Hello everyone and happy Friday. This is Patrick Hedger, Executive Director of TPA, filling in for David this week. 
 

First and foremost, I’d like to start by recognizing the upcoming holiday. This coming Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. There’s not much I could say about Dr. King that isn’t well known to all Americans. His stature in our nation rightly belongs amongst the Founding Fathers and our greatest presidents such as Abraham Lincoln. I think it is worth pointing out though that one of Dr. King’s legacies is being the ultimate fighter for government accountability. He saw a nation and its government not living up to the promises of its laws and institutions and worked tirelessly to ensure those promises were honored to all Americans. While his achievements can never be matched, Dr. King’s relentless pursuit of justice and accountability is a guiding star for our organization.

 

Federal Antitrust Bill Would Grant ‘Sweeping New Powers’ to Federal Bureaucrats

 

It was not that long ago that Republicans based their agenda on rolling back the regulatory state. Former President Trump campaigned on a promise of repealing two regulations for every new one that goes into effect. His administration largely followed through on that promise, often times exceeding it. Congressional Republicans worked to limit the powers of federal agencies to dictate best practices to American businesses and individuals. They also pushed for the repeal of onerous regulations to keep the economy afloat at the onset of the pandemic. Unfortunately, some elected Republicans have gone from campaigning on the success of these policies to pushing for increased bureaucratic control. This push comes in the form of a bipartisan antitrust bill entitled the “American Innovation and Choice Online Act.” Among the bill’s eleven original sponsors, five are Republicans. For those Americans worried about bureaucratic overreach and the ever-growing regulatory regime, this ought to come as a worrying development.

 

The bill would give FTC broad discretion to determine which antitrust cases to take up under the bill and would give the FTC the power to bring enforcement action themselves.  Because businesses are inherently always looking out for their own interests, the FTC could soon find a wide license to regulate anything and everything on a whim. This is particularly troubling given the on-the-record statements now made by FTC Chair, Lina Khan. Khan has, in the past, argued that the goal of antitrust at the federal level should be “the dispersion of economic and political control.” Khan’s fellow commissioner Rebecca Slaughter has also argued antitrust should be used to accomplish political and social goals. Given the rest of their public statements, Republicans will undoubtedly be disappointed with the way the FTC wields this extra power if given it. Republicans have long bemoaned the power of the bureaucracy to pick winners and losers in the economy – and rightly so. However, their desire to punish big tech companies for private censorship policies they believe disadvantage conservatives is blinding them to this danger. As odious and hypocritical as online censorship may be at times, these are private companies dictating their own operating procedures. It is not the place of the government to intervene, nor is there any indication that Khan’s FTC will use this power to stop at just tech companies.

 

Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby Must Resign

 

TPA called for the resignation of the the Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. Baltimore City’s top prosecutor was indicted on January 13 on federal charges of perjury and filing false mortgage applications related to the purchase of two Florida vacation homes. These federal indictments make it impossible for Mosby to continue as the city’s top prosecutor.  She can no longer be trusted to be responsible for the prosecution of all crimes that occur in Baltimore City if she is the one allegedly committing the crimes.

There are so many levels of shame outlined in this indictment.  To withdraw money early from a retirement account, Mosby claimed financial hardship from COVID. This was allegedly done to purchase two Florida vacation homes.  Not only was there no financial hardship, Mosby’s taxpayer-funded salary actually increased during the pandemic by $10,000 to $248,000 per year.  This is an insult to taxpayers and the people who truly suffered and lost their jobs during the pandemic. Baltimore is in the middle of a public safety crisis with murders reaching 337 in 2021. The citizens of Baltimore deserve a State’s Attorney who is focused on fighting and prosecuting crime, not defending her own alleged criminal activity. 

Mosby should immediately resign to bring integrity back to the office.

 

Media:

January 10, 2022: I appeared on Wake Up Springfield w/ Tim Jones to discuss the renomination of David Weil
 

January 10, 2022:  WBFF Fox45 (Baltimore, Md.) interviewed TPA President David Williams about Baltimore City’s purchase of three police helicopters. 

January 10, 2022: I appeared on Philadelphia’s Morning Answer with Chris Stigall (Philadelphia, PA) to talk about David Weil’s nomination

January 10, 2022: Rush to Reason on KLZ Radio (Denver,  CO) interviewed me about David Weil’s renomination

January 10, 2022: I joined Real America’s Voice AM to discuss what David Weil’s nomination could mean for American workers

January 11, 2022:  Real Clear Policy ran TPA’s op-ed, “The Florida Professor with Outsized Influence on Produce Import Prices.”

January 11, 2022:  TPA President David Williams appeared on NewsTalk STL 101.9 FM (St. Louis, Mo.) to talk about the bad economic report and the IRS. 

January 12, 2022:  TPA President David Williams appeared on WBOB 600 AM (Jacksonville, Fla.) to talk about the priorities for Congress in 2022.

January 12, 2022:  The Muscatine Journal (Muscatine, Iowa) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Doubling Down on Taxpayer Fund Abuse.”

January 12, 2022:  TPA President appeared on Real America’s Voice with Steve Gruber to talk about inflation.

January 12, 2022: I appeared on Conservative Commandos podcast to discuss the soaring 7% inflation rates

January 12, 2022: The Center Square ran TPA’s op-ed titled, “Federal antitrust bill would grant 'sweeping new powers' to federal bureaucrats”

January 13, 2022: I appeared on Politics on the Edge 103.3 WESR (VA, MD, & DE) to discuss record inflation numbers

January 14, 2022: I will join the Tim Jones and Chris Arps Show tonight on NewsTalk STL (St. Louis, Mo.)  to discuss the latest jobs report, record inflation, and nomination of David Weil

Have a great weekend!