Save Us, Senators, From a Very Expensive Mistake
Every so often, Americans rely on the Senate to save us from the more ill-considered urges of the House of Representatives. That time has come again. House Republicans have sent an abysmal reconciliation bill to the Senate that would wreak particular havoc on the country's energy policy and undermine America's industrial strength. But the Senate can fix it.
The bill would gut the clean-energy tax credits established in the Inflation Reduction Act to fund tax cuts that would largely benefit high-earning households. The energy tax credits, which were passed under President Joe Biden in 2022, were meant to increase the country's electricity supply, reinvigorate its battery and electric vehicle supply chains and cut its carbon pollution. They have helped drive a clean-energy manufacturing boom across the country.
I think Republicans are making a mistake by trying to repeal much of the Inflation Reduction Act, though I understand why they've been frustrated with Democrats' sometimes contradictory energy policy. Too often, state and local progressives have called for climate action, but then fought off, shut down or lamented the energy sources — especially hydroelectricity and nuclear power — that until recently generated the bulk of America's clean electricity.
But Republicans are now the ones pursuing a nonsensical energy strategy. The Inflation Reduction Act improved on decades of failed policy by going technology-neutral — its tax credits support any new power plant that doesn't generate greenhouse gas emissions. That means technologies that Republicans like, including nuclear fission, geothermal power and even nuclear fusion, could benefit.
By unwinding these tax credits in such a ramshackle and disorganized way, Republicans would undermine many of their own goals. Senate Republicans can still salvage a sensible energy policy from the House's mad dash.
First, they should preserve tax credits that support innovation and recognize the fact that the United States is currently seeding the next generation of world-leading energy technologies.
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Washington Post
11 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Let us count the 3,515 ways in which Democrats are lame
Everybody has advice for the Democrats. Especially Democrats. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said over the weekend that it's time for Democrats 'to be a little meaner.' Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, appearing at the same South Carolina event as Walz, said Democrats must 'become the party of 'yes' and 'now.'' Last week, former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel told the Wall Street Journal that Democrats need to move to the center and stop being so 'toxic' and 'weak and woke.' This followed former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg's admonition that Democrats need to reach 'people who don't think like us,' strategist James Carville's instructions that Democrats stop using words such as 'equity' and oligarchy,' and Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin's assertion that the Democrats need to find 'alpha energy.' Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Many in the punditocracy have joined the game, using the Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson book to say 'Democrats need to learn from the Biden cover-up fiasco' and 'Democrats need to take ownership of the fact that they totally screwed up on Biden.' On Tuesday, Politico's Elena Schneider reported on the launch of a new Democratic think tank whose founder thinks Democrats 'need to break down ideological lanes and reject interest group agendas.' With so many things they 'need' to do, the Democratic Party's to-do list is getting exceedingly long. How long? A Nexis search finds 3,515 instances of phrases demanding 'Democrats need to' and 'Democrats must' in news articles and transcripts over the past three months, and another 3,680 instances of the more lenient admonition 'Democrats should.' A search of the Factiva database also finds these phrases by the thousands. There are apparently no contribution limits on free advice to the party. More of these helpful recommendations pour in every day from Democratic politicians, journalists, pundits, strategists, activists — and Fox News anchors, whose concern for the party's well-being is touching. Among the more compelling pieces of advice I came across: Story continues below advertisement Advertisement 'Democrats need to reconnect with 'young men' who just want to 'get laid and have fun.'' 'Democrats need to mirror how a herd of elephants at the San Diego Zoo responded to a recent earthquake.' 'Democrats need to point out that Florida Republicans support tooth decay.' 'Democrats should try flag-shagging.' 'Democrats need to start asking the real question: Are you not entertained?' With such a sound strategic plan, how could Democrats lose? Ostensibly, Democrats are coming in for such constructive criticism because of the party's low standing in public esteem. Only 34.7 percent of Americans have a favorable view of the party, compared with 58.3 percent holding an unfavorable view, according the RealClear Polling average. Yet the Republican Party isn't doing much better, with a 42 percent favorable rating and 52.6 percent unfavorable. And Democrats are actually leading in the 'generic ballot' (if the election were held today, which party's candidate would you vote for?) even though the RCP average includes silly polls such as Trump's favorite, Rasmussen. The real reason for the surfeit of why-Democrats-suck critiques is that Democrats themselves love to engage in anguished soul-searching. Republicans did an autopsy after their 2012 loss, summarily rejected all its recommendations and then won the next presidential election. But Democrats love self-loathing. As Semafor's Dave Weigel described it last week: '1) Dem focus groups say the party's brand is 'woke and weak.' 2) Rahm and Slotkin use high profile interviews to repeat the focus group findings. 3) Other Dems get asked why the party looks 'woke and weak.' This is peak message discipline.' I don't pretend to know what Democrats ought to be doing. I've written before that the party's future direction, and its future leader, will be determined not by Washington hacks but by the voters in the 2028 primary process. Until then, the party's most important jobs are to stop Trump's assaults on the rule of law and limit the suffering caused by his sabotage of the federal government. The navel-gazing is a waste of time. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Therefore, as a public service, I have read through the Democrats-are-lame critiques so you don't have to. These are the highlights, culled from transcripts and news reports from the last month containing the phrase 'Democrats need to': 'Democrats need to fight President Donald Trump everywhere.' 'Democrats need to work with President Donald Trump, not against him.' 'Democrats need to rail against Mr. Trump, Elon Musk and the billionaire class.' 'Democrats need to look to Donald Trump as an example.' 'Democrats need to embrace males with affection.' 'Democrats need to mansplain to men.' 'Democrats need to shore up their identity.' 'Democrats need to make sure they ditch the identity politics.' 'Democrats need to energize their base voters.' 'Democrats need to move to the middle.' 'Democrats need to build a broader coalition of groups.' 'Democrats need to persuade nonvoters.' 'Democrats need to be fearless.' 'Democrats need to be careful.' 'Democrats need to encourage more debate within their ranks, not less.' 'Democrats need to sort out infighting — and quickly.' Story continues below advertisement Advertisement 'Democrats need to fight more.' 'Democrats need to engage in deep introspection.' 'Democrats need to be forward-looking.' 'Democrats need to perform an autopsy.' 'Democrats need to listen to the voters.' 'Democrats need to have a frank conversation — with themselves.' 'Democrats need to develop an appealing economic message.' 'Democrats need to prioritize public safety.' 'Democrats need to offer solutions to our immigration challenges.' 'Democrats need to resolve organizational problems.' 'Democrats need to stop dithering about process and rules.' 'Democrats need to take control from the left wing elements of the party.' 'Democrats need to pay attention to the way Ocasio-Cortez … continues to be able to speak to so many millions of people.' 'Democrats need to jazz up their messaging — and fast.' 'Old Democrats need to quit — now.' Story continues below advertisement Advertisement In summary, Democrats don't attack Trump enough, except in cases where they attack him too much. They are too cautious and timid, unless they are too aggressive. They are too woke, while at the same time too centrist. There is too much bickering within the party, or not enough. They have the wrong policies, or perhaps it's the wrong message, or maybe the wrong leaders. Furthermore, Democrats need to 'build,' 'regroup,' 'go on the offensive,' 'find plausible candidates,' 'sound less judgmental,' 'rethink the words they use,' 'take a 'specific and granular' approach,' 'be ruthless,' 'expand the map,' 'break out of information silos,' 'nominate someone who is 'more mainstream,'' 'regain credibility,' 'aggressively rethink their future,' and 'change course.' Just to name a few. Whatever the problem actually is, Democrats are sure to figure it out. They just need to spend even more time navel-gazing: 'Democrats need to do some real soul-searching' and 'Democrats need to be particularly rigorous and introspective about why they are so unpopular.' Alternatively, they could pack it in with the introspection — and go out and win an election.
New York Post
15 minutes ago
- New York Post
Dallas GOP mayor, new top cop buck sanctuary trend to ‘do what's right'
It's been nearly a month since Daniel Comeaux was sworn in as the new chief of police in Dallas, TX, where he is taking a different approach to immigration enforcement than his predecessor and working to align with the state's sanctuary policies. 'We're gonna do what's right. We're always gonna be there to help our federal partners,' Comeaux told Fox News Digital during an interview. Advertisement 'If there's a federal agency that's doing an operation, and they need our assistance, we'll be there to help them, as long as they're doing what's by the law, and they're doing it with respect and the right way, DPD will be there to assist,' he continued. Comeaux also has the support of Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who said during a previous interview with Fox News that he would support efforts by President Donald Trump to deport undocumented migrants accused of violent crimes. 'Of course, we'd support that,' Johnson said during the interview. 'Of course, we'd stand by President Trump in an effort to get rid of people in our country illegally who have violent criminal records or who commit violent criminal acts here.' 4 Daniel Comeaux took his oath to lead the Dallas Police Department on April 11, 2025. City of Dallas Advertisement Texas has taken a hard stance against illegal immigration, particularly during the Biden administration. The state deployed authorities to its border with Mexico and took on a campaign of busing migrants to Democrat-run cities to bring attention to the flow of illegal immigrants into the US. Johnson, who has served as Dallas' mayor since 2019, made headlines in 2023 when he announced he was switching from the Democrat party to the Republican, explaining his decision in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, 'American cities need Republicans.' Dallas, one of the top 10 largest cities in the US, saw a significant decrease in crime after Johnson took office in 2019. According to the Associated Press, Dallas is the largest city in the US to be led by a GOP mayor. Advertisement Johnson told Fox News Digital in 2021 he attributed that success to three things — a strong police chief, having 'a budget that reflects public safety being your city's top priority' and ensuring there's 'community buy-in' for crime reduction. 4 DEA's Houston Division Special Agent in Charge Daniel Comeaux displays photos of a pill made by a drug cartel, left, and one made by a pharmaceutical manufacturer, right, during a press conference at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center in Houston in April 2023. Houston Chronicle via Getty Images 'Mayor Johnson has made public safety his top priority in Dallas, and the city has now achieved a remarkable four-consecutive years of violent crime reduction,' the mayor's office told Fox News Digital. 'The mayor supports President Trump's agenda for making America safe again and believes cooperating with federal law enforcement to stop violent criminals — particularly illegal immigrants who have no right to be in our city or in our country — helps keep Dallas safe.' Advertisement While Johnson made his position clear on immigration enforcement, his stance differed from former DPD Interim Chief Michael Igo, who previously said his department would not turn in or report anyone in the country illegally who calls 911 for help. 'The Dallas Police Department is not assisting any federal agency on detaining people that are either documented or undocumented in the city of Dallas,' Igo previously said to attendees at Familia Bethel Internacional church in Dallas, according to CBS News. 4 Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson speaks during an introductory press conference for the Dallas Wings' WNBA basketball draft selections Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Dallas. AP Igo also told the parishioners that federal immigration officials said no arrests or raids would be carried out in churches, schools or hospitals, although he did say that illegal immigrants with outstanding warrants were at risk of deportation. Comeaux, who also has a different take on the issues than his predecessor, said while he wouldn't necessarily call it aligning with President Donald Trump's agenda, he said his department would 'do what's right by law enforcement.' 'If we come in contact with anyone that doesn't have status, we will call the proper federal agency and let them handle it,' Comeaux said. 'We're not initiating any investigations. We're not initiating any programs. So everyone should feel free to go with their business as normal.' Comeaux reiterated that if any of theirfederal partners needed assistance in any way, they would be there to assist. Comeaux, who has been on the federal side of law enforcement for the past few decades, most recently served as the special agent in charge of the DEA field office in Houston. Advertisement He said one of his biggest focuses is working to get felons off the streets. 'Anyone that has a felony warrant, at any moment, know that we could be the ones knocking at your door. It might not be the mailman knocking at your door, it might be us. So if you have a felony warrant, we are trying to get you off the streets,' Comeaux warned. 'We'll get you to the necessary court that you need to be in. But we're very aggressive in getting anyone off the street that has felony warrants. We'll keep everybody safe here in Dallas,' he continued. Advertisement Comeaux added that another feature the city has in place to protect the public is a camera system. 4 Comeaux, who has been on the federal side of law enforcement for the past few decades, most recently served as the special agent in charge of the DEA field office in Houston. Dallas police department 'One great thing about Dallas is we have so many camera systems in place. We see what's happening across the city and everyone needs to understand that and know that if you're in this area, if you commit crimes in Dallas, it's very likely that we're seeing you, we're watching you, and we're coming to get you,' he vowed. Comeaux also issued a warning to anyone looking to bring violence to the city or break the law to think again. Advertisement 'Not in this city. I've been a crime fighter, I've been a protector for my entire career, ever since I was 21 years old,' he said. 'Pick another city. Don't come to Dallas, you're not welcome.' When asked what motivated Comeaux to leave the DEA's office and get back into policing, he reflected on an incident when he started his career as a Houston police officer at 21. 'I'll never forget those moments when I was working the streets, and I was able to really make a difference. I was unable to help an elderly person one day and that has really stuck with me for my entire law enforcement career,' the chief shared. Advertisement 'And I always knew I wanted to circle back to local law enforcement and I wanted it to be in a city that can really be influential throughout the entire United States and Dallas was one of those.' Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan, Louis Casiano, and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
The Hill
25 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump must resist WHO's pandemic power-grab
The World Health Organization is still not doing enough to stop another pandemic. Last month, the UN body adopted a new pandemic treaty by consensus at its annual meeting, but the accord merely doubles down on the WHO's previous failed policies. President Trump has rightly pledged to oppose this treaty, but he must now take further steps to protect Americans from the WHO's counterproductive approach. The COVID-19 pandemic was a seminal era for the world, and the WHO was created for such crises. It should have rallied the international community to respond aggressively and discover the pandemic's cause. Instead, the organization allowed the Chinese Communist Party to conceal China's role in the outbreak, partnering with Beijing to release a now widely discredited report that labeled a lab-leak origin as 'extremely unlikely.' On Trump's Inauguration Day in January, he rightly issued an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO. He had started this process in his first term, but President Joe Biden reversed it immediately upon taking office. The WHO did not respond with reforms or distance itself from China in the intervening four years. Instead, at China's behest, the organization continued to deny Taiwan a seat at its annual meeting. The WHO also welcomed Russia and Syria to its Executive Board in 2020 and 2021, respectively, for three-year terms, even though the regimes of both countries at that time had a history of bombing hospitals and indiscriminately killing civilians. North Korea also joined the board in 2023, where it will remain until 2026, even as it continues to starve its population to pay for its illegal nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Rather than push for new WHO leadership, the Biden administration voted to allow Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to serve a second five-year term, which ends in 2027. These developments, and now the pandemic treaty, showed that the WHO had lost its way. An effective pandemic treaty would focus on China's two core mistakes during the COVID-19 pandemic. First, Beijing lied about the emerging outbreak and pressured the WHO to mute its response. Second, the Chinese Communist Party refused to cooperate with a full investigation into the origins of COVID-19. However, the 30-page treaty fails even to mention China or its response to the COVID-19 pandemic and merely expands the WHO's bureaucracy in a way that does not address the problem. The agreement creates a new Conference of Parties that will meet at least annually with additional subsidiary meetings. But public health officials do not need more glitzy meetings in Geneva. They should instead be streamlining their organization and sending money back to countries that can use it to prevent and detect the next disease outbreak. The treaty also mandates that vaccine, therapeutics, and diagnostics manufacturers conclude legally binding contracts with the WHO to provide rapid access to 20 percent of their real-time production. Half of the allotment will be a donation, while the other half must be made available at affordable prices. But given the WHO's ineffective leadership and Beijing's control over the organization, American companies should not be forced to send public health materials funded by U.S. taxpayers. The treaty's inadequate provisions fail to recognize that it was America that saved the world from the pandemic. Operation Warp Speed, a World War II-style engineering and production effort, was one of the greatest achievements of Trump's first term. The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense pledged $13 billion toward the development and manufacturing of a vaccine. In just seven months, vaccines were created for a novel disease. By the end of 2020, the U.S. was distributing 14 million doses of the vaccine to Americans. But a U.S. president should decide whether any of the production should be exported moving forward. Under the pandemic treaty, however, the WHO would have been entitled to almost 3 million doses from the United States with no input from America's elected leaders, who would be unable to determine whether the organization will use them responsibly. Trump should go further than simply withdrawing from the WHO and pledging not to sign the pandemic treaty. He should amend his current executive order or issue a new one mandating that federally funded or supported vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics cannot be provided, sold, or transferred to the WHO unless it allows Taiwan to attend the World Health Assembly, bars Russia and North Korea from seats on the Executive Board, holds China accountable for the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensures the reliable distribution of vaccines. Congress should support the administration by codifying such executive actions into law, thereby ensuring that a new Democratic administration cannot reverse them in the future. The WHO said the pandemic treaty is a victory for public health. But it's not. Trump must act to protect Americans from the WHO's power grab. Anthony Ruggiero is an adjunct senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former White House National Security Council senior director for counterproliferation and biodefense.
