Reopen America - April 2020

On behalf of FreedomWorks’ activist community, I urge you to contact your representative and ask him or her to cosponsor the Federal Reserve Sunshine Act, H.R. 8007, introduced by Reps. Mark Green (R-N.C.) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii). This bill would simply eliminate the provision of the recently-passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that allows the Federal Reserve to hold closed-door meetings about its newly-created $450 billion bailout fund, which is more vital now than ever as we continue to observe the alarming lack of transparency that has come along with the Federal Reserve’s new authorities.

Welcome to the new and improved Regulatory Action Center (RAC) Review! RAC proudly keeps you up to date on what we’re up to and what we’re keeping our eyes on here in the swamp. We offer resources for you to get involved in the rulemaking process to hold unelected bureaucrats accountable and occasionally offer praise in the event they have a good impulse. We will also highlight the incredible work our activists have done to advance the principles of smaller government, lower taxes, free markets, personal liberty, and the rule of law. For more ways to get involved and stay informed, check the links at the bottom of this post.

With the school year kicking off soon, many are still wondering what education will even look like. Most school districts have left parents in the dark regarding much of the details surrounding either virtual or in-person learning, and school boards around the nation haven’t even put the basics of schooling to a vote.

FreedomWorks recently announced the launch of the American Freedom Initiative (AFI), a collaboration headed by former acting U.S. Attorney General Matt Whitaker. This project aims to help relieve injustices committed against Americans under the criminal justice system and the regulatory state. As part of this project, we will shine a spotlight on some of the individuals the AFI has identified under its National Pardon Project as being particularly hard hit by unjustly harsh criminal sentences for non-violent crimes.

Marc Thiessen of the American Enterprise Institute has accurately questioned the efficacy of the Postal Service to properly distribute and collect ballots by millions of voters this November. The problems are many. Thiessen opines, “There is plenty of evidence that mail-in voting has the unintended consequence of disenfranchising of millions of eligible voters.”

FreedomWorks Foundation's Regulatory Action Center (RAC) submitted formal comments to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in support of their recent proposal to deregulate natural gas pipelines. It is promising to ease the regulatory burden on the construction, maintenance and operation of natural gas pipelines, with a special focus on small operations. The text of these formal comments can be found excerpted below or in the attached document: