Mar 15, 2021

Happy Monday from Washington, D.C. This week we look at four issues the left is pushing and provide a by-the-numbers accounting of the harm they would cause to America: President Joe Biden’s misguided immigration plan, his sweeping gun control agenda, the massively wasteful COVID relief bill he signed into law, and the fraudulent election “reform” bill heading to the Senate. Get the facts on each of them below. There are also webinars, podcasts, and more to check out in this week’s Agenda.

3 Big Problems With Biden's Immigration Policy
The sad reality is many people who voted for President Joe Biden had no idea what he stood for, since neither he nor the media talked about it. One concern was that, if elected, Biden would open the floodgates for illegal immigration. That’s exactly what’s happening, according to Heritage’s James Carafano and Chad Wolf. Read their new report for Fox News detailing how Biden’s action created an unprecedented flood of illegal crossings at the U.S. southern border.  What can we do about it? Heritage spokesperson Genevieve Wood says that “we have an opportunity to throw a wet blanket on the left’s plans to march across America, and we can do that by you talking to friends, talking to neighbors, talking to your family members about the madness in this bill.” Watch Wood’s latest video to learn about the three biggest issues on immigration.

4 Gaping Holes in Biden's Gun Control Agenda
On the third anniversary of the tragic February 2018 shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, President Biden issued his administration’s first significant push for gun control. Unfortunately, Biden would turn the right to keep and bear arms on its head without meaningfully making the nation any safer. “If Biden is serious about keeping Americans safe from gun-related violence, there are plenty of steps he could urge Congress or state governments to take that promise to be far more effective and far less constitutionally questionable,” writes Heritage legal fellow Amy Swearer. Read Swearer’s full commentary to find out why Biden’s proposals would be ineffective and what could be done instead. Swearer also recently shined a light on the stories of successful defensive gun use that the media refuses to cover. Watch her full media interview.

7 Major Faults With the COVID Relief Package
The massive $1.9 trillion bill that President Biden signed into law last week is being sold as another relief measure for the COVID-19 pandemic. But the legislation is stuffed with provisions that have nothing to do with the disease or economic hardship, and in many cases would actually slow the economic rebound and destroy jobs, according to Heritage research associate David Ditch. “This $1.9 trillion package represents a jarring leftward lurch,” Ditch writes in his latest commentary, featured on Fox News. “It is riddled with poor economic reasoning, political favoritism, and would needlessly add to the national debt.” Read Ditch’s full commentary to learn about the seven biggest issues with the new relief bill. 

1 Huge Threat to American Democracy
There are many vulnerabilities in the American election system. These vulnerabilities need to be fixed. Unfortunately, HR 1—the “For the People Act,” which recently passed in the House without a single Republican vote and is now before the Senate—will do just the opposite. “If HR 1 is not stopped, then Americans may never be able to trust the fairness and credibility of future election outcomes,” writes Heritage senior legal fellow Hans von Spakovsky. Read von Spakovsky’s full commentary to find out why HR 1 must be stopped.

Tuesday at 1 p.m., Heritage will hold its annual Russell Kirk lecture discussing conservatism and America’s future. This year’s keynote speaker is George H. Nash, author of “The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945.” Register for the event here.

Tuesday at 3 p.m., Heritage will host an event discussing the hostility toward law enforcement and the rise of violent crimes. Featured speakers include Paul Cassell, a criminal law professor at the University of Utah, and Lawrence Rosenthal, a law professor at Chapman University.  Register for the event.

Thursday at 10 a.m., Heritage will host an event on understanding the Chinese ideological threat. Featured speakers include Aaron Friedberg, a professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University, and Andrew J. Nathan, a professor of political science at Columbia University. Register for the event here.

This week on “Heritage Explains,” we break down how much the deeply flawed COVID-19 spending package adds in national debt per household. Listen to the episode.

Biden Administration Releasing as Many Illegal Immigrants as It Can
Heritage Foundation visiting fellow Chad Wolf, the former acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, joined Fox Business to talk about the Biden administration’s immigration policies and why they are causing an even greater crisis. Watch the interview.

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