Why John McCain Doubts Obama’s Pick for Defense Secretary Will Have Clout

President Obama’s nominee for secretary of defense will need to penetrate the White House’s tight inner circle of national security and foreign policy advisers to influence the president’s decision-making, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said yesterday. In an interview with The Daily Signal within hours of Ashton Carter’s nomination, McCain said he isn’t convinced the veteran […]

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Where John McCain Stands on Thwarting Obama’s Amnesty

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., not only supports blocking President Obama’s executive actions on immigration but thinks Republicans could take him all the way to the Supreme Court, he said today in an exclusive interview with The Daily Signal. McCain, interviewed at The Heritage Foundation after speaking about the Jones Act, suggested a “rifle shot” approach […]

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One More Year of Tax Extenders: Paving the Way for Reform in 2015

Yesterday, the House passed a one-year extension for the “tax extenders”—a package of approximately 50 tax-reducing policies that expired at the end of 2013. The one-year extension would retroactively reinstate the policies for 2014, but no further. The Senate will vote on the extension next. Last week, President Obama torpedoed—with a veto threat—a potential deal […]

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Conservatives Train Fire on Government ‘Land Grab’ in Key Defense Bill

Parkland and wilderness provisions added to a defense policy measure have outraged friends of the military, who call the move both a “land grab” and a slap at men and women serving in the armed forces. Considered must-pass legislation, the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act details Republicans’ and Democrats’ military policy priorities. It ranks high on […]

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Virginia Farmer Hopes to Get Conservation Group Off Her Back

Virginia farmer Martha Boneta’s desire to have an environmental conservation group replaced as overseer of her property has moved a step closer to reality. Officials of the Piedmont Environmental Council have agreed to a meeting Friday to talk about ending a bitter standoff with Boneta by handing off enforcement duties for a conservation easement on […]

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Congress’s Sneaky Tactic to Grab More U.S. Land for the Government

Congress has returned from the mid-term elections and members are hammering out the details of the National Defense Authorization Act. NDAA, which has passed for more than 50 years consecutively, provides policy guidance for the U.S. defense budget. The importance of the NDAA to the defense budgeting process and its traditional status as a “must-pass” […]

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