Media Hit

While Obama promised America “hope and change” from a progressive left-of-center dogma, it was more of the “same ol’, same ‘ol” from an economic standpoint.

Donald Trump took the oath of office Friday promising to bring jobs back to the US and put America first in matters of trade and foreign affairs. And a statement released by his White House as soon as the power transferred to Trump touted "an America first energy plan," promising to maximize the use of American energy resources, end dependence on foreign oil and scrap burdensome regulations.

Giovanetti cautioned that putting more money in people’s pockets so they can spend it is not the purpose of tax reform. “No, cash isn’t enough,” he said. “It has to be invested productively in order to grow the economy. When businesses expand, they hire new workers and create new wealth. And that’s what we want.”

In a piece authored for The Hill’s Congress Blog, Merrill Matthews argues that EPA’s final hydraulic fracturing study should keep the conclusion set out in the report’s 2015 draft, in which the agency said it found no evidence fracking has led to “widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United States.”

According to IPI, even though the unemployment rate has gone from 7.8 percent to just under 0.05 percent, the labor participation rate also dropped — from 65.7 to 62.8 percent, a level not seen since March 1978. Meanwhile, the gross domestic product growth has nearly stalled.

Five payers have been struggling to maintain profit selling health plans on the health insurance exchanges.

Dr. Merrill Matthews of IPI says clues for possible Republican replacements are in the House bill Price wrote. The plan included expanded tax credits for those who do not have coverage from an employer and a major expansion of tax-free, health care spending accounts for everyone, Matthews said.

McConnell would be "starting off on a very bad foot and confirming conservatives' worst fears about him" to reconfirm any Democratic commissioner before Wheeler's absence, IPI's Tom Giovanetti said.

Repealing and replacing Obamacare will not be easy, says IPI's Merrill Matthews. “The highest hurdle the GOP faces is the potential for a Democratic filibuster in the Senate.”