Without action by the Congress and President Obama, the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts will expire at the end of the year. Why are they expiring? Would extending the cuts really add trillions to the deficit? Why could small businesses suffer the most? What will happen to the middle class? And how brutal will the estate tax be next year if nothing changes? We ask Scott Hodge, president of The Tax Foundation.
Summer Outrage
The temperatures have been sweltering this summer in Washington, and tempers have reached the boiling point as well. John Gizzi of Human Events joins us to discuss how the White House and conservative bloggers will fare after the Shirley Sherrod race fiasco from this week. He also weighs in on the political fallout for GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham following his vote in favor of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. In addition, Gizzi offers his thoughts on his conversation with RNC Chairman Michael Steele and the Washington visit of British Prime Minister David Cameron.
The News
Obama signs financial regulatory overhaul bill, GOP still denouncing higher deficits to pay for unemployment benefits, White House takes heat for firing USDA employee on racial comments taken out of context, Sen. Graham under fire for backing Kagan, panic and desperation grip North Korea after massive devaluation of currency.
Obama’s ‘Irresponsible’ Economy
Senate Democrats got their way on extended aid for the unemployed, but why didn’t they want to take money from somewhere else to balance the books? Where would Republicans have found the money to pay the $34 billion tab? We ask Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso. The senator also discusses where he stands on the Elena Kagan nomination to the Supreme Court and reacts to the Obama administration admitting the individual health care mandate is a tax on the American people.
Obama Should ‘Shut Up’ About Race
Racial tensions are rising in the wake of the NAACP labeling elements within the Tea Party as racist and an Agriculture Department official fired over racial comments that didn’t include the full context. So how damaged are race relations right now? What are the best ways to calm things down? We ask U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Co-Chair Abigail Thernstrom and get her reaction to allegations of a racial bias at the Justice Department in voting rights cases.
North Korean Currency Chaos
North Korea has radically devalued its currency in recent weeks, triggering widespread panic, desperation and even suicide as people in the poverty-ridden nation watch their life savings reduced to pocket change with the stroke of a pen. So how bleak is the situation in North Korea? Can the ruling regime hang on much longer? Why are Christians in North Korea suffering the most? And how can you help? We ask Dr. Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA, a leading organization in assisting the persecuted Christian church.
The News
Two Republicans assist Senate Democrats in passing jobless benefits that add to deficits, six in ten American workers believe Social Security will not be there for them in the years ahead, Sen. Lindsey Graham joins Democrats in approving Elena Kagan for the Supreme Court, Obama and Cameron insist they never supported the release of the Lockerbie bomber and Cameron confirms the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster is BP’s responsibility.
America’s Fiscal Future
Senate Democrats got just enough help from Republicans to approve $34 billion in jobless benefits – $34 billion that adds to the deficit because lawmakers decided not to cut other spending to pay for the benefits. Why would Democrats fight against spending cuts? What kind of tax hikes are around the corner? We ask Heritage Foundation economist J.D. Foster. We also get his reaction to a new poll showing 60 percent of working Americans do not expect to receive Social Security benefits and ask what changes could help to sustain the system for future generations.
Religious Freedom Banned?
A teacher and students from a Christian school are stunned that Supreme Court police barred them from quietly praying on the front steps of the highest court in the land. How is it that the free exercise of religion guaranteed in the first amendment of the Constitution would be blocked in front of the institution tasked with protecting them? What does the law say? How do police really interpret it? And what will happen next in this case? We ask Nate Kellum, senior counsel at the Alliance Defense Fund.
Kagan: Obama’s Rubber Stamp
As the Senate Judiciary votes to confirm Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan today, is she worthy of a spot on the highest court in the land? Does she have anywhere near enough experience for the job? What does her record show about how she approaches the law – particularly laws she disagrees with? How have we seen an activist approach to the law in Kagan’s current job as solicitor general? We ask Ed Whelan, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.