Congress Must Address the Border Crisis Before Spending Another Dime from Taxpayers

• As the lawless situation at our southern border has turned from crisis to catastrophe, deadly consequences have been felt across the country.
• Illegal immigration has taken lives, pushed fentanyl into communities in every state, and used human trafficking to make cartels rich.
• The federal government’s chief priority is ensuring the safety and security of the American people. Congress should not pass another dime of funding until the border is secure and Americans are safe.
• Today, Heritage will release a documentary showing the trust cost of the Biden border crisis. The documentary tells the heartbreaking story of Maria Alvarez and her 7-year-old granddaughter Emilia Tambunga, who were killed in Texas when a human smuggler smashed into their car. Unfortunately, their story is one of many that show the deadly consequences of this administration’s refusal to secure the border and allow criminals to roam free in the United States.

Schedule an Interview: Lora Ries and Simon Hankinson

Judges in California May Have to Consider a Parent's Affirmation of Their Child's Identity in Custody Cases

• California is ground zero for the decimation of parents’ rights and AB 957—soon to be headed to the governor’s desk—is the newest iteration. 
• It allows courts to consider whether a parent affirms a child’s “gender identity” during custody disputes and gives any parent who wants to divest an ex-spouse of custody a chance to game the system if the other parent is gender-critical.  
• AB 957 is replete with legal problems—not only does it violate the free speech and religious liberty rights for parents who hold fast to a notion of sex-based, immutable reality based on either science or religion, but it violates the 14thAmendment right to direct a child’s upbringing long recognized by the Supreme Court and pits parent against parent with the leftist aligned gender identity interests sure to win.  
• Gender ideology is fast becoming the state religion of California. It has passed laws like AB-5, called the Safe and Supportive Schools Act that trains educators to profile “anti-LGBTQ” parents. 

Schedule an Interview: Sarah Parshall Perry

Covid Oversight Requires Tougher Congressional Action

• Congress needs to get tough with Biden administration officials who ignore legitimate requests for information concerning Covid-19, the pandemic that killed more than 1.1 million Americans.
• Despite Congress unanimously enacting the Covid-19 Origin Act of 2023, which statutorily required the Biden administration to declassify “any and all” information related to the activities of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the research role of the Chinese military, and initial illnesses of research scientists, the Biden administration has failed to comply.
• The Department of Health and Human Services has failed to provide information about Dr. Anthony Fauci’s February 1, 2020, memo to top HHS officials concerning his discussions with top virologists and the origins of the pandemic.
• Former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky has ignored requests for documents related to the agency’s actions regarding its guidance on schools’ reopening and potential political interference.
• The Department of Justice has also been unresponsive to requests.
• Congress has the sole responsibility to legislate on behalf of the American people, and its Constitutional power to legislate includes its right to secure information on any topic within its legislative jurisdiction.

Schedule an Interview: Robert Moffit and Kyle Brosnan