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Stephen Moore

Stephen Moore

Stephen Moore is an economic consultant with Freedom Works. He received a bachelor of arts degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and holds a master of arts degree in economics from George Mason University.

Columns by Stephen Moore

The Congressional Budget Office misses the mark

I have spent some two to three decades railing against faulty budgetary scoring of tax bills, but the latest charade from the Congressioanl Budget Office (CBO) and Joint Tax Committee takes the cake. The story of fiscal phony math is so indefensible when it comes to the Trump tax cut that you may not believe it could be true. Alas, it is.

September 30, 2018
Republicans Ignoring Political Importance of the Wall Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

Saving the Republican Congress

Even at this late hour, Donald Trump can save the Republican Congress in November — if they want to be saved. To understand how, we need to rewind back to this time last year.

September 23, 2018
Illustration on Trump and the Nobel Prize for economics by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Why Trump deserves a Nobel Prize in Economics

This past week I asked a friend at the White House about how the president was holding up against the onslaught of media attacks. "They didn't even deliver a glancing blow," was the response. It wasn't for a lack of trying.

September 9, 2018
Effect of Auto Tariffs Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

The threat of tariffs may work

Love him, or hate him, you've got to hand it to Donald Trump. His trade and tariff strategy — risky as it is — seems to be working. The master negotiator is hammering out agreements — first with the Europeans and now with Mexico — that are better deals for American firms and workers.

September 2, 2018
Chart to accompany Moore article of Aug. 27, 2018.

‘Don’t let the Fed end the Trump prosperity’

There's an old cliche that the Federal Reserve likes to take away the punch bowl just when the party is getting going. That's what President Trump suspects that Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is doing now by raising interest rates at a time of a booming economy.

August 26, 2018
FILE - In this July 27, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump delivers remarks on the economy from the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington. Trump met with the publisher of The New York Times to discuss media coverage of his administration, including the president’s oft-repeated accusation that the media is the “enemy of the people,” Trump and the newspaper said Sunday, July 29, 2018. The meeting with A.G. Sulzberger occurred July 20, the White House and Times said. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

The EU pledges to lower its tariffs on American soybeans, oil and gas

The media and other Trump haters can't seem to let themselves admit it, but President Trump scored a big victory for the American economy on trade last week. Mr. Trump and the European Union reached a handshake deal that is designed to lower tariffs on both sides of the Atlantic. They agreed to shoot for zero tariffs on both sides of the Atlantic. Sounds like freer and fairer trade to me.

July 29, 2018
No Work Required for Welfare Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

Liberal war on work

Once upon a time, work for welfare was a pretty accepted notion. In 1996, Bill Clinton signed a strict workfare bill that was so popular, it helped him get re-elected. A Brookings Institute study by welfare scholar Ron Haskins proved those reforms moved more than half of those on welfare (mostly young single moms) into the workforce, and millions eventually gained economic self-sufficiency.

July 22, 2018
Chart to accompany Moore article of July 16, 2018.

How Trump can lower drug prices

One of Donald Trump's more memorable promises on the campaign trail was to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Polls show this issue remains popular with Americans — especially lower-income families — who are worried about high drug prices.

July 15, 2018
Illustration on a zero tariff solution by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Donald Trump’s zero-tariff solution

President Donald Trump's automobile, aluminum and steel tariff policies have now triggered retaliatory tariffs from other nations, including Canada, the EU and China.

July 8, 2018
Legal Entry Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

How legal immigrants contribute to the economy

Republicans are right to call for tough measures to deter illegal immigration — which means building the wall, ending the "catch and release" policy and challenging the harboring strategy of sanctuary cities.

July 1, 2018
Chart to accompany Moore article of June 24, 2018.

The state of the American worker

Last week I testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on the state of the American labor market. I summarized my message in one sentence: For American workers the job market has never — or at least, seldom — been better. If you don't have a job, go out and get one because they are out there for the taking.

June 24, 2018
Chart to accompany Moore article of June 18, 2018.

It’s green power, not fossil fuels, that would collapse without subsidies

All of a sudden everyone on the left wants "free markets in energy policy." As someone who's advocated for that for, oh, about three decades (let's start by shutting down the Energy Department), this riff should be music to my ears. But is laissez faire energy policy really what liberals are seeking?

June 17, 2018
Chart to accompany Moore article of June 11, 2018.

Putting America first has made the U.S. No. 1

The left is quickly running out of excuses for why President Trump's economic policies have caused a boom — rather than the bust they predicted with such great certainty.

June 10, 2018
Chart to accompany Moore article of June 4, 2018.

8 reasons to still hate Obamacare

Remember Obamacare? The fight is far from over on the future of the Obama-era health insurance overhaul. Republicans are making a list-ditch effort this year to turn the program and the money over to the state. This isn't full Obamacare repeal, but would make a world of sense because states would be free to experiment and find ways to reduce costs and provide better services.

June 3, 2018
Chart to accompany Moore article of May 28, 2018.

The mojo of Trumponomics

T.S. Eliot famously wrote that "April is the cruelest month," but when it comes to America's fiscal picture, nothing could be further from the truth about this April. The latest government numbers confirm that last month was a blockbuster for growth, federal revenues and deficit reduction.

May 27, 2018