Health

Senate Finance Drug Pricing Framework Risks Similar Pitfalls of Price-Setting H.R. 3

  By Andrew Lautz, National Taxpayers Union   Last month, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a “Principles for Drug Pricing Reform” document that outlines how the Senator, who chairs one of the most powerful committees in Congress, would like to address prescription drug costs this year. While the document is sparse on details, […]

Tax & Finance Top Page Links

AEC Announces Austrian Economics Conference in Vienna

  By The Austrian Economics Center   The 10th AEC International Conference, “The Austrian School of Economics in the 21st Century” will be held live in Vienna, Austria on November 4 and 5, 2021.    Offered by the Austrian Economic Center (AEC) and Foundacion Internacional Bases, the event will not be online or zoom, but a […]

Society

Basic Income: High Praise but Poor Results

    By Kerry Jackson, Pacific Research Institute   Handing out taxpayer dollars in the form of basic incomes is the latest policy rage. The Los Angeles Times reports there’s “a growing enthusiasm for basic income programs.” Vox says “guaranteed income is graduating from charity to public policy.” At KQED, they’re giving Oaklanders tips on […]

Tech

Don’t Slow Up Race For Cancer Cures

  By Mark Pfeifle and Bob Jensen   While Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer was steering bipartisan legislation to stimulate major investments in science through the Senate, his former chief counsel, acting Federal Trade Commission chairwoman, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, was leading the FTC in an unprecedented effort to block a merger of two U.S. companies […]

Tech Top Page Links

The One-Way Road to AI

  By Dr. Julián de Diego, Libertad y Progreso   The dehumanizing process of HR sectors at corporations has begun. It is a metamorphosis that implies the application of exponential technologies to replace human labor through artificial intelligence.   As a result of the accelerated pace of digitalization imposed on all activities by the pandemic, the […]

Tech

Why waiving intellectual property rights for Covid vaccines is wrong

    By Philip Stevens, Geneva Network   Last week the United States unexpectedly announced that it would join India, South Africa and others in supporting a proposal at the World Trade Organization to temporarily suspend intellectual property rights for Covid vaccines.   In theory, this would free up other companies to make copies of proprietary vaccines […]

Tech

A Market-Orientated Approach Is The Best Way To Close The Digital Divide

    By Will Yepez, National Taxpayers Union     Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Angus King (I-ME) recently introduced the Broadband Reform and Investment to Drive Growth in the Economy (BRIDGE) Act of 2021 (S. 2071). This well-intentioned legislation would provide $40 billion in funding to states, Tribal governments, U.S. territories, and […]

Society

Less taxes, less laws, less poverty: three successful European countries

    By Eben McDonald, Contrepoints   As Luxembourg, Switzerland and Ireland show, it is not necessarily social spending and redistribution that raises the level of the poorest.   The Social Democrats often praise the Nordic countries as examples of the success of progressive taxes, generous welfare states and powerful unions.   Free trade advocates […]

Environment

The European Green Deal will cause more harm than good

    By Mohamed Moutii, The Institute for Research in Economic and Fiscal Issues   In the last European elections, the so-called green parties won a record number of seats and became the fourth largest bloc in the European parliament. The Greens are now seen as pivotal political allies for passing EU legislation.   Not surprisingly, […]

Competition & Regulation

House Democrats Take Aim At Consumer Convenience With Misguided Antitrust Proposal

  By Will Yepez, National Taxpayers Union     House Democrats are planning to introduce five pieces of antitrust legislation in the coming days. One such proposal is a radical “Glass-Steagall” style legislation aimed at forcing structural separation policies that would harm consumers and disrupt the economy. Contrary to its mission, the proposed legislation would have […]