Irresponsible: The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project revealed that the federal government spent $3 million in taxpayer dollars—an amount equal to 70 border agents’ annual salaries—to protect Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas from impeachment in the House and Senate.  

• “The American people’s House of Representatives impeached Secretary Mayorkas,” said Oversight Project Chief Counsel Kyle Brosnan. “It is completely gross that the taxpayers are now simultaneously funding millions of dollars to a sophisticated and hard-leftist law firm to fight against their wishes.” 

Read more here. 

Say her name: Last week, President Joe Biden tried to pin 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley’s murder on Republicans. But blame for this tragedy rests squarely with Biden and the “sanctuary city” movement, write senior legal fellows Hans von Spakovsky and Charles “Cully” Stimson. 

• “Those in government whose policies allowed this foreseeable, horrific act to happen also have blood on their hands. Shame on them,” they write. 

Read their analysis here. And watch this damning video.  

Yee-haw: Many Texas state lawmakers who shot down a 2023 school choice bill lost their primaries last week.

• Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott “took a page out of [Republican] Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ book. If the legislature wouldn’t support school choice,” writes research fellow Jason Bedrick, “then he would find a new legislature.” Read more here. 

Alabama parents also won a big school choice victory. Plus, read how teachers’ unions are stealthily pouring millions into state GOP primary races here. 

To infinity and beyond: That’s where our national debt is headed, thanks to the ironically named Fiscal Responsibility Act.  

• This act allows legislators to designate fake “emergency” spending that doesn’t count toward debt limits.  
• Heritage senior policy analyst David Ditch waded through a 2,300-page spending package to find nearly $23 billion in budget gimmicks. 

Read Ditch’s mega-thread here.  

Crime and punishment? Jeffrey Bellin’s new book, Mass Incarceration Nation, stands on a pre-determined conclusion: the U.S. imprisons too many people.  

• Heritage senior legal fellow Zach Smith breaks down this myth, starting with the fact that Bellin doesn’t even get the number of U.S. prisoners right.  
• Things go downhill when Bellin says communities are too interested in “populist penal severity” and shouldn’t have a say in the punishment of crimes. 

Read Smith’s full article here.  

The Heritage Foundation’s High School Fellowship equips high school students to defend their values before the Left can get hold of them. Students will engage in the national conservative conversation, participate in real-life policy projects, and connect with influential leaders. 

• Location: The Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C. 
• Dates: June 24–29 
• Housing: Students will stay in nearby accommodations and attend training at Heritage’s headquarters. 
• Cost: Every accepted student will receive a full scholarship covering travel, housing, meals, course materials, and tour activities. 

If you’re a high school student ready to take your conservative leadership to the next level, apply for the Heritage High School Fellowship today.  

• Can Congress Reclaim Its Status as ‘the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body’?—Joseph Postell 
• A Fraudulent Attack on Education Choice—Jason Bedrick 
• Seven Things the Senate Can Do to Salvage the Business Provisions in the House’s Tax and Welfare Bill—Preston Brashers and Richard Stern 
• Rearming U.S. Navy Ships at Sea Is No Longer an Option, but a Necessity—Brent Sadler 
• State Department’s Divisive Domestic Diplomacy—Simon Hankinson 
• Time to Act: Strategic Benefits of Funding the Compacts of Free Association (COFA)—Andrew Harding  
• Just Say No to the WTO—Andrew Hale 
• Trans Athlete Injures Multiple Girls, Forcing Team to Forfeit. Wither Thou, Feminism?—Sarah Parshall Perry 
• The New Cold War: China Takes on Europe—Andrew Harding and Jordan Embree 
• Good Deal, Bad Deal: The 2017 Tax Law vs. the 2024 Tax-Welfare Bill—Preston Brashers 
• Utah Is About to Roll Over on Kids’ Online Safety—Daniel Cochrane 
• Blame Washington, Not Grocery Stores, for Food Prices—EJ Antoni 

“It seems as though we’re making common cause here for Hamas’ survival, and not for their surrender,” Heritage’s Robert Greenway said on Fox Business, pointing out that the greatest threat to Palestinian civilians and Israel is Hamas. “The sooner they’re defeated, the better it’ll be for everyone,” he said. Watch the clip here.