Mar 16, 2020

The president’s declaration of a national emergency on Friday, and the measures that businesses, schools, and places of worship are taking in response to the coronavirus, are not overreactions. Rather, these are common-sense, measured actions to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Heritage President Kay C. James explains why it is our civic duty to cooperate with these mitigation efforts in a new commentary for Fox News. Meanwhile, we at The Heritage Foundation are working hard to aid Congress and the administration as they respond to new problems that have sprung up due to coronavirus, including the impact to the economy and attempts by hostile state actors to exploit global panic. Throughout it all, we want to be a voice of reason and a calm in the storm, and we ask you to be the same for your family and community. Read on for our recommendations on how leaders should act, and please take all necessary precautions until this passes us by.

Coronavirus Is Here. Here’s How We Can Take Sensible Precautions.
President Donald Trump declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency on Friday. Heritage President Kay C. James says his announcement isn’t a sign to panic. “Instead, it’s a reassurance to the American people that the federal government, state and local governments, nongovernmental organizations and American industry are working together to stop the spread of the virus,” writes James in a new commentary for Fox News. “Mitigation measures like postponing conferences and conventions, canceling sporting events, and having employees work from home may bring a temporary but painful disruption to the economy. But that’s a relatively small price to pay to save the lives of many people in our country.” Keep reading James’ commentary on what sensible precautions Americans can take.

Here’s How the Government Should React to the Economic Effects of Coronavirus
With the stock market taking the worst percentage drop since 1987 on Thursday, and with the Senate’s canceling recess in order to address the situation, there’s no question that the coronavirus has shocked our otherwise healthy economy. Can the government help alleviate this situation without creating more harm than good in the long run? Heritage experts David Burton, Norbert Michel, Parker Sheppard, and Paul Winfree say there is a way. “Any policy response by Congress to address the adverse economic consequences of the coronavirus epidemic should be targeted, temporary, and directed at aiding public health efforts. It should not increase spending permanently,” they write. Read more about what the government should and should not do.

America’s Enemies Are Trying to Take Advantage of Coronavirus
As America responds to the coronavirus, our enemies are trying to take advantage of the crisis by sowing panic through Soviet-style agitation propaganda. Bad faith actors from Russia, China, and Iran are jumping at the chance to kick us while we’re down. We now face a fight on two fronts, according to Helle C. Dale, a senior fellow in Heritage’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom. “Today, the U.S. government will have to be equally deliberate in its efforts to fight not just the spread of the virus itself, but also the conspiracy theories spread by foreign actors,” Dale writes. Find out more about how these foreign actors are trying to sow discord at home and slander our national image abroad.

National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien spoke at Heritage as part of the annual Col. James D. McGinley Lecture Series. “I grew up in the Reagan years. The Heritage Foundation just wasn’t a think tank, it was the think tank. And I think it still remains the think tank. And so for me, it's a huge honor to be here,” said O’Brien. Watch his remarks on issues like American military power, the Space Force, the coronavirus and more.

As part of International Women’s Day, Washington Life Magazine recognized Heritage President Kay C. James as one of Washington’s most impactful women. Read the profile.

The health and wellbeing of event attendees and employees is top priority for The Heritage Foundation. We have been closely monitoring the latest developments with respect to the global spread of the coronavirus, and are making adjustments in accordance with CDC guidance on large events and gatherings. Heritage is currently refraining from hosting public programs and large meetings at our headquarters buildings in Washington, D.C., and will convert applicable programs to livestream-only. Please refer to each program’s specific page on Heritage.org for all updates, including livestream information.

Here are highlights from Heritage experts on TV. This week, they touched on the coronavirus, oil prices, and the economy. Watch the clips.