Americans for Tax Reform federal affairs manager Katie McAuliffe authored an op-ed in the Bakersfield Californian encouraging support for The Email Privacy Act.
Though Americans’ online communications are currently vulnerable to government snooping, there is pending legislation in the Senate and House of Representatives that could remedy the gaping hole that exists in our privacy rights. The Email Privacy Act would extend protections to Americans’ private communications stored in the cloud. This legislation, led by Reps. Kevin Yoder, R-Kan., and Jared Polis D-Colo., has garnered broad, bipartisan support from more than half of the members in the House. This is legislation new House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy could help move forward to ensure Americans’ private communications stored online are protected. Moreover, there is clear momentum for protecting Americans’ data with the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that Fourth Amendment protections extend to cell phones.
Americans for Tax Reform president Grover Norquist and director of state affairs Patrick Gleason co-wrote an op-ed in Reuters detailing the opportunity for Republicans in fighting against regulatory threats to ridesharing companies such as Uber and Lyft.
Politically, this presents an opportunity for Republicans to make a comeback in cities. By championing the often disruptive share-economy businesses, defending them against the status quo and focusing their political campaigns on these issues, the GOP can show it is the party that embraces companies that improve the quality of life in cities.