winter 2017 intern alumni news - laura-baker.com · winter 2017 intern alumni news in this issue p2...
TRANSCRIPT
WINTER 2017
INTERN ALUMNI NEWS
IN THIS ISSUE
P2 Meet the new alumni
P4 AAF in the news
P5 Popular blog posts from our interns
P6 Stay connected!
“Don’t wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great.”
- Orison Swett Marden
2017 has been an eventful year for us here at the Forum. With the changing times and a new political landscape, our team remains more dedicated than ever to be at the forefront of policy activity, and to be a major player in important national debates. I am pleased to see that our influence in the policy world continues to grow and be recognized.
Our success would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our fantastic intern classes year in and year out. It is a thrill to have some of the brightest young minds from around the country come spend a semester with us at the Forum and contribute with their research skills and fresh perspectives. I am happy to report that our intern classes from the past year did not disappoint. You will learn more about your new fellow alumni on the next page.
Included in this newsletter you will find a short selection of some of our work featured in the media over the past year. Additionally, we have included some of the most popular blogposts from our recent intern class, and details on how to stay connected with the Forum and intern alumni. Please keep in touch, and don’t hesitate to reach out.
Douglas Holtz-EakinPresident, American Action Forum
1
AMERICAN ACTION FORUM INTERN ALUMNI NEWS 2
KEVIN ADAMSFiscal Policy | Senior at the University of Maryland “One of my most memorable moments here was helping prepare tes-timony that Doug delivered before House Judiciary. It was cool to see something I worked on be presented in Congress.” – Kevin plans to go to law school after graduation, and has a specific interest in tax law. - “Being exposed to different parts of the tax code through my work this summer was very beneficial.”
ANNA CATALANOTTOHealthcare | Junior at Davidson College“The internship exposed me to so many different areas of health policy. In addition to learning about the legislative process, I heard the industry’s perspectives on various health care issues through attending briefings and events with companies like Pfizer and Pharma. The best part about interning at AAF was that I didn’t just complete menial “intern tasks.” I had freedom to attend any health care policy events and research whatever policy issues that interested me, so I was able to develop a deeper understanding about the health care policy issues that I care about most.” – Anna is pursuing a major in Biology and a minor in Health and Human Values.
AARON IOVINEDefense, Trade, and Immigration | Third year law student at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York
“The internship provided me with the opportunity to co-author papers with staff members and contribute my own work to the intern policy blog, which allowed me to enhance my writing skills.” – Aaron plans on using his degree in the fields of public policy and advocacy, and is spending his upcoming fall semester studying in Hong Kong.
MEET THE NEW ALUMNIInterns from the past year reflect on their time at the Forum
3AMERICAN ACTION FORUM INTERN ALUMNI NEWS 2
MADISON MAYHEW Regulatory Policy | Junior at the University of St. Andrews
“Interning at the American Action Forum allowed me to improve my writing and analytical abilities. It also allowed me to attend hearings, and publish my own work.” – Madison is pursuing a joint degree in Philosophy and Social Anthropology.
ALEXANDRA GHOBADICommunications | Junior at George Washington University
“One of my favorite things I got to do during my internship was getting to attend different Forum events and congressional hearings. Getting to see behind the scenes of discussions and hearings on important policy issues was a great experience. I also learned so much from the intern talks - get-ting to talk with experts in different fields, and hear about their experiences has helped me feel better prepared for my own career and future, as well as taught me valuable information about policy and politics.” – Alexandra is currently pursuing a bachelors in Political Science and Communications.
YUAN HETechnology and Innovation | Graduate Student at George Washington University
“There are several things I did that I felt were very cool throughout this internship. I got a chance to dive into the regulatory debate on rolling back net neutrality rules. I also worked on a research project examining how and in what situations will artificial intelligence be adopted in the tech industry.” – Yuan is pursuing his masters in Applied Economics, and is originally from Suzhou, China.
MEET THE NEW ALUMNIInterns from the past year reflect on their time at the Forum
AMERICAN ACTION FORUM INTERN ALUMNI NEWS 4
July 20, 2017
Trump Administration Cancels Hundreds of Obama-Era Regulations - Washington PostDouglas Holtz-Eakin, a conservative economist and former Congressional Budget Office director, said in an interview that at the end of Obama’s second term “there was a lot of overreach” as it finalized a slew of rules, and the new administration is taking corrective action. Holtz-Eakin cited a recent study by the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank, which estimated that the previous administration’s regulations imposed a “cumulative burden” of $890 billion in compliance costs.
October 8, 2017
America should repeal the Jones ActJackie Varas & Philip Rossetti featured in The HillIn the wake of disasters like Harvey, Irma and Maria, it makes no sense to impose restrictions that dictate who can or cannot offer relief. The Jones Act represents needless red tape, and the administration should offer more than a short reprieve from its restrictions. The Jones Act should be permanently eliminated to prevent barriers to disaster relief, increase private sector choice in the reconstruction, and reduce consumer prices for U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico.
March 3, 2017
FIRST IN PULSE: American Action Forum Crunches the Numbers on the Med Device Tax- PoliticoAn Obamacare excise tax on medical devices, which took effect in 2013 before being suspended for two years in 2015, led to nearly 30,000 lost jobs, according to a new AAF report.
If the tax is permanently re-pealed, it is likely that the 28,800 jobs lost when the tax was in effect will be recovered within three to five years,” the report concludes. “Combined with the 25,000 jobs projected to be lost upon resumption of the tax, permanently repealing the medical device tax could net an excess of 53,000 additional jobs, compared to current law.”
April 18, 2017
Study: Taxpayers Spend 17 Hours on Average Preparing Their Returns - The HillA new study from a conservative group says American taxpayers spend 17 hours on average completing their personal tax paperwork. The study from the American Action Forum (AAF) was released on Tuesday, Tax Day. The group also found that companies spend about 275 hours each preparing their taxes. The IRS says the cost of tax paperwork for businesses and individuals comes out to $86 bil-lion, but AAF says their estimate puts it as high as $170 billion annually.
September 13, 2017
Enriching Lawyers Is Not the Solution to the Opioid Crisis - ForbesEffective health care reforms must reduce the excessive costs imposed by frivolous lawsuits. Studies have shown that medical tort reform could reduce total health care premiums between 1 and 3 percent. As estimated by the American Action Forum, this could mean “roughly $15 billion” in savings from effective (but partial) medical tort reform.
June 2, 2017
Illinois’s $15 Minimum Wage Could Purge 382,200 Jobs from State: ReportIndependent Journal ReviewThe right-leaning American Action Forum (AAF) estimated that raising the wage to $15 per hour by 2022 would result in a 5.7 percent lower employment rate by 2025. ... The study’s author, Ben Gits, speculated that Illinois’ job market couldn’t handle that level of job loss. “Illinois is in absolutely no posi-tion to be able to absorb such a large shock to its labor market, which is already struggling,” Gits wrote.
AAF IN THE NEWSSee who’s talking about us
5AMERICAN ACTION FORUM INTERN ALUMNI NEWS 4
THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF NAFTAAaron Iovine
“NAFTA has not only increased the volume of trade between the nations, but it has also played a vital role in employment and job creation in the United States. According The Chamber of Commerce’s report, trade between the nations supports nearly 14 million U.S. jobs. Of those 14 million jobs, nearly 5 million jobs are supported by the increase in trade generated by NAFTA. This equates to at least tens of thousands of jobs in every state and in seventeen states over 100,000 jobs. Farmers and ranchers have particularly benefited, seeing a 350% increase in agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico since NAFTA was ratified.”
WIOA UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP Tara O’Herlihy
“Regardless of cuts to WIOA through the addition of other programs, the 39% cut to its funding alone would hurt the approximately 20 million Americans who take advantage of WIOA programs through job assistance, apprentice-ships, CTE, and others. According to witnesses at the WIOA hearing on June 15th, these cuts would decrease the individuals served, reduce intensive one-on-one job training and support, hurt businesses by decreasing partner-ships with job trainings, and decrease CTE opportunities. With President Trump’s promised rise in apprenticeships but cuts in WIOA, money may need to be drawn from other programs to fund more apprenticeships, which would hurt other beneficial programs, and hurt the status of America’s workforce. The overwhelming opinion of the House Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee was one of strong support for WIOA, and trepidation of President Trump’s cuts to WIOA.”
THE BEST OF POLICYINTERNS.COMExcerpts from our interns’ most popular blog posts
HOW TAX REFORM CAN MAKE THE U.S. MORE COMPETITIVE Kevin C. Adams
“Tax reform must also simplify the complex federal tax code. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, businesses in the United States spend 87 hours per year on the necessary paperwork to comply with the corporate tax code. One of the reasons that it takes so long to comply is the number of loopholes and exemptions that it has. It is estimat-ed that tax compliance and lobbying expenses were between $215 billion and $987 billion in 2012. By spending in these areas, firms are spending resources that could otherwise be used on production. Tax reform that reduces compliance time and reduces the incentive to spend resources on lobbying will make the United States a more attractive location for businesses to invest.”
AMERICAN ACTION FORUM INTERN ALUMNI NEWS 6
American Action Forum1747 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20006
www.americanactionforum.org
202-706-7052
CONNECT WITH USStay in touch!
UpdatesHave you moved recently? Did you start a new job? Let us know!
Internship Opportunities Do you know someone who would be a great fit for the American Action Forum or who is looking to
get their foot in the door in a leading DC think-tank? Visit americanactionforum.org/internships to learn more.