The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
New Income Tax Deductions for Tax-Free Tips and Overtime
English Summary
CATO criticizes the 2025 tax deductions for tip and overtime income, arguing that these narrow carve-outs undermine tax neutrality and create significant economic distortions. The analysis highlights that these provisions, projected to cost $121 billion over a decade, incentivize the recharacterization of wages and accelerate 'tipflation' by expanding tipping norms into non-traditional industries like home services. To maximize economic growth and fairness, the authors recommend that Congress allow these deductions to expire in 2028 in favor of a broad-based, low-rate tax system that treats all labor income equally.
中文摘要
CATO 批評 2025 年針對小費及加班所得的稅收減免政策，認為這類狹隘的租稅優惠損害了稅收中立性，並導致顯著的經濟扭曲。分析指出，這些條款預計在十年內造成 1,210 億美元的財政成本，不僅誘發薪資性質的重新界定，更將小費慣例擴及至家政服務等非傳統產業，進而加劇「小費通膨」。為達成經濟增長與公平性的最大化，作者建議國會應於 2028 年讓相關減免條款如期失效，並建立一套對所有勞動所得一視同仁、稅基廣泛且採低稅率的稅制。
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