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Introduction The CPAC Foundation's Center for Regulatory Freedom recently issued a detailed critique of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) proposed rulemaking regarding internet regulation, particularly focusing on the reinstatement of net neutrality and related policies. This post delves into their comments and arguments, presenting a comprehensive summary for a clearer understanding of the ongoing debate. Summary of CRF's Comments Historical Context In 2017, the FCC considered repealing the Obama Administration's net neutrality policy, amidst strong opposition characterized as a blend of propaganda and fearmongering by various celebrities and large internet companies. Despite their predictions of dire consequences, CRF argues that the post-repeal period saw improvements in internet speeds, reliability, and affordability, particularly highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Critique of Biden Administration's Approach The Biden Administration aims to resurrect net neutrality and implement a new policy, Safeguarding and Securing the Open Internet (SSOI). CRF criticizes this as an overregulation, noting a shift in the argument towards national security and public safety, which we regard as a weak justification. Detailed Analysis Arbitrary and Capricious Rulemaking CRF asserts that the FCC's rulemaking is arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). We reference recent Supreme Court cases to outline standards for determining whether agency actions are reasonable and lawful, arguing that the FCC's proposed rule lacks a sound statutory basis and fails to provide a rational connection between its findings and decisions. Overstepping Statutory Authority We emphasize that the FCC's proposal exceeds its statutory authority. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 does not grant the FCC the power to regulate for national security or public safety, which the proposal claims to do. This overreach, we argue, contradicts the Act's focus on promoting competition and infrastructure investment. Lack of Reasonable Explanation The proposal, according to the Foundation, lacks a reasonable basis, relying on speculative and insufficient data from the COVID-19 pandemic period. It also fails to demonstrate a clear legal rationale for the expanded regulatory authority it seeks. National Security and the "Square-Peg, Round-Hole" Problem CRF views the national security argument for net neutrality as a misalignment, noting that the FCC already possesses authority under existing regulations to address security threats. We question the necessity of expanding the FCC's role in national security, seeing it as an attempt to justify a preferred policy rather than a genuine security need. Major Questions Doctrine Finally, we argue that the proposed rule fails to meet the "Major Questions Doctrine" as set forth in the Supreme Court's West Virginia v. EPA decision. The FCC's rationale ignores key trends in internet pricing, speed, and availability since the 2018 repeal of net neutrality, focusing instead on objectives that CRF views as outside the FCC's traditional purview. Conclusion CRF's comments present a strong critique of the FCC's proposed internet regulation, challenging its legal basis, its approach to national security, and the rationale behind reintroducing net neutrality. This debate highlights the complexities of regulating the internet, balancing technological advances, consumer protection, and national security concerns. The FCC's next steps, and the responses they elicit, will be crucial in shaping the future of internet regulation in the United States.

Earlier this week, the Nolan Center for Justice’s Prosecutor and Law Enforcement Advisory Council released their Conservative Principles of Prosecution. These principles are intended to serve as a foundation to ensure prosecutors and law enforcement leaders promote public safety, uphold the integrity of the profession, and foster public confidence in the criminal justice system. Recognizing the need for center-right prosecutors and law enforcement leaders open to systemic improvements, our Prosecutors and Law Enforcement Advisory Council is chaired by former Acting United States Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and is composed of leaders with law enforcement backgrounds at federal, state, and local levels. Serving as a leading voice in the country, the Council met in early November for a two-day retreat in order to draft and finalize these standards of the profession. It is our hope that these principles will serve as a tool and encouragement to prosecutors throughout the country as they serve the people whom granted them their power. Learn more here.

The 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report continues to fund the worst policies of the Biden administration's politized Department of Defense and ultimately falls short of its responsibility to bolster our national security and adequately confront global threats. The bill continues the Biden administration's promotion of divisive and woke internal policies within the Department of Defense. For example, the NDAA conference report continues funding for the facilitation of abortion and funds transgender surgeries. The current package also omits the House-passed NDAA's explicit ban on taxpayer funded drag shows, mask mandates on military bases and elimination of Chief Diversity Officers in the military. Continuing to permit these policies not only strays from the military's core mission but also risks further politicization of our armed forces. Additionally, the conference report includes a reauthorization of the controversial Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) without reforms. Though this is being sold as a short-term extension, the extension included would give the Biden administration's deep state bureaucrats the authority to continue conducting 200,000 plus warrantless backdoor searches of private American citizens through April 2025. In sum, the NDAA, in its current form, fails to address crucial national security challenges, neglects much-needed reforms, and continues to push a politicized agenda within our military ranks. We will recommend to our sister organization, CPAC Foundation’s Center for Legislative Accountability to negatively score a vote in favor of the FY24 NDAA conference report in the 53rd Edition of CPAC Foundation’s Ratings of Congress.

Today, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed an Executive Order 2023-31, to put an end to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) bureaucracy in Oklahoma’s government. For years, universities and government agencies, even those in red states, have become increasingly beholden to a coercive liberal agenda, often framed under the banner of DEI. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court correctly ruled that the use of affirmative action in college admissions violates the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution. Oklahoma is taking the next step by curtailing political coercion and ending identity-based preferences in all government employment. "CPAC applauds Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt for acting through executive order today to take down DEI in all of Oklahoma’s government. Abolishing DEI bureaucracies and ending mandatory 'diversity' training and DEI hiring statements will ensure Oklahoma’s institutions can focus on the diversity of ideas, rather than shame-based political activism. Oklahomans can take pride in knowing that the content of their character will matter more than the color of their skin." - David Safavian, CPAC Executive Vice President. This executive order is also necessary to combat bureaucratic bloat. For example, public colleges in Oklahoma have spent at least $83.4 million on DEI in the last decade. Additionally, Oklahoma State University currently employs nearly double the amount of staff in their DEI bureaucracy as it does history professors. These reforms are not just administrative adjustments; they represent a paradigm shift towards a more academically rigorous higher education system and more efficient state government. State legislatures around the country should follow Oklahoma’s lead to ensure that their public universities remain bastions of learning and free thought and their government agencies become unencumbered by ideological biases based on woke political agendas. DETAILS: The order requires state agencies and institutes for higher education to initiate a review of DEI positions, departments, activities, procedures, and programs to eliminate and dismiss non-critical personnel. State agencies and institutions for higher education shall not utilize state funds, property, or resources to: Grant or support diversity, equity, and inclusion positions, departments, activities, procedures, or programs to the extent they grant preferential treatment based on one person’s particular race, color, sex, ethnicity, or national origin over another’s; mandate any person to participate in, listen to, or receive any education, training, activities, procedures, or programming to the extent such education, training, activity, or procedure grants preferences based on one person’s particular race, color, sex, ethnicity, or national origin over another’s; mandate any person swear, certify, or agree to any loyalty oath that favors or prefers one particular race, color, sex, ethnicity, or national origin over another; mandate any person to certify or declare agreement with, recognition of, or adherence to, any particular political, philosophical, religious, or other ideological viewpoint; mandate any applicant for employment provide a diversity, equity, and inclusion statement or give any applicant for employment preferential consideration based on the provision of such a diversity, equity, and inclusion statement; or mandate any person to disclose their pronouns.

Joining Elaine Beck’s new initiative We Are Not Enemies is as easy as praying! We Are Not Enemies brings together Christians nationwide in a prayer community for a season of forgiveness. You can begin simply by setting aside a time every day to pause and go to the Lord in prayer. You can also get further involved in bringing Americans together by participating or starting a prayer group in your church, family, or with friends. All are welcome to participate in or lead a prayer group for a special event on November 26, 2024 as the year-long season of forgiveness comes to a close. Make your pledge to pray today at wearenotenmies.com.

Six years ago, in 2017, CPAC held its very first international conference in Tokyo, Japan, building solidarity among conservatives across the globe. Earlier this month, CPAC returned to Tokyo and successfully held its seventh CPAC Japan. The event is the fruit of the friendships between the American Conservative Union and the Japanese Conservative Union, led by Jay Aeba, and their respective countries, the United States and Japan. This year’s event continued the tradition of uniting the international conservative movement while addressing issues both particular to Japan and shared between Japan and the United States. Remarks from figures such as Jack Posobiec and Dr. Robert Malone tackled concerns regarding national security threats from China and the Middle East and health threats and violations of liberties by COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

We are proud to join our dear friend and supporter of CPAC, Elaine Beck, in her new program We Are Not Enemies. The mission of We Are Not Enemies is timely. The Leftists and Marxists are sowing division, celebrating hate, and encouraging anger toward neighbors with the pervasive cancel culture. We Are Not Enemies counters this with the power of prayer. It is initiating a season of forgiveness to plant the seeds of compassion, empathy, and respect for the dignity of each person, no matter their political persuasion, in every American. We applaud Elaine for her courage in starting this program and look forward to the fruits it will bear for our beloved country. Visit wearenotenemies.com to start your role in this great program. -Matt & Mercy

The landscape of federal regulations in the United States has always been complex, but recent reports from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) highlight just how labyrinthine it has become. The Resurrection of the Regulatory Cost Report For decades, the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy produced a report every five years assessing the impact of federal regulatory costs on the American economy. However, these reports ceased under the Obama Administration when regulatory costs skyrocketed. Enter Dr. Chad Moutray, the former Chief Economist for the Office of Advocacy, who, upon joining NAM, revived this crucial report, employing the original economists for renewed analysis. The 2023 NAM report's findings are as alarming as they are unsurprising, confirming projections by the Center for Regulatory Freedom: federal regulations cost the American economy over $3 trillion per year. NAM's Alarming Findings The NAM study of 2023 paints a dire picture: Federal regulations in 2022 cost an estimated $3.079 trillion, 12% of U.S. GDP. The average U.S. company spends about $13,000 per employee annually on regulatory compliance, but for manufacturers, this cost jumps to over $29,000. Small manufacturers, with fewer than 50 employees, bear the brunt with costs around $50,100 per employee per year. There's been a 26% increase in costs for manufacturing firms since 2012. CEI's 2023 10,000 Commandments Underscores The Problem Wayne Crews' report for the Competitve Enterprise Institute, titled "10,000 Commandments," provides additional context to the regulatory scene: Under President Biden, there's been an escalation of campaigns on equity, climate, and other progressive ends. The final rule count stood at 3,168 at the end of Biden’s second year, a drop from the first year but still significant compared to historical figures. The report estimates regulatory compliance and economic effects of federal intervention at least $1.939 trillion annually. U.S. households face an average hidden regulatory tax of $14,514 annually. The Unified Agenda under Biden shows a high count of 3,690 upcoming regulatory actions. The Impact and Future Trajectory The growing regulatory burden impacts business dynamics significantly. NAM's report suggests that reducing these costs could greatly enhance competitiveness, especially for manufacturers, allowing funds to be reallocated to growth initiatives. 10,000 Commandments further emphasizes the scale of this challenge, with an increasing number of rules and regulations in the pipeline. This trend, if continued, could lead to a staggering regulatory cost of $7 trillion per year by 2030. Conclusion: A Call for Balance Both reports underscore the need for a critical reexamination of the regulatory framework. Policymakers and industry leaders must find a balance in regulatory practices to foster an environment conducive to economic growth and innovation. Without significant changes, the U.S. faces a future burdened by an even more massive regulatory framework, impacting all sectors, especially small businesses and manufacturers. These insights are not just a wake-up call but a clarion call for action to avoid an overwhelming regulatory landscape by 2030.

As we pass the 60 day mark since the barbaric Hamas attack on Israel’s south, this is an opportunity to reflect on how much has changed over the past two months and what still remains unchanged. First, a clearer picture has emerged of the level of atrocities committed on October 7: 1,200 dead (⅔ of them civilians), thousands wounded, and 250 were taken hostage (more on the hostages below). One motif that has emerged is an overwhelming number of stories of incredible heroism displayed by civilians and soldiers amidst the chaos. Two examples: 1. Eran Shapiro, an unarmed participant at the Nova music festival, protected a large group of fellow revelers and managed to throw 7 grenades back at his attackers before being killed by the 8th grenade. The video was caught on a dash cam and can be viewed here [link] ; 2. This video of medics repeatedly driving into the war zone with inadequate protection to save lives. [Link]. There is no doubt that this would have been even more catastrophic if not for the countless acts of heroism. While 137 hostages still remain in Gaza, Israel was successful at securing the release of over 100 hostages - mainly women, children, and foreign workers - in exchange for releasing convicted terrorists at a 3-1 exchange ratio as part of a multi-day cease fire. When Hamas broke the ceasefire and wouldn’t continue releasing more hostages, Israel renewed fighting inside Gaza and is continuing to make significant progress in destroying Hamas. After effectively gaining control of Hamas government facilities in Gaza City, the IDF is now moving on the central city of Khan Younis. Unfortunately, the military successes have come at a very steep price, with more than 80 Israeli soldiers killed and hundreds more wounded. Israel has a large reserve army, so many of those killed are middle-age men with families and careers. One example is the death of Maj. Moshe Leiter, a 38 year-old father of 6 who was on the verge of becoming a medical doctor. His father, Dr. Yechiel Leiter, addressed the CPAC Israel delegation in Summer 2022 (pictured at left). He recently appeared on the Mark Levin show to talk about the loss of his son. [Link] The Biden administration rightfully received strong kudos immediately after the attack for standing strongly with Israel. However, in recent weeks Secretary Blinken has made comments which many Israelis have perceived as unfairly tying Israel’s hands and forcing Israel to endure an impossible double standard when it comes to minimizing Palestinian civilian deaths. Hamas is responsible for all of those deaths, as was eloquently shared by Sen. Marco Rubio in this video [link] Unfortunately moral relativism has taken over many American Universities. This is not news to us at CPAC, but never has the craven behavior of leftists on University Campuses been as stark as their alliances with radical muslims who are literally on camera killing, maiming, butchering hundreds of people. Israel has vowed to hunt down and kill Hamas leadership wherever they are in the world. Hamas is just one symptom of a radical Islamist belief system which threatens the west on numerous fronts, most orchestrated by the state sponsor of terrorism, Iran. As Americans, let’s pray that Israel succeeds in sending a strong message to the radical islamists that terror doesn’t pay and that good will prevail over evil.

Are you still looking for the perfect, USA-made gift for your patriotic friends and family this holiday season? Look no further than CPAC. CPAC has you covered in our guide below with top gift picks for all the conservatives in your life or even a gift for yourself. If your conservative loved one loves coffee as much as they love America, then our made in America Awake Not Woke Coffee Mug is the perfect gift for them. The Awake Not Woke Coffee Mug helps start the morning off on the right side...of the political spectrum, that is. A morning cup of coffee in this 15 oz. ceramic mug wakes you up ready to take on wokeness. For the conservative history buff in your life, consider the Reagan at CPAC book. The book features the wit and wisdom of President Ronald Reagan from his many speeches at CPAC conferences. It also includes notes and contributions from other popular conservative leaders including, CPAC’s Chairman Matt Schlapp, K.T. McFarland, Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Shapiro, and Katie Pavlich. Our Freedom Bumper Sticker from our new Freedom Collection makes an easy stocking stuffer while adding a touch of patriotism to your loved ones’ stockings. These vinyl and American-made stickers come in a set of two that is convenient for sharing and for proudly displaying your love for your country. Our CPAC Red Performance Polo is for the friends and family who like to wear their conservative values on their sleeve. Made of a snag and wrinkle resistant fabric with the iconic CPAC logo in crisp white lettering on the sleeve, our made in the USA polo is a great way to represent the conservative movement from the golf course to the office desk or at your next CPAC conference! Speaking of CPAC conferences, surprise your patriotic loved one with the best gift of all: tickets to our next conference in Washington, D.C. February 21-24, 2024! They’ll love the opportunity to meet their favorite conservative leaders and experience the nation’s capital with thousands of fellow patriots from all over the country and the world. Plus, purchasing tickets now secures a limited time discount on our General Admission tickets that gets your favorite patriot access to Main Stage, CPAC Central, and Activism Training. Explore all of our ticketing options for CPAC 2024 and our full range of merchandise now at cpac.org.

The covid-19 pandemic exasperated pre-existing, deeply imbedded flaws of the U.S government, causing an over-crowded federal prison system to burst at the seams. Amidst this over-crowding, violence and infections grew exponentially at the onset of the pandemic and nationwide lockdowns. With a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) already failing on multiple fronts to safely house their inmates with staffing shortages and the in-ability to separate infected inmates from healthy ones, the potential of months-long lockdowns proved detrimental and life-threatening. Under the leadership of the Trump Administration, Attorney General William Barr offered an innovative approach that not only remedied the over-crowding of our federal prisons but saved individual taxpayers thousands of dollars per year. The CARES Act Home Confinement rule allowed non-violent, low-risk, medically vulnerable inmates with no history of violence within prison, who had served most of their sentence, to spend the remainder of their sentence under home confinement. Since March of 2020 under the CARES Act rule, the BOP successfully placed 13,204 inmates in home confinement with nearly 3,000 inmates in the program remaining today. Since its implementation, individual taxpayers have saved $65.33 per inmate, per day and those sent to home confinement under the program have made significant steps towards rehabilitation with a recidivism rate of only 0.2% (compared to the 43% rate of people leaving federal prison). Now, some Members of Congress are looking to send the remaining 3,000 individuals back to prison for no other reason than a political ploy. The CARES Act home confinement rule slowed the spread of COVID-19 in our federal prisons, protected BOP staff and their families from infection and violence caused by overcrowding and saved the taxpayer a pretty penny while reuniting families without causing a threat to public safety. Sending these people back to prison now is a waste of Congressional time, taxpayer money, and earns us nothing in public safety. Read more about the issue here: There’s no reason to send these 3,000 people in home confinement back to federal prison | The Hill

In the fight against human trafficking, Americans often wrongly believe that these crimes occur far from the safety of their own communities. Unfortunately, just this week in DuPage, Illinois, we saw that this terrible reality exists right at home. Acting on a random tip received about an 18-year-old woman allegedly held against her will, authorities led by state law enforcement and a local prosecutor arrested a 46-year-old ringleader who was holding four different victims to be abused throughout the state. This rescue was made possible by an anonymous online tip service that local law enforcement had made available and then was used by one of the victims being held by the alleged criminal. There’s a clear lesson to be learned: yes, the horror of modern-day slavery is happening here at home. But by building trust between the community, survivors, and law enforcement agencies, we can take crucial steps towards stopping human trafficking networks and ensuring justice for victims. To achieve this, it is imperative that law enforcement agencies adopt survivor-centered approaches, prioritizing the well-being and safety of those who have endured the horrors of human trafficking. Through fostering an environment that values survivors' voices and protects their rights in perilous situations like those faced by the victims in Illinois, we can create a system that effectively dismantles the criminal networks operating daily within our country.