Category: Testimony

I am Pamela Villarreal, Senior Fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis. The current tax system is drain on the national economy. Besides the billions of dollars spent a year on compliance, the marginal rates on both individuals and corporations disincentive productive activities — such as working, saving and investing. Although the right and the left may not agree on specific reforms, they generally agree that there are too many loopholes, but if the tax system were simpler, broad-based and less punitive there would be no need for loopholes.

I am Pamela Villarreal, a senior fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis. For several years, I have explored and written about the importance of individuals and families saving for retirement as a supplement to Social Security benefits. Policymakers, retirement researchers and financial experts have conducted numerous studies only to find that most adults soon to be approaching retirement are not ready for retirement, and a majority will depend on Social Security for most of their income.

Not long after Medicare was established in 1965, expenditures began to skyrocket. Whereas spending per Medicare beneficiary was $385 in 1970, spending per beneficiary increased to $12,210 annually by 2013.

America’s electric power grid is arguably the most vulnerable part of our nation’s infrastructure. Divided among three geographical regions, the U.S. network remains dangerously exposed to a host of potentially devastating natural disasters and foreign attacks. The May 2016 GAO report “Critical Infrastructure Protection: Federal Efforts to Address Electromagnetic Risks” does well to highlight the potential threats from an EMP and covers the actions already taken based on the recommendations of the 2008 EMP Commission, such as establishing industry standards and federal guidelines. However, the report’s remaining proposals are noticeably broad, which present difficulties for implementation on a national scale. The Lone Star State finds itself in a unique position to act as the only state with its own, self-contained grid. More importantly, the United States depends on Texas for its national security and defense readiness.

Chairman Byrne, Ranking Member Takano, and Subcommittee members, thank you for the opportunity to submit written comments about modernizing wage and hour policy. I am Pamela Villarreal, a senior fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA). We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

The workplace has changed dramatically since the 1930s, yet most federal wage and hour policies are based on rules that were established under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. While the FLSA has been amended over time, wage and hour policies have been slow to change with the diverse needs of the labor force. The participation rate of women has nearly doubled since 1950Union membership has been on the decline since the mid-1950s. U.S. manufacturing jobs have fallen by two-thirds since 1960, comprising about 8 percent of employment. Technological changes allow employees to work in non-office environments. Two-parent and single parent earner households have made it necessary for employers to be flexible in allowing workers to care for children or family members. Despite these changes in the workforce, federal wage and hour policies are mandated one-size-fits-all and do not allow employers to meet the various needs of their employees. Employee benefits law tends to be very rigid. In general, employees are not allowed to choose between taxable wages and nontaxed benefits.

Dear Chairman Piwowar,

On behalf of the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA), I am submitting this statement regarding the reconsideration of the conflict minerals rule implementation.

The conflict minerals statute is a microcosm of the Dodd-Frank Act: a costly regulatory monster which not only failed to accomplish its intended purpose, but hurt those it was supposed to help.

Chairman Chabot, Ranking Member Velázquez, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit written comments about the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on small businesses and their employees. I am Devon Herrick, a senior fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis. We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization dedicated to developing and promoting private alternatives to government regulation and control, solving problems by relying on the strength of the competitive, entrepreneurial private sector.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) inhibits the growth of small businesses by raising the cost of growing beyond a certain size. This is more pronounced for firms employing low-skilled workers. The ACA’s employer mandate requires firms employing more than 49 workers to offer health coverage that includes an essential benefit package or pay a fine. The fine is $2,000 per worker beginning with the 31st worker. For firms that do not offer health benefits, this means the marginal cost of hiring the 50th worker is $40,000 in penalties on top of compensation costs for the 50th worker [(50 – 30) x $2,000]. Thus, small firms that employ less than 50 workers are unlikely to expand beyond 49 workers — especially if their workers are modest wage earners.

Chairwoman Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman Smith, and Subcommittee members, thank you for the opportunity to submit written comments about the EMP threat to our nation’s electric grids. I am David Grantham, a senior fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA). We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Highlights of John R. Graham’s Testimony to House Ways & Means Committee.

Chairman Buchanan, Ranking Member Lewis, and Members of the Committee, I am John R. Graham, Senior Fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization dedicated to developing and promoting private alternatives to government regulation and control, solving problems by relying on the strength of the competitive, entrepreneurial private sector. I welcome the opportunity to share my views and look forward to your questions.

The individual mandate is Obamacare’s least popular feature. It was the subject of the 2012 lawsuit asserting Obamacare was unconstitutional: Never before had the federal government forced any resident to buy a good or service from a private business. The people lost that argument. Nevertheless, Republicans have pledged to eliminate the individual mandate. This commitment remains good politics. Perhaps counterintuitively, it is also good economics.

According to last November’s Kaiser Family Foundation Tracking Poll, only 35 percent of respondents have a favorable view of the individual mandate. The proportion drops to just 21 percent among Republicans, and just 16 percent among Trump supporters.

Chairman Chaffetz and Members of the Committee, I am Devon Herrick, a health economist and senior fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research …

Introduction. Chairman Burgess, Ranking Member Schakowsky, thank you for the opportunity to submit this testimony on the impact of mobile health apps on American Health Care. On a bipartisan basis, …

Chairman Jordan, Ranking Member Cartwright, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit written comments about the challenges facing COOPs.  I am Devon Herrick, a senior …

Before the financial fallout of 2008, the process of entrepreneurs accessing credit was fairly simple. A potential entrepreneur would design his pitch and take it to the loan officer at …

Chairman Vitter and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit written comments about the NLRB joint employer rule and the implications on employers and unions.  I …

On behalf of the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA), I am writing to express our support for your efforts to create a pro-growth, pro-consumer alternative to the Dodd-Frank Act. The NCPA …

Chairman Perry and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit written comments about the EMP threat to our nation’s electric grids. I am David Grantham, a senior fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis. We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization dedicated to developing and promoting private alternatives to government regulation and control, solving problems by relying on the strength of the competitive, entrepreneurial private sector.

Chairman Fitzpatrick and members of the Task Force, thank you for the opportunity to submit written comments about the ISIS antiquities trade. I am David Grantham, a senior fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis. We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization dedicated to developing and promoting private alternatives to government regulation and control, solving problems by relying on the strength of the competitive, entrepreneurial private sector.

Chairman Chaffetz, Ranking Member Cummings, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit written comments about recent prescription drug market developments in general, and recent price increases in …

Chairman Hatch, Ranking Member Wyden, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit written comments about the challenges facing retirement savers today and how to increase …

Chairman Lee, Ranking Member Klobuchar, thank you for the opportunity to submit this testimony on the impact of mergers in the health insurance industry. The two combinations of greatest concern …

Chairman Alexander, Senator Murray and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit written comments about reauthorizing the higher education act. I am Lloyd Bentsen IV, a senior research fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA). We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization dedicated to developing and promoting private alternatives to government regulation and control, solving problems by relying on the strength of the competitive, entrepreneurial private sector. The NCPA is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Chairman Johnson, Senator Carper and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit written comments about securing the electrical grid against solar storms and electromagnetic pulse.  I …

Medicare fraud is a serious problem. The Medicare bureaucracy has the power to impose moratoria on new providers in geographic or program areas it deems susceptible to fraud. However, preventing …