How Can Congress Start the Summer Right?

Here at Advancing American Freedom, we’re enjoying the final weeks before D.C.’s swampy summer weather kicks in.

Our own Rachel Greszler recently examined the cultural and policy causes of another lamentable summer fact: “At the turn of the 21st century, a majority of American teenagers worked during the summer. This summer, only about 1 out of 3 teenagers will be employed.”

Despite the tremendous value of summer jobs, teenagers are increasingly choosing to stay home over mowing lawns, working at camps, and being lifeguards. It doesn’t help that their job options are being limited by minimum wage laws, which economists have long recognized are particularly harmful to teenage employment.

As Rachel exhorts the nation’s teens to work over the summer, we’re making a similar pitch to Congress. The 119th Congress is far from over, and there’s still time this summer to pass a third reconciliation bill, legislation that combats the indoctrination of children, and much more.

Who Pays the Aluminum Tariff – A Data Driven Assessment of Section 232 - (AAFF Analysis) Kevin Dayaratna and Richard Stern

• Data on aluminum show that after tariffs were implemented, prices rose and imports shrank, yet domestic production stayed flat. Maybe these tariffs aren’t a great idea?

Faster Labor Contracts Act would silence workers’ voices and empower bureaucrats - (Washington Examiner) — Rachel Greszler

• The Faster Labor Contracts Act (which, thanks to 218 discharge petition signers, will get a House floor vote on the week of June 8) is a bad bill that takes away what little power workers have during union contract negotiations.

It’s Win Or Lose With China. There Is No Draw - (Daily Wire) — Ali Holcomb

• We shouldn’t accept a “multipolar” world where China and the U.S. each control their own hemispheres. Doing so “will only end in Chinese Communist domination.”

Deroy Murdock, writing in the Daily Signal about the prospects of a third reconciliation bill, closed with a statement from Richard Stern, Vice President of AAF’s Plymouth Institute:

Americans vote for leaders who do not miss an opportunity to make life easier and more affordable for everyday families and individuals…If the promised Reconciliation 3.0 doesn’t happen, as rumors now suggest, it will be yet another broken pledge from a conservative congressional majority that seems never to miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

Our experts drafted a list of 21 Byrd-compliant policies that can be achieved in a budget reconciliation bill, including pro-growth tax reforms and funding cuts for abortion providers.

There’s still time to seize the moment.

Trump Can Close Hamas’s Front Office (Wall Street Journal) — Eugene Kontorovich

Does Amtrak Really Need Airport-Level Security? (Civitas Outlook) — Amy Swearer

Gratefully,
Tim Chapman
President