[VIDEO] Unleashing Prosperity with Stephen Moore

FreedomWorks Senior Economic Contributor Stephen Moore discuss his new role and partnership with FreedomWorks and our new plan to Unleash Prosperity in America.

Via: Freedom Works

FreedomWorks’ Congressman of the Month - John Fleming August 2015

Each month, FreedomWorks will spotlight a Member of Congress who embodies our key principles of less government, lower taxes, and more freedom. For the inaugural edition of FreedomWorks’ Congressman of the Month program, we’re highlighting Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana. Fleming was one of the first to join the House Freedom Caucus, and has been a consistent voice for liberty in Congress, since he was first elected in 2008.

A physician by trade, Fleming has demonstrated a willingness to lead on the health care debate that many of his colleagues lack. In 2013, he worked with the Republican Study Committee to introduce the American Health Care Reform Act, one of the most conservative alternatives to ObamaCare to b seriously proposed. Fleming was also a key player in the 2013 fight to defund ObamaCare.

Fleming’s opposition to ObamaCare has not weakened. Last month, he introduced the Helping Save Americans’ Health Care Choices Act, to promote and expand the use of health savings accounts. Health savings accounts are a better alternative to third party payer systems, because they promote price transparency and competition among health care providers. When patients see where their money is going, they act to spend it more wisely, encouraging lower prices and better services across the sector.

Fleming’s bill raises the current contribution limits on Health Savings Accounts, allows spouses access to the accounts, expands the number of services covered by the accounts, and expands eligibility for the accounts. These type of reforms are essential to reduce the cost of actual health care, as distinct from tinkering with insurance markets as the Affordable Care Act and many competing proposals have tried to do.

Fleming has proved to be an uncompromising defender of freedom in other policy areas as well. Where many were tempted to accept minor reforms in large legislative packages this year, Fleming rejected the argument that we have to give up a lot to get a little. He opposed the USA Freedom Act, arguing that it did not go far enough in protecting Americans from domestic spying, despite heavy pressure from inside his own party.

Fleming took a similar stand on the Student Success Act, a reauthorization of No Child Left Behind that admittedly would make a number of positive reforms. But Fleming’s dedication to the Constitution, which provides no role for the federal government in education, led him to oppose the bill on principle, especially impressive given the Majority Whip’s personal commitment to the bill.

Fleming has also proved that he is not afraid to stand up to House leadership, being one of the Members who opposed the rule to advance trade legislation, earning the vocal ire of Speaker John Boehner. This was the same vote that almost cost Rep. Mark Meadows his subcommittee gavel.

For being a principled leader who continues to work tirelessly to reform the health care system and bring back constitutionalism to Congress, we’re proud to name John Fleming our Congressman of the Month!

Via: Freedom Works

Continue Reading.....

FreedomWorks Thanks Sen. Mike Lee for Championing ObamaCare Repeal

Following news that Senators Mitch McConnell and Mike Lee released a joint statement in support of using budget reconciliation to repeal ObamaCare, FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon commented:

"Thank you Senator Mike Lee for standing up to Senate leadership and forcing a vote on repealing ObamaCare through budget reconciliation, so it would only need a simple majority vote. Activists across the country worked to elect leaders who would fight for them. Today we can join them in thanking Mike Lee for getting leadership to commit to a repeal vote that can actually reach the president's desk."

"ObamaCare is destroying our health care system, driving up costs, and decreasing the quality of care. It's about time the Senate acted on their promises and used every tool available to repeal this disastrous law."

"This will force the president to defend his signature law that is dismantling America's health care system. Even though he will likely veto the bill, it sets up health care as a major campaign issue in 2016. This is the dry run we need to demonstrate how to actually repeal ObamaCare, and we need all the presidential candidates to commit to full repeal."

FreedomWorks aims to educate, build, and mobilize the largest network of activists advocating the principles of smaller government, lower taxes, free markets, personal liberty and the rule of law. For more information, please visit www.FreedomWorks.org or contact Iris Somberg atisomberg@freedomworks.org.

Via: Freedom works

Continue Reading....

Americans May Now Be Forced to Use Dishwashers That Don’t Clean Dishes

This undated product image released by Kenmore shows a Kenmore Elite 12793 dishwasher. (AP Photo/Kenmore)

When writing about the burden of regulation, I often share big numbers about aggregate cost, job losses, time wasted, and foregone growth.

But I sometimes wonder if such data is effective in the battle for good policy.

Maybe it’s better, at least in some cases, to focus on regulations that affect quality of life for regular people. Lots of ordinary citizens, for instance, are irked that they’re now forced to use inferior light bulbs, substandard toilets, and inadequate washing machines because of regulatory silliness from Washington.

And it looks like we’ll now be forced to use dishwashers that don’t clean dishes thanks to proposed regulations that will reduce water use (which is in addition to a 2012 regulation that already restricted water use).

The Hill reports on the Nanny State’s latest salvo in the war against modern civilization.

“The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers is accusing the Department of Energy (DOE) of a politically motivated drive to increase dishwasher efficiency standards, which are so bad that they would cause consumers to re-wash dishes, erasing any efficiency gains. Rob McAver, the group’s head lobbyist, said regulators are going too far and the new rules will allow only 3.1 gallons to be used to wash each load of dishes. … They then ran standard tests with food stuck to dishes. ‘They found some stuff that was pretty disgusting,’ McAver said. … ‘The poor performance that would result would totally undercut and go backwards in terms of energy and water use, because of the need for running the dishwasher again, or pre-rinsing or hand-washing, which uses a lot of water,’ he said.”

Great, another bone-headed step by the government that will make life less enjoyable.

I’m already one of those people who rinse my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher because I hate the idea that they won’t be fully clean afterwards.

So I can only imagine how bad it will be if this absurd example of red tape is imposed and I have to buy a new dishwasher.

I guess I’ll just keep my fingers crossed that my current dishwasher doesn’t break down.

Especially since the rules make new dishwashers more expensive.

“Ernest Istook, former Republican congressman from Oklahoma, wrote in a Washington Times piece that complying with the 2012 rule, based on DOE estimates, added roughly $44 to the cost of each machine. ‘Now their 2015 proposal will add another $99 to the price tag, even by DOE’s own admission,’ he wrote.”

Julie Borowski has the right assessment. Her column for Freedom Works is from 2012, but it’s very appropriate still today.

“Are you disappointed in every shower head that you purchase? Does your toilet have trouble flushing? Have you noticed that your dishes are still dirty after the dishwasher cycle is completed? … Some of us may be quick to blame the manufacturer of these home appliances. But the manufacturers are just abiding by the costly regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy.”

What’s really frustrating is that these regulations reduce the quality of life without even reducing water usage.

“… it has only led to people hacking their shower heads to remove the intrusion that is blocking water flow in order to have a more relaxing shower that actually gets them clean. There is no proof that the water restrictions have actually saved water because many people just end up taking longer showers than they otherwise would.”

Amen. Every so often I wind up at a hotel with restricted-flow showerheads and it’s a hassle because I probably spend twice as long in the shower.

Not to mention problems government has created elsewhere in bathrooms.

“… water restrictions are also the reason that our toilets have trouble flushing. Many of us have become accustomed to flushing the toilet multiple times before the toilet bowl is clear. The 1992 Energy Policy Act states that all toilets sold in the United States use no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush. These water restrictions are the reason why we have to use plungers far more often than we used to.”

I won’t torment readers with a TMI moment, but I will say that I now routinely flush at the halfway point when seated on a toilet. And even that doesn’t necessarily preclude a third flush at the end of the process.

The only good news is that this gives me a daily reminder that government has far too much power to micro-manage our lives.

Via: CNS News

Continue Reading.....

Expand Health Savings Accounts

….private property, production, and voluntary exchange … are the ultimate sources of human civilization.—Hans-Hermann Hoppe

Expand Health Savings Accounts

Since World War II, America’s health insurance systems has always had government distortions. During the war, America had wage and price control, and Kaiser, a shipbuilding company, had to abide by these wage controls. In order to attract better workers, Kaiser offered employer-paid health insurance. After the war, this morphed into employer-paid insurance, which was not taxed to the employee and deducted as a business expense for the employer. Too bad for employees that did not work for employers with health insurance; they paid for health insurance with their after-tax dollars.

Lesson One: In reality, health insurance was mostly prepaid healthcare with large and diverse risk populations – a big business and their employees. Health insurance had less to do with the risk of illness or injury. America’s government-distorted health insurance was very different from Lloyds of London, which originally was risk insurance on oceangoing ships of trade.

Lesson Two: Obamacare is a continuation of our distorted health insurance

The CATO Institute asks:

Take a typical 30-year-old and 64-year-old, earning identical amounts of money, living in the same place, and choosing the same health plan. Who will pay more for that health care plan under Obamacare?

The 30-year-old pays $2,800 a year for a bronze plan. The 64-year-old pays $7,400 for the same plan.Wait. The 64 gets generous subsidies and thus pays nothing. That’s a $0. Meanwhile, the 30-year-old receives a smaller subsidy, which pays $400, and pays about $2,400 out-of-pocket.

Lesson Three: Political favoritism always distorts government-controlled programs, i.e. ObamaCare.

**Lesson Four: ** Most people under fifty would be much better served to have health-saving accountswhere pre-tax dollars buy catastrophic medical insurance and pay for ordinary health care with their pre-tax dollars. The excess pre-tax savings builds within the account and will eventually be used for Medicare.

**Lesson Five: ** Health savings accounts excel because people are buying real insurance against catastrophic injury and illness and paying for ordinary medical checkups with their own money. This is private property being voluntarily exchanged for risk protection and good medical care. Or as Hans-Herman Hoppe explains: …*.private property, production, and voluntary exchange … are the ultimate sources of human civilization. *

Lesson Six: Everyone should be demanding that politicians expand health savings accounts. Call your senator, member of congress, governor and state legislators and demand health savings accounts...today. Make health savings accounts an issue in the 2016 campaigns. Only then will the opportunity exist in 2017 for good legislation. This is how geo-politics works.

Remember! Make expand health savings accounts an issue in the 2016 elections. It’s very important.

Via: Freedom Works

Continue Reading.....

Kibbe: Why are White House, Homeland Security, IRS, others scoping site FreedomWorks.org?

Forty years after Watergate, a scandal about a president’s men breaking into and bugging opposition, often under the cover of a national security imperative, Americans in opposition to the country’s current trend lines are still subject to political surveillance.

The latest example of President Barack Obama’s administration stop-and-frisk attitude is aimed towards the Internet.

The organization that is the national support and logistics hub for the Tea Party announced Oct. 30 that its website has been repeatedly cased by several federal agencies, including the executive office of the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the Internal Revenue Service.

FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe said, “After the flurry of scandals and abuses coming out of the intelligence collection agencies of the federal government this year, it’s curious that the DHS would frequent the FreedomWorks website.”

The website visits by government agencies were discovered during a routine internal audit of FreedomWorks.org over the last two years. The federal bureaucrats and agents spent most of their time reading blog entries and staff biographies.

Via: Canada Free Press

Continue Reading....