1) Trump First Presidential Candidate in History to Endorse "Universal School Choice"
While we are nonpartisan and don't take sides in party politics, we generally like the Republican Party policy platform for 2024. Kudos to our friends Vince Haley and Russ Vought for their amazing job.
One plank of the platform made us jump out of our chairs and perform cartwheels of celebration.
The platform states explicitly in big bold letters:
When it comes to education, Republicans now officially puts kids over unions. We hope Democrats will do the same!
2) Casey Mulligan's Rousing Speech to the Platform Committee
We’re proud to announce that the quality of the Republican Party Policy Platform probably has something to do with our Senior Fellow Casey Mulligan's testimony before the Platform Committee, advocating for a reduction in the regulatory burden and tax rates. Here’s an excerpt from his speech reminding the committee how well these policies worked in Trump’s first term:
When the Trump economy got people back to work with good wages, critics called it a short-lived sugar high that would stoke inflation. But in fact, it would be less than 2%.
The U.S. economy was on a path to make the American dream affordable again for families, young people, everyone. The GOP platform promises to finish the job.
Deregulation and the Trump tax cuts were essential. Prescription drug prices fell for the first time in almost 50 years, thanks to more companies entering the market after then-President Donald Trump lowered barriers. Deregulation reduced internet access prices sharply in 2017. American innovation also made us the world's leading oil and natural gas producer.
New cars and pickups will cost almost $6,000 more because of the actions of the Biden and Obama administrations. These actions impose Champagne tastes on beer budgets, not environmental protection. Workers can't come off the sidelines if they can't afford the car to get there.
You can read the whole thing here:
And because we're nonpartisan we'll offer this suggestion to the Democrats: invite Casey to your platform committee and take his advice!
3) There's No Place Like Home – After the Trump Tax Cut
One of our many objectives when we at Unleash Prosperity helped design the original Trump tax cut in early 2017, was to stop American companies from fleeing the U.S. and moving factories and jobs overseas. Under Obama, dozens of major companies engaged in tax inversions – which happen when companies move out to take advantage of lower tax rates outside the U.S.
America had the highest corporate tax rate in the world at 40% (the combined state and federal rate), while the rest of the world was closer to 20%, and some countries were at or below 15%.
By cutting the federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, the incentive to pack up and leave the USA was greatly diminished.
The policy was an astonishing success. The chart below shows that the number of companies fleeing the U.S. fell to zero after the Trump tax cut. According to former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, there has not been a single inversion in five years 2018-22.
The companies and the jobs stayed here. They're likely to stay firmly planted here – unless Biden or Kamala is elected and raises the rate back up to 28%.
Corporate Inversions Before and After Trump Tax Cut
If Biden survives the Democratic Hunger Games, he will have the Progressive wing of the party to thank.
The Squad, and other Progressive Democrats, famously backed Biden in 2020, and they’re still all in. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the leader of the House Progressive Caucus, announced there had been an "evolution" in Biden's thinking that made him promise to sign on to much of the Bernie Sanders agenda. And Biden has kept his word, from championing a Green New Deal and a massive regulatory expansion to adopting transgender ideology and a trillion-dollar infusion into the welfare industry.
The biggest source of Biden's support among Democrats is now a coalition of "woke" college-educated professionals, nonprofits who benefit from the welfare state, and liberal tech oligarchs with radical social policy views. All of them believe their capture of Biden is stronger than ever and he would continue to do their bidding in a second term.
Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a member of the Progressive Democrat House "Squad", says that Biden has "been the best president of my lifetime and we have his back." Bernie Sanders is also a committed supporter.
We still think Biden will be ousted – but this intra-party Civil War could tear the party apart.
5) 198 House Democrats Voted NO on Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Vote
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries led the opposition yesterday to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, arguing alternately that the bill was an "extreme MAGA Republican voter suppression bill", that "does nothing."
He's half right. Requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration would suppress votes – illegal votes.
Democrats also argued the bill would create an "extreme burden for countless Americans" (really?) and "further intimidate election officials and overburden states' abilities to enroll new voters." This may be the first time in history that Democrats were concerned about compliance costs.
The bill passed 221-198 with unanimous Republican support.
These are the five Democrats who voted yes:
And this is the shameful list of 198 Democrats who are opposed to proof of citizenship for voting in federal elections:
