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President Donald Trump is set to deliver his first address to a joint session of Congress in his second term, tackling major national and global issues. We expect to see headlines on DOGE, immigration, foreign policy, and newly implemented tariffs—topics that could shape the administration’s next moves.
lead ,For expert insight, the Cato Institute offers analysis from scholars who have extensively researched these issues. Explore their latest takes below.
DOGE:
- Cato Institute Report to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
- Betting Markets and the Scale of DOGE’s Challenge
- DOGE and “Waste, Fraud, and Abuse”
IMMIGRATION:
- International Immigration
- Trump’s Gold Card Plan Has Benefits But Legal and Practical Obstacles
- What Trump Has Done and Imminently Plans to Do on Immigration
- There Is No Good Reason to Revoke Birthright Citizenship
FOREIGN POLICY:
- Defense and Foreign Policy
- The Future of NATO: A Discussion on What NATO’s History Tells Us About Its Potential Future
- Trump Should Cut Off Europe’s Defense Welfare Queens
TARIFFS:
- Seven Charts Showing How Canada/Mexico Tariffs Would Harm the US Auto Industry (and American Car Buyers)
- Steel Prices Continue to Rise Even Before New Tariffs Take Effect
- ‘Reciprocal Tariffs’ Are Trump’s Worst Trade Idea Yet
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET:
- With All Eyes on DOGE, Congress Plays Budget Games with America’s Fiscal Future
- Tax and Budget Policy
If you would like to speak with any of them, please reach out to pr@cato.org.
]]>A new Cato Institute policy analysis is released today titled “Corporate Welfare in the Federal Budget.”
lead ,In this study, Kilts Family Chair in Fiscal Studies Chris Edwards tallies corporate welfare in the federal budget and finds that the government spends $181 billion a year on aid to businesses. He then discusses 12 reasons to cut corporate welfare.
The federal government runs a wide array of programs that subsidize businesses and industries. The federal budget also includes billions of dollars of special-interest tax breaks for businesses. These subsidies should be repealed to boost economic growth and reduce federal budget deficits, Edwards says.
Corporate welfare also erodes trust in the government and the business sector. It is seen as unfair, and it creates corrupting ties between politicians and business leaders. The government should referee the economy in a neutral manner, not intervene to create winners and losers.
Rising federal deficits should make spending cuts a high priority for the new president and Congress. Policymakers should start by cutting corporate welfare, which undermines economic growth and runs counter to the American ideal of equality under the law, Edwards concludes.
You can read the full report here. If you would like to speak with Edwards, please contact pr@cato.org to set up an interview.
]]>Cato Institute Legal Fellow Brent Skorup is available for interviews on the Treasury Department’s announcement regarding the Corporate Transparency Act.
lead ,Skorup issued the following statement in reaction:
“Last night, the U.S. Department of the Treasury granted regulatory relief to millions of American small business owners when it announced on X that it will not enforce the penalty provisions of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). The CTA requires that most small businesses and nonprofits formed under state law produce sensitive information about their owners, managers, and—in many cases—senior employees and the family members of its managers and owners. Critically, the CTA also empowers the Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, popularly known as ‘FinCEN,’ to function as a new, global tipster. That’s because Congress requires this self-reporting to FinCEN so that international and domestic law enforcement agencies can investigate and prosecute financial crimes.
Covered businesses and nonprofits were required to submit the sensitive personal and business information to the federal government by January 2025. However, several parties sued and last year federal judges prevented the law from going into effect. The Cato Institute filed an amicus brief in one of those cases and highlighted one of the law’s constitutional problems: the CTA compels testimony in violation of the Fifth Amendment. Just last month, the U.S. Department of Justice was defending its information mandates in court. The Treasury Department announcement last night did not explain its legal rationale for the policy change, but it appears that the agency will rely on its statutory discretion to exempt most small businesses and nonprofits from the law’s requirements. No agency should mandate the self-report of sensitive information from millions of Americans for later suspicion-less analysis and criminal investigations.”
If you would like to speak with Skorup, please contact me to set up an interview.
Best regards,
EMILY ADAMEC
Manager of Media Relations
eadamec@cato.org
O: (202) 216‑1410
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