AFP Prosperity Podcast

The percentage of workers who are required to get a government license just to work is at an all-time high. From florists to hair stylists, workers all over the country are being forced to get government permission slips just to do their job. These occupational licensing laws cost time and money, while taking away Americans’ fundamental right to earn a living. In this episode, Ed is joined by Dr. Dick Carpenter, director of strategic research for the Institute for Justice, to discuss their newest report, License to Work, which examines occupational licenses across the country. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode. The post Prosperity Podcast #82: Why Do You Need a Permission Slip to Work? appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

The House of Representatives passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act last week, a huge step in the right direction for tax reform. The Senate is now set to vote on its own version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. What are the similarities and differences between the two bills? Can the House and Senate come to an agreement and pass historic tax reform? In this episode, Ed is joined by AFP Director of Federal Affairs Mary Kate Hopkins to discuss the two bills. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode. The post Prosperity Podcast #81: What the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Means for You appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

After the 2016 elections, it was revealed that foreign agents bought around $100,000 in social media ads. In response, some members of the House and Senate are seeking stricter regulations on political speech on social media. Is this a necessary step to preserve the integrity of American elections or another example of the erosion of free speech? In this episode, Ed is joined by Alan Dickerson, the legal director for the Institute for Free Speech, who highlights the dangers to speech of regulating online speech. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode. The post Prosperity Podcast #80: Honest Ads Act is a Threat to Free Speech appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

After Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria, much of the aid being sent to the island was delayed. But what caused this delay? It was caused by an antiquated law called the Jones Act. This law requires any cargo shipped between two U.S. ports to be shipped on a U.S.-owned, U.S.-made and U.S.-repaired ships. The Jones Act makes goods more expensive and delays relief to areas hit by natural disasters. In this episode, Ed is joined by AFP Vice President of Government Affairs Mac Zimmerman to discuss the details of the Jones Act and if Congress will move to fully repeal the law. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode. The post Prosperity Podcast #79: How An Obscure Law Delayed Aid to Puerto Rico appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

Everyday Americans and businesses have been burdened by an overly complicated and expensive tax code for years. The recently-released tax reform framework will cut the number of tax brackets as well as simplify and lower both the individual and corporate tax rates. But what are the specifics? How will it affect your wallet? In this episode, Ed is joined by AFP Director of Federal Affairs Mary Kate Hopkins to discuss the new framework and how it could become law. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode. The post Prosperity Podcast #78: The Framework for Tax Reform is Here! appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

Civil asset forfeiture, where law enforcement seizes a person’s property without ever charging them with a crime, has become one of the most controversial law enforcement practices. An amendment introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) could make some substantial changes to the practice. In this episode, Ed is joined by AFP Senior Policy Analyst Payton Alexander to discuss these efforts and why civil asset forfeiture is so troubling. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode The post Prosperity Podcast #77: Can Congress Scale Back Civil Asset Forfeiture? appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

The wrath of Hurricane Harvey left thousands in desperate need of help. AFPF’s team mobilized right away to jump in and help in any way we could. In this episode, Ed is joined by AFP Texas State Director Jerome Greener to discuss these efforts and why AFPF works so hard to build a family that looks out for each other. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode The post Prosperity Podcast #76: Hurricane Harvey’s Aftermath: AFPF Steps Up appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

Should you be taxed to fund political campaigns? Seattle has experimented with so-called democracy vouchers, or tax financed campaigns, and the results haven’t been good. Property taxes on businesses and individuals in the Emerald City have been hiked by $3 million per year to finance these campaigns, and the money has almost all gone to incumbents. Other cities, including Washington, D.C., are considering joining Seattle in tax financed campaigns. Scott Blackburn, a senior research analyst at the Center for Competitive Politics, joins the podcast to explain why that’s a bad idea. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode The post Prosperity Podcast #75: Are Democracy Vouchers Good or Bad for Democracy? appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

Does the tax code work for you or special interests? Deductions and loopholes favor those with lawyers who can navigate the complicated tax code, while at the same time America’s corporate and personal tax rates hamstring the economy. Thankfully, Congress and the president are working on a plan to unrig the code and make it work for everyday Americans. In this special episode of Prosperity Podcast, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Director of Legislative Affairs Marc Short join AFP President Tim Phillips to discuss the future of tax reform. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode! The post Prosperity Podcast #74: It’s Time to Unrig the Economy appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

Last week, Social Security Trustees released their report examining the health of the program. The results were not good. For the 7th year in a row, Social Security had more money going out than going in. What does this mean for the future of the program? David Barnes, Director of Policy Engagement for Generation Opportunity, joins the podcast to discuss why young people don’t expect Social Security to be there for them when they retire. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode! The post Prosperity Podcast #73: Will Social Security Be There for You? appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

You might be able to pay your bills but can your state? Ed is joined by Eileen Norcross, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center, to discuss the new study that ranks the states on their fiscal health. What states come out on top and which ones are heading to bankruptcy?  Tune in to see how your state stacks up! *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode! The post Prosperity Podcast #72: Can Your State Pay the Bills? appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

As Obamacare continues to crumble, the Senate is currently working on making improvements to its health care bill. In this episode, Generation Opportunity Director of Policy David Barnes discusses the problems with health care and what policy makers must do to deliver relief for the millions of Americans suffering from Obamacare’s higher costs and fewer choices. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode! The post Prosperity Podcast #71: Don’t Replace Obamacare. REPEAL It! appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

Tuesday’s special election in Georgia CD 6 saw a surprising result with Karen Handel defeating Jon Ossoff by 5 points. Why was this result so shocking? What issues mattered most to voters in this election? AFP Georgia State Director Michael Harden joins the podcast to give a grassroots insight and analysis. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode! The post Prosperity Podcast #71: What’s More Powerful Than $30 Million in Campaign Spending? appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

Arizona has consistently been a leader in school choice, but a recent law is putting them lightyears ahead of other states. Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) are now available for all students in Arizona. Why is this such a big deal? Tom Jenney, senior legislative advisor for the Arizona chapter of Americans for Prosperity, explains how universal ESA’s are the future of school choice in America. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode! The post Prosperity Podcast #70: ESAs – The Wave of the Future appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

Last week, President Trump kept his promise to leave the Paris climate agreement. Chrissy Harbin attended the announcement in rose garden and joins Ed to offer her thoughts on the moment and looks back on AFP activities on the issue. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode! The post Prosperity Podcast #69: Trump’s Paris Promise appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

The state of Louisiana has a billion dollar budget problem.  This had led for some legislators to call for more taxes to fill the gap. When AFP informed Louisianans about these potential increases, they called their legislators to voice their opposition. They were so overwhelmed that they forwarded their calls to the Louisiana AFP state director!  In this episode, Ed is joined by AFP Louisiana State Director John Kay to discuss the yearly budget holes in Louisiana and how the can get on the path to fiscal solvency. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode! The post Prosperity Podcast #68: Who You Gonna Call for a Budget Shortfall? appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

In his short time in the Senate, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton has proven to be a leader on a number of issues. Mostly recently, he has taken on the Border Adjustment Tax (BAT), which would raise the price of imported products by 20 percent. Senator Cotton joins Ed on the podcast to discuss not only the future of tax reform but also Veterans administration reform. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode! The post Prosperity Podcast #67: Blocking the BAT appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

Did you know that Pennsylvania is one of two states in the country where the government controls both the wholesale and retail distribution of alcohol? This outdated regulation dating back to the end of Prohibition rewards a select few special interests but only jacks up prices for consumers. In this episode, Ed is joined by AFP Pennsylvania State Director Beth Anne Mumford to discuss how we can break down these archaic rules to free our spirits! *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode! The post Prosperity Podcast #66: The Buzzkill of Government Alcohol Monopolies appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

Free speech is in a precarious state on college campuses. It seems every week there is a news story about students being silenced, speakers being uninvited or some other controversy. To protect the rights of all students, some legislators are pushing legislation to protect free speech on college campuses. David Barnes of Generation Opportunity joins the podcast to speak about the state of free speech on college campuses and preview legislation to address this problem. *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode! The post Prosperity Podcast #65: Can You Even Say That at College Anymore? appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.

Another Congress, another threat of a government shutdown. But is this threat the same as the ones we have seen in the past? Will special interest turn the spending bill attach all kinds of unrelated measures? Chrissy Harbin joins Ed on the podcast on why you shouldn’t be worrying about the National Parks closing anytime soon (probably). *All opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Americans for Prosperity. Subscribe to the AFP Prosperity Podcast so you don’t miss an episode! The post Prosperity Podcast #64: Can Congress Keep the Lights On? appeared first on Americans for Prosperity.