Is the Securities and Exchange Commission preparing a big fat Christmas present for the oil industry?... Read More

As the publishers of the Bipartisan Index, we are often called on by news outlets to comment on the bipartisanship of members of Congress.  Our Index incorporates data from the last 26 years to establish norms for how frequently members co-sponsor bills introduced by the other party and how often their own bills are co-sponsored by the other party.  A score above zero indicates that a member has scored higher than the historical average.  We judge these members to be “bipartisan” on our Index.  Those who score below the average (below 0.00) are judged to be partisan.... Read More

When Democrats did well in the 2018 mid-term elections and won control of the House for the 2019 session, they also vaulted over House Republicans in the latest Bipartisan Index (BPI) from The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown.  In the 115th Congress (2017-2018), with President Trump in the White House and the GOP in charge of the House, the Republicans had a BPI score that was slightly above the historical average (+.035), while the Democrats scored below the historical average (-.323). Last year, the first session of the 116th Congress with Trump still in the White House but Democrat Nancy Pelosi of California as speaker, Democrats edged out Republicans, -.014 to -.032.... Read More

“Companies publicly offering securities for investment dollars must tell the public the truth about their businesses, the securities they are selling, and the risks involved in investing.”... Read More

The government is reportedly considering a multi-billion dollar bailout for the oil fracking industry, which has experienced losses because of the COVID-19 economic crisis and the plunge in oil prices. The sector exposed itself to these risks through reckless expansion, financed by mountains of risky debt and exacerbated by its failure to set aside “rainy day” funds in a market where prices are notoriously volatile.... Read More

The two remaining major contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination both have an extensive record on the Lugar Center’s Bipartisan Index. Joe Biden was scored as a Senator for eight full congresses (103rd — 110th). Bernie Sanders has been scored as a Senator for six full Congresses (110th — 115th).... Read More

Good news for the American oil companies! Complying with the global anti-corruption reporting standard will cost them only a few pennies, relatively speaking. That means the Securities and Exchange Commission can go ahead and issue a strong final regulation on revenue transparency, instead of the weak one they proposed in December, and the oil companies won’t have anything to worry about.... Read More

An important Pentagon-backed think-tank has come out with a strong recommendation to extend the New START nuclear weapons treaty with Russia. In a 29-page report entitled, “The Military Case for Extending the New START Agreement,” retired Air Force General Frank Klotz, writes:... Read More

As policymakers debate extending the New START arms control treaty with Russia, one of the treaty’s key virtues has been largely overlooked--the crack team of Pentagon experts that carries out the treaty’s inspections and verification of Russian compliance. “The treaty and technical weapons experts at DTRA [the Defense Threat Reduction Agency] are the best in the world.”... Read More

On the same day the House Democrats impeached President Trump amid doubts about his true concern over corruption in Ukraine, the Securities and Exchange Commission had a chance to reassert American leadership in the broader fight against global bribery and fraud. 

Unfortunately, the SEC whiffed.... Read More