FREEDOMWORKS 04/03/2016 KASICH IS A CLOWN!

FreedomWorks to John Kasich: Repealing ObamaCare Isn't a Joke Following Republican presidential candidate Gov. John Kasich’s comments regarding Republicans’ pledge to repeal ObamaCare, FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon commented: “John Kasich may think that repealing ObamaCare is a big joke, but the conservative grassroots aren’t laughing. Since ObamaCare’s inception, conservatives have fought to repeal it and in 2016 an ObamaCare repeal bill made it to the president’s desk. That was an important milestone because it laid the groundwork for repeal under the right circumstances in 2017.” “As someone who has vowed to secure the Republican nomination for president when it’s mathematically impossible to actually win, Kasich, who actually expanded ObamaCare in Ohio, knows a thing or two about stupid promises. But a pledge to repeal this disastrous law is anything but stupid. It’s an important goal that conservatives should never stop striving to reach.” Read more here... Backstage with Rep. Jim Jordan at FreePAC: Morning in America Summit Regs on Eggs: Are You Pulling My Leg? - by Logan Albright There are few objects more simple and elegant than an egg, but you’d never know that from the Byzantine way the government regulates America’s favorite breakfast food. Politico recently published a hard-boiled exposé, peeling back the shell on the way eggs are regulated by the federal government. What they found was a scrambled bureaucracy cracking up over hard questions of jurisdiction and delegation of authority. Read more here... In Search of State Pension Reform - by Joseph Donoso Recently, the public debt crisis in Puerto Rico has sparked widespread discussion about the need for public pension reform. The island territory is already $72 billion in debt, with shortfalls in the public pension fund of up to $30 billion. Without major changes in government spending patterns, Puerto Rico is in danger of becoming insolvent, sending the already brittle economy into a death spiral. While many on the left call for the immediate restructuring of Puerto Rico’s debt, the island’s plight is just the latest example of a state or territory misusing and abusing their public pension system, demonstrating the dire need for reform. The debt crisis in Puerto Rico follows a long line of states and localities tearing away at their public pension system by overcommitting and underfunding. For years now, liberal cities and states have been expanding benefits included in public pensions, yet never seem to address how these new benefits will be funded. As a result, many high profile bankruptcies have been declared due to irresponsible pension expansion. In California, retroactive benefit increases forced the cities of Stockton and San Bernardino to declare bankruptcy. Similarly, in Illinois, the public pension fund hasn’t been properly funded for years, as many fear another high-profile default in Chicago. Finally, in the country’s largest case of bankruptcy, the city of Detroit has long struggled with funding its pension liabilities, though some of these pensions are particularly generous given the city’s financial state. Indeed, Puerto Rico is just another example of a financial epidemic sweeping the nation. Read more here... FreedomWorks' Congressman of the Month - John Ratcliffe - by Logan Albright The Class of 2015 brought in a number of strong, liberty-loving members to the House of Representatives. All around the country, political newcomers were winning elections by campaigning for lower taxes, less government, and more freedom. After just a year of governance, few have delivered on those ideas the way that Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) has, never failing to put his legislation where his mouth is, winning FreedomWorks’ FreedomFighter Award with a first-year score of 95 percent on the FreedomWorks Congressional Scorecard. The most important project Ratcliffe has attached himself to is the Article I Project, designed to restore Congress’ constitutional authority and rein in an out of control executive branch. While the project is being formally spearheaded by Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) in the House and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) in the Senate, Ratcliffe is the primary sponsor of its first official piece of legislation. Read more here... The Economic Problem Veronique de Rugy explains what the study of economics involves, how economists think, and some common misconceptions about economic theory. Fundamentally, economics is the study of individual human action and the decisions people make in their daily life. This lesson shows that economics is about more than just numbers and statistics. Read more here... Justice Department Restarts Program Used to Take People's Property Without Due Process - by Jason Pye The Department of Justice, on Monday, restarted the Equitable Sharing Program, which allows federal law enforcement agencies to coordinate with their state and local counterparts to pursue forfeiture of seized money and property under federal civil asset forfeiture laws. The program, which distributes up to 80 percent of the proceeds from these forfeitures to the state and local law enforcement agencies, was suspended in December because of budget constraints. Payments owed were deferred. In From High Seas to Highway Robbery: How Civil Asset Forfeiture Became One of the Worst Forms of Government Overreach, FreedomWorks offered some background on the Equitable Sharing Program. Congress, in 1984, passed the Comprehensive Crime Control Act, which created the Department of Justice's Assets Forfeiture Fund and allowed bureaucrats to develop the Equitable Sharing Program. Deposits to the fund grew from nearly $94 million in 1986 to $4.5 billion in 2014. Read more here... Senate Republicans Willing to meet with Obama's Supreme Court Nominee Are Playing With Fire Following a report that as many as 17 Republican senators plan to meet with President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon commented: “As the Wall Street Journal reported today, when Republican senators meet with President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee they are playing right into the hands of the White House and advancing President Obama's goal of getting a hearing.” “With a few exceptions, Senate Republicans came out strongly against the idea of an election year confirmation to the Supreme Court. Most took it a step further by saying that they didn’t see the point of even meeting with a nominee. Now, some are changing their tune. By foolishly agreeing to meet with Obama’s nominee, Republicans are playing with fire, and they can’t blame the conservative grassroots when they get burned.” Read more here... FreedomWorks in Action Sign up for the FreedomWorks Morning Update If you want an update like this newsletter twice a week, be sure to sign up for the FreedomWorks Morning Update! The Morning Update is your tool to keep up-to-date with all the threats to your freedom. Sign up here. Make freedom work, Jason Pye Communications Director, FreedomWorks