpayers $62 billion over a decade, assuming, of course…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The end of the public health emergency (PHE) brings with it the end of the continuous enrollment provision in Medicaid, which required states to maintain…
In a case study included in Americans for Tax Reform’s recently released publication International Trade Barrier Index 2023, Director of International…
A bipartisan group of House and Senate members has reintroduced the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, legislation intended to strengthen labor…
The FairTax Act of 2023 (H.R. 25), which may soon be considered by the House of Representatives, would replace the existing federal revenue system –…
On July 9, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy that asserted, among other things, that over…
The 340B Drug Discount Program has long suffered from a lack of congressional clarity on the intent of the ever-expanding program. In a new insight, Director…
As a result of the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) sweeping changes to Medicare Part D, stand-alone drug plans and Medicare Advantage prescription drug…
In response to rising prescription drug costs the Senate Finance Committee released a bipartisan transparency framework, alongside the Senate Committee…
In a new insight, Director of International Economic Policy Tori Smith presents policy avenues for Congress and the Biden Administration to ensure effective…
As Congress looks for ways to make the health care system more efficient and affordable, site-neutral payment policies are an intriguing prospect, as they…
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided the Epic Games v. Apple case, determining that Apple’s iPhone and application store practices didn’t violate…
Last Friday, the Federal Reserve released a hotly anticipated report examining the causes of Silicon Valley Bank’s (SVB) collapse. In a new insight…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
In December 2022, the state of Louisiana issued a certificate of public advantage (COPA) to permit a $150 million merger between hospital systems HCA Healthcare…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its fiscal year (FY) 2024 Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Long-Term Care Hospital…
Due to the ongoing labor shortage, employers are increasingly turning to foreign workers to fill job openings, but cannot rely on consistent, efficient…
In an American Action Forum tracker update, Director of Regulatory Policy Dan Goldbeck records the cost of complying with Internal Revenue Service paperwork…
As the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) engages in a ramp-up of enforcement against allegedly illegal pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) rebate schemes, the…
The Biden Administration recently unveiled a more detailed vision of its proposed changes to how agencies and the Office of Information and Regulatory…
In response to concerns from U.S. trading partners that the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) clean vehicle tax credits discriminate against foreign products…
The video-sharing platform TikTok has come under scrutiny due to concerns that the app presents significant risks to national security. In a new primer…
Baby formula shortages have persisted in the United States since February 2022, and attempts to spur supply chain reforms remain a bipartisan priority.…
Even as the COVID-19 pandemic winds down, drug shortages persist for generic drugs with low-profit margins and significant manufacturing complexity. In…
The Biden Administration has proposed a rollback of 2018 midsized bank regulatory reform with a view to preventing the collapse of another Silicon Valley…
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides subsidies to low-income consumers for telecommunications equipment and service, is set to run…
AAF experts analyze the highlights of the Medicare and Social Security Trustees Reports that were released today. According to the reports, Medicare will…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
House and Senate lawmakers plan to introduce legislation designed to protect children online, including the Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of…
The health insurance market continues to see challenges from costs, uninsured individuals, and access to care. The Center for Health and Economy (H&E)…
The Federal Reserve’s recent actions to stabilize the banking system included a $300-billion injection of liquidity into banks, reversing—in just a…
In new research, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin uses detailed data on Medicare beneficiaries to identify the individuals who will save from the drug…
In a new insight, Health Care Policy Analyst Jackson Hammond breaks down the key health care proposals in President Biden’s fiscal year 2024 budget. Key…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
As Congress debates its economic and national security policy posture toward China, there has been increased scrutiny of Chinese ownership of U.S. agricultural…
In 2013, the Senate passed S. 744 – the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act – the closest the United States has…
In a new insight, Data and Policy Analyst Tom Lee breaks down the key education proposals in President Biden’s fiscal year 2024 budget. Key points: …
Last week saw the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, America’s sixteenth largest bank, after depositors attempted to withdraw $42 billion in a single day.…
Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray analyzes the figures in the President’s Budget for fiscal year 2024. He notes: Taxes: Over 10 years, the…
In testimony before House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services, AAF President…
Each month, AAF's Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray predicts the results of the monthly employment survey. This month, Gray writes: For February...this…
The president’s budget will be the topic du jour, but beneath the headlines about program spending increases and cuts lies a weedier conversation about…
Last month, the Department of Justice (DOJ) withdrew three decades-old policy statements that established antitrust safety zones – which provide circumstances…
In testimony before Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses…
A bipartisan group of House and Senate members has reintroduced the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, legislation intended to strengthen labor…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
Members of Congress have raised concerns about, and launched investigations into, industry-coordinated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices…
In late January, the Biden Administration launched the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP), which will involve negotiations with 11 countries…
In the month since the Norfolk Southern freight train derailment, lawmakers and the administration have already begun to propose various measures in response—most…
The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced an investigation into Google’s business practices in the digital advertising market to determine whether…
The U.S. Southwest border is under strain as migrant encounters reached a monthly record high of more than 250,000 individuals in December 2022, rendering…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
While the Fed continues to raise interest rates to combat inflation, mortgage rates have begun to ease, and housing prices continue to decrease. Director…
Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray breaks down the key points of the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) Budget and Economic Outlook: 2023–2033.…
In testimony before Senate Committee on the Budget, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses the economic costs and budgetary impacts of climate change. Key…
Key antitrust leaders at Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have voiced skepticism about business divestiture offers as remedies…
On January 11, the Department of Education proposed new regulatory changes to income-driven repayment (IDR) plans for federal student loans – particularly…
The European Union announced that it had finalized plans to institute the world’s first carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), which will likely…
The Inflation Reduction Act provided $79 billion to the Internal Revenue Service, including $15 million to study options on how to develop a “free direct…
At its halfway point, the Biden Administration’s regulatory burden totals vastly exceed those of its two immediate predecessors and have done so across…
The President’s Competition Council met for the fourth time February 1 to assess its progress and announce new measures on credit card late fees, excessive…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule pertaining to the Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) process, which is designed…
New York recently enacted a comprehensive “right to repair” law, which would require device manufacturers, primarily those in the consumer technology…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched a preliminary investigation into Coca-Cola and PepsiCo alleging that the beverage makers offered lower prices…
There has been much coverage of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) shift away from the consumer welfare standard of antitrust enforcement and toward…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) challenged a proposed merger of Microsoft and video game publisher Activision on the grounds that it would allow Microsoft…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The American Action Forum today filed a Supreme Court amicus brief arguing that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects online…
The power to regulate trade rests with Congress, yet it is the executive branch that has developed and executed U.S. trade policy over the last six years—an…
Following an executive order from President Biden, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a rule barring employers from entering noncompete agreements…
The Biden Administration has to-date retained the Section 301 tariffs on over $300 billion worth of imports from China, initially imposed in 2018 by the…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
Elected officials at state and federal levels have increasingly called for scrutiny on, or refused to contract with, financial services firms they see…
In a new retrospective, Director of Regulatory Policy Dan Bosch reviews the costs, paperwork burdens, and trends of the Biden Administration’s regulatory…
A bipartisan group of senators recently unveiled updated text to the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bill that would impose a duty of care on online platforms…
Federal lawmakers have proposed using common carriage regulations to combat alleged discrimination against conservative speech by online platforms. In…
In new research, Labor Policy Analyst Isabella Hindley considers the link between the rise in synthetic opioid use and the 6.3 million missing from the…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
President Biden’s executive order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy tasked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice…
Testimony on The Economic and Housing-Market Outlook
December 1, 2022
In today’s testimony before the House Committee on Financial Services, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses the current state of housing market…
The Biden Administration recently proposed two major changes to labor market regulation: the Joint Employer Standard and the Employee or Independent Contractor…
Some in Congress have been pushing for antitrust legislation designed to regulate large technology companies based solely on their size, rather than competitive…
The Department of Education just released final regulations on five targeted federal student loan forgiveness programs slated to go into effect in July…
On November 11, key cryptocurrency exchange FTX filed for bankruptcy, wiping billions of dollars of value from FTX, its billionaire founder Sam Bankman-Fried…
The House of Representatives is poised to vote on the Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers)…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently published a policy statement broadening the agency’s interpretation of its authority to challenge “unfair…
EPA Ups the Ante with New Methane Proposal
November 15, 2022
The Environmental Protection Agency released the text of a supplemental proposed rule regulating methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industries…
The World Trade Organization is considering whether to extend its partial waiver of intellectual property (IP) protections, commonly known as the agreement…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) must consider many factors when determining whether to challenge a proposed horizontal…
Under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go (S-PAYGO) Act – which requires that new legislation must be paid for, on average, over 5- and 10-year periods – there…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently released the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Marketplace premiums for plan year (PY) 2023. In a new…
In a new primer, Director of Technology and Innovation Policy Jeffrey Westling reviews major pieces of technology legislation introduced in this Congress…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The consumer welfare standard, which aims principally to protect consumers from unfair business practices, has guided antitrust policy for four decades.…
The California Air Resources Board, the state’s environmental regulator, recently approved a rule that would require 100 percent of new light- and medium-duty…
An explosion of state laws curtailing the use of noncompete agreements (NCA) and President Biden’s July 2021 executive order, which highlighted the negative…
In an update to an American Action Forum tracker, Director of Regulatory Policy Dan Bosch records the cost of complying with Internal Revenue Service (IRS)…
The Social Security Administration recently announced an 8.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to Social Security benefits—the largest in over…
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently published a proposed rule that would widen the scope of the test used to determine whether a worker is an employee…
The National Center for Education Statistics recently released the disappointing results of its special 2022 iteration of the National Assessment on Education…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) appears poised to renew enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA) of 1936, which aims to protect competition by prohibiting…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
While Congress has debated the merits of establishing a system for screening outbound investment—or U.S. capital meant for investment in other countries—for…
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently reversed its previous decision to award Starlink, SpaceX’s low Earth orbit satellite broadband provider…
Congress is still behind the curve on the development of a federal framework for digital assets, including stablecoins, a specific class of cryptocurrency.…
There are about 8.6 million immigration benefit applications pending before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), of which 5.2 million…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently warned states against the use of Certificate of Public Advantage (COPA) laws, which allow hospitals in concentrated…
The Senate Commerce Committee recently unanimously approved the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which would require platforms to protect children from dangerous…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has the authority to issue industry-wide regulations but must go through what is known as Magnuson-Moss rulemaking…
In new research, AAF’s Tori Smith and Tom Lee calculate the rise in tariffs affecting shelter inflation, with a specific focus on their impact on the…
The Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (or FAST Recovery Act, AB 257), recently signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom, creates…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently sued to block an $8 billion vertical merger between medical technology companies Illumina and Grail; for regulatory…
Congress established the 340B Drug Pricing Program in 1992 to increase access to care at reduced costs for patients. In new research, Health Care Policy…
As the Fed continues to raise interest rates to combat inflation, housing prices have been dropping and are expected to continue to do so as the formerly…
The housing market remains a significant pain point for American consumers, leaving Congress and the federal agencies searching for ways to provide the…
Lawmakers recently introduced the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, a bill that would allow newspapers and local news broadcasters to collectively…
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on the joint employer standard, signaling a significant…
New Podcast Episode: The Administration’s Top Policy Blunders
September 1, 2022
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
As the space economy takes off, world leaders face a challenge that will require strong cooperation in the so-called orbital commons: orbital debris. In…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently published a proposed rule seeking to establish more rigorous regulatory standards for automobile dealerships.…
In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is seeking to restore the federal right of first refusal (ROFR) on…
President Biden recently announced $10,000 blanket loan forgiveness for borrowers of federal student loans who make less than $125,000 per year and for…
The Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency solidified the legal theory known as the major questions doctrine, which…
Unmanned Aircraft Systems, referred to colloquially as “drones,” are entering our airspace at rapid rates as companies look to drone delivery to promote…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
As we wait for the Office of Management and Budget to release its Mid-Session Review, which is intended to provide an update of the administration’s…
As part of the deal to earn Senator Joe Manchin’s support for the Inflation Reduction Act, Democratic leadership promised a vote on reforms to the federal…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently challenged Meta’s acquisition of a virtual reality (VR) developer primarily on the grounds that it would…
While executive branch agencies perform a regulatory impact analysis when they propose and finalize rules, too often similar analysis fails to take place…
The Senate-passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) — the latest take on Democrats’ previous spending package known as Build Back Better — includes several…
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sued to stop Penguin Random House – the world’s largest book publisher – from acquiring its rival Simon & Schuster…
Recent congressional efforts have sought to provide regulatory guardrails to the nascent cryptocurrency industry; for the most part these efforts have…
The Inflation Reduction Act contains tax credits intended to incentivize the purchase of electric vehicles (EVs) as part of the Biden Administration’s…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will likely soon release a Notice of Inquiry regarding its annual broadband deployment report, which looks…
Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray reviews the potential budgetary impact of the Inflation Reduction Act—a tweaked version of the Build Back Better…
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its updated Long-Term Budget Outlook today that projected U.S. debt held by the public will nearly double…
On July 13, the Department of Education proposed new regulatory changes to five federal targeted student loan forgiveness programs that would loosen certain…
The fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic left global supply chains in disarray, resulting in a shortage of semiconductors. In a new insight, Competition…
In today’s testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses the state of U.S.…
Congress took an important step toward fiscal transparency in requiring the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to make public a database…
President Biden has to-date chosen to retain Section 301 tariffs on over $300 billion worth of imports from China, originally imposed by President Trump.…
Rival suitors JetBlue Airways and Frontier Airlines remain entangled in a tumultuous, months-long battle for Spirit Airlines. The key question preventing…
The Supreme Court’s recent decision in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency will likely have wide-ranging implications for executive agencies’…
While President Biden has yet to enact the $10,000 in blanket federal student loan cancellation he campaigned on, he has gone forward with other measures…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The Supreme Court today ruled in West Virginia v. EPA that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lacked the authority to issue a broad regulation to…
As inflation closed in on a 40-year high, some lawmakers – including Senator Elizabeth Warren – doubled down on claims that there is a direct relationship…
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) user fee programs—which, among other things, are used to fund the agency’s technology and workforce—must be…
The World Trade Organization recently waived certain intellectual property (IP) protections for COVID-19 vaccines commonly known as the Agreement on Trade-Related…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
President Biden has recently taken extraordinary executive actions directed toward the energy sector to further his climate agenda and mitigate potential…
The Biden Administration recently unveiled its spring regulatory agenda, which provides a list of regulatory actions it plans to work on over the next…
The idea that “big is bad” has staged a comeback. Big Oil, Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, and other “big” industries have all, at one time or another…
In recent months, there has been a barrage of cryptocurrency news owing to market turbulence and piecemeal regulatory developments. The cryptocurrency…
In order for a manufacturer’s drugs to be covered by Medicaid, the manufacturer must agree to participate in the 340B Drug Pricing Program (340B).…
After years of debate and negotiations, a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers released a draft of the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA)…
The United States and Taiwan announced a new forum for economic engagement called the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade mere days after the…
A market that did not exist prior to 2017 is now causing headaches for regulators and policymakers in Washington as a growing number of Americans – an…
President Biden campaigned on providing $10,000 in blanket forgiveness for all federal student loan holders, and administration officials indicate that…
AAF experts analyze the highlights of the Medicare and Social Security Trustees Reports that were released today. According to the reports, Medicare will…
While in Japan last month, President Biden announced the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a cornerstone of the administration’s…
As the Department of Defense (DoD) ramps up its efforts to bolster U.S. cybersecurity in response to increasing cyberattacks on U.S. systems, the agency…
Many have called on Congress to develop federal privacy law that would establish baseline rules for the collection and use of consumer data, as well as…
The Biden Administration has signaled that it is taking a tougher approach to antitrust law and regulations via the president’s Executive Order on “Promoting…
AAF’s Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray breaks down the key points of the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) newly released The Budget and Economic…
In March, the Department of Commerce began an investigation to determine if imports of solar cells and modules from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam…
The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) authority to auction exclusive radio spectrum licenses to expand 5G services will expire in September absent…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
As the Fed raises interest rates to combat inflation, the hot housing market is seeing rising mortgage rates augment pressures from already high house…
Congress recently held the first meeting of the conference committee tasked with reconciling the differences between the House-passed and Senate-passed…
As the debate around the House-passed Build Back Better Act (BBBA) continues, it is useful to determine whether the bill’s spending provisions would…
The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), a 1977 law designed to promote financial inclusion by requiring banks to provide services to low- and middle-income…
Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter has amplified the already contentious debate over the proper scope of content moderation on social media websites. In…
It’s The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the…
The COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout created a worldwide shortage of semiconductors. To remedy this, in June 2020 Congress proposed a $16 billion subsidy…
The Biden Administration’s Office of Management and Budget recently released a memo directing agencies to reassess, and hopefully reform, the level of…
The United States has played a leading role in marshalling global opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has contributed billions of dollars…
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) temporarily increased the generosity of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) premium tax credits (PTCs) and lifted the…
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has announced its intent to exercise a “dormant” authority granted to it under Dodd-Frank to expand…
A surge in costly regulatory activity under the Biden Administration is likely to spur renewed interest in legislative proposals to reform the rulemaking…
While President Biden has walked back his pledge to provide $10,000 in blanket forgiveness for all federal student loan holders, he has gone forward with…
More than a year into the Biden Administration, a substantial number of federal agencies lack a Biden-appointed, Senate-confirmed leader. Even amid the…
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has traditionally relied upon worst-case scenario analysis to determine whether new entrants will cause harmful…
The president, his staff, and the administration’s allies have been repeating the Putin Price Hike mantra—the claim that 70 percent of the increase…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
In March, European legislators agreed to a framework for the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which would regulate “gatekeepers”—such as Amazon, Apple…
In a new tracker, Director of Regulatory Policy Dan Bosch records the cost of complying with Internal Revenue Service paperwork using data on Information…
Employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) is the most common source of health insurance in the United States, covering around 156 million Americans in 2021. A…
Since entering office, President Biden has indicated his desire to pursue a “worker centric” trade policy that is dramatically different from the Trump…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
Yesterday President Biden once again extended the deferral of premium and interest payments on federal student loans—a policy initially enacted in response…
The strong global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and more recently Russian aggression in Ukraine, has fueled a rapid rise in crude oil prices. In…
Most Americans are familiar with the declaration of a public health emergency (PHE) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But what exactly is a PHE, what…
In testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Director of Financial Services and Housing Policy Thomas Wade discusses…
Congress has made billions of dollars available to subsidize broadband deployment through a variety of different programs, each with different requirements…
More than half of federal student loan holders entered forbearance in 2020 when they were allowed to pause principal and interest payments in response…
Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray analyzes the figures in the President’s Budget for fiscal year 2023. He notes: Taxes. Over 10 years…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Russia’s war on Ukraine has…
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently proposed updating its regulations implementing the Davis-Bacon Act (DBA), which requires certain work performed…
In testimony before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses the rural care economy and…
A new proposed rule by the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) would require public companies to provide climate-related risk data disclosures for the…
In testimony before the Senate Committee on Finance, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses proposals for lowering prescription drug prices included…
On March 11, President Biden announced that the United States—along with the G7, the European Union, and NATO—will revoke Russia’s Most Favored Nation…
As the fiscal year 2022 omnibus bill makes clear, congressional earmarks are back with a vengeance--albeit with new restrictions and transparency measures.…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues.Russia's war on Ukraine is inflicting…
President Biden has signed a long-awaited executive order (EO) embarking on a whole-of-government, comprehensive approach to the regulation of cryptocurrencies…
Poor nutrition is more than a health care concern; it also has tremendous, multifaceted economic implications. In new research, Director of Human Welfare…
The Environmental Protection Agency recently released the first part of its “Clean Trucks Plan,” a proposed rule that would establish tighter standards…
The Biden Administration last week released the next phase of its COVID-19 strategy, the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. In a new insight, Health…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released insulin pricing data for Medicaid and Medicare Part D for 2019 and 2020. Using the new data…
While Congress continues to discuss federal privacy legislation intended to protect consumers, significant disagreements over how to structure such protections…
In the four years since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to set their own laws regarding sports betting, the majority of states have enacted legislation…
In testimony before the House Committee on Small Business, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses the regulatory burdens, financial barriers to entry…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. While President Biden’s State…
The Senate may soon consider the Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies (EARN IT) Act of 2022, intended to put a greater onus…
As housing prices rise, the expected increase in interest rates is drawing attention to the outlook of the currently hot housing market. AAF's Director…
The global financial crisis of 2007-2008 and the COVID-19 recession have provided significant stress tests of the performance of the credit rating agencies.…
Facebook’s rebranding as Meta has brought significant attention to the tech industry’s rollout of “metaverses”—and has raised questions about…
Cryptocurrencies fall into a number of regulatory gaps, and federal regulatory oversight of the market is severely underdeveloped. In a new insight…
Each month, AAF's Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray predicts the results of the monthly employment survey. This month, Gray writes: For January...this…
Federal finance is in somewhat of a delicate dance, as the Treasury Department must adjust its debt management operations while its largest customer, the…
The vast majority of Medicare’s more than $925 billion in annual spending is payment to providers through the Fee-for-Service system for individual hospital…
Congress is considering two versions of omnibus bills aimed at boosting US competition with China via industrial policy. In a new insight, Data and Policy…
The U.S. immigration system needs fundamental reform to counter worsening demographic trends and to refocus immigration criteria to prioritize high-skilled…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), tasked with protecting consumers from unfair methods of competition, is making a dramatic shift in how it enforces…
The use of algorithm-backed content moderation systems by social media platforms has drawn increasing skepticism in recent years, as some are concerned…
The Biden Administration faces a looming decision to end or extend tariffs on solar cell and module imports that are set to expire in February 2022. In…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The Biden Administration declared climate change a top priority and presented myriad policies to address it. In a new insight, Director of Energy Policy…
In the Biden Administration’s first year, the regulatory burden far outpaced the Obama and Trump Administrations, largely due to a handful of significant…
The Build Back Better Act (BBBA) is a reconciliation bill, which means it is very much time sensitive. In a new insight, Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon…
Technology firms often act as both market participants and market operators, drawing concern from Congress that these companies are self-preferencing their…
There is a deeply flawed perception that the drug pricing proposals in the House-passed Build Back Better Act (BBBA) are more modest and less threatening…
The Universal Service Fund (USF) aims to ensure that all Americans have access to essential telecommunication services and is, according to the Federal…
In December 2021, ostensibly with the goal of eliminating corporate involvement in the rulemaking process, progressives in Congress introduced the Stop…
As Democrats seek to obtain a majority at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the debate over the best way to implement net neutrality is reemerging.…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
Each month, AAF's Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray predicts the results of the monthly employment survey. This month, Gray writes: For December...…
As a part of the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Congress allocated funds for a broadband deployment subsidy program designed to bring…
In a new retrospective, Director of Regulatory Policy Dan Bosch reviews the costs, paperwork burdens, and trends of the Biden Administration’s regulatory…
The Energy Sector Innovation Credit (ESIC) Act of 2021 would provide investment and production tax credits for emerging energy technologies that are not…
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Biden Administration’s first final rule aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation…
In the Build Back Better framework (BBB), the Biden Administration has made reducing carbon emissions, while focusing on “Buy American” provisions…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. We’re rapidly approaching…
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) offers loans for energy projects in an effort to commercialize novel technologies. But the…
The House-passed reconciliation package, the Build Back Better Act (BBBA), includes climate change mitigation policies conditioned upon union labor requirements…
Employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) is the largest source of health coverage in the United States, covering the majority of the non-elderly population.…
The Biden Administration released its second Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions (UA) on December 10. A new analysis by Director…
The Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has released a notice of proposed rulemaking that would require certain companies…
The Biden Administration has called for the increased adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) as part of its climate change agenda. The House-passed Build…
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) completed a lengthy proceeding to clear satellite operators out of the C-Band to make bandwidth available for…
In August, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) refiled an antitrust complaint against Facebook, rebranded as Meta Platforms in October 2021, alleging the…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The importance of a robust internet infrastructure has never been clearer, not only for the increasing demands and uses of our current technologies, but…
The Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency have announced that next year they will release…
The latest salvo in the ongoing struggle to durably define “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) arrived with the release of a notice of proposed rulemaking…
With the House of Representatives voting for passage, there is finally a single, concrete piece of legislation that is the Build Back Better Act (BBBA)…
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its long-awaited cost estimate for the Build Back Better Act (BBBA). In a new insight, Director of Fiscal…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The United States joined nearly 200 other countries in the 26th annual United Nations Conference of Parties in Glasgow, or COP26, to address climate change.…
The Biden Administration announced details of a new COVID-19 vaccination requirement issued through the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and…
Immigration reform advocates have continued to attempt to include provisions legalizing undocumented immigrants in the reconciliation legislation—two…
The House of Representatives could vote as early as next week on the Build Back Better Act (BBBA), which contains a vast array of health policies and spending.…
The Build Back Better Act includes several provisions aimed at improving children’s access to nutrition. In a new insight, Director of Human Welfare…
The latest iteration of the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) includes significant subsidies for child care and funding to provide universal pre-K for 3- and…
As part of President Biden’s effort to promote union organizing and collective bargaining, the administration has expressed intent to explore sectoral…
Congressional Democrats are assembling budgetary offsets for their domestic spending reconciliation bill, and, for the moment, have included a 15 percent…
The United States announced it will replace the Section 232 tariffs it had imposed on aluminum and steel imports from the European Union with a new tariff…
“Content moderation” – the removal of undesirable, offensive, or illegal user content from online platforms – has emerged as a potent political…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In this episode of the AAF…
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) finally rolled out its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) mandating employers with 100 or more…
The Biden Administration has named regulating methane emissions a priority, and to date, the key proposal to address them in the Build Back Better Act…
As President Biden joined world leaders in announcing a global methane pledge to reduce worldwide methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030, the Environmental…
The federal government has long subsidized America’s farmers, significantly affecting our food supply and what we eat. In a new primer, Director of Human…
The President’s Working Group on Financial Markets has issued a report calling on Congress to develop legislation promoting a consistent and comprehensive…
With the beginning of the annual Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period this week, we take a look back at the ACA’s performance over the last…
The Wall Street Journal report regarding Facebook’s internal research on the mental health impacts on its users, mainly teenage girls, has re-ignited…
As congressional Democrats are debating tax policies to offset the spending commitments in the reconciliation bill, perhaps no proposal under discussion…
The lack of transparency in how the federal government discloses its estimated paperwork costs highlights how stagnant and inefficient the federal paperwork…
Over the past year, the global market for oil and gasoline has experienced rapid shifts in demand paired with slower-moving adjustments in supply. As a…
The United States has reached an agreement to terminate tariffs it had threatened against five European countries in exchange for those countries to eventually…
Following a Biden Administration executive order in May 2021 calling for the launch of a government-wide climate risk assessment, the Financial Stability…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. As President Biden's health…
In testimony before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy this afternoon, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses…
In testimony before the Senate Committee on Finance this morning, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses health insurance coverage in America and…
As part of the Build Back Better legislative agenda, congressional Democrats and the Biden Administration are seeking to permanently extend the American…
App stores, particularly those on smartphones, have faced continuous scrutiny by policymakers and regulators. In a new insight, Technology and Innovation…
A continuing resolution (CR) is the legislative equivalent of cruise control – it sets spending levels for federal agencies by essentially just referencing…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Washington D.C. is in a “hurry…
The Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure legislation provides $65 billion for internet infrastructure, primarily intended for states and localities…
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) proposed the first of two planned rules aimed at reversing most of the Trump Administration’s National Environmental…
The U.S. Treasury Secretary recently advised Congress that the federal government may hit the current debt limit on October 18. In a new insight, Director…
On October 4, 2021, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced the Biden Administration’s highly anticipated strategic plan on U.S.-China…
Some Republican and Democratic critics of “big tech” have alleged Facebook and Google may be engaged in illegal collusion around certain advertising…
High demand and limited supply have made child care increasingly costly and difficult to access across the country, leading policymakers to put…
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) each released its own proposal for more stringent…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
The Department of Health and Human Services released the administration’s Comprehensive Plan for Addressing High Drug Prices in response to President…
The Ins and Outs of the Ways and Means Committee Reconciliation Legislation
September 22, 2021
House Committee on Ways and Means Democrats voted to report out 10 elements, or subtitles, of the forthcoming reconciliation bill that will comprise the…
President Biden’s American Jobs Plan and the administration’s nationally determined contribution under the Paris Climate agreement call for carbon…
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will once again be able…
With the rise of “new media” platforms reliant on user-generated content, tensions over the use of copyrighted material are at an all-time high. In…
House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal has proposed 25 new tax policies that would on net raise taxes on U.S. corporations by $963.6 billion…
President Biden has chosen to keep in place all of the tariffs and import restrictions imposed by the Trump Administration—even though the former president’s…
The Biden Administration and congressional Democrats have named as a priority lowering the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60. Whether the proposal…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed by the Senate and being considered by the House, was supposed to be a paid-for infrastructure investment…
With hospital finances in flux due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a new AAF primer reviews how Medicare — a major source of provider funding — adjusts payments…
To what extent did the extra $300 per week in benefits affect claims for unemployment insurance (UI)? In new research, Director of Labor Policy Isabel…
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) will lead a new interagency trade strike force as directed by President Biden’s 100-day supply chain review.…
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has introduced a proposed rule that would require lenders to collect a wide range of demographic and…
AAF experts analyze the highlights of the Medicare and Social Security Trustees Reports that were released today. According to the reports, Medicare will…
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have “legalized” recreational cannabis use for adults, resulting in a wide variety of taxation and regulatory…
A California court recently ruled that Proposition 22—a ballot initiative allowing delivery and ride-share drivers to retain their independent worker…
Despite 18 states having “legalized” recreational cannabis use, marijuana remains illegal under federal law. This discrepancy creates several policy…
Under the cover of oppressive heat and humidity on a Friday in August, the administration “released” its Mid-Session Review of the Budget. What can…
Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the first of what promises to be several rulemakings aimed at reducing greenhouse…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has refiled its antitrust complaint against Facebook, this time seeking to more clearly define the market it accuses…
Section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) requires agencies to retrospectively review certain regulations, but it has largely failed to live…
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies have broken out of the gaming niche and are finding use in education, health care, marketing…
The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act will empower unions while imposing significant economic harm—with particular challenges for right-to-work…
Many have invoked the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 recently around vaccination inquiries, but these calls demonstrate…
To fulfill the Biden Administration’s commitment under the Paris Climate Agreement to produce carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 while maintaining…
Today, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders released the text of the fiscal year 2022 budget resolution, the first step for congressional Democrats…
In an effort to fund the proposed infrastructure bill, Congress has included a “pension smoothing” provision allowing firms to defer pension contributions.…
Nearly every state in recent years has put forward a referendum allowing voters to directly decide important economic issues, but this practice is likely…
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s reforms effectively halted the trend of corporate inversions, or firms reorganizing abroad to escape the uncompetitive U.S.…
Any infrastructure package will likely include funding to expand broadband access, but what kind of policies will best accomplish lawmakers’ goals? Federal…
President Biden’s recent executive order on competition restarted a debate over whether technology companies and other manufacturers should be able to…
President Biden created the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment to support workers through increasing the rate of unionization.…
Both Republican and Democratic-led states are considering technology regulation around such areas as the digital divide, data privacy, and content…
House prices have risen nationally 15 percent in the past year, raising concerns about the stability of the housing market. A combination of high demand…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
Policymakers on both sides of the aisle have proposed countering China’s growing economic influence through industrial policy, with the United States…
Senate Democratic leadership has announced a $3.5 trillion "budget deal," but this top-line figure indicates relatively little about the precise policies…
The G20 nations have agreed on a framework for a global tax regime, adding considerable momentum behind the proposed rules for taxing large multinational…
President Biden's recent executive order on competition includes a variety of health care provisions aiming to aid consumers by modifying the market. While…
President Biden's recent executive order on competition in the economy includes two provisions that could help workers significantly: occupational-licensing…
Several new insulin products are expected to enter the market in the coming months, with two of them being the first "biosimilar" insulin products. While…
President Biden's competition-focused executive order, released Friday afternoon, contains a grab-bag of policies aimed at antitrust reform and the technology…
The Biden Administration’s latest executive order (EO) is the broadest and most-specific example in recent history of a president seeking certain policy…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
With the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupting education, some are looking to research on summer learning losses to get a sense for how school closures…
The Biden Administration is examining whether it has the authority to provide $10,000 in blanket student loan forgiveness on every federal student loan.…
Late last week, the Supreme Court issued a decision allowing small refineries to reapply for renewable fuel standard (RFS) exemptions even if their previous…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF's…
In today's testimony before the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses infrastructure investment and…
Today the Supreme Court ruled that the structure of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is unconstitutional. As a result, the president may now…
With some expressing concern that housing prices are unusually high, there is renewed attention on the outlook of the housing market. AAF's Director of…
Policymakers recently introduced the Augmenting Compatibility and Competition by Enabling Service Switching (ACCESS) Act, a key bill in a legislative…
In the American Rescue Plan enacted earlier this year, Congress temporarily extended the child tax credit. Congress is considering whether to make this…
The Biden Administration recently released its first regulatory agenda, providing more evidence that its regulatory policies will undo Trump Administration…
The Biden Administration’s recent Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submission to the United Nations calls for all carbon emissions to be removed…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF's…
Coal-fired electricity generation has declined due to market conditions and the relative inefficiency of aging power plants, but some state legislatures…
Yesterday the Senate passed the United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), a $200 billion proposal aimed at countering China’s influence domestically…
The Biden Administration’s recent Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submission to the United Nations promises to achieve greenhouse gas reductions…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
Most people agree personal privacy deserves protection and warrants government regulation in some contexts, but regulation comes with costs and tradeoffs.…
The United States’ recent Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submission to the United Nations promises to achieve greenhouse gas reductions of…
The Biden presidential campaign endorsed a proposal to eliminate the private credit reporting industry and replace it with a new public agency to provide…
President Biden's American Families Plan (AFP) proposes one of the largest federal investments in higher education in recent memory: making two years of…
AAF's Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray analyzes the figures in the president's budget for fiscal year 2022. He notes: Taxes. Over 10 years…
Regulators in the United States and also other jurisdictions such as the European Union (EU) are increasingly scrutinizing mergers and acquisitions. In…
The Biden Administration will release its first budget tomorrow. Here is what the AAF experts are looking for: How does it all add up? How does the…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF's…
While debate on an infrastructure package is in full swing, there has been little focus on the opaque and costly infrastructure permitting process. In…
Earlier this month the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published its final rule regarding transitioning portions of the 5.9 GHz spectrum band —…
In response to the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack, the House Energy and Commerce Committee reintroduced a bill that would create a new office to address…
The Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was designed to reduce the tax benefit of shifting income outside of the…
In 2019, 10.5 percent of Americans were classified as poor, the lowest rate since the federal government began publishing such data in 1959. One central…
With the court proceedings for the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit beginning earlier this month, Epic alleges that Apple is engaging in anti-competitive behavior…
The foreign-derived intangible income (FDII) provision of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provides a tax preference for income that is earned abroad from…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF's…
While the COVID-19 pandemic led to the delay of Tax Day by one month, this postponement had little effect on the annual cost of complying with tax paperwork.…
In today's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin…
Last year India and South Africa requested the World Trade Organization waive certain intellectual property (IP) protections under the Agreement on Trade-Related…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
Each month, AAF's Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray predicts the results of the monthly employment survey. This month, Gray writes: This guesstimator…
In testimony before the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions this afternoon, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin…
The Biden Administration has signaled that it is open to reinstating net neutrality regulations, even though the dire predictions surrounding the repeal…
Last week President Biden outlined his vision for a substantially expanded federal government financed by tax increases. Congress will need to assess…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF's…
In last night's speech to Congress, President Biden made two important assertions: Funding infrastructure through the American Jobs Plan would boost the…
President Biden recently issued an executive order raising the federal minimum wage for federal contractors to $15. This executive order marks the second…
In this morning's Daily Dish, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin examines the White House's claim that raising the capital gains tax will affect only 0.3…
In tomorrow's address to Congress, President Biden will tout his American Jobs Plan as well as explain his new American Families Plan. Biden campaigned…
Policies to increase transparency around health care costs have become increasingly popular on both sides of the aisle in recent years. The Trump Administration…
The American Rescue Plan provided an $83 billion taxpayer bailout of the most severely underfunded private, multiemployer pensions. By making the most…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
The Biden Administration argues that the infrastructure investments in its proposed American Jobs Plan (AJP) would provide more than enough productivity…
Some policymakers claim that Google and Apple’s control of their apps stores creates an anticompetitive dynamic that harms consumers and developers.…
President Biden's American Jobs Plan includes restrictions on non-traditional or “gig” work, such as independent contracting and freelancing. Such…
A decade ago, Congress reformed the nutritional standards of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) after evidence…
Nearly 30 million children receive meals at school each day through the federal school breakfast and lunch programs. A decade ago Congress reformed the…
Proponents of interoperability — the ability for tech platforms to communicate and exchange information between each other — claim that mandating it…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF's…
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) allows Congress to void rules promulgated by federal agencies. In a new tracker, AAF's Director of Regulatory Policy…
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the only flood insurance program in the United States, but it is outdated, expensive, and in debt. Recent…
The Biden Administration's American Jobs Plan (AJP) proposes $100 billion to expand broadband to ensure every American has access to high-speed internet.…
Last month the United States and European Union (EU) agreed to suspend tariffs stemming from the Boeing-Airbus trade dispute for four months. In a new…
The recently enacted American Rescue Plan (ARP) provides state and local governments approximately $362 billion in additional financial assistance despite…
Remember, before the pandemic, how apprenticeships were broadly seen as an important way to train workers for in-demand jobs? The Biden Administration…
The European Parliament is currently considering the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which would reclassify certain technology companies as "gatekeepers" and…
In February, President Biden ended the federal Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs) system, which was created in 2017 as a more flexible…
Each month, AAF's Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray predicts the results of the monthly employment survey. This month, Gray writes: This guesstimator…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
As a way to partially pay for the American Jobs Plan (AJP), the Biden Administration is proposing eight major tax policy changes, largely tax increases…
The Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture administers both the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and the National School…
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act temporarily increases the value of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and expands eligibility. Most notably, this expansion also…
Senate Democrats are considering whether to eliminate the filibuster in order to pass their agenda, including several controversial health care policies.…
Some countries are starting to impose taxes on multinational tech companies based on their digital, rather than physical, presence. In a new primer, AAF's…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF's…
The Digital Services Act (DSA) is part of the European Commission’s latest effort to regulate tech companies. In a new primer, AAF's Technology and Innovation…
As part of the Biden Administration's larger immigration reform plan, the House of Representatives passed two immigration bills last week, the Dream and…
With some expressing concern that housing prices are unusually high —particularly during the pandemic and associated recession — there is renewed attention…
With reports that the Biden Administration is considering several new proposals to spend up to $3 trillion on infrastructure, climate, and other initiatives…
The Biden Administration is considering ways to "modernize" regulatory review, changing a process that has been in place for almost 30 years. In a new…
As a part of his climate change agenda, President Biden issued two executive orders (EOs) in January that temporarily halt leasing and drilling on federal…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF's…
President Biden recently proposed giving essential workers "back hazard pay," and while he gave few details, this is not the first time that federal policymakers…
Members of both parties in Congress have indicated a desire to reduce the "digital divide" — the disparity between those with reliable internet access…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are federal…
This week, the House of Representatives is considering the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, a sweeping revision of labor law. Most notably…
Senators Durbin and Graham recently reintroduced the DREAM Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for immigrants who came to the United States…
As lawmakers consider further ways to boost the economy, attention has shifted to the Small Business Administration's Small Business Investment Company…
Official reports and news stories indicate that hunger is rising in the United States because of the pandemic and its economic fallout. Yet a close analysis…
Each month, AAF's Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray predicts the results of the monthly employment survey. This month, Gray writes: This guesstimator…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF's…
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its updated Long-Term Budget Outlook today — largely similar to last year’s — and projected that the…
Regular access to healthy food is a central aspect to wellbeing, but the COVID-19 pandemic has put this access at risk. The government describes this…
House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats recently introduced the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s (CLEAN) Future Act…
House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats recently introduced the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s (CLEAN) Future Act…
This week the House of Representatives will again vote on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would impose new federal standards and mandates…
Policymakers at both the federal and state level are scrutinizing Apple and Google for restrictions they have placed on users' ability to access apps outside…
The Utah state legislature is considering legislation to expand the state's regulatory sandbox program — which allows businesses to apply for exemptions…
By the end of his first month in office, President Biden had issued more than 40 executive actions to implement his policy agenda — far more than his…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
In testimony before the Senate Budget Committee this morning, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses the interaction between the social safety net…
The Biden Administration's immigration reform proposal, the U.S. Citizenship Act, was recently introduced in Congress. In a new analysis, AAF President…
In an effort to protect access to the internet, some have argued that certain parts of the internet ecosystem, such as website hosting services, effectively…
While federal efforts to address prescription drug prices have floundered, some states are considering action of their own. The options under consideration…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF's…
A significant part of the Trump Administration's domestic agenda was its approach to regulatory policy, and the regulatory budget was the primary mechanism…
A quick reading of the data around COVID-19 vaccine distribution suggests that racial minorities are receiving the vaccine at disproportionately low rates.…
As part of the American Rescue Plan, House Democrats have proposed myriad labor-related provisions — a federal minimum wage increase, unemployment extensions…
As part of the American Rescue Plan, House Democrats have proposed $170 billion for myriad education-related provisions, including funding for secondary…
As part of the American Rescue Plan, House Democrats have proposed myriad tax-related provisions. The most notable and costliest provision is a third round…
AAF’s Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray breaks down the key points of the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) newly released An Update to the Budget…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
As part of their American Rescue Plan package of legislation, congressional Democrats have included an array of health-related provisions. AAF's Director…
House Democrats have proposed to appropriate $5 billion for energy and climate efforts as part of the American Rescue Plan. Similar to previous COVID-19…
As part of the American Rescue Plan, House Democrats are considering a bailout of the most underfunded private pension plans — a plan that is a stark…
As part of the American Rescue Plan, House Democrats have proposed $60 billion in aid to small businesses. AAF's Director of Financial Services Policy…
As part of the American Rescue Plan, House Democrats have proposed $40 billion in housing aid. AAF's Director of Financial Services Policy Thomas Wade…
Senator Amy Klobuchar recently introduced the Competition and Antirust Law Enforcements Reform Act (CALERA), which aims to significantly change antitrust…
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report that analyzes the budgetary and employment effects of the Raise the Wage Act of 2021, which would…
As a part of his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, President Biden has proposed increasing the federal unemployment supplement to $400 a week from…
The United States entered the COVID-19 pandemic with a federal budget that was on an unsustainable trajectory, and it will exit the pandemic with the highest…
In the last few years, installation of utility-scale solar facilities has increased, and is expected to continue growing to meet the demand for clean energy.…
Each month, AAF's Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray predicts the results of the monthly employment survey. This month, Gray writes: This guesstimator…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF's…
This week the House and Senate will consider budget resolutions, which if passed will give the majority in Congress an important tool — reconciliation…
AAF’s Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray breaks down the key points of the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) newly released An Overview of the…
This week President Biden signed four executive actions intended to address racial inequities — an issue he promised to make a priority of his presidency. These executive…
In today's Weekly Checkup (subscribe here!), AAF's Director of Health Care Policy Christopher Holt assesses President Biden's executive order to "take…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
As part of a broader effort to address climate change, President Biden issued two executive orders (EOs) that call for the review of existing leasing…
The Biden Administration has proposed raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour as a part of its COVID-19 economic relief plan. While this increase…
Yesterday President Biden signed an executive order that strengthens current rules requiring government purchases of goods made in the United States.…
President Biden is proposing to extend and expand paid sick, family, and medical leave, which is estimated to cover an additional 68 to 106 million private-sector…
Amid reports that House Democrats may vote next week on increasing to $2,000 checks for individuals, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin explains why this…
President Biden plans to send Congress a legislative proposal to reform the U.S. immigration system, which includes creating an eight-year pathway to citizenship…
The Trump Administration had one of the most pronounced "midnight regulation" — rules finalized between Election Day and the inauguration of a new president —…
On his first day President Biden reversed many significant Trump Administration executive orders dealing with regulatory policy, including changes to emphasize…
The Trump Administration entered office four years ago on a promise to cut regulations significantly. While the administration slowed regulatory cost growth…
Last week President-elect Joe Biden released his $1.9 trillion proposal aimed at combatting the economic fallout of the pandemic. In today's Daily Dish…
The Biden Administration is beginning to brief Congress on its plan for additional COVID-19 "stimulus" or "relief" funding, and reports indicate the incoming…
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued its final regulations governing tax credits for carbon capture and sequestration under Section 45Q.…
Following the riot at the U.S. Capitol last week, some tech platforms have acted to limit access by President Trump and the social media platform Parler.…
New Podcast Episode: The Policy Landscape in 2021
January 7, 2021
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently released an opinion that finds the president can legally direct independent agencies to submit regulations to…
In the final days of the Trump Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a contentious rule that makes the data underlying EPA…
In a new retrospective, AAF's Director of Regulatory Policy Dan Bosch and Senior Regulatory Policy Analyst Dan Goldbeck examine the results of the federal…
Op-Ed: To Fight Climate Change, Don’t Fight Global Trade
December 23, 2020
President-elect Biden has pledged to couple his administration’s climate policies — a central priority — with policies promoting domestic manufacturing.…
The COVID-19 response package passed last night includes a variety of education provisions. In a new analysis, AAF's Data and Policy Analyst Tom Lee examines…
Last night Congress passed a COVID-19 relief package and other spending measures in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, and included are a number of labor-related…
Last night Congress passed a COVID-19 relief package and other spending measures in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, and included are a number of regulatory-related…
The COVID-19 response package passed last night includes a variety of financial services and housing provisions. In a series of brief analyses, AAF's Director…
Last night Congress passed a COVID-19 relief package and other spending measures in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), and included are a number…
As Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai prepares to step down next month, the incoming Biden Administration should heed the lessons…
Included in the latest COVID-19 relief legislative package is a continuation of additional nutritional assistance. In a new analysis, AAF's Director of…
Demand for clean energy technology has grown globally, but these technologies are often dual-use products and materials with military or national security…
While federal antitrust cases against Big Tech have attracted most of the attention in recent months, both state and private actors are bringing their…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
An energy package that would increase funding for myriad clean-energy initiatives may be included in the upcoming omnibus spending bill. This package would…
President-elect Joe Biden has proposed a public option as a competitor to private health insurance, arguing that it would be a more affordable choice than…
Last week the Federal Trade Commission and 48 state and district attorneys general filed an antitrust case against Facebook, claiming it had unfairly gained…
The state of the housing-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has been in flux over the past several years, bringing attention to the outlook of the…
Commitments around the world to combat climate change present an opportunity for U.S. manufacturers to export domestic clean energy technologies, yet U.S.…
Late last week, after years of deadlock, lawmakers announced an agreement on draft legislation to end surprise medical bills, protecting patients and accomplishing…
In testimony before the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee this morning, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses the strengths and…
President-elect Biden has indicated that climate change will be a central focus of his administration, but climate change is a global problem that will…
The United States has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the developed world, and to address this challenge the Trump Administration has released…
The Trump Administration has recently finalized three controversial regulations as interim final rules (IFRs), bypassing the normal notice-and-comment…
The Federal Communications Commission is set to auction portions of the C-band spectrum next week, spectrum that is critical to the development of 5G infrastructure.…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
Chronic Disease: Community-Level Factors and Policy Options
November 24, 2020
Individual-level factors, such as lifestyle, can obviously contribute to chronic disease, but community and environmental-level issues can as well. In…
New Podcast Episode: The Current and Future Fiscal Landscape
November 19, 2020
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF's…
Countries in eastern Europe have committed to increasing their power generation from renewable sources, but each country faces several hurdles: Not only…
The Trump Administration is reportedly preparing to release an interim final rule pegging the prices of drugs in Medicare Part B to the lowest price paid…
In the last few weeks of the Trump Administration, some are raising concerns about how aggressive the administration will be in promulgating "midnight…
Interim final rules (IFRs) are federal regulations that become effective upon publication without first going through a public comment period. These rules…
This week members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and five regional trading partners signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) claims to have the authority to seek restitution directly in federal court without going through its own full administrative…
Chronic Disease: Individual-Level Factors and Policy Options
November 16, 2020
Chronic disease will affect approximately half of Americans at some point in their lifetimes, costing the United States an estimated $3.7 trillion annually.…
To mark National Apprenticeship Week, AAF's Director of Labor Market Policy Isabel Soto and Isabella Hindley have written a series of articles about apprenticeship…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
Since the housing finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac went into conservatorship after the 2007-2008 financial crisis, the federal government has…
Apprenticeships have played a crucial role in the development of the United States labor force and continue to provide Americans with opportunities to…
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today proposed a rule that would cause most of its regulations to expire unless HHS and its agencies…
While 5G deployment by private companies is already underway in the United States, the Department of Defense — which holds crucial mid-band spectrum…
Last month the Department of Labor (DOL) issued an interim final rule increasing the minimum wage for H-1B workers. The central argument for raising the…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
Critics of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter argue they have grown too large and powerful in part due to the "special privileges" they…
The "Phase One" U.S.-China trade deal requires China to purchase over $50 billion in U.S. energy sources, including liquefied natural gas (LNG). Despite…
Last week President Trump issued an executive order to implement the One Trillion Trees Initiative, a proposal put forth by the World Economic Forum.…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF's…
With the election under two weeks away and the final presidential debate tonight, new polling results from the American Action Forum (AAF) provide a sense…
With the future of the Affordable Care Act again in doubt, AAF's Center for Health and Economy has modeled the potential impact of a new consensus-group…
Today the Department of Justice (DoJ) and 11 Republican state attorneys general filed an antitrust case against Google alleging that it has violated antitrust…
New Podcast Episode: The Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis
October 15, 2020
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
In response to the COVID-19 national health emergency, many federal agencies provided temporary regulatory relief to help alleviate economic pressure and…
Previous research at the American Action Forum detailed the risks involved in cutting police budgets: fewer officers on the beat, understaffed cities…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF's…
After more than a year of investigating, the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee majority released its report examining the market dominance of the…
It has been widely reported that much of the Trump Administration's regulatory agenda has met resistance in the courts. Nevertheless, only a few deregulatory…
As part of his plan to address climate change, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has released a list of executive actions he would take immediately…
Insulin and epinephrine are life-saving medicines, yet many report that their cost is prohibitively high. In response, the Trump Administration recently…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
Each month, AAF's Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray predicts the results of the monthly employment survey. This month, Gray writes: There are significant…
The fiscal year for the federal government ends at midnight tonight, which brings an end to the Trump Administration's regulatory budget year as well.…
Some critics of Big Tech have called for modeling new regulations on those found in finance, specifically a "Glass-Steagall" regulation to prevent companies…
Last week the Trump Administration finalized a rule allowing the importation of prescription drugs from Canada. AAF's Director of Human Welfare Policy…
Recent calls to reform the police have included various proposals to "defund" local police forces. In new research, AAF's Director of Human Welfare Policy…
Assessing Financial Support for Businesses During the Pandemic
September 28, 2020
Six months after the national emergency declaration, businesses continue to face a range of financial pressures. In a new analysis, AAF's Director of Financial…
Severance Taxes: A Case Study of Alaska’s Ballot Measure 1
September 25, 2020
As global oil markets continue to be severely distressed, Alaskans will vote this November on a ballot initiative, Ballot Measure 1, that would increase…
The growth of sharing economy platforms over the last decade has led to disputes between policymakers and innovators over regulatory and labor law. While…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
Policy Priorities and the Election: Evidence from Five States
September 24, 2020
To further understand how voters might receive the policy proposals of President Trump and former Vice President Biden, the American Action Forum commissioned…
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced a proposed rule that would distinguish between employees and independent contractors under the Fair Labor…
In testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health this morning, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses the COVID-19 pandemic's…
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its updated Long-Term Budget Outlook today and projected that U.S. debt will be nearly double the size of…
New Podcast Episode: The Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis
September 17, 2020
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have markedly different views on the appropriate role of the federal government in…
Last month President Trump signed an executive order creating the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) supplement, a grant program to states providing $300 a week…
Emerging technologies — from autonomous vehicles to artificial intelligence and 3-D printing — are rapidly evolving, and their applications often raise…
While the issue of surprise medical bills has faded from view during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not disappeared entirely, in part because of speculation…
New Podcast Episode: The Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis
September 10, 2020
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
In testimony before the House Financial Services Committee this afternoon, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses the unique nature of the current…
Emergency expansions to unemployment insurance (UI) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have provided crucial support to workers across the country. With…
Chronic Disease: A Worsening Health and Economic Crisis
September 10, 2020
Chronic diseases are a contributing factor to the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but what are the trends for chronic disease looking forward…
Today a subcommittee of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved the release of a first-ever federal report on the risk that climate change…
While the issue of surprise medical bills has faded from view during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not disappeared entirely, in part because of speculation…
As Congress debates whether to extend the federal unemployment insurance (UI) supplement, much of the disagreement is over how large the federal supplement…
President Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Biden differ dramatically in their assumptions and approaches to immigration. In a new insight…
New Podcast Episode: The Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis
September 3, 2020
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
AAF’s Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray breaks down the key points of the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) newly released An Update to the Budget…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently proposed an order prohibiting many rental evictions through December 31. This order could…
While the issue of surprise medical bills has faded from view during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not disappeared entirely, in part because of speculation…
The state of the housing-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has been in flux over the past year, bringing attention to the outlook of the broader…
The California Superior Court recently ruled that platform-based companies such as Uber and Lyft are not exempt from new worker classification requirements…
Recent criticism of large tech companies' market dominance has raised the possibility of using antitrust to address these concerns, and both President…
A recent executive order directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to complete a rulemaking that the agency previously announced as withdrawn.…
New Podcast Episode: Assessing Policy Responses to COVID-19
August 20, 2020
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
Robust U.S. broadband infrastructure has allowed many individuals to work remotely, learn remotely, and receive health care remotely during the COVID-19…
The United States has historically taken a hands-off approach to internet policy, but both President Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Biden…
Back-to-school preparations look different this year, as many schools have chosen to start virtually, and as a result the most-needed school supply may…
In today's edition of the Weekly Checkup, AAF's Director of Health Care Policy Christopher Holt considers what the selection of Sen. Kamala Harris as vice…
New Podcast Episode: Assessing Policy Responses to COVID-19
August 13, 2020
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
Fiscal policy debates often focus on the high-level budget decisions Congress makes, with far less attention on how the executive branch subsequently…
Congressional Democrats are pushing for the federal government to include $1 trillion for state and local governments in the next pandemic-response legislation…
President Trump recently issued an executive order that creates a $400 a week unemployment insurance supplement. The executive order directs $44 billion…
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) expired for the second time on Saturday, August 8th. Despite some criticisms, the PPP has almost singlehandedly kept…
President Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden have both voiced support for investing further in America's internet infrastructure. In…
As Congress considers the next coronavirus aid package, the following resources from the American Action Forum assess the impact of past policies and propose…
Last night President Trump signed executive orders that will prohibit any U.S. person or company from transacting with the parent companies of the popular…
New Podcast Episode: Assessing Policy Responses to COVID-19
August 6, 2020
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
The high cost of phone calls from prison can prevent incarcerated individuals from communicating with their families, contributing to poor mental health…
While Republicans criticized President Obama for his assertion of executive authority, President Trump has prominently made use of these same powers, most…
Neither President Trump nor former Vice President Joe Biden have offered specifics on regulatory policy in their campaigns, but each candidate has a starkly…
Yesterday a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing with the CEOs of Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook examining dominance in the…
In testimony before the Joint Economic Committee this afternoon, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses policy options for "Reducing Uncertainty and…
Senate Republicans recently released their proposal for the next major COVID-19 response package, the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection…
Under the CARES Act, the $600 per week federal unemployment insurance supplement will expire on July 31st. Both Democrats and Republicans have put forward…
Last week, former Vice President Joe Biden released a plan to boost the number of health care, long-term care, and childcare workers as part of his "Build…
Senate Republicans' proposed coronavirus-response package, the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools (HEALS) Act, includes some…
Senate Republicans' proposal for the latest coronavirus response package, the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools (HEALS) Act…
Yesterday Senate Republicans introduced the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools (HEALS) Act, their proposal for the next pandemic-response…
Over the last decade, states and localities struggling to maintain their revenue have often increased monetary penalties in the criminal justice system…
The Trump Administration has announced new tariffs on French luxury goods, and many are expecting that it will reimpose levies on Canadian aluminum. Neither…
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed its first-ever rule to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft, in line with international…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
While the decade after the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act has seen the law's scope and application diminishing, many of the issues covered by the law…
On the 10th anniversary of Dodd-Frank's enactment, Douglas Holtz-Eakin assesses the state of the monumental financial-reform law in The Hill. He observes that…
Last week presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden formally announced an updated plan to address climate change: a 100 percent carbon-free…
When the federal government sent stimulus checks earlier this year, it mistakenly gave about $1.4 billion to deceased individuals — largely because the…
To mark the 10-year anniversary of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, AAF experts have assessed the economic and regulatory…
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven the strength of America's broadband networks, but the current capacity may not be enough to meet future demand. Emerging…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
As Congress considers the next coronavirus aid package, the following resources from the American Action Forum assess the impact of past policies and propose…
The United States spends nearly $300 billion annually to police communities and incarcerate 2.2 million people, but this figure does not account for the…
Because of COVID-19, states and local governments are laying off workers — but revenue shortfalls are likely not the only factor driving these job losses.…
While the COVID-19 pandemic led to the delay of Tax Day by three months, this postponement had little effect on the annual cost of complying with tax paperwork.…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. In our latest episode, AAF…
As Congress considers the next coronavirus aid package, the following resources from the American Action Forum assess the impact of past policies and propose…
Despite the Trump Administration's focus on cost savings and deregulation, poorly designed regulation continues, particularly by independent agencies.…
AAF’s Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray breaks down the key points of the Congressional Budget Office’s newly released Update to the Budget and…
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has proposed a number of policies and initiatives to combat climate change, including a new agency…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
A number of antitrust investigations continue into tech companies' dominance in the online advertising and search markets, despite indications that these…
The Trump Administration has emphasized deregulation as a hallmark of its domestic policy agenda. Yet new data released today by the Office of Information…
The United States currently has an estimated 2.2 million people incarcerated, and the incarceration rate is over four times higher than it was 50 years…
Today the Supreme Court ruled the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) structure unconstitutional. Unlike most other financial regulators, the…
The Federal Reserve (the Fed) released the results of its annual bank stress tests yesterday. AAF's Director of Financial Services Policy Thomas Wade assesses…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
Next week the House of Representatives will consider the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act, H.R. 1425. In a new analysis, AAF's Director…
In this morning’s Daily Dish, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin argues against further postponing the federal tax filing deadline, as the Treasury Department…
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) provides Congress with an expedited procedure to overturn a previous administration's regulations, but only ones that…
In this morning's Daily Dish, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin proposes a tax credit to help businesses re-open safely. The speed and scale of economic…
As states are reopening their economies and individuals are returning to work, many parents are facing a challenge with childcare. There was already a…
The state of the housing-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has been in flux over the past year, bringing attention to the outlook of the broader…
This week the Department of Justice and Senator Josh Hawley each released proposals to amend online platforms' Section 230 liability protection. These…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
In the wake of recent deaths at the hands of law enforcement and widespread civic unrest, federal, state, and local policymakers are seeking to reform…
The rise of small-scale renewable power generation, such as rooftop solar panels, has not only allowed consumers to produce energy for their own needs…
The online sale of goods and services has become increasingly important to commerce, particularly during the pandemic. One potential threat to global online…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
The Trump Administration has reportedly prepared an executive order that would strengthen the Buy American requirements for federal agencies purchasing…
In the ongoing debate over a federal paid family leave program, much of the discussion has focused on either the costs of such a program or the benefits…
The Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed a rule that for the first time codifies how the agency conducts benefit-cost analysis (BCA) on significant…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
Last week President Trump signed a proclamation suspending the entry of some Chinese graduate students into the United States in order to protect U.S.…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
The Trump Administration recently announced that it will not include an updated economic projection when it submits its mid-year budget revision to Congress.…
President Trump's executive order (EO) on regulating social media platforms highlights a debate over how much authority a president can exert over independent…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
President Trump is expected to sign an executive order regulating social media companies based on free speech concerns, after Twitter placed a fact check…
The Federal Reserve's balance sheet topped $7 trillion for the first time in history, according to newly released figures. AAF's Director of Financial…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
Trade barriers imposed by the Trump Administration threaten to diminish the benefits of international trade. AAF's Director of Immigration and Trade Policy…
The Federal Housing Finance Agency recently released its updated proposal for regulating the housing finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In a new…
While the Federal Reserve has begun to open the spigots and flood the economy with liquidity, not all firms will be able access the Fed's emergency relief…
Yesterday President Trump signed an executive order that directed agencies to further consider waiving, repealing, or modifying regulations in an effort…
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a significant number of bankruptcies are expected among oil and gas producers this coming year. In a new analysis…
The coronavirus pandemic and resulting shortage of medical supplies is leading some policymakers to call for the United States to reduce its trade with…
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the advantages of increased internet connectivity, but the pandemic has also raised concerns about the digital divide…
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting government response, many federal agencies have temporarily suspended or modified existing regulations.…
Last week House Democrats passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, which includes substantial assistance targeted…
The multiemployer-pension system is in crisis, as major plans and their federal backstop are critically underfunded. House Democrats' new coronavirus response…
Included in House Democrats' proposed fourth pandemic-response package, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, are…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
House Democrats have introduced the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, their proposal for a fourth legislative response…
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has injected capital into the economy through a variety of monetary policy authorities. Two…
In their proposed fourth coronavirus-response package, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, House Democrats have…
In their proposed fourth coronavirus-response package, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, House Democrats have…
In their proposed fourth coronavirus-response package, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, House Democrats have…
House Democrats have introduced the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, their proposal for a fourth legislative response…
Democrats in the House of Representatives recently released their proposal for a fourth major COVID-19 response package, the Health and Economic Recovery…
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act included a $600 per week federal increase in unemployment compensation to help workers stay…
Democrats in the House of Representatives recently released their proposal for a fourth major response package, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus…
While everyone is feeling the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the health crisis and resulting economic disruption are disproportionately affecting…
Employer-sponsored insurance is the single largest source of health insurance in the United States. The enormous number of pandemic-related job losses…
Many politicians on both the left and the right want to curb imports in order to strengthen the domestic manufacturing sector. This debate over the relationship…
Two years ago the Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality, and many predicted disaster as a result. In a new op-ed in USA Today, AAF…
Included in the Coronavirus Aid, Response, and Economic Security (CARES) Act were a number of provisions intended to ease the burden of paying for housing.…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to decreased demand for petroleum products, and oil producers and refiners have reduce production in response. Yet as states…
The enforcement options for a federal data privacy law at times are presented as a binary choice — either give people the right to sue, or maintain the…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act increased the unemployment benefit amount so much that many workers now have more income…
Policymakers at both the federal and state level are exploring ways to bring down the cost of insulin. Most of the policy proposals center on changes to…
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a wide-ranging regulatory response from the federal government, and AAF's Dan Bosch and Dan Goldbeck are tracking the…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
Yesterday President Trump signed an executive order that suspends immigration by halting new green card issuances for 60 days. The order is more limited…
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) provides Congress with an expedited procedure to overturn a previous administration's regulations, but only ones that…
AAF experts analyze the highlights of the Medicare and Social Security Trustees Reports that were released today. According to the reports, Medicare will…
An effective vaccine is key to blunting the impact of COVID-19, but that is at least a year or two away from broad availability. To bridge the gap between…
With the Paycheck Protection Program, which supports the payrolls of small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, running out of money, leaders of Congress…
The Obama Administration commonly used the co-benefits of regulations — incidental benefits not directly related to the central regulatory focus — to…
Demand for oil collapsed because of the COVID-19 pandemic at the same time that Russia and Saudi Arabia were increasing production. The resulting glut…
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the largest fiscal intervention in U.S. history, was largely discussed as a $2 trillion…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
The worst of the COVID-19 public-health crisis appears to be past in some areas of the country, and policymakers’ attention is shifting to re-opening…
A number of businesses are seeking business interruption insurance payouts due to the pandemic, despite the fact that their policies explicitly do not…
In an effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers are debating how governments can use personal information, such as location and heath data, to…
The United States has enacted several large economic policy packages in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but it is not alone in pursuing dramatic…
While the coronavirus pandemic has overtaken other policy priorities, prescription drug pricing reform will likely return to the agenda of Congress in…
While the federal government is providing significant financial help to businesses and the unemployed during the COVID-19 pandemic, workers in "essential"…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
Today the Federal Reserve announced an additional $2.3 trillion in loan support to businesses via the creation of three new lending facilities. These new…
U.S. policymakers have been considering federal data protection for some time, debating whether the United States' current less-regulatory approach is…
With the coronavirus pandemic straining the economy, many are seeing the impacts in their personal finances. In a new primer, AAF's Director of Financial…
Over the last decade the federal government has supported the development of advanced nuclear technologies, most recently by beginning to develop a test…
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which President Trump signed into law last week, offers up to a year of forbearance to…
Diabetes is now the most expensive chronic disease in the United States, with one in every seven health care dollars spent on diabetes expenses. The rising…
As fiscal year 2020 hit its mid-point on Tuesday, is the Trump Administration on track to meet its regulatory budget savings goals? AAF's Director of Regulatory…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation yesterday finalized the Safer, Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles rule.…
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress quickly enacted three new laws that provide myriad new streams of financial assistance to individuals. AAF's…
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act directs an additional $349 billion to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for the relief…
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — which the president signed into law late last week — has significant implications…
In its current form, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — which the Senate passed late Wednesday — provides $32 billion…
As a key part of its efforts to stabilize the economy, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stimulus (CARES) Act, which passed the Senate late yesterday…
While it contained myriad provisions intended to stabilize the broader economy, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stimulus (CARES) Act that the…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
Both the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government's various responses to it are moving quickly. AAF is following the latest developments and…
The spread of COVID-19 has forced many Americans to conduct their daily routines from home, but the rapid pace of technological innovation over the last…
To mitigate unemployment caused by the coronavirus, the Department of Labor recently announced a $100 million expansion of its Dislocated Worker Grant…
Under typical circumstances, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) must estimate the cost of any bill Congress is considering — but that standard process…
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted nearly every corner of the world, and the United States' immigration system is no exception. AAF's Director of Immigration…
The United States faced economic crises after the 9/11 attacks and the 2008 financial collapse, but the coronavirus pandemic is producing the greatest…
In its current form, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — the Senate's phase 3 legislative response to the coronavirus pandemic…
As the Senate continues to debate how to structure a third economic relief package, AAF's Tara O'Neill Hayes and Isabel Soto have analyzed the labor and…
Today the Federal Reserve announced a further series of measures seeking to mitigate the economic impacts of the coronavirus. AAF's Director of Financial…
Both the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government's various responses to it are moving quickly. AAF is following the latest developments and…
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act introduced yesterday in the Senate aims to rectify two regulatory failures by the Food and…
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has brought the issue of stock buybacks back into the news again, as some are seeking to deny assistance to firms that…
The third stimulus package that Congress is considering has two primary implications for the financial services industry, writes AAF's Director of Financial…
Yesterday the Senate introduced the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which includes tax relief for both individuals and businesses.…
The second coronavirus response package creates two new paid-leave programs: two weeks sick leave at full pay, and 10 weeks of childcare leave at two-thirds…
The Federal Reserve recently announced a spate of emergency measures intended to stabilize the economy. AAF's Director of Financial Services Policy Thomas…
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on Tuesday approved a rule that codifies its management of industrial loan companies (ILCs). ILCs were…
As policymakers consider ways to address climate change, they will look to reduce carbon emissions from U.S. energy production. Nuclear power — as it…
Tomorrow the Department of Labor will release new data of initial unemployment insurance (UI) claims, and these data will almost certainly show a spike…
The Trump Administration recently announced that medical supplies from China will not be subject to tariffs, but it is reportedly also preparing an executive…
With the COVID-19 outbreak worsening in the United States and around the world, Congress is negotiating a deal on an additional emergency response package…
The United States has a vested interest in preserving robust air-freight infrastructure, and passenger airlines serve an important role as they carry a…
Last Friday, President Trump proposed purchasing oil to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), the federal government's emergency store of petroleum…
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump Administration recently announced that it will temporarily waive interest payments on federal student…
While nuclear power produces energy that is both clean and reliable — making it an invaluable part of any climate strategy — it has faced numerous…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
The success of any government response to the coronavirus largely depends on the effectiveness of quarantines. As a result, policymakers are reportedly…
Encryption technology has allowed consumers to keep their data and communication private, but it has also allowed criminals to evade surveillance. Policymakers…
Both former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders have proposed tripling federal funding for high-poverty school districts through Title…
The state of the housing-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has been in flux over the past year, bringing attention to the outlook of the broader…
Despite the fact that insulin treatments were first developed almost 100 years ago, the price of insulin continues to rise dramatically. In the first in…
This morning the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the constitutionality of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and by extension the…
Tonight the Advanced Geothermal Innovation Leadership (AGILE) Act (S.2657) — which seeks to encourage the development of power plants that harness the…
Since the 1970s, Maryland has had a waiver from the federal government that allows it to set a single health care price for all insurers, including Medicare.…
In an effort to fight nefarious activity on the internet, policymakers are considering amending Section 230 — a federal statute that prevents tech platforms…
Presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently released his proposal for reforming higher-education policy. His plan…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
Because nuclear power is both a low-carbon and reliable energy source, it could be a valuable component of an any climate policy. Yet the development of…
From the postwar period to 2007, rapid economic expansion permitted the standard of living to double in one working career — but after the 2008 economic…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced that it is examining acquisitions by the largest tech companies of smaller firms over the last decade…
Today an estimated 14 million Americans need long-term care, but that figure is projected to rise by over 70 percent in the next decade, to 24 million…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
Last week the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it would hold a public auction later this year for the C-Band — a section of spectrum…
In testimony today before the House Ways and Means Committee, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses the corporate income tax and the impact of the…
Wages are rising throughout the economy, and some are attributing this growth to minimum wage increases in a number of states. While these minimum-wage…
Addressing the national debt is an issue with few advocates, it seems. Are the younger generations likely to prioritize a sustainable federal budget? In…
In this morning's Daily Dish, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin examined claims that the economy is not performing as well as it did under the Obama Administration.…
Members of both chambers of Congress have proposed varying reforms to the drug market in the United States, and specifically to Medicare Part D. AAF's…
Trade barriers imposed by the Trump Administration threaten to diminish the benefits of international trade. AAF's Director of Immigration and Trade Policy…
Some, including presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, have warned that subprime auto loans threaten the stability of the economy in the same way that…
In its Budget and Economic Outlook released yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office lowered the interest rate it expects the federal government to pay…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
AAF’s Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray breaks down the key points of the Congressional Budget Office’s Budget and Economic Outlook: 2020-2030. Gray…
The Trump Administration has argued that China and other nations pay for the administration's tariffs indirectly. In a new study, AAF President Douglas…
In testimony before the Senate Homeland Security & Government Affairs Committee this morning, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses the federal fiscal…
The Trump Administration's deregulatory policy has been one of its most successful domestic initiatives, with the administration claiming nearly $51 billion…
The Trump Administration issued a rule that clarifies the definition of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) — determining what natural features are…
While Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac receive most of the attention in housing policy discussions, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) plays an under-scrutinized…
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) across the economy has led the Trump Administration to produce guidance on regulating AI. The guidance favors…
The Phase One trade agreement between the United States and China reduces non-tariff barriers to U.S. exports and aims to reform unfair Chinese trade practices…
While unions have historically played a valuable role in protecting workers, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act risks significant damage to…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
The Trump Administration recently proposed updating the regulations for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in an effort to reduce the duration…
In a new retrospective, AAF's Director of Regulatory Policy Dan Bosch takes a look back at the federal government's regulatory policy in 2019. Last year…
Senators and presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have proposed taxes on household wealth, seeking to impose the burden of government…
Recent tension in the Middle East has caused crude oil futures prices to rise in the United States, raising the question of whether the spike is an indicator…
Earlier this week, the Trump Administration released its plan for allowing the importation of drugs from Canada. AAF's Deputy Director of Health Care Policy…
Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders recently released a plan to achieve universal broadband access in the United States — spending $150…
Democratic presidential candidate and Senator Cory Booker recently released his proposal for reforming pre-K and K-12 education policy. AAF Data Analyst…
The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) promotes access to financial services for populations who have historically been underserved by banks, but while the…
The Trump Administration recently unveiled its fiscal year (FY) 2020 regulatory budget, and its cumulative savings target, $51.6 billion, would more than…
Trade barriers imposed by the Trump Administration threaten to diminish the benefits of international trade. AAF's Director of Immigration and Trade Policy…
The federal government has imposed more than one billion hours in additional paperwork requirements over the last four years. One way to address this increase…
Democratic presidential candidate and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg recently released his proposal for reforming pre-K and K-12 education policy.…
After six months of negotiations, representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico have re-signed an updated version of the United States-Mexico-Canada…
The multiemployer pension system is in crisis — several large plans are headed toward insolvency, as is the federal pension backstop — and both the…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
The Trump Administration recently released the results of its fiscal year 2019 regulatory budget, showing a third consecutive year of net savings. Yet…
Members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives have been actively crafting policy packages seeking to bring down the cost of prescription…
In testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses a number of legislative proposals…
Please note the upper-bound cost estimate for this paid family leave program is $14.07 billion, not $14.07 million, as was stated in yesterday's release. Congress…
Congress is reportedly considering giving paid family leave to all federal workers — a change in policy that supporters hope will pave the way to a national…
The state of the housing-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has been in flux over the past year, bringing attention to the outlook of the broader…
The Trump Administration released the results of its fiscal year (FY) 2019 regulatory budget, showing a third consecutive year of net savings. AAF's Director…
The U.S. education system is struggling: Poor proficiency measures in K-12 reading and math scores and the projected skills shortage in the labor market…
Each month, AAF's Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray predicts the results of the monthly employment survey. This month, Gray writes: For November…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
Lawmakers and their staff have tried and failed several times to reform the budget process, yet there is still bipartisan interest in passing this type…
AAF health policy analysts Jonathan Keisling and Andrew Strohman have examined the latest Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium data for every individual-market…
The Center for Health and Economy (H&E), a research initiative of the American Action Forum, has produced estimates of the cost and effects of two different…
Last week marked President Trump’s own deadline to decide whether to impose new tariffs on automobile imports. While no official announcement was made…
AAF's Center for Health and Economy has projected the impact of a full implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the federal budget, the uninsurance…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
While the administration has not yet released its final regulatory budget accounting for fiscal year 2019, AAF's Regulatory Policy Team has estimated the…
While there is sharp disagreement about how to solve the federal budget challenge, policymakers on both sides of the aisle broadly agree that Congress's…
The Center for Health and Economy (H&E), a research initiative of the American Action Forum, has produced an estimate of the cost and effects of a recent…
Higher education in the United States is ripe for innovation: With job openings exceeding hires, the economy is demanding a skilled workforce, yet the…
While Congress has been unable to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the decade since the financial crisis, this year the Trump Administration has embarked…
The increased demand for mobile data and the future deployment of the 5G network is compelling regulators to look for satellite spectrum that could support…
Each month, AAF's Director of Fiscal Policy Gordon Gray predicts the results of the monthly employment survey. This month, Gray writes: With those factors…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
The Trump Administration recently announced that it tentatively reached a preliminary trade agreement with China. AAF's Director of Immigration and Trade…
In testimony before the Senate Banking Committee, AAF's Director of Techology and Innovation Policy Will Rinehart discusses the implications of assigning…
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently proposed a rule to change tip regulations, aiming to clarify the rules around tip credits and to expand which employees…
In testimony before the Joint Economic Committee, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses his views on the controversy of measuring economic inequality.…
It's The AAF Exchange — your source for clear, data-driven insight into today’s economic and domestic policy issues. Our latest episode features…
The United States recently won a 15-year dispute over government subsidies received by aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus, with the Word Trade Organization…
Yesterday President Trump signed two executive orders (EOs) aimed at curtailing agency abuses of "guidance" documents, which have been used to justify…
The Drug Pricing Clinic is your home for all of AAF’s most relevant and up-to-date work on prescription drug policy, proposals, and programs. Policymakers…