First, some really good news. The Senate Parliamentarian ruled that the inclusion of the $15/hour federal minimum wage was ruled to not be germane for the COVID relief bill. What a relief for small businesses. Now, the bad news… there was another antitrust hearing this week with Congress once again going after Big Tech. A couple of observations. 1. We have a deficit of $27 trillion. What Big Tech is doing, or not doing, isn’t the most pressing issue in this country. 2. Big Tech helps small businesses. Check out our Government Antitrust Accountability Project and see how Big Tech is helping small businesses. We have two great examples, Cork and Keg in Virginia and 6$ in Ohio. Their stories illustrate why going after Big Tech is a very bad idea.
Profile in Courage – Sen. Joe Manchin III
In today’s hyper charged political environment, it’s almost unheard-of for a prominent politician to regularly take on his or her own party. Yet, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) does it every day, placing a higher value on pursuing sound public policies rather than toeing the party line. In defying the Democratic disposition toward onerous regulations and high minimum wages, Sen. Manchin has made plenty of enemies during his time in Washington, D.C. But he’s also no Republican in disguise and has challenged GOP lawmakers to defy partisanship and work together on key pressing issues. Too often, policymakers will trade in their independent thinking for brazen self-interest once they become powerful enough. But even as “the most powerful man in Washington,” Sen. Manchin sticks to his guns and demands the very best of both parties. And for rising above the fray even when the going gets rough, Sen. Joe Manchin is a Profile in Courage.
At the age of 35, Manchin became a West Virginia state delegate. Four years later he became a state senator, and Manchin’s star power grew considerably in his ten years serving West Virginia’s 13th and 14th districts. Following in the footsteps of his uncle A. James Manchin, Manchin was elected West Virginia’s secretary of state in 2000. But, the now-Senator wanted to lead his state in a different way and announced in 2004 that he would challenge Democratic incumbent Bob Wise in the upcoming gubernatorial election. Wise opted to leave the public eye following a scandal, creating a wide opening for Manchin to win the election by a nearly-thirty percentage point margin. After a successful stint in Charleston, Manchin set his sights on Washington, D.C. Following the death of then-Senator Robert Byrd in 2010, Manchin successfully ran to fill Byrd’s two remaining years. He was elected by more than a 10-percent margin in a reliably Republican state, a testament to his ability to meet the other side in the middle and talk to – not alienate – his political opponents. Sen. Manchin has now been in office for more than a decade, focusing on issues such as energy policy and regulatory and spending reform. But for the first time since assuming office, he finds himself in the unusual position of being the most powerful man in Washington, D.C. The Senate is now gridlocked 50-50, making Sen. Manchin the swing vote for a wide array of legislation.
Sen. Manchin has the simple and straightforward aim of making the governing process open to all parties . This principle of inclusivity has led him to oppose doing away with the filibuster, a tool which has historically helped minority parties retain a governing foothold. When asked by Fox News reporter Bret Baier whether he would vote to nix the filibuster, Sen. Manchin responded with an emphatic no and claimed there were fellow Democrats who also recognize the importance of protecting parties out of power. Sen. Manchin has also used his clout to oppose increases to the federal minimum wage. Sen. Manchin rightly recognizes that this policy would be catastrophic for working-class Americans trying to climb up the economic ladder. According to an analysis by the Employment Policies Institute, West Virginia alone “can expect to lose as many as 12,331 jobs [if the minimum wage were raised to $15/hour]…The restaurant and bar industry will account for 38% of total job losses, and 29% of lost jobs will be those held by tipped workers.”
Sen. Manchin doesn’t always vote in the best interests of taxpayers and consumers. But he’s at least open-minded enough to hear the other side out, and brave enough to take on his party’s economic orthodoxy. And for taking the high road at such a dark, difficult time, Sen, Joe Manchin is absolutely a Profile in Courage.
Another COVID Relief Bill…Or is It?
The House is getting ready to pass another COVID relief bill. The price tag for this one is expected to be $1.9 trillion. The draft legislation contains billions of dollars in unrelated spending in the legislation, there is still $1 trillion in unspent funds from last year’s COVID relief bills.
The good news is that the job-killing $15/hour minimum wage was ruled out of order, but the bill still includes:
• $128.5 billion to fund K-12 education. The Congressional Budget Office determined that most of the money in education will be distributed in 2022 through 2028, when the pandemic is over.
• $86 billion to save nearly 200 pension plans insured by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. There are no reforms mandated while these badly managed pensions are bailed-out. Many of these pension plans are co-managed by unions.
• $270 million to the National Endowment of the Arts and the Humanities. Their budget last year was $253 million.
• $200 million for The Institute of Museum and Library Services. Their budget last year was $230 million, so this doubles their budget. This agency is so small that it doesn’t even have an inspector general… and they’ll need one with the extra money they’ll be getting.
Photo by House GOP
In addition to the reckless spending, there is still more than $1 trillion that hasn’t been spent from last year’s relief bills. Here is a sampling:
• $455 billion in unspent funds for Federal Reserve lending assistance
• $130 billion of Paycheck Protection Program money remains unspent
• $63 to $53 billion available for state education agencies from initial allocations. Only $4 billion has been spent.
BLOGS:
Monday: President Biden Should End His Misguided Assault On Private Prisons
Tuesday: Biden Administration Must Pursue Regulatory Reform
Thursday: TPA Highlights How Big Tech Empowers Small Biz
Friday: Profile in Courage: Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.)
Media:
February 19, 2021: Issues & Insights ran TPA’s op-ed, “President Biden Should End His Misguided Assault On Private Prisons.”
February 19, 2021: I appeared on 106.3 WORD (Greenville, SC) to talk about unspent COVID funds.
February 19, 2021: The Press (Millbury, Ohio) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Biden Administration Must Pursue Regulatory Reform.”
February 20, 2021: The Boston Herald (Boston, Mass.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Regulation reform needed to revive economy.”
February 21, 2021: The Charles City Press (Charles City, Iowa) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Be on the Lookout, Taxpayers!”
February 22, 2021: WBFF (Fox, Baltimore) interviewed me about State Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s travel.
February 22, 2021: I appeared on the Chris Stigall Show on 990 AM (Philadelphia, Pa.) to talk about unspent COVID relief funds
February 22, 2021: Inside Indiana Business ran TPA’s op-ed, “Indiana Lawmakers Must Steer Clear of Truck Weight Proposal.”
February 23, 2021: North Carolina Journal (Raleigh, N.C.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “N.C. looks to relax regulations on providers to speed up broadband access.”
February 23, 2021: WBFF (Fox, Baltimore) quoted TPA in their article, “New developments in Marilyn Mosby's travels.”
February 23, 2021: The Center Square ran TPA’s op-ed, “Policymakers must address root causes of Texas fiasco.”
February 24, 2021: I appeared on Wall to Wall on One America News to discuss the minimum wage.
February 24, 2021: I appeared on Rush to Reason on KLZ 560AM (Denver, Col.) to talk about the next COVID relief bill.
February 24, 2021: The Center Square ran TPA’s op-ed, “Regulators stifle broadband expansion with exorbitant pole attachment fees.”
February 25, 2021: WBFF (Fox, Baltimore) interviewed me about the proposed Maryland relief bill.
February 25, 2021: I appeared on WBOB 600 AM (Jacksonville, Fla.) to talk about the next COVID relief bill and unspent money from previous rounds of spending.
February 26, 2021: VP of Policy Patrick Hedger appeared on National Report on Newsmax TV to discuss the minimum wage.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Best,
David Williams
President
Taxpayers Protection Alliance
1401 K Street, NW
Suite 502
Washington, D.C. xxxxxx
www.protectingtaxpayers.org
