Jul 12, 2021

Good Monday morning! In this week’s Agenda, we highlight how the NEA is trying to shove critical race theory into public schools, and is willing to smear anyone—including Heritage—that dares to push back. We also look at how the left continues to push a dangerous federal takeover of elections, despite a major setback. And we highlight a podcast with Sen. James Lankford and Heritage President Kay C. James, who talk about the big issues of the day. There are events and more to check out below.

Heritage Battles Nation’s Largest Teachers Union on Critical Race Theory
It’s not often you get singled out for attack in a resolution by one of the nation’s biggest unions. But in its zeal to shove critical race theory into schools, the National Education Association singled out The Heritage Foundation as “one of the well-funded organizations” that is committing “attacks on anti-racist teachers.” The resolution calls on the NEA to conduct “research” into Heritage and other such groups—a polite way of saying it plans to smear critics of CRT. Heritage responded, saying that “The nation’s largest teachers union is obsessed with smearing any criticism of critical race theory.” The NEA later scrubbed this resolution from its website, all of which got covered in multiple news outlets. Read about Heritage’s efforts to expose CRT and keep it out of America’s schools.

The Left Switches to Plan B for Federal Election Takeover
Heritage members helped sound the alarm on the so-called “For the People Act,” or HR 1, which would have instituted a federal takeover of elections. But leftist politicians are at it again, this time with a new bill—HR 4—that would strip away important protections against election fraud. Heritage President Kay C. James explains it all in a new Heritage video. “Politicians will tell you they’re just trying to stop voter suppression. But they’re not. Instead, they want to make it easier for cheaters to commit voter fraud,” James says. Watch the full video to learn more about HR 4.

Sen. James Lankford Interviews Heritage President Kay C. James
Heritage President Kay C. James joined Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., on his podcast, “The Breakdown,” for an in-depth discussion on the biggest issues facing America—from cancel culture to the national debt. In addition to praise for James’ leadership, Lankford also had high praise for Heritage’s research. “When you got questions,” he said, “it's a great place to be able to go and research and say, ‘What have other people thought about this before?’” Listen to the whole interview or read the transcript to learn more.

DID YOU KNOW?

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Heritage’s Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy hosted Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid for a roundtable discussion about deepening the bonds between Estonia and America.

The Holocaust and Religious Liberty, Tuesday at 11 a.m. U.S. Appeals Court Judge David Stras will discuss how his grandparents’ experience during the Holocaust shaped his views of the First Amendment. Other participants include South Texas College of Law professor Josh Blackman and Heritage research fellow Joel Griffith. Register for this event online and in person.

The 2021 B.C. Lecture featuring Mike Pence, Wednesday at 1 p.m. This year, the former vice president and now distinguished visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation will discuss U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific. Register for this event.

The China-Mexico Fentanyl Connection, Thursday at noon. Featured speakers include Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, former White House deputy chief of staff and former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy James W. Carroll Jr., and former acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration Uttam Dhillon. Register for this online event.

This week on “Heritage Explains,” Dustin Carmack, a research fellow in the Center for Technology Policy, breaks down how we can stop leaks of sensitive information. Listen to the episode.

Critical Race Theory Is Un-American
Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow and the Angeles T. Arredondo E Pluribus Unum fellow, joined Newsmax TV's “Spicer & Co.” to discuss how teachers unions are doubling down on inserting critical race theory in education and why this toxic narrative should not be forced on students. Watch the interview.

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