Center for Freedom and Prosperity
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
202-285-0244
www.freedomandprosperity.org
CF&P Statement on RAWA Hearing
(Washington, D.C., Tuesday, December 8, 2015) House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz will hold a hearing on online gambling and the “Restoration of America’s Wire Act” (RAWA) tomorrow, December 9th. In anticipation, CF&P President Andrew Quinlan penned a letter outlining why Congress should not limit the ability of states to set their own policy.
An excerpt from the letter:
“While regulation of gambling has always been the prerogative of the states, RAWA is specifically written to prevent states from legalizing online gaming. Supporters claim the bill is necessary to prevent the spread of gambling on the Internet, but the bill does nothing regarding the hundreds of off-shore gambling sites that are readily assessable and available on any computer or internet capable device. It only prevents states from allowing gambling for their own citizens.
…More importantly, passage of RAWA would empower the federal government to dictate laws and policies regarding state lotteries. States have regulated their own gambling laws since the founding of the Republic. There is no reason revoke their ability to make these decisions. We must keep in mind that a federal government powerful enough to ban online gambling is powerful enough to one-day mandate its legalization nationwide.”
In addition, Quinlan offered the following comment: “The Constitution rightly grants the states wide latitude to set their own legal and regulatory regimes. Instead of wasting time trying to overrule local democratic preferences, Congress should focus on getting its own house in order.”
Link to letter: http://freedomandprosperity.org/2015/letters/letter-on-rawa-hearing/
The Center for Freedom & Prosperity is a Washington, DC based think-tank dedicated to promotion of tax competition, financial privacy and fiscal sovereignty.
For additional comments:
Andrew Quinlan can be reached at 202-285-0244, andy@freedomandprosperity.org
Brian Garst, Dir. of Policy and Communications, can be reached at bgarst@freedomandprosperity.org
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