The American Action Forum is a policy institute with forward-looking research on the most pressing domestic, economic policy challenges.

Washington, DC
H-4 workers are more highly educated and have higher earning on average than the overall U.S. working population – with concentrations in the professional, scientific, and technical services industries. bit.ly/2JF2PXB
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H-4 visa holders are higher skilled on average than the overall U.S. working population and contribute an estimated $12.9 billion to GDP each year. bit.ly/2JF2PXB
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Three things you didn’t know about the minimum wage
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Should immigration be scaled back, even at a cost to the broader economy? Or, should immigration policy be one element of a larger pro-growth policy? #Eakinomics bit.ly/2FngLkw
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The low price of gasoline is a direct result of the price of crude oil: bit.ly/2aAmbZe
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The following table provides the cumulative totals of final rules containing some quantified economic impact from each administration through this point in their respective terms. #WeekInReg americanactionforum.org/week…
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Find out why good #immigration policy is good economic policy at @AAF #Solutions bit.ly/TiUc5c
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.@SenJohnMcCain on blaming #defense hawks for #ISIS: "absolutely ludicrous" & "bizarre allegations" piped.video/watch?v=DeMbU6wL…
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For months there have been swirling rumors that the president would take executive action to reduce drug prices. But Washington is full of rumors, and you can lose a lot of money betting on any of them. - @djheakin americanactionforum.org/dail…
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FACT OF THE DAY: Since January 1, the federal government has published rules that imposed $1.29 trillion in total net costs and 72.4 million hours of net annual paperwork burden increases.
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Every day last year, the federal government added $447 million in regulatory costs.
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Removing H-4 visa holders from the labor market could reduce current GDP by up to $13 billion and potential GDP by up to $41 billion per year. bit.ly/2JF2PXB
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How are regulations made? New video explains the federal regulatory process in 2 minutes, 30 seconds! @Dan_Bosch describes the entire regulatory process. piped.video/watch?v=y8wFc0Kw…
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Projected savings from new CRA resolutions will save $3.7 bil in total reg costs & eliminate 4.2 mil paperwork hours bit.ly/2q64985
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What do GOP primary voters really think about #ImmigrationReform? bit.ly/1xNMdxo
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The Trump presidency was characterized by efforts to capitalize the GSE with a view to privatization, while the Biden presidency reversed much of this progress in the failed pursuit of affordable housing goals while ignoring safety and soundness mandates. americanactionforum.org/insi…
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Okay, #inequality quiz: Out of our last 4, what presidents increased inequality the most? huff.to/1K2jYTW
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The following table provides the cumulative totals of final rules containing some quantified economic impact from each administration through this point in their respective terms. americanactionforum.org/week…
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#Eakinomics: The truth about redistribution: bit.ly/2aEXAQJ via @djheakin
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An [almost] unfathomable $19.4 BILLION in new regulatory costs last week by the admin. bit.ly/1K6fAkX
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Yesterday's ACA enrollment numbers in perspective bitly.com/1fhjxR5 via @AAF
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NEW : Ride sharing companies like #Lyft, #Uber, & #Sidecar added $519 million to the economy. bit.ly/1gmfjzW
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Would expanding the pool of STEM PhDs help address cybersecurity labor shortages in national security? Join AAF and experts from @CNASdc, @CSIS, and Peregrine Technical Solutions for a panel discussion moderated by @ellengilmer. Lunch will be served! eventbrite.com/e/the-stem-br…
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"The evidence is in. The president is not playing a strategic, 3-dimensional trade game. He’s a protectionist, pure and simple, running a playbook that has been a historical failure." - @DJHEakin bit.ly/2LJj1mb
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Sign up for @AAF's The Daily Dish, where wonks get their news: bit.ly/1yI7J8O
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FACT OF THE DAY: 72 percent of foreign nationals who earned their STEM Ph.D. in the United States are still in the United States 10 years after receiving their degree.
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RT @djheakin Young adults are better off paying out of pocket for health care than signing up for Obamacare bit.ly/1kVa5eF via @AAF
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FACT OF THE DAY: The cumulative economic impact from the Trump Administration's regulatory budget is in the range of $155-$164.7 billion in net savings.
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FACT OF THE DAY: Housing finance reforms under Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mark Calabria have derisked Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from a leverage ratio of 1,000-1 earlier in the year to 500-1.
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FACT OF THE DAY: Altogether, the Trump Administration's proposed tariffs could increase nationwide consumer costs by nearly $40 billion annually.
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Check out this infographic examining Congressional Review Act (#CRA) actions taken this year. bit.ly/2r2dVbA
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It should shock the conscience that a president could unilaterally redirect roughly $8 billion in Medicare premium dollars to a half-baked attempt to appeal to senior citizens. americanactionforum.org/week…
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It would take 36,950 full-time employees to complete a single year of #DoddFrank’s paperwork: bit.ly/2acaiss
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How is YOUR state being impacted by the opioid crisis? AAF’s new interactive map examines the economic impact of the opioid crisis in each state: bit.ly/2p1zdWU
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Today we observe National #FreedomDay in honor of the signing of the 13th amendment by President Lincoln – February 1, 1865.
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NEW VIDEO: Economist @djheakin explains how a $15 #minimumwage will destroy nearly 7 million jobs amp.twimg.com/v/4e0c6a00-67b…
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AAF’s @IsabellaHindley explains why the recently issued final rule to revise the Davis-Bacon Act regulations will drive up the cost of federal construction projects and worsen inflationary pressures.
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On day one in office, the president stopped $181 billion in pending regulations: bit.ly/2kLR5BL
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FACT OF THE DAY: The average DACA worker contributes $109,000 to the U.S. economy each year.
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July's #jobs report shows the labor force participation rate at 62.6%, the lowest since 1977. #U6fix bit.ly/1giqbhr
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Your must watch 2 min of the the day: Gov @ScottWalker on @AAF's "Big Ideas on a Little Stool" piped.video/watch?v=Y-B5HAyq…
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FACT OF THE DAY: If all DACA recipients were removed, U.S. GDP would decrease by nearly $42 billion.
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The February PCE price index is out. @djheakin reacts to the latest inflation report.
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New @AAF study finds 1.93 million Americans falling into the #ACA’s “family glitch” bit.ly/1AT9vAG
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EVENT: Join AAF on June 1 for an expert panel discussion on the potential impact of an America COMPETES Act provision that would provide a pathway for skilled STEM professionals to remain in the United States. Lunch will be served! eventbrite.com/e/the-stem-br…
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The March inflation report is out! @djheakin reacts to the latest CPI report.
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How competition, NOT government price controls are the solution to rising drug prices: bit.ly/2mQ1jBw @Forbes @djheakin #healthcare
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FACT OF THE DAY: Removing H-4 visa holders from the labor market could reduce current GDP by up to $13 billion and potential GDP by up to $41 billion per year.
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Don't get bogged down in the @FedRegister, #RegRodeo is easy to search, read, and report! regrodeo.com/
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Over 40k jobs & $2.1billion in earnings are still sitting on the sideline as the #KeystoneXL is delayed...again
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#Eakinomics: 4 points that 1,470 economists want you to know about #immigration: bit.ly/2nEri3D
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The defense budget cap of $523 billion is increasingly insufficient. bit.ly/18udA7m #DefenseBudgetFacts
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Advanced nuclear energy can help mitigate climate change by providing energy that is both reliable and free of greenhouse gases. americanactionforum.org/insi…
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New in #Eakinomics – It’s been 10 years since the financial crisis. @djheakin explains what we’ve learned about recessions and how to avoid them.
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WATCH: Breaking Up Big Tech: The Consumer Welfare Standard — @jrhuddles americanactionforum.org/mult…
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The latest report on the economy is out. @djheakin reacts to the 2025 Q1 GDP report.
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AAF’s @IsabellaHindley discusses new research on the impact of synthetic opioids on the workforce.
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Nearly 10 million Americans will need to take insulin every day to live—yet three manufacturers dominate the current insulin market, and there is limited competition. americanactionforum.org/rese…
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The United States has long required employment-based immigration reform that would prevent the loss of productive foreign labor. Read @IsabellaHindley insight: americanactionforum.org/insi…
The requirement that Documented Dreamers self-deport when they age-out of their dependent status – and thus cost the United States high-skill labor – is a pertinent reminder that the U.S. immigration system has holes that need patching. americanactionforum.org/insi…
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Ten years after the crisis, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are no closer to becoming privatized entities. Yet the Federal Housing Finance Agency is thinking about how to regulate them if they were private. This is fantasy rulemaking. bit.ly/2OU79iK
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Five or more billion-dollar regulations could reduce average industry pay per employee by 12 percent
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The creation of an Office of Economics and Analytics within the #FCC could help reorient the agency toward more empirically grounded analysis: bit.ly/2FM6pZZ
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#NAFTA has generated immense value for Americans by drastically reducing barriers to U.S. exports, integrating supply chains across North America, and solidifying U.S. relationships with Canada and Mexico. americanactionforum.org/rese…
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The February Jobs Report is Out! @djheakin reacts to the latest employment report.
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FACT OF THE DAY: In fiscal year 2024, the United States incurred a $1.8 trillion budget deficit, the equivalent of 6.3 percent of gross domestic product.
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The opportunity cost of not creating a pathway to permanent residency for foreign-born STEM Ph.D. workers would be forgoing the enhancement of security against cyberattacks and useful skillsets to mitigate national security risks. americanactionforum.org/insi…
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The July CPI data is out. @djheakin reacts to the latest inflation report. #cpi #inflation #coffeewithdoug #coffeeandeconomics
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Calls to regulate social media in the public interest fail to grapple with the messy details of policymaking. @WillRinehart explains why.bit.ly/2Cg9Pqb
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As capital requirements have evolved, they have – with few exceptions – increased. It remains to be seen whether banks will receive significant relief in the form of regulatory reform. bit.ly/2yHDT8R
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"This is not really 'stimulus.' I think there's some confusion about that. This is economic life support.” - @djheakin americanactionforum.org/mult…
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The third delay in enforcing the #TikTok ban and Congress’s silence raises two troubling possibilities: Either the national security threats were exaggerated or fake — or the risks are real, but Congress is too afraid to contradict the president. americanactionforum.org/insi…
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AAF’s @theToriKSmith explains why Puerto Rico needs a Jones Act wavier.
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Imposing steel tariffs will harm both the American economy and our allies. Read more from AAF’s @JackieVaras: americanactionforum.org/insi…
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AAF President @djheakin discusses “Big Ideas Driving the Day” with @jasonfurman at the Reagan National Economic Forum.
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AAF's @theToriKSmith reacts to former President Trump’s proposal to enact a 10 percent tariff on all imports from all countries, with a total cost of $330 billion annually.
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Studies show that nuclear power is one of the safest methods of generating electricity in the U.S.: bit.ly/2tIGz4Z
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“The red, white, and starry blue is freedom’s shield and hope.” #FlagDay #FlagDay2016
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FACT OF THE DAY: Before the financial crisis, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac held investment portfolios of $900 billion each, while today that figure is in the region of $250 billion each.
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Inflation numbers are out! @djheakin reacts to the October PCE index.
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AAF President @djheakin discusses the presidential candidates' tax policies on @FoxNews.
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9 Questions for @Sebelius that will make you say "Really?!?" buzzfeed.com/americanactionf…
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Policymakers should track and monitor the main street economy — not the stock market — and focus on using policy to support better conditions on the ground, says @djheakin: americanactionforum.org/dail…
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This population has volatile labor turnover and employee retention, which is costly for employers; and
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Busy tax panel day! @djheakin joins @Heritage panel to talk about the goals for the next phase of tax reform.
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The January Jobs Report is out! @djheakin reacts.
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Congress has already repealed more than $1.1 billion in past regulations from the #Obama Administration: bit.ly/2ocYQWI
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1) The notion that a unique “green energy workforce” requires a federally funded program to train workers in green energy installation is flawed,
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"The economy has benefitted enormously from regulatory reform and tax reform. It would have benefitted even more from entitlement reforms. And one can only hope that it will reap the benefits of the trade reforms going forward.”- @djheakin in @RiponSociety riponsociety.org/article/ame…
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Unauthorized immigrants are often unable to hold positions that align with their skills, which limits the benefits to both them and the economy at large;
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EVENT: Join AAF for an expert panel discussion on housing finance reform in America featuring keynote speaker FHFA Director @MarkCalabria, panelists AAF’s Thomas Wade, @norbertjmichel, @MilkenInstitute’s Michael Stegman, and moderator @donnaborak from CNN. eventbrite.com/e/fannie-mae-…
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