Here is the Heritage Take on the top issues today.Please reply to this email to arrange an interview.

Ocasio-Cortez Berated, Falsely Accused Border Patrol Agent, Memos Say <[link removed]> – Ocasio-Cortez said the Border Patrol agent—whose name is redacted in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection documents—used her cellphone to take a photograph of herself with the New York congresswoman in the background. Ocasio-Cortez went on “to personally admonish and berate” the agent and to insist that “that woman cannot work with children,” according to CBP memos resulting from a Border Patrol
investigation of the incident. Ocasio-Cortez tweeted later that day that a Border Patrol officer “attacked” her. The female agent denied Ocasio-Cortez’s accusations, first to her supervisor and later in a written memo the same day. The agent’s supervisor reviewed the agent’s cellphone and found no photos that included Ocasio-Cortez, according to one memo. Two other Border Patrol agents also said they didn’t see their colleague take any selfies, according to the documents. Heritage expert: Fred
Lucas <[link removed]>

Institutionalizing racial fanaticism across American society <[link removed]> – Racial quotas and color-conscious policies do nothing
to address the choices people make because of peer-group pressure. Nor do they address what Christopher Rufo identifies as the real drivers of American poverty, regardless of race: the “background variables of family structure, educational attainment, and workforce participation.” In the short run, attempts to re-engineer American culture or human nature through training sessions are likely to produce a
backlash that could have ugly racial overtones. Ultimately, they are doomed to fail: human nature is, after all, unchangeable. Heritage expert: Mike Gonzalez <[link removed]>

5 Things You Need to Know About Biden’s $1.8 Trillion American Families Plan <[link removed]> – Under the plan, the federal government would take more of Americans’ incomes and
then redistribute the money in the form of benefits that politicians—not families—create, approve, and control. Such an approach would create new problems for families, leaving them with fewer opportunities. A better, different approach is needed. Lawmakers should pursue reforms that will empower, not cripple, American families. The Heritage Foundation has a full report that outlines how Congress can implement a truly pro-family plan—read it here. True policy reforms should support family formation and stability. Eliminating marriage penalties in our welfare system, encouraging flexibility in work and child care, offering more education options, and increasing access to better private health plans are promising starts. Heritage expert: Rachel Greszler <[link removed]>
President Biden’s Tax-and-Spend Plan Expands Federal Power, Not Jobs <[link removed]> – The Biden Administration’s “American Jobs Plan” is a $2.7 trillion tax-and-spend package that would increase federal
power across a broad array of sectors, including infrastructure, manufacturing, research and development, energy, health care, local government, and more. The plan is based on an ideology of central planning, which goes against the founding principles that made America the greatest nation on earth. Congress should reject this approach, and instead seek to empower local decision-making that will better suit the needs of a diverse nation. Heritage expert: David Ditch <[link removed]>
Religious Persecution in China Intensifies with Brainwashing Camps for Christians <[link removed]> – By continuing the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, the Biden administration could use it
to press China on its severe threats to religious freedom and press for the release of all religious prisoners of conscience. As part of its diplomatic efforts to advance religious freedom, the Biden administration may choose to highlight specific examples of Beijing’s abusive behavior, such as the extrajudicial imprisonment of Christian pastor Wang Yi, or the persecution of family members of Uighur-Americans, like doctor Gulshan Abbas, who is currently held in detention in Xinjiang. Given the gravity of the situation in China, the administration and Congress must step up efforts to hold the CCP accountable for its violations of religious freedom. Continuing to shine a spotlight on the shared, bipartisan priority of advancing religious freedom in US foreign policy is an excellent first step toward doing so. Heritage expert: Olivia
Enos <[link removed]>
In These 11 Cases, a Firearm Saved the Owner or Others <[link removed]> – Rather than mischaracterizing the facts on shootings as a way to push for more restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms, the
president should share the facts about how often Americans use their firearms in lawful defense of themselves or others. We certainly can do more to address underlying factors of shootings in America, especially when it comes to suicide using a firearm. But as the stories above show, ordinary law-abiding Americans have a lot to gain from exercising their constitutional rights. Heritage expert: Amy Swearer <[link removed]>
Another government shutdown? <[link removed]> – There have been four presidential transitions since law set the due date for the budget as the first Monday in February, and each of them has needed a delay
before submitting their budget. The average number of days delayed was 82. This year, on day 82 (April 24) there was no budget in sight. Most should know that operating under a continuing resolution presents challenges for the Pentagon. New programs--unmanned platforms, robotics, artificial intelligence applications--are delayed and unable to start. Military operations are impacted. Training is slowed. What administration wouldn't want the leisure to develop a brand-new budget completely reflective of their priorities and plans? But such desires are normally tempered with the realization that there is a clock running: the heartless apparatus that cuts off federal spending on Oct. 1. The Biden administration needs to get Congress its budget request now, before more time passes and the chances for on-time defense funding and authorizations further diminish. Heritage expert: Tom Spoehr <[link removed]>
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