Critical race theory attacks what it means to be an American
Jul 14, 2021
I learned as a child it is much easier to tear down than to build something worthwhile. It seems our political discourse has forgotten this simple lesson.
Critical race theory is seeping into our foundational institutions and attacking what it means to be American. This dangerous philosophy undermines our founding principles, institutions, social mobility and history itself — threatening to take us backward in time, not forward.
We need to create choice in K-12 education
Jun 8, 2021
As the school year comes to a close, children are looking forward to getting out of the classroom and into camps, vacations, and summer activities. Parents are reflecting on the past year and preparing for the one ahead — especially in light of the problems that the pandemic exposed in schooling.
Uniting Around Criminal Justice Reform
May 19, 2021
The past year—full of challenges, division, and isolation—exposed many of the fault lines in our society. Events across the country brought renewed attention to enduring racial divisions, and highlighted a number of challenges related to law enforcement and policing. But if there is one issue that ought to help provide healing and unity for our communities, it is commonsense criminal justice reform.
The Trade Pact Waiting to Happen
Mar 29, 2021
Of all the things shared by the United States and Britain, perhaps the most important is the common law—a system of law that isn’t imposed from above but arises from the people in the form of cases and precedents. Engrained in common law is the concept of “partnership.” Partnerships allow individuals to cooperate by sharing knowledge and resources for mutual benefit. They are also voluntary, allowing each member to freely associate, and require each to value the welfare of his counterpart as much as his own.
The Constitution does not authorize a general impeachment power
Jan 28, 2021
The Supreme Court is the highest tribunal in the United States for all cases and controversies arising under the Constitution. But not all legal issues reach the court, and even if they do, it takes years for them to do so. That is why we, as U.S. senators ourselves, take an oath to uphold the Constitution.
Nuking the Filibuster: Bad for the Senate, Worse for America
Jan 27, 2021
Earlier this week, Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema publicly declared their support for the Senate’s cloture rule, which requires a supermajority of 60 votes to end floor debates and pass most legislation. Their statements effectively ended the Senate’s latest flirtation with the so-called “nuclear option” -- the parliamentary gambit by which many Democrats want to eliminate the 60-vote threshold with only their 50 votes.
More children deserve a place to call home
Nov 23, 2020
Over 400,000 U.S. children were in the foster care system in 2019, and the number of children and youth in foster care is higher today than it has been in nearly a decade. Tragically, some government leaders and researchers fear that the current pandemic could lead to heightened child abuse and increase the number of children in need of foster care. This increased demand may introduce additional stress into a system already in need of reform.
It’s time to unify our antitrust enforcers
Nov 18, 2020
Today I am introducing the One Agency Act—a bill to put all federal antitrust enforcement under one roof. For over a century, enforcement of the antitrust laws has been divided between the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission – more than enough time to see that this arrangement does not work.
Big Tech companies falsely claim no bias against conservatives — they may be violating law
Oct 30, 2020
On August 30, 2019, Facebook notified Lila Rose, the president of the pro-life group Live Action, that an independent fact-checker had rated two of her group’s videos as “false.” Facebook said it would therefore suppress the videos and notify all users who shared the videos that they had shared “false news.”
Of Course We're Not a Democracy
Oct 20, 2020
During the recent vice presidential debate, I pointed out on Twitter that our form of government in the United States is not a democracy, but a republic. The confused and vehement media criticism that ensued persuaded me that this point might be better served in an essay rather than a 140-character Tweet.
Insofar as “democracy” means “a political system in which government derives its powers from the consent of the governed,” then of course that accurately describes our system. But the word conjures far more than that. It is often used to describe rule by majority, the view that it is the prerogative of government to reflexively carry out the will of the majority of its citizens.
