Center for a Free Economy President Ryan Ellis recently published an op-ed in National Review Online  explaining how outdated federal tax rules are worsening the housing shortage and squeezing middle-class families out of homeownership. High mortgage rates and elevated prices are only part of the problem. Federal tax policy is also reducing housing supply by discouraging homeowners from selling. An outdated rule is freezing supply Current law allows homeowners to exclude up

President Donald Trump  has proposed allowing Americans to use their 401(k) retirement savings for down payments on homes, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal . The goal is straightforward: help first-time buyers navigate a housing market where prices and mortgage rates remain elevated. That goal makes sense. But like many financial decisions, this approach involves real tradeoffs that families should understand before treating it as a go-to solution. Retiremen

As of this year, several states are blocking food stamp dollars from being spent on soda and candy. That change is overdue. Taxpayer-funded welfare exists to prevent hunger and malnutrition. It is not meant to subsidize junk food. This shift builds on reforms enacted last year, when Congress and President Trump  tightened SNAP eligibility to reduce fraud and abuse. Those changes reinforced a basic principle: welfare programs should be targeted, conditional, and focused on gen