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Last week, the Center for Regulatory Freedom (CRF) filed a wide range of regulatory comments across multiple federal agencies. At first glance, these proceedings may seem unrelated—covering everything from child care and car loans to energy reliability, health care staffing, telecommunications security, and paperwork reduction. But taken together, they tell a coherent story about the state of federal regulation—and why regulatory discipline matters more than ever. Across agencies and issue areas, a common pattern has emerged: well-intentioned policies that overlook cost, feasibility, and real-world impacts often end up harming the very people they are meant to help. CRF’s work last week focused on pushing back against that pattern—urging agencies to ground their decisions in evidence, statutory limits, and economic reality. Affordability Is Not an Abstraction One of the strongest themes across CRF’s filings was affordability. Not as a slogan, but as a concrete, measurable outcome that matters to families, workers, and small businesses. In comments to the Department of Transportation, CRF warned that proposed fuel-economy standards relied on overly optimistic assumptions that would drive up vehicle prices. When regulatory mandates outpace infrastructure readiness and consumer demand, the result isn’t innovation—it’s fewer affordable options. Higher prices delay fleet turnover, keep older and less safe vehicles on the road, and disproportionately burden working families who have the least flexibility to absorb added costs. Similarly, in comments to the Internal Revenue Service, CRF supported Congress’s decision to provide temporary car-loan interest relief (something championed by President Trump)—but cautioned that overcomplicated implementation could undermine its purpose. A tax benefit that exists on paper but is difficult to claim in practice does little to help families manage rising costs. Regulatory implementation should facilitate affordability, not bury it under reporting requirements and technical traps--precisely the opposite of what the President and Congressional Republicans pushed for. Affordability also drove CRF’s engagement with the Department of Health and Human Services on child care. Years of federal subsidies layered atop increasingly rigid regulatory frameworks have not made child care more affordable. Instead, they have constrained supply—especially among small, home-based, and community providers—pushing prices higher for families. CRF urged regulators to confront that reality and focus on reducing administrative and regulatory barriers that inflate costs without improving outcomes. It should be noted that CRF raised these issues to the Biden Administration, leading a group of conservative groups to file comments. President Biden and Kamala Harris ignored CPAC's warnings, and our concerns of higher prices and decreased access came to pass. Energy Reliability Is an Affordability Issue In comments to the Environmental Protection Agency on coal ash closure deadlines, CRF emphasized that energy policy cannot be divorced from reliability. Rigid timelines that force premature power plant shutdowns do not strengthen environmental protection—they raise electricity prices and increase the risk of grid instability. CRF supported EPA’s proposal to provide limited flexibility while maintaining environmental safeguards. The key point was simple: environmental protection and affordability are not in conflict when regulation is properly designed. But when timing mandates become de facto shutdown orders, families and businesses pay the price through higher energy costs and reduced reliability. Regulatory Discipline Protects National Security National security featured prominently in CRF’s comments to the Federal Communications Commission on supply-chain and equipment authorization rules. CRF strongly supports protecting U.S. communications networks from genuine security threats—but warned that overbroad, poorly scoped rules can weaken security by slowing upgrades, raising costs, and diverting resources from actual risk mitigation. Security regulations must be narrow, statute-anchored, and administrable. When agencies stretch existing authorities into open-ended compliance regimes, they risk regulatory creep that burdens small providers, delays modernization, and ultimately undermines resilience. CRF urged the FCC to focus on clear threats and verifiable risks rather than expansive mandates untethered from demonstrated need. This same principle appeared in CRF’s work on robocall mitigation. Consumers are rightly frustrated by scam calls, but prescriptive mandates that over-block lawful communications or impose heavy compliance costs on small and rural providers do not solve the problem. Effective enforcement against bad actors—not regulatory micromanagement—is the path to restoring trust in the communications network. Small Businesses Bear the Hidden Costs A recurring concern across CRF’s filings was the disproportionate impact of regulatory accumulation on small entities. In health care, CRF warned that rigid federal staffing mandates for long-term care facilities would reduce access and raise costs, especially in rural areas. Workforce shortages are real, and one-size-fits-all ratios ignore regional variation and operational reality. Protecting seniors requires flexibility and targeted oversight—not mandates that force facilities to close or reduce admissions. In child care, telecommunications, energy, and public health programs, CRF repeatedly highlighted how compliance costs fall hardest on small operators with limited administrative capacity. Large entities may absorb new paperwork, reporting, and monitoring requirements. Small organizations often cannot—and they exit the market instead. The result is less competition, fewer choices, and higher prices. Paperwork Reduction Is Policy Reform CRF’s comments to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its Fellowship Management System underscore a frequently overlooked truth: paperwork is policy. CRF supported CDC’s decision to scale back unnecessary data collection, including alumni tracking and excessive activity monitoring. But the revised burden estimates also revealed how prior paperwork costs had been understated. CRF urged regulators to treat this not as a one-time fix, but as a lesson: information collection systems naturally expand unless disciplined review and pruning are built in. Paperwork reduction is not about convenience. It is about cost, capacity, and effectiveness—especially for state, local, and small public health entities that must divert limited resources to compliance instead of mission-critical work. Science, Law, and Regulatory Legitimacy Finally, CRF’s comments on EPA’s updated formaldehyde risk analysis highlight the importance of scientific discipline in regulation. By grounding its analysis in chemical-specific evidence and peer review, EPA improved both the credibility and durability of its work. Sound science protects public health while avoiding unnecessary economic disruption. When agencies rely on unsupported assumptions or overly conservative defaults, they risk triggering downstream consequences that affect housing, manufacturing, and supply chains. CRF emphasized that rigorous, transparent science is not an obstacle to protection—it is essential to it. The Big Picture What ties all of CRF’s work last week together is a simple but often ignored principle: regulation should solve real problems without creating bigger ones. Affordability, access, national security, and small business vitality are not peripheral concerns. They are core measures of whether regulation is working. When agencies substitute aspiration for analysis, or process for outcomes, families and communities feel the consequences. CRF will continue to engage across agencies to ensure that regulatory decisions are grounded in evidence, faithful to statutory limits, and attentive to real-world impacts. Because good regulation is not about doing more—it’s about doing better.

After the hostile leftist Biden administration, the instinct of many conservatives is to self-censor and apologize for their beliefs.  However, as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed out on the CPAC stage on Friday, February 21, 2025, why should we? Leftists never apologized for tanking the economy, promoting gender ideology, or weakening the borders. They never even apologized for weaponizing the media and the justice system against conservatives specifically.   Now that President Donald J. Trump is in office, “we are on offense,” said Leavitt.   “We are not going to apologize for cutting waste, fraud, and abuse from our government,” she continued. “We are not going to apologize for mass deporting illegal immigrant criminals who have broken our nation’s laws and terrorized our communities, and we are not going to apologize for slashing regulations and undoing the disastrous policies of the previous administration.”  When Trump won, conservative America won too, and this sparked the beginning of a revival. Now, conservatives have the upper hand in society, and we can finally start implementing policies that benefit America. However, we must not be shy or apologetic about taking America back.  Make plans to see more great speeches live at CPAC USA 2026 at CPAC.org/USA .

The CPAC Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit brought together key lawmakers, international partners, and victims at the U.S. Capitol's Cannon Caucus Room to address one of America's most pressing security challenges. The summit, in partnership with México Republicano, featured a distinguished lineup of speakers, including U.S. Senators Ashley Moody (R-FL) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN), México Republicano President Juan Iván Peña Neder, U.S. Representatives Kat Cammack (R-FL) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), and the Trump Administration's Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, “Drug Czar,” Sara Carter, among many others. The summit provided a platform for victims of narco-terrorism to share their stories, including Anne Fundner, a grieving mother who lost her son to fentanyl poisoning, a tragedy made possible by open border policies that have allowed deadly drugs to ravage American communities. The summit united lawmakers and policy advocates to discuss comprehensive strategies for addressing the narco-terrorism crisis and charting a vision for a safer America. America is safer today than it was a year ago under President Trump's leadership, by designating cartels as narco-terrorist organizations and working tirelessly to combat the crisis at its source. Speakers highlighted how the alarming surge in drug and human trafficking across the southern border directly stems from open border policies that enabled cartels and corrupt governments to operate with devastating impunity, destroying communities across America. Lawmakers emphasized how narco-terrorist networks have been allowed to thrive in an ever-evolving technological landscape. Representatives Cammack and Paulina Luna pointed to the ways technology and social media have become increasingly sophisticated tools for human and narco-trafficking networks, demanding robust government oversight and regulatory frameworks to disrupt these digital pathways. Through partnerships with Latin American allies, President Trump and congressional leaders have made significant strides in curbing the crisis at its source by securing the border, dismantling criminal networks, and supporting victims and their families. Drug Czar Sara Carter discussed with CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp how the Trump Administration is addressing this crisis, how federal enforcement agencies can further protect communities, and how Latin American allies can partner with America to make the world safer. Defeating narco-terrorism requires unified action with Latin American allies and across every level of government. By securing the border and dismantling criminal networks alongside international partners, America is actively reclaiming its communities from the ravages of narco-terrorism. The strategies discussed at the CPAC Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit provide a roadmap to a safer America where narco-terrorists are held accountable and victims supported.

The regulatory imbalances that favor imported beef over domestic production didn't emerge from congressional legislation; they arose from administrative interpretations that have drifted far from the legal standards they're supposed to enforce. With U.S. cattle inventories at their lowest point since 1951, imports exceeding 4.6 billion pounds annually, and retail prices up more than 14% despite this foreign influx, the case for immediate administrative action has never been clearer. Three concrete steps can restore market integrity, strengthen food safety, and level the playing field for American ranchers and all within existing legal authority. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) must enforce Substantial Transformation as the rigorous legal standard it was designed to be. Federal regulations at 9 CFR Part 327 already require imported beef to retain its foreign origin identity unless it undergoes a genuine transformation that creates a new product with a different name, character, or use. Yet for years, FSIS guidance has permitted minimal activities like grinding, slicing, trimming, or repackaging to qualify as "substantial transformation," allowing foreign beef to be relabeled as a domestic product. This interpretation contradicts longstanding customs law and effectively rewrites binding regulations through informal guidance rather than proper rulemaking. By returning to the true legal standard, one that requires meaningful manufacturing rather than mere cosmetics, FSIS can immediately close the loophole that allows imported beef to enter domestic supply chains under false pretenses, suppressing prices and undermining producers who meet strict U.S. standards. The FSIS must restore robust physical reinspection at ports of entry as standard practice, not an occasional exception. While risk-based inspection frameworks have their place, the shift toward paperwork review and selective sampling has created a two-tiered system where domestic producers face continuous inspection while imported beef flows into commerce with minimal physical examination. Sections 327.5 through 327.7 already grant FSIS authority to increase inspection intensity, detain non-compliant shipments, and require supervised rework, destruction, or re-export where necessary. Recalibrating the risk-based approach to ensure meaningful physical reinspection would restore regulatory parity with domestic producers, strengthen consumer protection, and rebuild confidence in import controls, all without requiring new statutory authority or international negotiations. Comprehensive administrative reform must proceed alongside antitrust enforcement to address the concentration crisis. President Trump's November 2025 directive launching a DOJ antitrust probe into the Big Four packers, JBS, Cargill, Tyson, and National Beef, and the December 6, 2025, Executive Order addressing price fixing and anti-competitive behavior in the food supply chain make clear that import policy and market concentration are deeply intertwined. Regulatory asymmetries that allow large, vertically integrated packers to import foreign beef, apply token processing, and sell it as a domestic product don't just distort competition; they accelerate consolidation and shield potentially anticompetitive conduct. Closing import enforcement gaps complements the antitrust investigation by preventing foreign-sourced products from undermining the domestic producers the probe aims to protect. Without coordinated action on both fronts, independent ranchers remain squeezed between global supply chains and concentrated market power, and the structural vulnerabilities of America's beef industry will only deepen. The tools to fix this broken system already exist in law. What's needed is the will to enforce them. By enforcing Substantial Transformation as Congress intended, restoring meaningful reinspection at the border, and coordinating with antitrust authorities to address market concentration, FSIS and USDA can immediately strengthen food safety, protect American producers from regulatory disadvantage, and rebuild the resilience of the domestic beef supply chain. With cattle inventories near historic lows and import dependence rising, the moment for decisive administrative action is now.

U.S. Senator Ashley Moody is a confirmed speaker for the Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit hosted by CPAC and México Republicano. Senator Ashley Moody serves as the junior United States Senator from Florida. She was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis and sworn into the Senate on January 21, 2025, filling the seat vacated by now Secretary of State Marco Rubio. As a United States Senator, Moody is focused on supporting President Trump’s America First agenda, securing the border, standing up for the rule of law, and continuing her work to ensure that Florida remains safe and prosperous for many years to come. From 2019 to 2025, Senator Moody served as Florida’s 38th Attorney General. During her tenure, she was recognized as a national leader and served as a Commissioner on the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice during the first Trump administration. She also chaired Florida’s Statewide Council on Human Trafficking, led efforts against the harmful open-border policies of the Biden administration, supported and recruited law enforcement officers to protect Floridians, worked to defend children against invasive and addictive Big Tech policies, fought Big Pharma, and has awarded billions of dollars for Florida through historic opioid litigation and protected Florida consumers against deceptive trade practices. The Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit will be held on Thursday, February 5, 9:30 am-2:00 pm in the Cannon Caucus Room. Visit  CPAC.org/narco  to register.

Larry Rubin is a confirmed speaker for the Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit hosted by CPAC and México Republicano. Larry Rubin is an American-Mexican business executive, civic leader, and political activist known for his work strengthening ties between the United States and Mexico. Rubin has held senior leadership roles in U.S.-Mexico business organizations, including serving as CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico and as Vice President of the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America. He is President and Chairman of the Board of The American Society of Mexico (AmSoc), a prominent nonprofit that represents the interests of more than two million U.S. citizens living in Mexico as well as American companies and NGOs operating there. In this capacity , he works closely with the U.S. Ambassador and advocates for bilateral economic cooperation and cultural engagement. The Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit will be held on Thursday, February 5, 9:30 am-2:00 pm in the Cannon Caucus Room. Visit  CPAC.org/narco  to register.

Sergio de la Peña is a confirmed speaker for the Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit hosted by CPAC and México Republicano. Sergio de la Peña is an American politician, defense expert, and retired U.S. Army colonel best known for serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs in the U.S. Department of Defense during the Trump administration. Born in Chihuahua City, Mexico and raised near Roswell, New Mexico, de la Peña embarked on a distinguished 30-year career in the U.S. Army, retiring at the rank of colonel. During his military service he held a variety of leadership and international affairs posts, including as Chief of the International Affairs Division at U.S. Northern Command, where he developed theater engagement strategies and military-to-military cooperation with regional partners. He also served as U.S. Army Section Chief in Chile and Army Attaché in Venezuela, strengthening bilateral defense relationships and facilitating training and exchange programs. The Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit will be held on Thursday, February 5, 9:30 am-2:00 pm in the Cannon Caucus Room. Visit  CPAC.org/narco  to register.

Manuel Andrade Díaz is a confirmed speaker for the Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit hosted by CPAC and México Republicano. Manuel Andrade Díaz is a Mexican politician, lawyer, and former governor best known for his leadership in his home state of Tabasco. Andrade Díaz began his political career with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), holding a variety of party and government roles, including youth leadership positions, municipal party secretary general, state party leader, and multiple legislative terms. In 2002, after a highly contested and initially annulled election, Andrade Díaz was sworn in as Governor of Tabasco, serving until 2006. During his administration, he focused on state governance and regional development amid a polarized political environment. After his governorship, Andrade Díaz continued to be active in politics and public life, including roles as a federal deputy and involvement in state and national party affairs. Over time his affiliations evolved, and he has remained a recognized figure in Tabasco political circles. The Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit will be held on Thursday, February 5, 9:30 am-2:00 pm in the Cannon Caucus Room. Visit  CPAC.org/narco  to register.

U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty is a confirmed speaker for the Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit hosted by CPAC and México Republicano. Senator Bill Hagerty was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020 and is currently serving his first term representing the state of Tennessee. His committee assignments include: U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs; U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations; and the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules & Administration. Before his election to the U.S. Senate, Hagerty served as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, the world’s third-largest economy and America’s closest ally in the region. The Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit will be held on Thursday, February 5, 9:30 am-2:00 pm in the Cannon Caucus Room. Visit  CPAC.org/narco  to register.

As much as the Left claims to care about the working class and the average American, their actions prove otherwise. They implement policies that tank the quality of life for everyday Americans because of a manufactured climate “crisis,” a theory whose proponents constantly predict the imminent end of the world, only to be proven wrong.  Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman took the CPAC stage on Saturday, February 22, 2025, to speak out against this. She praised her state of Wyoming for providing Trump with the largest victory in 2024 out of any state, then praised Trump and his administration for their achievements in exposing government waste and corruption.   “We are thrilled that he recognizes that we are a government of, by, and for the people and that its primary purpose is to protect the Homeland and our God-given rights and freedoms,” Hageman said.   “It is quite apparent that the Democrats long ago stopped caring about the concerns of working-class people – the truck drivers, farmers, airline employees, miners, custodians, and construction workers, among others – and they paid for such neglect by being shacked in the last election, but far be it for them to undertake a legitimate self-assessment of their policies and ideas.”  Make plans to see more great speeches live at CPAC USA 2026 at CPAC.org/USA .

Pastor Joshua Navarrete is a confirmed speaker for the Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit hosted by CPAC and México Republicano. Pastor Joshua Navarrete is a national faith leader and civic engagement advocate. He serves as the Senior Pastor of Redeemer Apostolic Church and the National Faith Director for Bienvenido USA. Pastor Navarrete is the founder of multiple faith-based nonprofits, including Redeemer Christian Academy, a private Christian school serving inner-city families in Arizona, and Agape Men’s Rehabilitation Home, a Christ-centered recovery program committed to transforming the lives of men battling addiction. He is also the founder of Political Pulpit Media, a platform focused on mobilizing faith and freedom across the nation. The Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit will be held on Thursday, February 5, 9:30 am-2:00 pm in the Cannon Caucus Room. Visit  CPAC.org/narco  to register.

Astrid G á mez, founder and executive director of Family Services Network, is a confirmed speaker for the Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit hosted by CPAC and México Republicano. Astrid Gámez is the founder and Executive Director of Family Services Network, where she has dedicated 29 years to serving communities in Northern Virginia and the Washington DC area. She developed the "Whom Should I Tell?" curriculum, a comprehensive child sexual abuse prevention program that equips parents and caregivers with practical tools to prevent, recognize, and report abuse. As an ACT-RSK Master Trainer, she has trained facilitators across the United States, Colombia, and Ecuador. In 2021, she published an educational coloring and activities book titled "Whom Should I Tell?" designed to help children ages 4 to 12 understand and recognize signs of sexual abuse. Governor Glenn Youngkin appointed her to the Virginia Latino Advisory Board in 2022, where she has been elected Chair twice, and in 2025 appointed her as a member of the State Board of Health. Through her invaluable experience protecting the vulnerable, she will share strategies on how children can be better protected by combating narco-terrorism and the drug and human trafficking networks used by criminals. The Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit will be held on Thursday, February 5, 9:30 am-2:00 pm in the Cannon Caucus Room. Visit  CPAC.org/narco  to register.