Jun 22, 2020

Good morning from Washington. The Supreme Court made the wrong call last week when it prevented the administration from eliminating DACA and redefined the Civil Rights Act. Heritage legal expert Hans von Spakovsky breaks down these unsound decisions. Meanwhile, tech giants have reinforced perceptions of their anti-conservative bias with YouTube’s decision to censor a Heritage Foundation video and Amazon’s exclusion of conservative nonprofits from its customer donations service. Here in Washington, D.C., the National Coronavirus Recovery Commission’s final report is in the hands of Vice President Mike Pence. Find out what he had to say about Heritage’s work in this area. Lastly, Heritage headquarters is still closed, but social distancing isn’t stopping us from hosting great events that you can “attend” online. Check out our list of upcoming webinars to find an event that interests you.

What to Make of a Bad Week at the Supreme Court
With the Supreme Court’s erroneous decision on immigration last week, Chief Justice John Roberts and other justices have done lasting damage to the Constitution, the rule of law, and accountable government. It’s not just their decision concerning DACA, or their unsound decision to legislate from the bench by amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation and gender identity. It’s also the justices’ refusal to take a single one of the numerous Second Amendment cases filed with the court, requesting it to overturn the flawed decisions of federal appeals courts. Heritage Senior Legal Fellow Hans von Spakovsky says the DACA ruling is just the icing on the cake. Read his full article to find out what the latest rulings reveal about the Supreme Court.

Standing Up to Big Tech
Conservatives have long complained about bias at Big Tech companies like Amazon and Google. The Heritage Foundation experienced this firsthand when YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, censored our video featuring a former transgender individual. YouTube claimed that six words spoken at a three-hour Heritage event violated its “hate speech” policy. Heritage issued a strong rebuke and posted a new video contesting YouTube’s censorship. It’s not just Heritage facing these challenges. Amazon is doubling down on its policy that prohibits customers from donating proceeds from their purchases to well-established conservative nonprofits like the Family Research Council and the Alliance Defending Freedom. Heritage President Kay C. James called out Amazon for allowing customers to donate to Planned Parenthood but excluding conservative organizations. “A piece of free advice for Amazon’s board of directors: I’ve served on several corporate boards during my career, and it’s just bad business to alienate upwards of half of your customers,” James writes in her latest column.

Vice President Pence Thanks Heritage’s National Coronavirus Recovery Commission
The Heritage Foundation’s National Coronavirus Recovery Commission released its final report on June 15 with a strong endorsement from Vice President Mike Pence and praise from Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia. Pence, who is leading the White House Coronavirus Task Force, joined Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James on a conference call with more than 8,000 Heritage members and Heritage Action supporters. “Let me give a particular thanks to members of the National Coronavirus Recovery Commission that you organized,” Pence told James. “Because of the strong partnership that we've forged with governors and states across the country, [we are] implementing the president's vision of a whole-of-government approach. That, echoed with the great tradition and The Heritage Foundation’s belief in federalism.” Keep reading about the commission's work and final report.

“The Supreme Court got it wrong,” says Ryan Anderson, Heritage’s William E. Simon senior research fellow in American principles and public policy. “The word ‘sex’—still today and when Congress passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964—refers to our biological reality as male or female. It doesn’t refer to our sexual orientations or gender identities.” Keep reading the statement.

The Heritage Foundation and Concerned Women for America are uniting to reach young women. “We are at a pivotal point in our nation’s history and for the future of freedom in America. The Heritage Foundation has the intellectual firepower and resources for training and developing this new generation of young women,” said Heritage President Kay C. James. “Working together, Heritage and Concerned Women for America will empower and activate thousands of women to do the hard but necessary work of keeping our republic.” Learn more.

In case you missed it, Heritage hosted a webinar on what older Americans need to know about COVID-19 and how to protect both their health and financial security. Watch the event here.

Thursday at 11 a.m., Heritage will host a webinar on how capitalism offers greater prosperity and opportunity for everyone. Featured speakers include Daniel Lacalle, an internationally recognized author, hedge fund manager, and professor of global economy at the IE Business School; and Robert E. Moffit, a senior fellow in domestic policy studies at The Heritage Foundation. Register for the webinar.

Friday at noon, Heritage will hold a virtual discussion on the issues facing America's meat supply. Featured speakers include Baylen Linnekin, a food attorney, a columnist at Reason.com, and author of Biting the Hands that Feed Us; and Jayson Lusk, distinguished professor and head of the Agricultural Economics Department at Purdue University. Register for the webinar.

Here are highlights from Heritage experts on TV. This week they talked about COVID-19, Supreme Court decisions, North Korea and more. Watch the clips.