Last week, President Trump extended clemency to nearly a dozen Americans. Much contention has arisen around those who he chose to pardon and commute the sentences of, but there are a few simple truths that undergird the whole process and remain true, no matter who clemency is given to. Chief among these is that, in order to pursue justice, prison sentences should be no more excessive than necessary to fit the crime -- That is, to provide proper measures for punitive purposes, for any victims’ purposes, and importantly for rehabilitative purposes.

FreedomWorks is proud to honor Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) as our member of the month for February 2020. Representing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the United States Senate since 2011, Sen. Toomey becomes our first-ever senator to be recognized as member of the month. This is well-deserved, as his principles, intellect, and compassion suit him well to represent his constituents and defend liberty, on everything from healthcare and taxes to trade and spending.

At his State of the Union address last week, President Trump highlighted the need for school choice across America, and rightly so. There is nobody who knows better what education is most suitable for their children than parents and the student themselves. Certainly, the government does not know best and we should do all we can to put this decision in the hands of those closest to the students in our communities.

This week, the House of Representatives will consider a joint resolution to remove the deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. This constitutional amendment was approved by Congress in 1972 and submitted to the states for ratification. The preamble of the proposed constitutional amendment, however, set the deadline for ratification. In 1978, Congress extended the deadline, but even this new deadline has long since passed.

Today, the Republican Study Committee’s Government Efficiency, Accountability, and Reform (GEAR) Task Force released its first report, Power, Practices, Personnel: 100+ Commonsense Solutions to a Better Government on bettering the way that our government is run in Washington. As we know far too well, the federal government is dysfunctional and too often does not work for Americans. It instead works for the bureaucrats, for the politicians, and for the special interests.

While the impeachment trial continues in the Senate and the House plays partisan games with bills like the upcoming PRO Act, people outside of Washington in “real America” wonder what politicians are actually doing for them. For the answer, this week, they should turn to champions of school choice across the nation, in celebration of National School Choice Week.

It is no secret that limited-government proponents dislike the Federal Reserve, or “the Fed,” and the influence that this central bank wields. It attempts to “play God” in our economy by its control over monetary policy and almost always does far more harm than good. What could not be more secretive currently, though, is the way that the Fed operates. Fortunately, there is significant support in Congress for a bill -- the Federal Reserve Transparency Act -- that would require a Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit of the Fed.