Featured Stories
Center for a Humane Economy: HHS Moves to Scale Down Animal Use in Research and Testing
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- The Center for a Humane Economy posted the following news release:
* * *
HHS Moves to Scale Down Animal Use in Research and Testing
Five years after passage of the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, FDA updating its regulations to remove Depression-era animal testing mandate
September 21, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action today applauds the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for issuing a new rule to strip out archaic language requiring animal testing that contradicted the plain language of the FDA Modernization Act 2.0. Federal
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- The Center for a Humane Economy posted the following news release:
* * *
HHS Moves to Scale Down Animal Use in Research and Testing
Five years after passage of the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, FDA updating its regulations to remove Depression-era animal testing mandate
September 21, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action today applauds the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for issuing a new rule to strip out archaic language requiring animal testing that contradicted the plain language of the FDA Modernization Act 2.0. Federaldrug-screening regulations recognize modern technologies as viable alternatives, including human cell-based systems, organs-on-chips, organoids, sophisticated computer models and other advanced technologies.
FDA said its new rule "removes language that could suggest that animal testing is the only acceptable way to generate safety information for regulatory decisions" involving human drugs and biological products.
The direct final rule replaces terms such as "animal tests" and "animal studies" with the broader terms "nonclinical tests" and "nonclinical studies" throughout key FDA regulations, bringing them into closer alignment with the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, enacted by Congress in 2022. Rulemaking is an important step towards implementing laws at a federal agency like FDA.
"This is a long-delayed but highly consequential move by FDA to bring drug-development regulations into the 21st century," said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action. "The agency knocking down outdated regulatory language propping up ineffective animal testing strategies put new methods rooted in human biology. Over time, we'll see better, safer, less costly drugs that help people struggling with disease."
FDA also announced a new database containing 25 examples of New Approach Methodologies, or NAMs, drawn from publicly available FDA review materials, giving drug developers practical examples of how these technologies have already been used in the regulatory process.
FDA Action Part of Broader HHS Shift Toward Human-Based Research
FDA's action comes as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced a coordinated department-wide effort to accelerate human-based research and reduce reliance on animal testing across its agencies. HHS says FDA, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health have launched more than 20 initiatives aimed at modernizing how the federal government conducts, funds and evaluates biomedical research.
The effort positions HHS as a central hub for a broader transformation in federal biomedical research, bringing together regulatory reform at FDA, research funding and infrastructure at NIH, changes in federal laboratory practices at CDC, and investments in artificial intelligence and computational technologies through ARPA-H.
NIH today announced more than $88 million in biomedical infrastructure investments supporting human-based research and plans for a new laboratory at the NIH Clinical Center combining human organoids, robotics, artificial intelligence and advanced data capabilities. NIH also announced efforts to add scientists with human-based research expertise to its grant-review process and issued a request for information on the feasibility of annually reporting the number of live vertebrate animals used at NIH-funded institutions.
HHS is bringing research policy, regulatory policy, federal investment and emerging technologies together around a new vision for biomedical science centered on human biology rather than reliance on animal models."
FDA Action Closely Tracks FDA Modernization Act 3.0
Today's action closely parallels the bipartisan FDA Modernization Act 3.0 passed by the Senate in December 2025, and by the House in July. FDA Modernization Act 3.0 was designed to finish the work Congress began with FDA Modernization Act 2.0
"Congress changed the law in 2022, and today FDA has taken a major step toward making its regulations finally reflect that change," said Tamara Drake, director of research and regulatory policy for the Center for a Humane Economy.
Notably, FDA's rule and FDA Modernization Act 3.0 are not identical, a further impetus to advance the legislation in Congress, as planned. One legacy over-the-counter drug regulation specifically identified in the House bill is not amended by today's rule, and 3.0 contains a statutory technical correction that FDA cannot make through regulation.
"FDA's action today demonstrates the remarkable convergence taking place towards streamlining scientific discovery, regulatory policy and federal law," said Dr. Zaher Nahle, senior scientific advisor for the Center for a Humane Economy.
Today's action builds on FDA's April 2025 Roadmap to Reducing Animal Testing in Preclinical Safety Studies and subsequent agency initiatives aimed at expanding the development and regulatory use of NAMs. The Center and AWA led efforts to enact the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 and spearheaded congressional efforts to enact FDA Modernization Act 3.0.
* * *
Center for a Humane Economy is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) whose mission is to help animals by helping forge a more humane economic order. The first organization of its kind in the animal protection movement, the Center encourages businesses to honor their social responsibilities in a culture where consumers, investors, and other key stakeholders abhor cruelty and the degradation of the environment and embrace innovation as a means of eliminating both. The Center believes helping animals helps us all. Twitter: @TheHumaneCenter
* * *
Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) whose mission is to help animals by promoting laws and regulations at federal, state and local levels that forbid cruelty to all animals. The group also works to enforce existing anti-cruelty and wildlife protection laws. Animal Wellness Action believes helping animals helps us all. Twitter: @AWAction_News
* * *
URL: Animal Wellness Action
* * *
Original text here: https://centerforahumaneeconomy.org/hhs-moves-to-scale-down-animal-use-in-research-and-testing/
[Category: Animals]
CAIR-Texas Commends NFL Player Azeez Al-Shaair for Highlighting Wafaa Akila, 8-Year-Old Killed By Israel, and Meeting Injured Children From Gaza
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
* * *
CAIR-Texas Commends NFL Player Azeez Al-Shaair for Highlighting Wafaa Akila, 8-Year-Old Killed By Israel, and Meeting Injured Children From Gaza
September 21, 2026
The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today commended Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair as an "athlete of conscience walking in the footsteps of Muhammad Ali" after he met with injured children from Gaza before the start of
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
* * *
CAIR-Texas Commends NFL Player Azeez Al-Shaair for Highlighting Wafaa Akila, 8-Year-Old Killed By Israel, and Meeting Injured Children From Gaza
September 21, 2026
The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today commended Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair as an "athlete of conscience walking in the footsteps of Muhammad Ali" after he met with injured children from Gaza before the start ofan NFL game and used face paint to highlight Wafaa Akila, an 8-year-old murdered by the Israeli military in Gaza on her first day of school.
Al-Shaair previously displayed the name of Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl murdered by the Israeli military along with several of her relatives and paramedics who attempted to rescue her, during an NFL game this week.
The NFL has reportedly fined the player over $11,000 for allegedly violating a league rule forbidding unapproved messages. The league fined him earlier this year for wearing the message "Stop Genocide," which the Israeli government's supporters recognized as a reference to Israel's conduct even though his message did not mention Israel.
SEE:Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair punished by NFL for pro-Palestine gesture (https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/houston-texans-linebacker-azeez-al-093635346.html)
SEE:Texans star makes political statement with this move on 'Monday Night Football' (https://www.nj.com/sports/2026/01/texans-star-makes-political-statement-with-this-move-on-monday-night-football.html)
Al-Shaair picked the Palestine Children's Relief Fund for the My Cause My Cleats fundraiser and has also met with Gaza families who were receiving treatment in Houston.
In a statement, CAIR-Houston Director of Operations Imran Ghani said:
"Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is an athlete of conscience walking in the footsteps of Muhammad Ali and other sports heroes who used their platforms to advocate for justice. We commend him for highlighting Wafaa Akila, one of the latest children murdered by the Israeli military, and meeting with children injured during the Gaza genocide.
"We reiterate our call on the National Football League to stop fining Mr. Al-Shaair, especially since it allows coaches to wear pins developed for genocide supporter Robert Kraft's "Stand Up to Jewish Hate" campaign. The NFL should have no problem with an NFL player mentioning the name of young girls killed in that genocide."
* * *
Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-texas-commends-nfl-player-azeez-al-shaair-for-highlighting-wafaa-akila-8-year-old-killed-by-israel-and-meeting-injured-children-from-gaza/
[Category: Sociological]
CAIR Endorses #DroptheGenocide20 Call to Exclude Biden Officials Responsible for Gaza Genocide From Positions of Power
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
* * *
CAIR Endorses #DroptheGenocide20 Call to Exclude Biden Officials Responsible for Gaza Genocide from Positions of Power
September 21, 2026
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced that it is endorsing the Drop the Genocide 20 declaration, a call by human rights groups for former Biden administration officials who helped enable Israel's genocide in Gaza in violation of federal law.
The declaration
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
* * *
CAIR Endorses #DroptheGenocide20 Call to Exclude Biden Officials Responsible for Gaza Genocide from Positions of Power
September 21, 2026
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced that it is endorsing the Drop the Genocide 20 declaration, a call by human rights groups for former Biden administration officials who helped enable Israel's genocide in Gaza in violation of federal law.
The declarationwas organized by the Democratic Socialists of America, AIPAC Tracker, Palestine Youth Movement, Peace Action and About Face.
In a statement, Washington, D.C.-based CAIR said:
"We fully endorse the DroptheGenocide20 movement's call for Biden administration officials who played major roles in illegally arming, justifying and otherwise enabling the Gaza genocide to face accountability. None of these 20 individuals, especially Brett McGurk and Jake Sullivan, should play any role in advising or serving elected officials, including the next President of the United States. Each of them knowingly made our nation complicit in the mass murder of innocent men, women and children, and none of them should hold positions of power now or in the future. The same should be true of current administration officials after they leave office."
In their announcement, organizers of the #DroptheGenocide20 declaration wrote:
"The #DroptheGenocide20 Pledge is a baseline accountability commitment pledging to not hire, consult, or otherwise promote top Biden White House officials who were responsible for promoting, lying about, and covering up the Gaza genocide. The purpose of the list is to demand these officials be removed from future Democratic administrations, as well as think tanks and academic and liberal spaces.
"The culture of Bipartisan Elite Immunity is what drives US war crimes and support for war crimes. From the Vietnam War to post-9/11 torture to the Iraq War, elite war criminality never receives any meaningful sanction from either party. It is treated as a mere policy disagreement among friends.
"This dynamic is a key reason Biden officials knew they could arm, defend, and cover up the genocide in Gaza for 15 months, and simply move back into liberal spaces, nonprofits, and future governments. As we see those who backed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza under Biden get high-status jobs at major think tanks, media outlets, colleges, and consulting firms, we see this dynamic playing out before our very eyes.
"This is unacceptable. This is a bare-minimum commitment--and deliberately limited in scope. It is designed to start the process of accountability. It is not in and of itself sufficient."
BACKGROUNDER:
Various news report have repeatedly confirmed that the Biden administration knew that Israeli forces were violating U.S. and international law in Gaza.
HuffPost has reported that President Biden "personally considered new American intelligence about Israel's devastating offensive in Gaza that prompted concerns that American and Israeli officials were violating U.S. and international law - then rejected suggestions from advisers to reduce American involvement in the war."
The administration new that Israel was sending Palestinian human shields into Gaza tunnels potentially lined with explosives. The information was shared with the White House and analyzed by the intelligence community in the final weeks of former President Joe Biden's administration, the officials said.
SEE: US intel revealed Israeli officials discussing use of human shields in Gaza, sources say (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-intel-revealed-israeli-officials-discussing-use-of-human-shields-in-gaza-sources-say/ar-AA1Qjlux)
On March 18, CAIR sent letters to Harvard University President Alan M. Garber and Harvard Kennedy School Dean of Faculty Jeremy Weinstein, and University of New Hampshire (UNH) President Elizabeth Chilton and UNH Carsey School of Public Policy Director Stephen Bird, calling for on both university's to "immediately revoke" Sullivan and McGurk's appointments due to their involvement in violating federal law by enabling the funding and arming of Israel's genocide in Gaza.
READ: CAIR Letter to Harvard University (https://www.cair.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SullivanMcGurk.pdf)
READ: CAIR's Letter to University of New Hampshire (https://www.cair.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sullivan.pdf)
CAIR also welcomed a New York Times expose of the Biden administration's cover-up of the 2022 murder of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.
SEE: CAIR Welcomes NYT Expose on Biden Cover-Up of Shireen Abu Akleh's Murder, Calls for Trump to Hold Israel Accountable for Killing American (https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-welcomes-nyt-expose-on-biden-cover-up-of-shireen-abu-aklehs-murder-calls-for-trump-to-hold-israel-accountable-for-killing-american/)
* * *
Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-endorses-dropthegenocide20-call-to-exclude-biden-officials-responsible-for-gaza-genocide-from-positions-of-power/
[Category: Sociological]
Americans for Tax Reform Issues Commentary: Spanberger's Backdoor Carbon Tax Blows Past Fiscal Estimates, Could Add $1 Billion to Electricity Costs in First Year
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Americans for Tax Reform issued the following commentary:
* * *
Spanberger's Backdoor Carbon Tax Blows Past Fiscal Estimates, Could Add $1 Billion to Electricity Costs in First Year
Daniel Abrahams
09/21/2026
Virginia has been back in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative for less than three months, and the state's first auction has already generated more than twice what officials projected earlier this year.
The Virginia Department of Planning and Budget estimated in March that participation in RGGI would generate approximately $115.6 million per quarterly auction,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Americans for Tax Reform issued the following commentary:
* * *
Spanberger's Backdoor Carbon Tax Blows Past Fiscal Estimates, Could Add $1 Billion to Electricity Costs in First Year
Daniel Abrahams
09/21/2026
Virginia has been back in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative for less than three months, and the state's first auction has already generated more than twice what officials projected earlier this year.
The Virginia Department of Planning and Budget estimated in March that participation in RGGI would generate approximately $115.6 million per quarterly auction,or $462.6 million each fiscal year. On September 9, Virginia's first auction since rejoining generated roughly $259 million from the sale of Virginia carbon allowances.
That difference is driven largely by the rapidly rising price of carbon allowances.
RGGI requires covered power plants to purchase an allowance for each ton of carbon dioxide they emit. When Virginia's fiscal estimate was prepared, the state cited a recent allowance price of $19.63. The September auction cleared at $37.65 per allowance, nearly 92% higher. Virginia offered 5.74 million regular allowances and another 1.148 million allowances from its Cost Containment Reserve. All of the reserve allowances were sold.
For Virginia taxpayers, those hundreds of millions of dollars do not appear out of nowhere.
Dominion Energy has already asked the State Corporation Commission to reinstate its Rider RGGI charge to recover the costs associated with buying carbon allowances. Dominion calculates a $1.179 billion Virginia revenue requirement reflecting approximately 20 months of RGGI-related costs. Without its proposed mitigation plan, the utility estimates that Rider RGGI would add $13 per month to the bill of a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours. Spreading some of those costs over two years would still result in a $10.36 monthly increase.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger argues that Virginians will be protected from those costs through a new RGGI credit. The state budget directs 45% of RGGI revenue back to certain residential and small-business utility customers, and Spanberger has argued that the credit could more than offset the new monthly charge for those customers.
But a rebate does not make the underlying cost disappear.
Power producers still have to purchase the allowances. Dominion still plans to recover its RGGI compliance costs from customers. And the 45% credit is limited to specified customer classes. Large businesses, industrial customers, and other major electricity users are not included among the residential, small general service, and church customers designated to receive the utility credit.
Those costs can also extend beyond a line item on an electric bill. Dominion's own filing states that adding the cost of carbon allowances to its Virginia generating units causes those facilities to produce less electricity, with the lost generation replaced through market purchases and out-of-state generation. The utility expects to need approximately 51 million carbon allowances between July 2026 and December 2028.
Virginia did not stumble into this system.
Spanberger made rejoining RGGI a major part of her energy agenda. Delegate Charniele Herring sponsored House Bill 397, while Senators Mamie Locke and Jennifer Carroll Foy sponsored the identical Senate Bill 802. The legislation requires Virginia regulators to maintain a RGGI-consistent carbon trading program. HB 397 passed the House 63-35 and the Senate 21-19 before becoming law earlier this year.
ATR warned in January that returning to RGGI would operate as a backdoor carbon tax on electricity. The first auction provides taxpayers with a clearer picture of the size of that tax. The state projected $115.6 million per auction. Virginia's first auction produced roughly $259 million.
And the pressure is unlikely to end with one auction. Virginia DEQ is now updating its carbon trading regulations to comply with RGGI's newest model rule, which lowers future emissions budgets. Fewer available allowances can increase competition for the remaining supply, while the final price will continue to be determined at auction. DEQ itself acknowledges that it does not know what future allowance prices will be.
Spanberger sold Virginia's return to RGGI as an affordability measure. Virginia's first auction tells a different story.
The Commonwealth is collecting more than twice the amount projected for each auction, Dominion is seeking to recover more than $1 billion in RGGI-related costs, and taxpayers will ultimately be left navigating a new system of carbon charges and government rebates.
Virginia lawmakers should reverse course and repeal the state's RGGI mandate. Virginians should not have to pay higher electricity costs so Richmond can collect hundreds of millions of dollars through a carbon tax and then decide how much of that money to give back.
* * *
Original text here: https://atr.org/spanbergers-backdoor-carbon-tax-blows-past-fiscal-estimates-could-add-1-billion-to-electricity-costs-in-first-year/
[Category: Political]
Americans for Tax Reform Issues Commentary: New Mexico Democrats Push Unnecessary Gas Tax Hike Even With Excessive State Reserves
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Americans for Tax Reform issued the following commentary:
* * *
New Mexico Democrats Push Unnecessary Gas Tax Hike Even With Excessive State Reserves
Sean Rowen
09/21/2026
New Mexico drivers already paying significantly more at the pump could soon get another bill from Santa Fe.
State Sen. Bobby Gonzales (D-6) is proposing raising New Mexico's gasoline excise tax by three cents per gallon, from 17 cents to 20 cents, a nearly 18 percent tax hike. The proposal would also raise the tax on diesel fuel by four cents per gallon.
The timing could hardly be worse for New
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Americans for Tax Reform issued the following commentary:
* * *
New Mexico Democrats Push Unnecessary Gas Tax Hike Even With Excessive State Reserves
Sean Rowen
09/21/2026
New Mexico drivers already paying significantly more at the pump could soon get another bill from Santa Fe.
State Sen. Bobby Gonzales (D-6) is proposing raising New Mexico's gasoline excise tax by three cents per gallon, from 17 cents to 20 cents, a nearly 18 percent tax hike. The proposal would also raise the tax on diesel fuel by four cents per gallon.
The timing could hardly be worse for NewMexico motorists.
Regular gasoline currently averages about $4.47 per gallon statewide, according to AAA, compared with $3.08 one year ago. That means New Mexico drivers are paying roughly 45 percent more for gasoline than they were last September.
Diesel prices are even worse, averaging $6.34 per gallon and reaching a record high in the state. Higher diesel costs also affect businesses that rely on trucks to transport food, construction materials and other goods, potentially passing those costs along to consumers.
Yet Gonzales argues motorists should pay more to fund New Mexico's roads.
"We haven't raised our tax in over 30 years," Gonzales told KOB.
Gonzales said the additional revenue would bolster the state road fund and help pay for pothole repairs, road striping, guardrails and other infrastructure needs.
But New Mexico has already approved significant new transportation funding.
Earlier this year, lawmakers approved a historic $1.5 billion transportation bonding package for road and bridge projects across the state. The package was designed to generate at least $70 million annually in new recurring revenue without raising fuel taxes.
Gonzales himself sponsored the legislation, describing it to establish a stable source of transportation funding.
The state sold its first $220 million in transportation bonds in June, making hundreds of millions of dollars available for projects across New Mexico.
State Sen. Bill Sharer (R-1) has also questioned why New Mexico should reach further into motorists' wallets when the state already receives significant revenue from its oil and gas industry.
"There is money that's already coming in," Sharer said. "We don't need to raise taxes."
New Mexico's oil and gas industry provides a substantial share of the money used to finance the state government. State budget projections show oil and natural gas revenues accounting for roughly one-third of recurring general fund revenues.
A three-cent increase may sound small, but raising the gasoline excise tax from 17 cents to 20 cents amounts to a nearly 18 percent tax increase. For workers with long commutes, families with multiple vehicles and rural residents with few alternatives to driving, the tax would become another recurring expense every time they fill their tanks.
New Mexico motorists are already paying roughly 45 percent more for gasoline than they were a year ago. Meanwhile, lawmakers have authorized $1.5 billion in transportation bonding, and the state continues to benefit from substantial oil and gas revenues.
Raising the gas tax now would pile another cost onto New Mexicans already paying more at the pump.
* * *
Original text here: https://atr.org/new-mexico-democrats-push-unnecessary-gas-tax-hike-even-with-excessive-state-reserves/
[Category: Political]
Americans for Tax Reform Issues Commentary: Conservatives Should Oppose the Credit Card Competition Act on Principle
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Americans for Tax Reform issued the following commentary:
* * *
Conservatives Should Oppose the Credit Card Competition Act on Principle
Andrew Gins
09/21/2026
The Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) has picked up a growing list of Republican backers. Its pitch enticingly sounds pro-market: break up the existing "duopoly" in the payments space, inject competition, and lower prices for families.
But the bill does not create competition. It enables Washington to dictate how private networks route transactions, with the explicit goal of pushing down the fees merchants
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Americans for Tax Reform issued the following commentary:
* * *
Conservatives Should Oppose the Credit Card Competition Act on Principle
Andrew Gins
09/21/2026
The Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) has picked up a growing list of Republican backers. Its pitch enticingly sounds pro-market: break up the existing "duopoly" in the payments space, inject competition, and lower prices for families.
But the bill does not create competition. It enables Washington to dictate how private networks route transactions, with the explicit goal of pushing down the fees merchantspay. Modeled on the failed Durbin Amendment experiment, it would deliver the same results. Price controls, whether imposed directly or through a routing mandate, do not eliminate costs. They shift them onto consumers. Conservatives should oppose this bill on principle.
In a two-sided market, such as card payments, the two main parties involved in a transaction, the cardholder and the merchant, both benefit. The cardholder can spend more than they would carrying cash, and the merchant benefits from higher transaction amounts and a higher frequency of transactions because swiping and tapping a card is more convenient than counting cash.
Take Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2018, for example. It became the first major sports venue in the United States to switch to a fully cashless payment model. The venue saw customer wait times fall by 20 to 30 seconds for food and beverage transactions, all while sales had risen by 16%. If cardholders pay annual fees and interest, it only makes sense that merchants too should pay for the benefits they receive from customer card payments.
Regulating interchange fees will not save families or consumers money. The failed Durbin Amendment experiment is a clear example. A 2015 study from the Richmond Fed examined the effects of the Durbin Amendment, which capped debit interchange fees. The results spoke volumes about the failures of federal interchange fee regulation. The study estimated that 77.2% of merchants did not change prices post-regulation, about 21.6% of merchants increased prices, and only 1.2% of merchants reduced prices.
If policymakers care about affordability, they should avoid exporting the Durbin Amendment's failures onto credit cards. A 2014 study found the number of banks offering free checking accounts "fell by 50% between 2009 and 2013. In comparison, fee-free banking actually increased at banks not subject to the Durbin Amendment."
That same study also found that minimum checking account balances roughly tripled between 2009 and 2012, from $250 to $750 on average, as a consequence of the revenue losses from the Durbin Amendment. When policymakers implement price caps, they don't eliminate costs; they get displaced elsewhere, and more often than not, consumers bear the consequences.
Many are also unaware that the United States is a global leader in payments technology. EU policymakers lamenting over their lack of homegrown payments systems makes this observation evident. The EU, and much of the world, is highly dependent upon American payment platforms.
According to the Financial Times, "Visa and Mastercard accounted for almost two-thirds of card transactions in the Eurozone in 2022, according to the European Central Bank, with 13 member countries lacking a national alternative to the US providers. Even where domestic schemes exist, they are declining in use."
The root cause of this phenomenon is glaringly obvious for anyone familiar with how markets function. The EU doesn't allow for viable competitor enterprises to exist because interchange caps limit the profitability needed to sustain major payment platforms. In the EU, credit cards are subject to a 0.3% interchange fee cap, and debit cards are subject to a 0.2% cap. The irony of this rule is that it was intended to ensure competitive pricing. Instead, it destroyed any incentive for new players to enter the market. Free market conservatives in the U.S. should be careful not to replicate the E.U.'s mistake by importing European-style price controls on payment services.
Conservative lawmakers concerned about affordability should say no to the CCCA and similar bills that make false promises about saving consumers money. These policies merely displace costs from merchants onto consumers and threaten the success of the American payments industry on the global stage.
* * *
Original text here: https://atr.org/conservatives-should-oppose-the-credit-card-competition-act-on-principle/
[Category: Political]
AU Denounces Christian Nationalist Remarks by Secs. Hegseth, Rollins
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Americans United for Separation of Church and State issued the following news:
* * *
AU denounces Christian Nationalist remarks by Secs. Hegseth, Rollins
September 21, 2026
Americans United for Separation of Church and State President and CEO Rachel Laser issued the following statement in response to new examples of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins demonstrating the administration's Christian Nationalist agenda by framing their government jobs in biblical terms.
Over the weekend Hegseth quoted the Bible (Isaiah 6:8, "Then I heard
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Americans United for Separation of Church and State issued the following news:
* * *
AU denounces Christian Nationalist remarks by Secs. Hegseth, Rollins
September 21, 2026
Americans United for Separation of Church and State President and CEO Rachel Laser issued the following statement in response to new examples of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins demonstrating the administration's Christian Nationalist agenda by framing their government jobs in biblical terms.
Over the weekend Hegseth quoted the Bible (Isaiah 6:8, "Then I heardthe voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'") to a group of students at a public university in Texas to kick off his "Send Me Tour," which is purportedly a new Department of Defense outreach initiative.
Earlier in the month during an interview with Trinity Broadcasting Network, Rollins said, "I do use this platform [as agriculture secretary]. I believe in making disciples of all the nations. I believe that God has blessed this country. And so, ensuring that we are using this and bringing the light to a very dark world, that's what this administration is about."
Hegseth, Rollins abusing public office to impose their beliefs on others
AU's Rachel Laser: "The federal government's role is to serve the public, not to proselytize. Secretaries Hegseth and Rollins are continuing to abuse the power of their public offices to impose their beliefs on others. Across the federal government, the Trump administration is misusing taxpayer resources to preach, hold government-sponsored prayer services during work time, and broadcast Christian Nationalism over official communications channels. Not on our watch."
Americans United, in partnership with Democracy Forward and Bryan Schwartz Law, filed a federal lawsuit against Rollins and the U.S. Department of Agriculture on behalf of six federal workers and the National Federation of Federal Employees union that represents 110,000 federal employees, including thousands of USDA workers. The lawsuit aims to stop Rollins from proselytizing USDA employees through email.
Americans United also has sued the Department of Defense as part of an investigation into the monthly, predominantly Christian prayer services Hegseth is hosting. The lawsuit explains that the Trump administration violated the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by refusing to fulfill AU's public-records requests for information into how the federal government is advancing Christian Nationalism.
Federal workers who are concerned that the Trump administration is violating their religious freedom are encouraged to report potential violations to Americans United at au.org/report-a-violation.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.au.org/the-latest/press/hegseth-rollins-christian-nationalism/
[Category: Political]
