Apr 05, 2021

Greetings from Washington, D.C., which is approximately 1,513 miles from the Mexico border, where the Biden administration has created an unprecedented crisis. We explain why. Also, Heritage President Kay C. James shares her insights on leadership qualities we need to combat the left. Meanwhile, Heritage experts expose how the New York Times fudges the facts on election reform. We also highlight what Congress can do to stop another failed Iran nuclear arms deal. And there are webinars, podcasts, and more that you don’t want to miss. All in this week’s Agenda.

The Kind of Leaders We Need to Stop the Left
After having led the largest conservative think tank in the country for the past three years, Heritage President Kay C. James has some thoughts about the kind of leadership the conservative movement needs to defeat the most extreme onslaught of leftist ideology our country has ever seen. “The very fabric of our republic is being torn, and there is much work to do to save it,” James writes in her latest commentary. Read the full commentary to find out exactly which qualities we need in our leaders.

How Did We End Up with a Historic Crisis at our Southern Border?
The rush of illegal immigrants to our southern border is reaching unprecedented levels, and from the pictures we’ve seen of border facilities stuffed with children, it’s not being handled well. But how did this happen? Chad Wolf, Heritage visiting fellow and former acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, explains that and more in the latest episode of Heritage Explains. “I keep hearing this notion that they (the Biden administration) inherited a dismantled immigration system, which really couldn't be farther from the truth,” Wolf says. Listen to the podcast and read the transcript to find out how this crisis started, how serious it really is, and if we can stop it.

The New York Times Can’t Get the Facts Straight on Election Reform
The “newspaper of record” is making several false claims about Heritage-backed state election reforms, calling the reforms attempts at voter restriction. That just isn’t true, according to Heritage senior legal fellow Hans von Spakovsky and Heritage Action for America executive director Jessica Anderson. “We want a system in which the public trusts the outcome of every election, even when the favored candidate loses,” von Spakovsky and Anderson write in their latest commentary. “It is unfortunate that The New York Times doesn’t seem to have the same goal.” Read the commentary to learn more about the falsehoods the Times and other news outlets are spreading about election integrity reforms.

Congress Can Stop Another Failed Iran Nuclear Agreement
The Biden administration wants to revive negotiations with Iran on the flawed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran nuclear agreement, but so far neither country will concede to the other’s demands. Despite the gridlock, President Joe Biden insists on reviving the agreement without congressional input, which raises the question: Are there any tools available for Congress to influence the outcome of those negotiations? It’s possible, according to Heritage research assistant Nicole Robinson and Steven LaRussa, a 2021 member of Heritage’s Young Leaders Program. “The question is whether Congress will reassert itself … or will continue to sit on the sidelines,” write Robinson and LaRussa. Read their commentary to find out how exactly Congress can influence foreign policy concerning Iran.

The U.S. Commission on International Freedom recently called on Heritage expert Olivia Enos to testify about the horrific human rights abuses and genocide facing the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority in Xinjiang, China. Read more about her testimony.

Wednesday at 11 a.m., Heritage will host an event on Democratic Socialism, a warning from Venezuela. The event will be moderated by Helena Richardson, director of the Young Leaders Program. Featured speakers include Jorge Andres Galicia Rodriguez and Andres Guilarte, outreach fellows at the Fund for American Studies, and Lee Edwards, a distinguished fellow in conservative thought. Register for the event here.

Thursday at 1 p.m., Heritage will host an event on how 20th-century education practices impact 21st-century kids. Featured speakers include Derrell Bradford, executive vice president of 50CAN; Tim DeRoche, author of “A Fine Line: How Most American Kids Are Kept Out of the Best Public Schools”; and Lindsey Burke, director of the Center for Education Policy. Register for the event here.

This week on “Heritage Explains,” visiting fellow, Chad Wolf, breaks down what’s happening at the border, how it started, and if we can stop it. Listen to the podcast.

Heritage legal fellow Amy Swearer appeared in a “Fox News @ Night” segment with Shannon Bream to discuss the Supreme Court's reluctance to take up Second Amendment cases. Watch the interview.

Filibuster for me, but not for thee. The radical left wants to change the rules in order to transform America with their agenda. Think amnesty, court-packing, the Green New Deal, gun confiscation laws, and more. All this if we lose the filibuster.

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