Gun Control and the Gas Tax Holiday

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2024 ALERT! First NH Poll Shows Unexpected Republican Frontrunner

DeSantis (R) 39%
Trump (R) 37%
Pence (R) 9%
Haley (R) 6%
Cruz (R) 1%
Noem (R) 1%
Pompeo (R) 1%

More at RedState.

Here's a Big Warning Flag on the Economy

Joe Biden Calls on Congress to Pass a Gas Tax Holiday

As expected, the President has announced he is calling on Congress to pass a gas tax holiday to ease the price at the pump. There are people on both sides of the issue who believe this is just a gimmick that will cause more problems than it will solve.

Biden's plan is little more than an attempt to pass the buck, though. By putting the issue on Congress, he wants the controversy to be theirs rather than his. It has been his own policies, however, that has made him deeply unpopular with voters on gas prices (along with seemingly every other issue).

Biden has also been pushing oil companies to produce more, but industry leaders like the CEO of Chevron have called Biden out for his inconsistent attitude on drilling and refining fossil fuels.

We need clarity and consistency on policy matters ranging from leases and permits on federal lands, to the ability to permit and build critical infrastructure, to the proper role of regulation that considers both costs and benefits. Many of these elements are described in our industry’s recently released 10-point plan. Most importantly, we need an honest dialogue on how to best balance energy, economic, and environmental objectives – one that recognizes our industry is a vital sector of the U.S. economy and is essential to our national security.

In his speech today, Biden continued to attack the oil companies, saying its their fault the prices are so high. "This is a time of war," he said. "Global peril. Ukraine. These are not normal times. Bring down the price you are charging at the pump to reflect the cost you are paying for the product. Do it now. Do it today."

The Senate Unveils Its New Gun Control Bill

Bill Cassidy

A bipartisan group of Senators have unveiled their gun control reform package, which the Senate voted 64-36 to advance to the floor for debate. Fourteen Republican Senators, including Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, joined with the Democrats in that initial vote. At least ten of them support the bill for final passage. We'll likely see that final vote next week.

Stephen Gutowski at The Reload has a good breakdown of what the law would accomplish.

The Senate released the finalized text of its gun deal on Tuesday, adding new kinds of gun prohibitions to federal law.
The package extends current prohibitions on gun sales to those who have disqualifying juvenile records and those convicted of misdemeanor violent crimes against “dating partners.” The bill also includes a new background check process for those 18 to 20 years old, funding for “Red Flag” laws or other state crisis intervention programs, the reclassification of who must obtain federal gun dealing licenses, and several other proposals. A bipartisan group of Senators praised the deal as an appropriate response to the recent elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

The website Randoland also has a breakdown of the new spending the bill creates.

Headlines of the Day

Andrew Gillum, DeSantis' 2018 opponent, faces indictment (NBC)
The media bubble is real: Study shows massive disconnect between journalists, public (The Hill)
Fed’s Powell facing rising criticism for inflation missteps (AP News)
FDA to Order Juul E-Cigarettes off U.S. Market (WSJ)
Why parents could be the new swing voters (Politico)

Tweet of the Day

Hurricane Preparation, What Are the Items You Didn't Think Of?

When there is word that a hurricane might threaten the Gulf Coast, we start thinking about what items we need to make life bearable if we end up stuck at home without electricity and internet.

In addition to these creature comforts, we also need to think about the many things that we would need to take with us if we are forced to evacuate.

While we all immediately think of things like prescription medicines and important papers, there are other things that can come in handy whether we will be stuck at home, at a relative's house, or in a shelter.