May 17, 2021

Greetings from Washington, D.C., where the Biden administration’s policies are already harming the economy by cutting into job growth and fueling inflation. That would only get worse with his exorbitant tax-and-spend “American Jobs Plan,” as Heritage experts explain. Meanwhile, we highlight an exciting event to get high school kids interested in the U.S. Constitution, and the right way to stem violence in the Middle East. There are plenty of events, podcasts, and more to check out in this week’s Agenda.

Biden’s Tax-and-Spend Plan Increases Federal Power, Not Jobs
President Joe Biden lauded his new “American Jobs Plan” as strengthening American infrastructure. Who could argue with that? Unfortunately, the infrastructure narrative was a thin veil for the plan’s true nature—“a radical ideology that rejects free enterprise and basic economics, gambling that government is a primary driver for growth,” write a host of Heritage experts in the latest report on the plan. They note that the tax hikes “would reduce wages, cost jobs, harm economic growth, cut investment, and make America less competitive.” Read the full report to understand the true nature of Biden’s tax-and-spend plan and its specific proposals.

Thank You! The Left Spreads the News About Our Election Integrity Successes  
How do you know you are being effective as a conservative? When the left freaks out. That’s just what happened after a leftist news outlet aired video from Heritage’s Annual Leadership Conference, in which Heritage Action for America executive director Jessica Anderson talked about the organization’s efforts to get election reform bills passed in states. The story got a big plug on MSNBC and in the Guardian, was tweeted by the likes of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, left-wing activist Stacey Abrams, failed presidential candidate Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke, the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, and so on. All expressed vein-popping outrage that Heritage Action had been so successful in getting these needed reforms passed (while pretending to be surprised that an advocacy organization would lobby state lawmakers to consider such reforms). Too bad the left can’t get its facts straight about the bills, which are not “voter suppression” laws at all, but aim only to make it harder to cheat. Still, we want to thank them for helping get the word out about our achievements.   Learn more about Heritage Action’s Save Our Elections project.

What’s the Right Response to Hamas Violence Against Israel?
Hamas, the Palestinian wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, orchestrated political violence over the past few weeks as part of its annual terrorist offensive against Israel during Ramadan, the Islamic holy month. Peace in the region is devoutly to be wished, but that depends entirely on how much power and authority Hamas is allowed to retain, according to Heritage Senior Research Fellow James Phillips, who says that the Biden administration’s approach is exactly wrong. “Washington,” he writes in his latest commentary, “needs to take a tougher stand against Palestinian terrorism and Hamas.” Read the full commentary to find out what the U.S. can do to stem the bloodshed.

Florida High School Students Showcase Their Knowledge of the Constitution
It’s no secret that students in K-12 schools are suffering from a lack of decent teaching on the U.S. Constitution and American history. The Daily Signal, Heritage’s news outlet, reports on one organization—the U.S. Constitution Scholarship Foundation—that is working hard to fix this problem in schools across Florida. In addition to providing quality teaching to students, the USCSF sponsors the 2021 U.S. Constitution Bowl, where high school students compete for thousands of dollars in scholarship awards by answering questions about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and key Supreme Court decisions. The event goes live at 6:30 p.m. EST tonight! Watch the trailer for the event and follow the link in the video’s description to find out how to tune in.

Tired of Sending Your Hard-Earned Dollars to Washington?
A charitable gift annuity with The Heritage Foundation can provide you a steady stream of fixed income for life, potential income tax savings, potential capital gains tax savings if funded by appreciated securities, potential estate tax savings, and best of all, the satisfaction of ensuring a stronger and more prosperous America! Click here to learn more.

Heritage scholars are actively helping our nation’s elected leaders find solutions to some of the biggest issues of the day. Members of Congress recently called on Heritage scholars Lora Ries, Brent Sadler, and Nick Loris to testify before key committees. Find out what our scholars told them.

Monday at 3:30 p.m., Heritage will host an event on why it’s time to repeal the Iraq War authorizations. Featured speakers include Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind. Register for this event.

Tuesday at 11 a.m., Heritage will host an event on ending Interpol abuses, featuring remarks by Sen. Edward Wicker, R-Wis. Register for this event.

Wednesday at 10 a.m., Heritage President Kay C. James will host an event featuring remarks from Sen. Jim Inhofe on the value of the Electoral College. A discussion with Trent England, founder and executive director of Save our States, will follow. Register for this event.

This week on “Heritage Explains,” Hans von Spakovsky talks about voter suppression. Listen to the podcast.

This Federal Rule Will Force Doctors to Do Medical Harm
Emilie Kao, director of Heritage’s DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society, joined Newsmax to discuss the Biden administration's plans to enforce Obamacare rules that would force doctors and health care providers to provide puberty blockers and irreversible surgeries for patients identifying as transgender, including children. Watch the interview.

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