If you didn’t know it, this week is National Consumer Protection Week according to the Biden administration. You’d be forgiven for not knowing, given the news. Runaway inflation, blowout spending in Congress, and a new harm reduction product ban topped our radar this week. That said, there is some good news on the broadband front, with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) making progress towards more accurate broadband maps.

The Anti-Consumer Congress

At a time where inflation and the nation’s deficit are both at all-time highs, members of Congress should be looking to restrain profligate spending. Inflation clocked in at a staggering 7.9 percent in February, the highest level since 1982. Unfortunately, Congress moved forward with H.R. 2471, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022. The spending package provides a six percent increase in spending compared to last year. The full package carries a price tag of more than $1.5 trillion and will only serve to exacerbate the problems the American people are already facing.   
   
This bill also includes earmarks. Congressional leadership rightly banned these spending tools over a decade ago. They fuel reckless spending and allow special interest and niche projects to get funding that do not serve the interests of the American people. They exemplify what is wrong with the way the federal government has approached spending in the past. As tax day approaches, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is receiving $5.4 billion for “tax enforcement” and only $2.8 billion for taxpayer services. This is an indication that, rather than getting spending under control, the federal government will seek to generate revenue to fund its profligacy by going after taxpayers.    
   
Another concerning provision is a ban on synthetic tobacco cessation products. While addressing youth use of age restricted products is laudable, allowing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate synthetic nicotine is a grave mistake. Despite their promises, the FDA imposed arbitrary regulations on thousands of vapor manufacturers that had, per the FDA’s own standards, been on the market since 2016. In September, the agency made an unprecedented move on public health to issue denial orders to those thousands of manufacturers, forcing them to move to different forms of nicotine to satisfy their adult consumers. Similar to how Congress pushed ahead draconian regulations in a 2020 omnibus bill that would limit harm reduction efforts, Congress is now attempting to push through a bill that will devastate mom and pop shops and push adults back to cigarettes.  
  
Americans will be paying dearly for the actions of this Congress for a long time. 

FCC Making Progress on More Accurate Broadband Maps

New FCC maps may be ready this summer. The hope is that these new maps will help identify the areas of the country that are lacking broadband service. With billions of taxpayer dollars slated to be spent to close the digital divide, these updated maps are sorely needed to ensure that taxpayer dollars aren’t wasted and that broadband is deployed to the areas of the country that need it the most.

Department of Commerce (DOC) Secretary Gina Raimondo said recently to a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Appropriations that her office has talked closely with the FCC about map development, an important component of closing the digital divide. Broadband funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will not be distributed until more accurate maps are developed. The infrastructure bill prioritizes unserved areas first, and underserved areas second, trying to avoid past mistakes. Considering that there’s $42.5 billion to dole out, getting it right is important.

BLOGS:
 
Tuesday: TPA Sends Letter Urging Senators to the Postal Service Reform Act
 
Wednesday: Taxpayer Watchdog Urges Congress to Oppose Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022
 
Friday: National Consumer Protection Week Underscores Need for Harm Reduction
 
MEDIA:
 
March 4, 2022: National Review mentioned TPA in its article,  “Let’s Make Sure Our Military Can ‘Kill People and Break Stuff’ before Writing It a Blank Check.”
 
March 7, 2022:  WBFF Fox45 (Baltimore, Md.) interviewed me about the PRO Act.
 
March 7, 2022:  The Center Square ran TPA’s op-ed, “State bill pushes regulation without representation.”
 
March 8, 2022:  Real Clear Policy ran TPA’s op-ed, “FCC Making Progress on More Accurate Broadband Maps.”

March 8, 2022: InsideSources ran TPA’s op-ed “National Consumer Protection Week Underscores Need for Harm Reduction”

March 9, 2022: KWTO (Springfield, MO) interviewed TPA Executive Director Patrick Hedger on Biden’s SOTU address. 
 
March 9, 2022:  I appeared on 93.1 WACV (Montgomery, Ala.) to talk about the Omnibus Bill and IRS funding.
 
March 9, 2022:  Express.co.uk ran TPA’s op-ed, “No Smoking Day: Time to try something more innovative.”
 
March 9, 2022:  The Center Square ran TPA’s op-ed, “Time to deliver on real postal reform.”
 
March 9, 2022: WBFF Fox45 (Baltimore, Md.) quoted TPA in their story,  “FOX45 News continues to question transparency for City's federal Covid money reporting.”
 
March 10, 2022:  WBFF Fox45 (Baltimore, Md.) interviewed me about the Omnibus Bill and IRS funding.

Have a great weekend!