Page 186 – Taxpayers Protection Alliance

Aerial view of the Pentagon, Arlington, VA

Pentagon Must Demand Competition in Missile Defense Procurement

Post author:David Williams
Post published:November 23, 2020
Post category:Defense

America is on track to have another multi-trillion-dollar deficit next year, and profligate waste in the Defense budget certainly won’t help matters. The House and Senate are busy reconciling a package of nearly $700 billion in military spending, even as the U.S. supposedly tries drawing down its troop presence abroad. As our debt-plagued country struggles to respond to saber rattling by belligerent regimes such as North Korea, Pentagon leaders are mulling the best way to safeguard the homeland without resorting to reckless invasions and occupations.

Finalization of Drug Price Controls a Grave Mistake

Post author:Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Post published:November 20, 2020
Post category:Healthcare Press

Washington, D.C. – The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) criticized the Trump administration for finalizing onerous and destructive price controls on medications covered under Medicare Parts B and D. On July 24, President Trump signed an executive order tethering drug reimbursement rates set under Medicare to artificially low prices charged by countries with socialized healthcare systems. Drug prices under Medicare Parts B and D were ordered to be set lower than the prices set in other developed countries unless drug manufacturers agreed to a “deal” before August 24. That deadline has since passed, and now President Trump is moving forward with price caps on critical drugs regardless of the impact on healthcare choices, drug supply, or innovation.

TPA Urges FTC to Reject Antitrust Action Against Facebook

Post author:Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Post published:November 19, 2020
Post category:Antitrust Technology

Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) penned a letter to all FTC Commissioners urging the Commission not to pursue antitrust action against Facebook. Such action would deter innovative business practices and set a terrible precedent going forward regarding competitive business mergers. All this would come at a time when the U.S. can least afford to discourage innovation.

Watchdog Praises FCC Approval on 5.9 GHz Spectrum Move

Post author:Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Post published:November 18, 2020
Post category:Press Telecommunications

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) applauds the approval of the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) order on 5.9 GHz spectrum rules. This critical band of spectrum has lain dormant for far too long. The reallocation of significant portions of this band for unlicensed use is a long overdue change that will have tangible benefits for American citizens.

No good for taxpayers – Biden administration likely to tout more taxpayer-funded broadband

Post author:Johnny Kampis
Post published:November 18, 2020
Post category:Telecommunications

President-elect Joe Biden’s broadband plan indicates he will push for more government-owned (taxpayer-funded) internet networks, which would be bad news for taxpayers. Biden’s agenda, released on his website during his presidential campaign, talks in detail about his broadband goals. That includes expanding broadband to every American, which could include wireless broadband through the deployment of 5G. The most alarming part of the plan: Biden says he will task the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) “to support cities and towns that want to build municipally-owned broadband networks.” This means that taxpayers will be on the hook for these systems.

Big Tech Hearings are Wasteful Political Theater

Post author:Patrick Hedger
Post published:November 16, 2020
Post category:Technology

It’s another week in Washington. That means, naturally, that a couple of tech CEOs are once again being called to testify on Capitol Hill and to be berated by a panel of U.S. Senators. This time, it is Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey, the CEOs of Facebook and Twitter respectively. The topic is ostensibly going to be each platform’s moderation of certain content, more specifically the New York Post’s Hunter Biden exposé.

Watchdog Group Calls for Postal Reform After $9.2 Billion Net Loss

Post author:Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Post published:November 13, 2020
Post category:Postal Reform Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) criticized the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for accruing a $9.2 billion net loss for fiscal year (FY) 2020. According to the agency, the net loss for FY 2020 represents, “an increase of $363 million compared to 2019. Controllable loss [losses within management’s control] was $3.8 billion, an increase of $334 million compared to the prior year.” While the USPS cited COVID-19 as having an unpredictable impact on mail volume and revenue, the agency notes, “package volume grew by nearly 1.2 billion pieces, or 18.8 percent, compared to last year due to the surge in e-commerce.”

After mail-in election, Biden must deliver on postal reform

Post author:Ross Marchand
Post published:November 13, 2020
Post category:Postal Reform

Thanks in large part to the historically large influx of mail-in ballots in key battleground states, there’s a new administration likely headed to the White House. And, regardless of whether America has gotten a grip on the pandemic in time for the next election, mail-in voting is poised to be a significant part of future U.S. elections. But, unless presumptive President-Elect Joe Biden pursues postal reform, the United States Postal Service (USPS) may fall short of its mandate to deliver mail – including election mail – in a timely and efficient manner. Biden must work with Postmaster General (PMG) Louis DeJoy to ensure that America’s mail carrier is in tip-top shape for the next four years.

USA American doctor wearing Coronavirus pandemic COVID-19 mask in the United States of America. American flag print on Asian woman doctor's mask smiling in confidence giving hope .

Defeating COVID Means Continuing to Defeat Onerous Regulations

Post author:Patrick Hedger
Post published:November 12, 2020
Post category:Healthcare

“This is our moment to make hope and history rhyme,” said then-nominee Joe Biden at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. This allusion to the old Irish poet Seamus Heaney is one the former vice president and presumptive president-elect uses often in his public speeches. From Heaney’s famous work, “The Cure at Troy,” it conveys to readers and listeners alike that our hope for a better future is tied also to lessons and experiences from the past. Let’s hope a Biden administration heeds these words and recent history when it comes to regulatory policy.

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Watchdog: FTC’s Misguided Attempt at Past Fortune Telling Should Be a Warning for Future Antitrust Action

Post author:Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Post published:November 9, 2020
Post category:Technology

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA), a national consumer and taxpayer watchdog, is concerned about a recent report that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is considering antitrust action against Facebook, possibly before the end of November. The report suggests the suit could ultimately force Facebook to unwind its acquisitions of popular services Instagram and WhatsApp. The FTC previously approved these acquisitions in 2012 and 2014, respectively.