The current fight on Obamacare has bipartisan support. Repealing the medical device tax has been proposed since the earliest days of the law, but now that the 2.3 percent tax has been in action for two years, the manufacturing industry is seeing the negative effects. 46 Democrats in the House voted to repeal, sending the bill to the Senate. 80 percent of medical device manufacturers are small businesses with 50 employees or fewer. Click here for a quick primer on the tax.

The costs of the Obama Administration's greenhouse gas regulations have surpassed the high proposed costs of 2011’s Cap-and-Trade bill. $30 billion in new regulations for heavy duty trucks and engines put the total over the top. Click here for more of the numbers behind the finding.

New research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York says that increases in federal aid may actually raise the cost of tuition. Every dollar added in aid could result in a 55 to 65 cents tuition hike. According to the Washington Examiner, the research continues on Reagan’s Department of Education Secretary William Bennett theory “that increases in government student aid allow universities to “blithely” increase tuition without losing students.”

Eakinomics: Pro-Growth Policies

I have written before about the need for economic growth and the kinds of structural reforms that would promote it. Economic growth has emerged as an issue on the campaign trail, which is a good thing. The need for better growth is obvious. In the postwar era Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita — a rough measure of the standard of living — doubled in just over 30 years. If the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is right about the long-term potential for economic growth, this will more than double. No longer will the American Dream be easily achieved in one working career. Every presidential contender on both sides of the aisle should be asked whether they support that strategy for reform or the kind of faux growth policies marketed as “middle class economics” or “inclusive prosperity.” 

A good starting point would be addition by subtraction; i.e., take off the table the possibility of disruption from poor policymaking. Conservatives were guilty of such disruption when they shut the government a few years ago. Now it appears that progressives in Washington DC are planning to put their agenda of higher taxes and domestic spending ahead of general well-being. Specifically, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is planning to filibuster every single appropriations bill. President Obama has threatened to veto every appropriations bill. The idea is to force Republicans in Congress to pass bills that borrow and spend — bad for growth — or tax and spend — bad for growth. If they refuse, Democrats are prepared to shut the government — bad for growth. 

There is only one budgetary defensible route to more annual discretionary spending — serious long-term entitlement reform that lowers the projected debt explosion and actually helps growth. For anyone serious about growth, that is the only negotiation that should be on the table.

From the Forum

VIDEO: BEPS Explained in 60 Seconds

Administration’s GHG Regulation Surpass Cap-and-Trade Costs by Sam Batkins, AAF Director of Regulatory Policy

Fact of the Day

A shift towards consumer-directed health care in the employer-sponsored insurance market could contribute to a $100 billion annual reduction in health care spending.