Sep 07, 2021

Greetings from Washington, D.C. Summer is now unofficially over and life is slowly returning to “normal.” The country, however, is in a mess, and Nile Gardiner says this should be a clarion call for conservatives to unapologetically lead. Meanwhile, James Carafano concludes that either President Biden ignored his military advisers’ advice on the Afghanistan withdrawal or he needs new military advisers. Melanie Israel and Sarah Parshall Perry explain the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Texas abortion bill. And Kevin Dayaratna comes away disappointed with the CDC’s data-free pronouncements on the COVID delta variant and masks. There are also podcasts, events, and more you don’t want to miss in this week’s Agenda.

Conservatives Can and Must Save America From Biden
As the nation, and the world, spin out of control under the leadership of President Joe Biden, what can be done? Nile Gardiner, director of Heritage’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, says we should take “a leaf from Britain’s victorious Vote Leave Brexit campaign.” Conservatives, he says, must “take back control of the world’s superpower from the left, and advance a powerful vision of a self-confident America that will once again stand tall on the world stage with its head held high.” Read Gardiner’s full commentary to learn more.

Afghanistan Withdrawal: 5 Ways Biden’s Leadership Went Bad
President Biden has taken to blaming his generals for the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal. But no person who graduated from boot camp would have planned a military operation like this. James Carafano, director of Heritage’s Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute, points to five huge mistakes Biden made that resulted in the loss of life and Americans left behind. “No military adviser worth his stars would have suggested any of these moves, which compromised sound military action,” Carafano writes. Read Carafano’s full commentary to see the five major ways that Biden fell short as commander in chief.

Understanding the Supreme Court’s Decision on Texas Pro-Life Law
The day after the Supreme Court let a Texas “heartbeat” bill go into effect, which bans abortions after roughly six weeks gestation, President Biden promised “to launch a whole-of-government effort to respond to this decision”—whatever that means. But histrionics aside, what exactly does the court’s decision mean for the Texas law, or other states’ attempts to limit abortion? Two Heritage scholars unpack the court’s ruling and put it in context. Read the entire article to learn more.

There Are Better Ways to Fight COVID-19 Than Mask Mandates
The rapid spread of the Delta variant is, by now, common knowledge. But does the new COVID strain necessitate government-imposed mask mandates? The data says otherwise, according to Heritage principal statistician, data scientist, and research fellow Kevin Dayaratna. “Even though policy should be based on accurate data, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is failing to accurately justify its guidance that vaccinated people wear masks,” Dayaratna writes. Read his full commentary to find out what the data actually says.

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Heritage Experts: 2021 Social Security Trustees Report Proves Need for Reform. “Without legislation to address Social Security’s shortfalls, old-age retirement benefits will be cut by 24% beginning in 2033. That means that anyone currently born after 1971 won’t receive a single full Social Security benefit,” says Rachel Greszler, a research fellow in Heritage’s Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget. Read more.

The 20th Anniversary of 9/11: DHS Has Its Eye Off the Ball. Tuesday, 10 a.m. Featured speakers include Chris Swecker, former assistant director at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Chad Wolf, a Heritage visiting fellow and former acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Register for this event.

Confronting the Challenging Cyber Landscape. Thursday at noon. Featured speakers include Adm. Michael Rogers, former director of the National Security Agency. Register for this event.

This week on “Heritage Explains,” Steve Bucci, a visiting Heritage Foundation fellow, discusses the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Listen to the episode.

‘Weak-Kneed’ Joe Biden Has ‘Kowtowed to the Taliban’
Nile Gardiner, director of Heritage’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, joined Fox Business to talk about the crisis in Afghanistan and how Joe Biden is undermining America. Watch the interview.

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