Read more about the article Senate Should Follow House on NDAA Transparency

Senate Should Follow House on NDAA Transparency

The best tool to prevent the government from wasting taxpayer dollars is exposure. The more the public knows about how elected officials are spending their money, the tougher it becomes for that money to be wasted. This is certainly the case when it comes to Pentagon spending, and the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) has been a stalwart advocate of transparency when it comes to how the Department of Defense (DoD) spends tax dollars. Just recently, TPA highlighted more than 180 earmarks that totaled more than $7 billion in the Omnibus-spending bill, just for DoD alone. Now, with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) beginning it’s lengthy process from markup to final passage, it is time to turn attention towards a piece of legislation that is continually passed by Congress, yet continually put together behind closed doors in the Senate. The House Armed Services Committee will begin their full markup of the NDAA today, and we have already seen a summary of what HASC Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) is ready to put on the table. Looking to spend more than $600 billion this time around, there is certainly onus on Congress to proceed not only carefully, but openly. The full House NDAA markup will be available, as it has been since Congressman McKeon began chairing the HASC in 2011. Unfortunately, without full transparency in both the House and the Senate, taxpayers are left holding the bag on a more than half a trillion dollar piece of legislation that is essentially put together by a small group of elected officials seeking whatever means necessary in order to make sure it can reach final passage without it ever seeing any sunlight until after it’s already signed into law. Retiring Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) laid down a familiar marker early this year when discussing the possibility of opening up the Senate process in marking up the NDAA. Roll Call detailed Senator Levin’s opposition where he cited classification concerns.

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Read more about the article Congress Watch: Keystone Pipeline and the Senate

Congress Watch: Keystone Pipeline and the Senate

As the Senate debated its budget resolution last March, an amendment in support of the Keystone XL pipeline was offered and 62 Senators voted in favor of it. And, polls indicate that 65% of the American people support the Keystone XL pipeline project. So, it seems simple, as the Senate considers bipartisan energy efficiency legislation this week, it seems only natural that there would finally be a vote to get the project moving. But, that would be too easy, and require the one the thing that Washington has the biggest deficit of, common sense. First, it is important to understand the facts about the pipeline. The proposed pipeline, which would carry roughly 700,000 barrels of oil per day from Alberta, Canada, to refineries on the Gulf Coast, would encompass 1,700 miles and cost approximately $7 billion. The pipeline would be an extension of one that became operational in 2010. Most importantly, the pipeline will be a job creator, critical for a country struggling to come out of a recession. According to the Heritage Foundation, “Building the pipeline would directly create 20,000 truly shovel-ready jobs; the Canadian Energy Research Institute estimates that current pipeline operations and the addition of the Keystone XL pipeline would create 179,000 American jobs by 2035.” This would mean a broader tax base and increased revenue to the government without raising taxes. Also, more people collecting a paycheck means fewer people collecting unemployment benefits.

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Read more about the article Your Tax Dollars: Destination Unknown

Your Tax Dollars: Destination Unknown

This article written by Stephen DeMaura, president of Americans for Job Security, originally appeared in Townhall.com on May 31, 2014 The ancient Roman historian Livy observed that “the unknown always inspires terror.” That was not a novel idea for the Romans – fear of the unknown is as old as humanity itself. Much more recently, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld reminded us just how many kinds of “unknowns” there were to fear. “There are known knowns,” he famously explained in a 2002 press briefing. “There are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” That statement is enough to keep a philosophy convention occupied for days. All deeper implications aside, however, one thing is certain: “unknown” is not an answer that Americans should expect to find when looking into the final destination of billions of dollars they are responsible for. Unfortunately, that’s precisely the answer that we get when it comes to $24.3 billion of the funds doled out since 2007 by the Export-Import Bank of the United States. It’s that sort of unknown that should “inspire terror” in every taxpayer.

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Read more about the article TPA Joins Coalition Urging End to Export-Import Bank

TPA Joins Coalition Urging End to Export-Import Bank

Washington, D.C. – The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) will be joining other leading conservative and free market organizations today at a joint briefing in B-339 Rayburn House Office Building at 12:30 pm to urge Congress to reject reauthorization of the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank. The Ex-Im Bank has been a waste of taxpayer money for far too long, and it runs directly counter to the principles of free-markets that our nation’s economy is built upon. The Ex-Im Bank engages in some of the worst forms of corporate welfare and cronyism on a regular basis and TPA is absolutely opposed to this bank continuing the kinds of destructive policies that kill jobs and harm taxpayers. A joint coalition letter signed by TPA stated that, “By paying foreign companies to buy American exports, the Export-Import Bank tilts the playing field away from mid-sized and small businesses in favor of large, politically connected corporations. The Airlines for America, for example, estimates that the bank’s recent loans to foreign airlines have killed as many as 7,500 jobs for domestic airlines in the United States. Eliminating the Export-Import Bank would level the playing field and allow U.S. companies to compete for business on their merits rather than the strength of their political ties to the bank.” TPA President David Williams added, “Year after year Ex-Im Bank doles out billions of dollars in below market financing to foreign companies at the expense of American jobs... By denying reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank this year, Congress has a prime opportunity to help end some of the worst practices of cronyism we’ve seen in government.” Click 'read more' below to see the full press release & letter

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Read more about the article President Obama’s Anti-Coal Crusade Is Harming The Economy, Security

President Obama’s Anti-Coal Crusade Is Harming The Economy, Security

This article originally appeared in The Daily Caller on April 30, 2014 President Obama has broken many promises during his first and second terms in office. But, in a sad twist of irony for taxpayers and energy production, the president is intent on keeping one of his 2008 campaign promises, to bankrupt coal plants and force electricity prices to “necessarily skyrocket.” After legislative attempts to pass cap-and-trade failed in the Democrat-controlled Congress in 2009, the president made clear that “cap-and-trade was just one way to skin the cat.” The other way: have unelected bureaucrats and attorneys at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulate coal out of business.The EPA has since taken measures to stop coal plant production by requiring new plants to use cost-prohibitive carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology – tech that is only affordable with large taxpayer subsidies. The only plant currently under construction with CCS will receive $400 million in grants and federal tax credits to offset the more than $1 billion price tag for what is unproven technology. That model is unsustainable. Now, the EPA is working on round two of its regulatory assault, which “would put limits on carbon dioxide emissions from existing coal-fired power plants.” Already, the Department of Energy estimates that EPA’s earlier power plant rule could force several hundred coal-powered electricity plants to close. The result: 32 million households would find themselves without a reliable source of energy production. By 2025, the situation will become more dire as nearly all coal plants will be forced out of business, robbing 33 states of 44,000 megawatts of electricity.

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Read more about the article Six Months Away, Six Reasons Why Congress Must Stop Internet Access Taxes

Six Months Away, Six Reasons Why Congress Must Stop Internet Access Taxes

Today marks a very important moment for Internet access fees. Six months from now, the moratorium on Internet access taxes will expire. The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) recently signed onto a bipartisan letter sent to members of Congress asking them make the moratorium on Internet access taxes permanent before the ban expires in November. According to the letter sent last month, "While the Internet was a nascent technology when the current moratorium was established in 1998, it has become the economic engine driving innovation and growth in our 21st century economy. Throttling that engine at a time when our economy is struggling hurts not only those trying to invest in America’s future, but also those who can least afford it and have the most to gain from the Internet’s potential…By establishing tax policies that will help keep access to the Internet affordable and Internet commerce free from multiple and discriminatory taxation, more and more citizens of all economic levels will be able to participate in today’s digital economy." Congress has the power to act. Click 'read more' below to see the list!

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Read more about the article 70+ Groups Send Bipartisan Coalition Letter Urging President Obama to Support ECPA Reform

70+ Groups Send Bipartisan Coalition Letter Urging President Obama to Support ECPA Reform

One of the most important things to remember about the growing advancement of technology in this day and age is that with each improvement, comes greater risk. There is no question that Americans value their privacy, but there is also no question that the privacy of individuals is compromised when we see the abuses of government overreach and actions by federal agencies that violate the very civil liberties that are a core part of American values. Keeping all of that in mind, TPA was proud to sign on to a coalition letter that was sent to President Barack Obama yesterday. Spearhead by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and co-signed by more than 70 organizations; the letter calls for support from the President on reforming the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) so that there can be clarity for every American regarding full constitutional and statutory protections for the emails, photos, text messages, and other documents that they send and share over the Internet. The law was originally enacted in 1986 and is dire need of an update, when you consider the way technology has evolved in the last few decades with the Internet being such an important part of the daily lives of every American. With a report from the President's "Big Data Review Group," due out this week, support from him on this issue would be paramount. Click 'read more' below to see the full letter

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Read more about the article RELEASE: TPA Opposes Federal Ban on Internet Gambling

RELEASE: TPA Opposes Federal Ban on Internet Gambling

Washington, D.C. – The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) joined other leading conservative and free market organizations in sending a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees opposing the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (H.R. 4301). The legislation would ban Internet Gambling, a decision that should be left to the states. TPA has many concerns with the Restoration of America’s Wire Act, which would essentially ban Internet gaming across the country. This legislation goes too far by interjecting the federal government in what has traditionally been a state issue. Additionally, the legislation would not stop online gambling and would instead embolden criminals to prey on consumers in a black market that is typically operated abroad with little oversight. TPA encourages the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees to stand strong against this gross overreach by the federal government. This legislation is also a backdoor attempt to regulate the Internet. click read more below to see TPA's press release & the coalition letter

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Read more about the article Will Earmarks Make A Comeback, Or Have They Already?

Will Earmarks Make A Comeback, Or Have They Already?

United States Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) We all remember pork-barrel earmarks. Those pesky little projects that members of Congress snuck into spending bills to try and curry favor back home. Earmarks in the past have included $50 million for an indoor rain forest in Iowa; $500,00 for a teapot museum in Sparta, North Carolina; and $100,000 to the Tiger Woods Foundation. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) categorized earamrks as “the gateway drug to spending addiction in Congress because they encourage members of Congress to vote for bloated bills they would otherwise oppose. Earmarks also waste money outright, contrary to the views of many members.” Responding to voter pressure, Congress instituted transparency rules for earmarks starting in 2008 and then in 2010, the House and Senate agreed to a two-year moratorium on earmarks. The moratorium was extended and most earmarks disappeared, except for the Defense spending bill. In fact, TPA uncovered 186 earmarks worth $7 billion (click here to see the full list) in the Defense Appropriations Bill that was part of H.R. 3547, the 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act, aka the Omnibus appropriations bill. Now, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is calling for the full reinstatement of the earmark process in the halls of Congress. Senator Durbin wants to officially bring back the practice of inserting pet projects into bills in order to make it easier for members to vote in favor of legislation. Speaking on this last week, the Illinois Senator made the case for a return to an earmark-laden legislative process by using the example of the massive transportation bill

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Read more about the article TPA Submits Comments on Spectrum & Updating the Communications Act

TPA Submits Comments on Spectrum & Updating the Communications Act

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is very interested and concerned as to how Congress will be looking to make changes regarding communications policy and how those changes will impact the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the issue of government-owned spectrum. There is no doubt that taxpayers, consumers, and businesses will be impacted by how the committee, Congress, and the FCC proceed. That being said, it is important to take into account where all stakeholders stand on these debates. TPA is a 501 (c)(4) organization that represents the interests of millions of American taxpayers across the country and as such we feel compelled to submit comments that expressly states recommendations to two questions posed in the recent white paper issued by the committee regarding these issues. To read the full comment, click 'read more' below

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