Fellow Conservative,
Now that we are nearly halfway through the calendar year, and three quarters though the fiscal year, it’s time to start talking about how Congress plans to spend your hard earned dollars. How your tax dollars are budgeted reveals and sets the policy priorities of the government. It is still early in the process, but it’s never too early to follow the money.
Taking Form - the National Defense Authorization Act
Next week the National Defense Authorization Act <[link removed]> (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 will be brought to the House floor for a vote. The NDAA specifies the annual budget and expenditures of the Department of Defense (DoD) and has been renewed annually since 1961.
The current proposal is on the right path but needs some work. There can be no doubt that the People’s Republic of China (PRC), led and controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses the greatest national security threat <[link removed]> to the United States.
The NDAA in
its current form contains important provisions that would strengthen the U.S. military against China with modest procurement authorities for war ships, aircraft, munitions, and other weapons systems that will soon be necessary to the Indo-Pacific.
But the bill should go further by including language to curtail and restrict American capital from freely flowing into China to prevent the CCP from snatching it for their own uses.
The bill also contains an unfunded mandate for universal in vitro fertilization (IVF) coverage for servicemembers and their dependents, costing approximately $1 billion annually. As written, this provision does not have clear guardrails and would either harm military medical readiness or result in cuts to providers who participate in the TRICARE network which provides healthcare to active duty service members and their family.
Further, the bill omits key language included in the House-passed FY24 NDAA bill that would repeal the DoD memo illegally allowing special travel and paid leave for elective abortions.
Heritage Action will be closely watching the process as it unfolds to ensure that the provisions that best serve America's national security are included.
Show Me the Money
Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations expire on October 1st and the House of Representatives has begun the process of funding the government by passing the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bills.
The appropriations process is the process by which Congress funds the federal government with 12 individual spending bills. These bills are some of the most powerful bills passed by Congress as they set the government’s priorities with their ability to fund or defund agencies, projects, initiatives, etc…
>>>Access our Guide to Federal Spending<<< <[link removed]>
The process has just begun, but Heritage Action has already engaged in it to make sure the best interests of Americans are served by the federal government’s budget.
Part of making sure your voice is heard is to help you achieve the best possible understanding of the process. To do that, we created a comprehensive guide detailing all you need to know about the appropriations process including key terms, applicable laws, and relevant history.
To access this guide, simply >>>CLICK HERE<<< <[link removed]> and share with everyone you know who wants to better understand what happens on Capitol Hill.
Incoming - another assault on religious liberty
Next week the Senate will vote on The Right to IVF Act (S. 4445), a bill that combines several already terrible bills into one. This will be the latest move by Chuck Schumer to force votes on anti-life, misleading bills in a series of political stunts to lure conservatives into an unserious, bad-faith debate.
Among other provisions, this bill would create a statutory right for any adult to access any “reproductive technology” including embryo cloning and gene editing. The risks associated with this are serious ones. Additionally, the legislation explicitly overrides the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, without which employers, including religious organizations and churches, could be required to provide IVF coverage for employees against their beliefs.
Conservatives must have the courage to oppose this bill and reject the Left’s fear mongering on this issue.
Restoring Meritocracy
Policies that mandate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are nothing more than a continuation of discriminatory policies that prioritizes someone’s race or sex instead of their merit and quality. In any endeavor, the most qualified candidate should be the one chosen. But Biden’s DEI programs and policies only perpetuate the discrimination they claim to be fighting.
Fortunately, Congressman Michael Cloud (R-Texas) and Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) has introduced the Dismantling DEI Act which would comprehensively defund the federal government’s wasteful and harmful DEI efforts.
The bill prohibits all racist diversity, equity, and inclusion practices such as sensitivity training, and meticulously eliminates statutory authorization for specific DEI programs from the U.S. Code.
This bill is part of a larger effort to root out DEI across the country. Similar efforts are underway in state governments and university campuses across the country.
Restoring meritocracy to the federal government is a top priority. Heritage Action anticipates that it will issue a Key Vote cosponsorship of this bill and include it on our legislative scorecard.
State Level Wins
Arizona
While most state legislatures are out of session Arizona has just passed HRC 2060 <[link removed]> which takes the initiative to combat Biden’s open border policies by giving Arizonians the chance to vote to protect jobs, stop taxpayer funds from going to non-citizens, and empower law enforcement to keep our communities safe.
HCR 2060 would accomplish this by implementing an E-Verify program that would ensure that anyone who attains a job or receives welfare is lawfully present in the United States and not in the country illegally.
This bill to counter Biden’s open border agenda will be voted on by the people of Arizona in November.
>>>Read our Press Release HERE <[link removed]>
We are happy to work alongside you and thank you for all that you do for the country.
- Ryan and the Heritage Action team
Join the fight to advance the conservative agenda.
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