Federal Fumbles

Many of the photos were removed due to copyright restrictions. Welcome to the first annual release of the Federal Fumbles report! Our national debt is careening toward $19 trillion (yes, that is a 19 followed by 12 zeros), and federal regulations are expanding at a record pace. Meanwhile families struggle to get home loans, and small businesses struggle to make ends meet. States are constantly handed unfunded mandates and executive fiats that they are forced to implement with minimal direction and no way to pay for them. I present this report as a demonstration of ways we can cut back on wasteful federal spending and burdensome regulations to help families, small businesses, and our economy begin to get out from under the weight of federal stagnation. Cited here are not only prime examples of wasteful spending, but also federal departments or agencies that regulate outside the scope of the federal government's constitutional role. I firmly believe my staff and I have the obligation to solve the troubles of our nation, not just complain, which is why for every problem identified, you will also find a recommended solution. There is a way to eliminate wasteful, ineffective, or duplicative program spending; develop oversight methods to prevent future waste; and find ways to get us back on track.

What next-generation scholars need to know in order to thrive, and how they can actively participate in shaping the academic research enterprise. The academic research enterprise is highly complex, involving multiple sectors of society and a vast array of approaches. In Demystifying the Academic Research Enterprise, Kelvin K. Droegemeier shows next-generation scholars across all disciplines how to become more productive earlier in their career, as well as how to help shape the academic research enterprise. The topics covered include public perceptions of scholarly work and its use in policy; understanding the big picture of funding and national priorities as well as identifying funding sources; research methods; collecting data and materials; writing grant proposals; publishing results; ethical conduct; bias and peer review; intellectual property and compliance regulations; partnerships and collaboration; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and the future of research. Droegemeier’s two principal goals are to enhance and accelerate scholars’ understanding of the academic research process and to democratize that understanding, particularly at institutions that traditionally are underrepresented or lack robust resources. While intended for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and early career faculty, Demystifying the Academic Research Enterprise is also relevant to mid-career and senior faculty, research administrators, funding organizations, congressional staff, policymakers, and the general public. Droegemeier places scholars in a broader national and international context—not as passive recipients of the existing system but as key actors who actively participate in helping to set priorities, determine policies, drive systemic change, and advance knowledge.

Federal Fumbles Volume 5: Ways the Government Dropped the BallUS Senator James Lankford Thank you for taking the time to read through Volume 5 of Federal Fumbles. This year I want to focus on something specific: Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution, which grants Congress the power of the purse. It is Congress's duty-my duty-to set spending caps and ultimately appropriate those dollars to fund our federal government. This is a more than $1 trillion annual task that I do not take lightly. It should be done wisely and on time. As you may recall from Volume 4 of Federal Fumbles, I have been engaged with a bipartisan working group to offer real and practical solutions to fix our budget process-one that has worked only four times since 1974. Part of reforming our budget process also involves how and when Congress actually funds the government. To that end my primary focus has been on my bipartisan solution to end government shutdowns once and for all. This solution is headed toward the end zone, and you can learn more on page 7. This volume of Federal Fumbles does not stop with our broken budget process. In fact, that is just thebeginning. In the pages ahead, you'll read some shocking information about the money different agencies spend on researching various aspects of Russian life (including their sea lions), a $445.9 million annual Fumble at our southern border, and billions of dollars wasted in so-called tax extenders. What do you think of that Tesla next to you at the stoplight? Glad you like it since you helped purchase it. You'll also learn how commonsense proposals to fund our inland ports and public lands are actuallycomplicated ploys that take massive advantage of your tax dollars-to the tune of billions of dollars eachyear. I will continue to press for other government reform solutions, including the Taxpayers Right-to-KnowAct and the Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Transparency (GREAT) Act. These two bills willoffer unprecedented transparency into the way your tax dollars are actually spent. We need to maintain a spotlight on federal spending no matter what's making headlines in Washington.Regardless of the political noise of the day, we cannot forget about the $23 trillion national debt. I continue to fight against that debt each and every day, and I will continue to work through practical solutions for the sake of our country and future generations.

Refugees from high-tax Massachusetts turned New Hampshire blue. Democratic voters from Yankee states are swamping Tennessee and Georgia. Government employees and refugees from Maryland have turned Virginia from a conservative Southern state into left-leaning Democrat territory. Escapees from California have transformed Colorado, and they’re aiming for Texas next. One state after another is turning from red to purple to blue. America is being radically changes by people leaving blue states for better living conditions and opportunities in red states—only to import to their new homes the very policies that created the misery they fled from in the first place. The direction of the change is undeniable: • A 2019 poll found that 53 percent of residents are considering leaving California on account of the exorbitant cost of living • From 2008-2018, Houston's population surged more than 15 percent, and the top metro areas of origin for those new Texas residents were Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago • Migration from blue states is changing the Texas electorate: between 2010 and 2018, votes for Democrats went up 50 percent, while Republican votes increased by just 10 percent • Boom is turning to bust in cities like Denver, as hip blue state refugees to red states raise the cost of living by voting in liberal policies The liberal invasion of the conservative states is having major impacts on our elections, our economy, and our standard of living. And yet few Americans are even aware of the trend, and fewer still have any idea of the significant implications for the future of the United States. Now, in The Liberal Invasion of Red State America, indefatigable reporter Kristin Tate delves into the data, lays out the astonishing statistics, and explores the likely consequences of this under-the-radar trend. If you want to understand the movement that is reshaping our country, read this groundbreaking book.

Americans are fortunate because they have one of the most effective governance systems in the world, yet the author analyzes and proposes more than two hundred other ways in which our governments can become more valuable and effective. To achieve this, it is vital to strengthen the bottom-up involvement of the American public to bring a new level of common sense and moderation and spirit of service while asking politicians to show more courage in making hard decisions.

As a governing body, Congress continually adapts to changes in process and practice. The Eleventh Edition of Walter Oleszek’s definitive work updated with new developments and fresh research, continues to examine how this procedural context governs every aspect of the House and Senate and affects lawmakers as they make voting decisions, expedite legislation, or defeat a bill. Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process reveals how the majority and minority parties use procedural devices to achieve their political goals and offers an assessment of the role of conference committees in reconciling bicameral differences. Not shying away from the complexity of the topic, Oleszek and new coauthors Mark Oleszek, Elizabeth Rybicki, and Bill Heniff Jr. ensure that the machinations of Congress are understandable through an array of interesting examples, topical cases, and anecdotes that they are uniquely positioned to witness and experience firsthand. ?

Oklahoma State Senator James Lankford examines 100 excessive and wasteful programs and regulations of the federal government. Each entry identifies whether it is either a spending or a regulation issue, names the federal government department responsible for its funding, provides the cost of the program or regulation, i.e. the government's "fumble", and how elected government officials should address the situation and "recover the ball."

"An alarming, fact-driven jeremiad urging change and action." –Kirkus The first comprehensive look at how politicians let the entertainment industry bilk taxpayers, hijack public policy and hurt economic investment, starting and ending with Trump. From stadiums and movie productions to casinos and mega-malls to convention centers and hotels, cities and states have paid out billions of dollars in tax breaks, subsidies, and grants to the world's corporate titans. They hope to boost their economies, create new and better jobs, and lure well-known events such as the Super Bowl--not to mention give their officials the chance to meet celebrities. That Big Entertainment drives bigger economies is a myth, however. Overwhelming evidence shows catering public policy to its promises results in a raw deal for the taxpaying public. In The Billionaire Boondoggle, Garofalo takes readers on a tour of publicly-subsidized corporate America to explain how that myth came to be, how much money America's elected officials throw away, and why courting Big Entertainment just courts disaster. You’ll learn how Maryland gave millions of dollars to Netflix to make House of Cards, and Nevada spent hundreds of millions on a new home for the NFL’s Raiders. New Mexico paid big money to host The Avengers, while city after city fell prey to the debt trap that is the Olympics. You’ll see how big sporting goods stores like Bass Pro Shops and big casinos across the country all get in on the subsidy scam. And you’ll see how many cities got in bed with hotel titans, including Donald J. Trump himself. This book is the go-to guide for the many ways in which American taxpayers unknowingly subsidize the TV shows they watch, the sports teams they root for and the hotels they sleep in, all based on an economic theory that only adds up for CEOs and bigwigs.