Welcome to the online research center of The Conservative Caucus Foundation (TCCF). Our website provides useful information to those interested in many public policy questions.
You can read our evaluation of various pieces of legislation in the Legislative Analysis section.
The Constitutional Budget section reviews each line in the budget of various cabinet departments, showing which programs are allowed by the US Constitution and which are not – and explaining why.
The Constitutional Action Reports contain articles on various issues, especially those related to the Constitution.
Our links section makes it easier for you to do your own research, going to other useful websites with valuable information.
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Constitutional Budget 2021
New Constitutional Budget Study Available
The Conservative Caucus Foundation has completed the latest portion of its ongoing Constitutional Budget Project, reviewing President Trump’s proposed FY 2021 budget for six cabinet departments and determining how much of the spending in each would be unconstitutional. The six departments reviewed this year are Commerce, Education, Energy, HUD, Labor and State.
If you would like to have a copy of any or all of these, email to info@conservativeusa.org or mail your request to The Conservative Caucus Foundation, 332 W. Lee Highway, Suite 221, Warrenton, VA 20186.
Nation Must Honor Reagan’s Commitment to Social Security
Thirty-eight years ago, on April 20, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed into law what he described as an “ironclad commitment” for the preservation of Social Security. Among other things, the law increased Social Security taxes so as to make the system financially sound for many decades to come. The tax increase created an enormous surplus in the short run, and that surplus was intended to cover deficits later as the baby-boomer generation retired.We faithfully paid the taxes, but the surplus was spent on other government programs. Now, when that surplus is needed to cover deficits, some in Washington consider those other programs more important than Social Security. Instead of repaying the Trust Fund so as to fund full benefits, they would cut Social Security to save funding for their pet programs – many of which violate the Constitution.
From 1983 through 2009, Social Security ran a cumulative surplus of more than $2 trillion. This was put into a “Trust Fund”, but the Trust Fund consisted solely of IOU’s. Following the requirements of a law passed in 1939 and signed by President Roosevelt, the surplus was loaned to the US Treasury and used as a method of increasing spending without seeming to increase the Federal deficit. The Trust Fund was nothing but a promise that future politicians would repay the money when needed. Each year Social Security collected taxes that were tens of millions greater than what it paid out in benefits, and the President and Congress happily spent it on whatever caught their interest.
All that changed in 2010. For the first time since 1984, benefit payments exceeded tax collections. That has continued every year since then. For 2021, it appears that benefits payments will exceed tax collections by at least $80 billion. With the President and Congress unwilling to cut spending, the Treasury has been forced to borrow the money needed to pay back what is owed to the Trust Fund.
Now the COVID emergency is being used as an excuse to approve trillions of dollars of additional spending, while infrastructure, “climate change”, and the clamor for new and expanded welfare programs are also threatening to drive the deficit to unprecedented heights. We will have to pay the piper, sooner or later, for all this spending. That will create an opportunity for those who say that Social Security is just not important enough to keep its claim on the Trust Fund. They will accelerate their push for cutting Social Security, whether directly or by COLA adjustments, means-testing, or increased taxes on benefits.
The Trust Fund must be protected and used, as President Reagan intended, for Social Security (including the interest, which now amounts to almost $80 billion a year). This promise was faithfully honored by President Trump, to his great credit.
The solution to deficits is to make cuts elsewhere in the budget, no matter how loudly the politicians and their special interests squeal. Every penny that was collected for Social Security should be used for exactly that purpose.
Today’s retirees paid extra-high Social Security taxes for decades so that the foreseen deficit would not lead to a cut in benefits. President Reagan was correct in calling it an “ironclad commitment” for continued benefit payments. That commitment should be honored.
Conservatives Support Funding Priority for Social Security Trust Fund
Conservatives almost unanimously believe that President Biden should follow President Trump’s example of repaying the Social Security Trust Fund for all that is needed to keep Social Security fully funded. Support for full funding was 91.5%, with only 4.7% opposed.President Trump repaid about $300 billion from the Treasury into the Trust Fund during his term. Projections show that another $400 billion will be needed during the next four years. If the money is not repaid, Social Security benefits would have to be cut to match the money available.
Those polled were especially negative toward the idea that repayments might be reduced or halted in order to pay for the left-wing elements of the Biden agenda. That possibility was opposed by 99.1%.
The Conservative Caucus Foundation (TCCF), founded in 1976, has published studies on many public policy issues, including a Constitutional Budget, ObamaCare, the Panama Canal, nuclear disarmament, border security and the presidential war power.
Conservatives Oppose “Grand Bargain” to Cut Social Security
Conservatives oppose a “Grand Bargain” for deficit reduction that would cut Social Security benefits, according to a poll conducted by The Conservative Caucus Foundation. Such a bargain was opposed by 85.3%, while only 9.3% supported the idea.Joe Biden, while serving as Barack Obama’s Vice President, negotiated with Republicans over a deal which would have cut entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare.
The poll, which was conducted by mail, also found that 94.2% support repealing income taxes on Social Security, while 85.5% take the same position for retirement income from IRA’s and 401(k)’s.
The idea of establishing a “blue-ribbon” commission to deal with the deficit, instead of following the normal legislative process, had only 5.8% support while 91.2% were opposed.
The Conservative Caucus Foundation (TCCF), founded in 1976, has published studies on many public policy issues, including a Constitutional Budget, ObamaCare, the Panama Canal, nuclear disarmament, border security and the presidential war power.
Constitutional Budget 2021
Safety for Social Security
TCCF President Peter J. Thomas explains the significance of the deferred collection of payroll taxes.
President Defers Collection of Social Security Taxes
On August 8, 2020, President Trump issued a presidential memorandum (not an Executive Order), allowing for the deferral of payroll taxes on wages. This may have raised some concerns among our supporters about the impact on Social Security and the extent of presidential power.
The impact on Social Security should be non-existent. This is only a deferral, not a cancellation of the payments, and it will be temporary, lasting only from September 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. The Social Security Trust Fund has far more than will be needed to support full benefit payments during this four-month period, and the Trust Fund can be replenished when the taxes are collected in 2021.
Of greater concern is what may action Congress may take. If legislation makes the deferral a permanent cancellation of four months’ taxes, Congress should appropriate general funds to replace what has been canceled. This would be consistent with what was done during the payroll tax cut of the Obama administration. It would make the deferral revenue neutral for Social Security.
However, we should be concerned that Congress might either fail to replace the money, or might count the replacement funds against the Social Security Trust Fund, which would have the same effect. It is vital that any action by Congress be revenue neutral in terms of the Trust Fund.
Concerning executive power, we recognize that the President is acting according to law rather than claiming any inherent executive power. Had the President declared the taxes canceled, he would have gone beyond both the law and his constitutional authority. Instead, he merely deferred the tax collection and recognized that the final disposition can only be made by Congress.
Social Security Tax Deferrals
Truth About the Virus
TCCF President Peter J. Thomas used this op-ed to spell out his views on the dealing with the Wuhan virus emergency. Truth About the Virus It’s time to look past the fear-mongering of the liberal media and politicians, and take comfort in the facts about what’s happening with the Wuhan virus. The actual numbers show good news! The weekly average of virus-related deaths (as reported in the liberal Washington Post) has been steadily declining for almost three months. The weekly average for new infections, which the media tell us is skyrocketing, leveled off at the end of June and has remained flat since then. Do those numbers justify forcing all Americans to remain at home indefinitely, putting our economy in free fall? Do those numbers justify telling many Americans that they must forego medical treatment, because we need to keep hospitals and doctors ready for a surge of patients that may never come? Not one governor, Democrat or Republican, has been willing to resort to such extremism. Instead, they are fine-tuning their reopening. Experience is teaching us, state by state and region by region, what is the right pace in each one. When the “experts” make their dire predictions, let’s remember how wrong their predictions have been. At one time, they were predicting that more than one million Americans would die. In early May, they predicted that by June 1 the daily deaths would hit 3,000. (The actual number was 489, and declining.) The “experts” predicted that allowing some students to return to their dorm rooms at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, would bring a devastating plague to that city. Instead, Lynchburg has become one of the safest cities in Virginia, with only one death and a low infection rate. Virginia’s Democrat Governor, Ralph Northam, has been sharply criticized for the past two months for endangering public safety by reopening too fast, yet Virginia continues to make good progress against the virus and recently had its first day since April without a virus-related death. No one should be surprised that the “experts” are worried that they will lose power (and their TV interviews) if a more level-headed approach is taken. Human nature always seeks power and attention. However, the public good must be our goal, not satisfying the egos of fallible experts. The President and the fifty state governors should be commended for rejecting the extremist course (even though some governors have, at times, mistakenly promoted unfair and/or unnecessary measures). We are already showing that we can get through this emergency. The economy is coming back. Many states are reopening without increased danger. Each of us should do what we can to protect our selves and others. Wearing a mask, physical distancing, and weighing the importance of each trip outside our homes will help. But we do not need to cut ourselves off from the outside world. Let the reopening continue. Truth About the Virus
The Path Ahead
TCCF President Peter J. Thomas used this op-ed to spell out his views on the dealing with phasing out the Wuhan virus emergency. The Path Ahead Where do we go from here? How do we get back to something that at least resembles normal life? Only the most extreme advocates of a nationwide lockdown believe that the United States can continue on the stay-at-home course that began in mid-March. Even liberal governors have begun loosening restrictions or are preparing to do so. The inescapable fact is that we cannot shut down the economy, unless we wish to kill far more people than would die from the coronavirus. Despite massive criticism of President Trump’s decision to keep the food processing industry open, Americans must have something to eat. We will not survive by reviving “Victory Gardens”. We now know who is most at risk of dying from this disease, and they must be protected as we go back to work. The elderly and others with medical conditions that make them vulnerable will have to be kept in a degree of isolation that makes them safe. The younger and healthier, who may catch the disease but are much less likely to die or experience severe symptoms, need to return to work. In order to minimize their danger, we should all maintain such elementary precautions as wearing masks and physical distancing. When restaurants, theaters, and similar businesses can be safely opened, and under what limitations, is something that we will learn only by trial and error. Fortunately, with 50 states taking somewhat different approaches, we will be able to compare the results and adjust policies accordingly. The one thing we must avoid is a nationally-mandated, one-size fits all policy that could easily go too far in either direction. The Federal government has played a major role in providing financial support, but there are practical limits to how much and how long it can continue. It cannot prop up, month after month, businesses that have been shut down or are doing only a fraction of their usual volume. And it must not waste money bailing out states whose financial mismanagement (especially in regard to government employee pensions0 had them on the brink of insolvency before the coronavirus) emergency. If further assistance to individuals is needed, it should again be in the form of an income tax refund. This might be combined with a permanent tax rate cut, since that has been shown to affect immediate spending more than temporary measures. We should avoid a payroll tax cut or any other approach that might, over the long run, undermine the Social Security system. Social Security has been a stabilizing force in this emergency, providing an unaffected source of consumer purchasing power. We are on our way to restoring a sustainable but safe way of life. We must now ignore those who insist that the only way forward is surrendering to massive, permanent government control over our lives. The Path Ahead
Stimulus Must Protect Social Security
TCCF President Peter J. Thomas used this op-ed to spell out his views on the current impeachment controversy. Income Tax Rebate, Not Payroll Tax Holiday, Is the Proper Stimulus Vehicle During the debate over the stimulus bill, one point of contention has been whether income tax rebates or a temporary payroll tax cut would be a better way of getting money into the hands of American consumers. It appears that the income tax will be chosen, and that choice is correct. Using the income tax offers several advantages over the payroll tax. To begin with, it allows a significant and immediate impact. The rebate is likely to be much larger than what most Americans would receive through a reduced payroll tax, allowing substantial relief at once. Furthermore, as the virus forces layoffs in the most-affected industries, the unemployed would get no help from the payroll tax, even though they need it the most. Perhaps an argument could be made for the payroll tax if the need was for a smaller but more sustained stimulus, but the current emergency demands something that will produce a big impact right away. Income tax rebates also allow for targeting that will maximize the effect of the measure. The stimulus will probably limit the rebate to those below a certain income level, putting money in the hands of those most likely to spend it instead of saving it. Reducing the payroll tax would involve a sort of counterproductive targeting, since it would provide the smallest relief to low-income Americans who need it the most. The income tax rebate is also easier to keep within limits, and less likely to be continued beyond the time of need. If a second stimulus is considered later this year, it would require positive action by Congress. In the case of a payroll tax cut, the positive action would be needed to end it, leaving open the possibility that political pressure could extend it well beyond the point at which it was beneficial. Even if the original bill included a specific time limit, politics might force one or more extensions. Last, but certainly not least, is the potential impact on the Social Security Trust Fund and the long-term solvency of Social Security. For the past decade, Social Security has been paying out more in benefits more than it collects in taxes. This requires drawing on the almost three trillion dollars loaned to the Treasury over three decades, and which is now being repaid to keep benefits at their full amount. There is reasonable concern that Congress may balk at continuing those payments, which grow larger every year. Several liberal journalists have called for reducing Social Security payments so as to free up money for other liberal spending programs. While a stimulus bill would no doubt contain appropriations from the general fund to maintain Social Security benefits, it opens the door to later manipulation. A future Congress could declare that the general fund appropriations (along with those from the Obama years) should be counted as money repaid to the Trust Fund. This would accelerate that day when the Trust Fund would have been fully repaid, and Social Security benefits would be in danger of reductions of 20% or more. This is a risk that should not be taken. Protect Social Security
Trump Proclaims Religious Freedom Day
President Trump issued the annual proclamation of Religious Freedom Day, celebrating the importance of religious freedom to Americans. At a time when liberals are assaulting this constitutional right, a reminder of its vital role in American history and society is welcome. Religious Freedom Day
Abuse of the Impeachment Process
TCCF President Peter J. Thomas used this op-ed to spell out his views on the current impeachment controversy. Abuse of the Impeachment Process
Deep State Protects Its Own: No Comey Prosecution
Although the Inspector General found former FBI Director James Comey guilty of violating rules intended to protect the civil rights of American citizens, the Justice Department is giving Comey a free pass (as Comey did when Hillary Clinton was found to have violated Federal law with her “gross negligence” regarding classified information). Read the text of the IG report here: Report of Investigation of James Comey
New Executive Order Deals with Flood of Illegal Alien Children
With illegal aliens increasingly using children as a “get out of jail free” card, President Trump issued an executive order to deal with the border crisis. Read the text here: Apprehension, Processing, Care, and Custody of Alien Minors and Unaccompanied Alien Children
Department of Homeland Security Finalizes New Rule on Immigrants and Welfare
Federal law prohibits accepting immigrants who are likely to become a “public charge” (i.e. go on welfare), but enforcement has used a very narrow definition, excluding some of the most expemsive welfare programs. On August 14, the Department of Homeland Security announced a new rule,using a more common sense approach. Read the text here: Public Charge Rule
President Issues Executive Order to Determine Citizenship Numbers
President Trump has instructed government agencies to take all permissible actions to determine the number of citizens and noncitizens in the United States. Read the text here: Citizenship Numbers
Supreme Court Correctly Rules on Gerrymandering
Partisan gerrymandering, which goes back to the first congressional election in 1789, is not prohibited by the Constitution. The Supreme Court finally settled that fact on June 27 in the case of Rucho v. Common Cause.
Read the text here: Rucho v. Common Cause
Government Duplication Report
The Government Accountability Office has released its annual report detailing how Congress could save the taxpayer billions by eliminating duplicate effort by government agencies.
Read the text here: Additional Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap and Duplication and Achieve Billions in Financial Benefits
CBO Testifies on Single-Payer
The Congressional Budget Office has provided Congress with additional statements on the possibility of a government-controlled, “single-payer” national health care plan.
Read the text here: Testimony on Key Design Components and Considerations for Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System
President Takes Action Against Another Source of Illegal Immigrants
Few realize that a major source of illegal aliens are those who enter legally but fail to leave when their visas expire. In this Executive Order, President Trump directs a stronger effort to deal with this problem. Read the full EO here: Combating High Nonimmigrant Overstay Rates
The Mueller Report
The Justice Department has released the report of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Read the text here: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election
Trump Declaration of National Emergency
President Trump, on February 15, formally declared a border emergency under the National Emergencies Act.
Read the text here: Presidential Proclamation on Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States
Trump Proclamation on Border Crisis
President Trump’s February 7 Proclamation regarding the southern border is an important document in light of the probable forthcoming declaration of emergency.
Read his comments: Addressing the Border Crisis
Congressional Budget Office Releases New 10-year Budget and Economic Estimates
The CBO data is used by Congress in debating budget and economic policy.
Read their comments: CBO Report
Encouraging Progress on Dealing with Asylum Claims
The report from the Center for Immigration Studies shows that the Trump administration is beginning to deal effectively with the backlog of asylum requests. Asylum Backlog
Congressman Roy Describes Emergency on the Border
Rep. Chip Roy, in the article below, makes a solid case that a true emergency exists on the border with Mexico.
Read his comments: Border Crisis
CBO Offers Suggestions for Reducing Deficit
The Congressional Budget Office has released its annual list of options for deficit reduction. Deficit Reduction
GAO Finds Obama Administration Moves Very Slowly to Secure Mexican Border
The Government Accountablility Office has been making recommendations on how to better secure the Mexican border, the the Obama administration has been strangely slow in following through. Read the full report (May 13, 2015) here: Border Security Delays
CBO Report on Budget Deficits
The Congressional Budget Office projects increasingly large deficts if spending remains on the course President Obama has set. Read their ful report here. Federal Deficit Increasing