America as we know it was built largely upon and because of our rail industry, and today it remains…
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So-Called "Railway Safety Act" Constitutes a Political Handout to Big Labor That Does Nothing to Improve Safety At All

America as we know it was built largely upon and because of our rail industry, and today it remains a pillar of our economy.

Unfortunately, a destructive proposal before Congress misleadingly named the "Railway Safety Act" (RSA), part of broader surface transportation reauthorization, threatens great harm to our railroads.

Simply put, the bill has nothing to do with improving safety, but has a lot to do with advancing the political agenda of Big Labor.  At a moment when inflation burdens American families and fragile supply chains remain vulnerable to disruption, the last thing our economy or rail sector need is another costly federal mandate imposed upon one of the nation’s most important transportation sectors.

As an initial matter, as noted by The Wall Street Journal, the…[more]

May 20, 2026 • 04:28 PM
CFIF Christmas Quiz Print
By CFIF Staff
Thursday, December 21 2017

Take our 12-Question Christmas Quiz and test your knowledge of Christmas-related Americana.

(Answer key may be found at the bottom)


1. In which one of the following years did Congress declare Christmas to be a federal holiday?

a. 1776
b. 1781
c. 1870
d. 1890


2. The iconic rosy-cheeked picture of Santa Claus was originally created as an advertisement for which one of the following?

a. Budweiser Beer
b. Coca Cola
c. Rockefeller Center
d. Radio City Rockettes


3. Which one of the following U.S. cities outlawed the celebration of Christmas, from 1659 to 1681?

a. Boston, MA
b. Charleston, SC
c. Greenwich, CT
d. Roanoke, VA


4. Who was the first U.S. President to spend Christmas in the White House?

a. George Washington
b. John Adams
c. Thomas Jefferson
d. James Madison


5. Which one of the following newspapers first published the poem "'Twas The Night Before Christmas"?

a. New York Times
b. Washington Post
c. Boston Herald
d. Troy Sentinel


6. Which one of the following states was the first to see the opening of retail Christmas tree lots, in 1851?

a. Maine
b. New York
c. Virginia
d. West Virginia


7. In which one of the following years did the official Christmas tree tradition at Rockefeller Center begin?

a. 1803
b. 1863
c. 1903
d. 1933


8. Which of the following was the first state to designate Christmas as a public holiday?

a. Alabama
b. Connecticut
c. Pennsylvania
d. South Carolina


9. Which of the following was the last of the 48 contiguous states to designate Christmas as a public holiday?

a. Arizona
b. Alaska
c. Oklahoma
d. West Virginia


10. Which U.S. President was the first to send out official White House Christmas cards?

a. John Adams
b. Calvin Coolidge
c. William McKinley
d. Ronald Reagan


11. Who was the first President to broadcast a Christmas message via short-wave radio?

a. Franklin D. Roosevelt
b. Dwight D. Eisenhower
c. Herbert Hoover
d. Harry S. Truman


12. Which one of the following First Ladies established the custom of decorating an official tree in the White House, a tradition which endures today?

a. Abigail Adams
b. Frances Cleveland
c. Lou Henry Hoover
d. Jacqueline Kennedy


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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from everyone at the Center for Individual Freedom!

Answers: 1(c); 2(b); 3(a); 4(b); 5(d); 6(b); 7(d); 8(a); 9(c); 10(b); 11(b); 12(c)

Notable Quote   
 
"America's largest cities are increasing their spending at almost unprecedented rates.A RealClearInvestigations analysis of cities with at least 500,000 residents found they cumulatively raised their per-person spending by 18% over the last 10 budget cycles, accounting for inflation. The only equivalents on record are the spending surges ignited by the Great Society programs of the 1960s and Franklin…[more]
 
 
— Jeremy Portnoy, RealClearInvestigations
 
Liberty Poll   

Do you believe the Federal Reserve made the correct decision this week to leave interest rates unchanged for now?