Blog
Since the 1970s, federal bureaucrats have created some 500,000 regulations — an average of 1,000 new restrictions each year. For the most part, the 50 years of new red tape has discouraged innovation and entrepreneurship, harmed the economy, and destroyed opportunity. That’s why Executive Order 13771, issued in January 2017 was a game-changer. And the administration’s recently published Unified […]
It’s been almost 90 years since the New Deal era began. Yet, despite our constitutional guarantee of checks and balances, expansion of the largely unaccountable administrative state continues. This raises the question: How and why has that been allowed to occur? One factor is that over the years, Congress has delegated legislative power to the executive branch—allowing the Executive […]
A 2017 study found that in Texas it takes 10 times longer to become a cosmetologist or barber than an emergency medical technician because of occupational licensing requirements. If licensing requirements are actually meant to protect the public, then that doesn’t make much sense. But that’s the truth behind occupational licensing: A growing body of research suggests that licensing imposes substantial costs that outweigh the […]
Recently, state Rep. Bruce Griffey signed onto a bill that would severely limit access to education for children throughout Tennessee. What’s worse, he’s used false claims and offensive arguments to get his point across. Among other things, Griffey has insinuated parents with substance issues would abuse educational savings accounts to fund their drug habits, claimed […]
Judge Steven H. John’s ruling that South Carolina’s civil asset forfeiture law violates the Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution was a victory for due process, private property rights and the protections afforded to every South Carolina citizen. But as encouraging as the ruling was, it only applies to two counties in the […]
A growing chorus of voices in Congress have called for increased government control of the internet to punish alleged online bias. Many, including Sen. Josh Hawley from the right and Sen. Elizabeth Warren from the left, have attempted to enact top-down legislative action to address the issue. For example, Sen. Hawley’s recently introduced Support for Internet Censorship […]
Year after year, Washington brings America to the brink of a government shutdown. These high-pressure situations are consistently used as political leverage by both sides to advance bad policy. Crisis scenarios caused by Washington’s broken budget process place unnecessary pressure on Congress to let wasteful spending and corporate welfare creep into must-pass legislation, giving lawmakers a license […]
Arlington, VA – Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) will introduce The Facial Recognition Technology Warrant Act of 2019, legislation that appropriately restricts the use of facial recognition technology by federal agencies. Americans for Prosperity (AFP) believes there are legitimate and valuable uses for facial recognition technology, but guidelines should exist to protect citizens from harms it presents when […]
Americans for Prosperity Board Member Mark Holden | Morning Consult Americans are convinced that Washington is broken. As someone who was a part of an ideologically diverse coalition that included people like Van Jones and Newt Gingrich, to help enact the First Step Act last year, I’m convinced that bipartisanship can still prevail. … Despite repeated attempts, Congress has made no […]
