Hugh Hewitt has a good idea (not to imply that this isn’t often the case) about federal funds for Louisiana:

Senate Republicans should insist that as part of the package, reforms in the federal Endangered Species Act–similar to this that are poised to pass the House–be included in the appropriation so that the notoriously expense-increasing and private-property-rights destroying ESA not delay or increase the costs of these projects or other Corps projects across the country. A simple tightening of deadlines widely abused by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when the Corps “consults” with that agency under the ESA would be a huge step forward.

While they’re at it, the National Environmental Protection Act could use an overhaul as well. These two laws are one of the bigger barriers to private space launch, now that some of the FAA issues have been resolved.

If this Republican spending binge and the hurricanes result in real federal reform, such as this and a line-item veto, they will be shining silver linings in the clouds.

Hugh Hewitt has a good idea (not to imply that this isn’t often the case) about federal funds for Louisiana:

Senate Republicans should insist that as part of the package, reforms in the federal Endangered Species Act–similar to this that are poised to pass the House–be included in the appropriation so that the notoriously expense-increasing and private-property-rights destroying ESA not delay or increase the costs of these projects or other Corps projects across the country. A simple tightening of deadlines widely abused by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when the Corps “consults” with that agency under the ESA would be a huge step forward.

While they’re at it, the National Environmental Protection Act could use an overhaul as well. These two laws are one of the bigger barriers to private space launch, now that some of the FAA issues have been resolved.

If this Republican spending binge and the hurricanes result in real federal reform, such as this and a line-item veto, they will be shining silver linings in the clouds.

Hugh Hewitt has a good idea (not to imply that this isn’t often the case) about federal funds for Louisiana:

Senate Republicans should insist that as part of the package, reforms in the federal Endangered Species Act–similar to this that are poised to pass the House–be included in the appropriation so that the notoriously expense-increasing and private-property-rights destroying ESA not delay or increase the costs of these projects or other Corps projects across the country. A simple tightening of deadlines widely abused by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when the Corps “consults” with that agency under the ESA would be a huge step forward.

While they’re at it, the National Environmental Protection Act could use an overhaul as well. These two laws are one of the bigger barriers to private space launch, now that some of the FAA issues have been resolved.

If this Republican spending binge and the hurricanes result in real federal reform, such as this and a line-item veto, they will be shining silver linings in the clouds.

If Ramesh is right, a couple of Republican senators have come up with a way to turn down the political heat on their big-spending party–by sponsoring a line-item veto amendment. The Supreme Court struck down the line-item veto in the 1990s, but this would get around that by making it Constitutional.

They’d better be careful what they wish for, though–given the current mood of the country, it just might pass. Or maybe, in the case of these two particular senators, they actually hope it will. It could be that its time has finally come.