Regulatory Overreach Threatens Economic Freedom and National Security

On February 8, 2024, Brad Beck, Phil Kerpen, Helen Raleigh, Lorne Levy, and Karen Levine joined the show. Brad Beck guest hosts the February 8, 2024 broadcast while Kim Monson takes the day off, discussing Colorado legislation, Austrian economics, and introducing guests Kerpen examines the disconnect between positive economic headlines and household realities, detailing how regulatory costs and inflation erode living standards while EV mandates and internet regulations. Federal Regulations and the Regulatory Burden Start listening at 29:49 – Hour 1 Phil Kerpen, president of American Commitment, dissects the disconnect between positive economic headlines and the reality facing American families. While media outlets trumpet strong job numbers, Kerpen points to the Bureau of Labor Statistics quietly revising away 1.2 million previously reported jobs over the past year. The cost of living has outpaced wage growth, leaving most households with diminished purchasing power compared to just a few years ago. Kerpen identifies credit card debt as the mechanism Americans use to bridge the gap between stagnant wages and soaring prices. Consumer debt levels signal trouble ahead, he warns, as families stretch to maintain their standard of living. The Biden administration compounds these pressures by adding an estimated $5,000 per household annually in new regulatory costs, according to University of Chicago research. Electric vehicle mandates draw particular criticism. The Congressional Budget Office increased its cost estimate for EV subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act by $224 billion, Kerpen notes, because mandating purchases triggers automatic subsidy payouts. Internet regulations and patent seizure proposals round out what he calls an unprecedented regulatory assault on the economy. “Well, if you look at the credit card debt numbers, that explains it. People are dealing with the cost of living going sky high by running up consumer debt. And, you know, that could be the next bubble because a lot of people are getting in big trouble, I think, right now with consumer debt.” Phil Kerpen, President, American Commitment North Korea’s Dangerous Shift Start listening at 71:24 – Hour 2 Helen Raleigh, senior contributor at The Federalist, sounds the alarm on North Korea’s increasingly aggressive posture. Since November 2023, Kim Jong-un has abandoned the pretense of peaceful reunification with South Korea, tearing down symbolic peace monuments and closing inter-Korean cooperation offices. His rhetoric has shifted from typical bluster to explicit rejection of diplomatic solutions. Historical parallels trouble analysts. In 1950, Stalin encouraged North Korea’s invasion of South Korea to draw American attention away from Cold War Europe. Today, Putin similarly benefits from North Korean provocations that divert U.S. resources from Ukraine. China calculates that any conflict weakening American forces would aid Xi Jinping’s designs on Taiwan. North Korea’s estimated 50 to 60 nuclear warheads capable of reaching South Korea, Japan, and U.S. territories in the Pacific represent decades of failed Western appeasement policy. “Everybody’s wondering whether he’s preparing for war. And there are definitely some historical similarities between what he’s doing now compared to what his grandfather was doing when he was prepared for invasion of South Korea.” Helen Raleigh, Senior Contributor, The Federalist Electric Vehicles and the Toyota Lesson Start lis...