Freedom & Progress 2024: Full Schedule

The drug pricing reforms mandated in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will have far-reaching effects on patients, health care providers, and the pharmaceutical industry. This panel will delve into the complexities of the IRA’s drug pricing provisions and explore how the new regulations will affect access, innovation, and costs. Health policy experts will analyze the potential benefits and challenges of the policy and what they mean for the future.

Speakers

Gregg Girvan

Resident Fellow, FREOPP

As a policy specialist with nearly 15 years experience in healthcare, long-term care, retirement, and veterans affairs, Gregg leads FREOPP’s health care policy initiatives. Combining knowledge of all levels of government with data analytics, Gregg’s focus is to bring patient-centered... Read More →

Tuesday November 19, 2024 9:00am - 9:45am EST
Location: Drawing Room

Concurrent Block 4

9:00am EST

Neglected Drivers of the Rising Cost of Living

Tuesday November 19, 2024 9:00am - 9:45am EST

Location: Salons 4-5

While inflation regularly grabs headlines, many other factors are also driving the cost of living ever higher for American families. This panel will examine often-overlooked contributors to rising costs, including housing regulations, health care expenses, energy policies, and labor market dynamics. Scholars specializing in these areas will discuss how they affect everyday expenses and propose solutions that could ease the burden on American households.

Speakers

Michael Toth

Founding Partner, PNT Law Firm

Michael is a seasoned tech General Counsel with over 15 years of corporate counsel and litigation experience. He is skilled at leading legal and policy teams to executive on high-impact initiatives that deliver tech solutions in dynamic markets. Michael's work has been featured in... Read More →

Avik Roy

President, FREOPP

Jackson Mejia

Visiting Fellow in Economics, FREOPP

Jackson is a PhD candidate in economics at MIT and a Visiting Fellow at FREOPP. He focuses on macroeconomics and business tax policy.

Tuesday November 19, 2024 9:00am - 9:45am EST
Location: Salons 4-5

Concurrent Block 4

9:00am EST

The Surprising Resurgence of Nuclear Energy

Tuesday November 19, 2024 9:00am - 9:45am EST

Location: Salons 1-3

Policymakers are showing renewed interest in nuclear power, as countries all over the world seek reliable, sustainable energy sources in the face of extreme weather and energy insecurity. This panel will explore the advances in reactor technology, regulatory changes, and shifts in public perception that are making a resurgence in nuclear power a real possibility. We will also discuss how nuclear energy can meet future energy demands and the hurdles that still need to be overcome to make it a cornerstone of a sustainable energy future.

Speakers

Johnathan Hartley

Research Fellow, Financial Services, FREOPP

Jon Hartley is an economist, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP), a Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, and Host of the Capitalism and Freedom in the 21st Century Podcast at the Hoover Institution. Jon is a graduate of the University... Read More →

Tuesday November 19, 2024 9:00am - 9:45am EST
Location: Salons 1-3

Concurrent Block 4

10:00am EST

Fixing the Broken Incentives in the U.S. Welfare System

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:00am - 10:45am EST

Location: Salons 4-5

Instead of offering a hand up, the U.S. welfare system often traps low-income Americans in cycles of dependency through broken incentives and steep benefit cliffs, which penalize those who try to work their way out of the system. This panel will explore innovative ways to reduce benefit cliffs and create pathways to financial independence, empowering more Americans to transition off assistance and build sustainable, self-sufficient futures.

Speakers

Aparna Mathur

Visiting Fellow, Labor Economics, FREOPP

Aparna Mathur is a visiting scholar at FREOPP where she researches social safety net issues. She is a senior manager in economics at Amazon and a former Senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School.

Michael Tanner

Senior Fellow, Social Mobility, FREOPP

After spending 29 years with the Cato Institute, Michael Tanner joined FREOPP in April 2023. Since then he has authored several studies for FREOPP on issues such as reparations, the definition of poverty, and homelessness. Tanner is also the author of The Inclusive Economy, which... Read More →

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:00am - 10:45am EST
Location: Salons 4-5

Concurrent Block 5

10:00am EST

New Approaches to Analyzing Human Capital Development

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:00am - 10:45am EST

Location: Salons 1-3

Speakers

Johnathan Hartley

Research Fellow, Financial Services, FREOPP

Dan Lips

Senior Fellow, Education (K-12), FREOPP

Dan Lips is senior fellow with the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity. He is head of policy at the Foundation for American Innovation. He previously was policy director with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:00am - 10:45am EST
Location: Salons 1-3

Concurrent Block 5

10:00am EST

Why do health care prices keep going up?

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:00am - 10:45am EST

Location: Drawing Room

Rising health care costs continue to burden American families, with provider and hospital pricing playing a significant role. This panel will dive into the factors driving these price increases, including market consolidation, opaque pricing practices, and the lack of competition. Experts will discuss the impact of these trends on patients and explore potential policy solutions to make health care more affordable and transparent.

Speakers

Gregg Girvan

Resident Fellow, FREOPP

Jonathan Bush

Chairman of the Board of Directors, FREOPP

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:00am - 10:45am EST
Location: Drawing Room

Concurrent Block 5

11:00am EST

The Politics of Freedom & Progress in 2028

Tuesday November 19, 2024 11:00am - 11:45am EST

Location: Gallery Ballroom

Speakers

Avik Roy

President, FREOPP

Tuesday November 19, 2024 11:00am - 11:45am EST
Location: Gallery Ballroom

Ballroom Sessions