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

Senate Democrats’ Amnesty Push Will Make Biden’s Border Crisis Even Worse <[link removed]> – The American people are tired of being treated as
second-class citizens by their own government. They are tired of being told they must completely alter their lives due to COVID, while illegal aliens aren’t even required to be tested for COVID before being released into the United States. They are sick of watching record amounts of drugs pour across our border and into our communities, where more than 93,000 Americans died from overdoses just last year. This is the definition of ‘America last.’ So-called ‘moderate’ lawmakers like Joe Manchin and other Senate Democrats bear some responsibility for the breakdown and the chaos at the border for trying to ram through a mass amnesty. Americans must make clear there will be consequences for this behavior. Heritage expert: Lora Ries <[link removed]>

Biden's inept UN speech guaranteed to delight globalists <[link removed]> – This speech no doubt warmed the heart of every bureaucrat at the UN, but whether it actually impressed any of America’s friends or enemies is a real question. No matter what they might say in public to avoid offending an American president, in practice it is the reality of what we do, not what we say, that matters to them. No one expects Biden to apologize for the global mayhem he has wrought to date, but his speech would have better spent on how the U.S. could address real issues going forward, like the abuse of international institutions; the reemergence of global terrorism or realistic plans for the challenge of China, Iran, North Korea or Russia. Heritage expert: Jim Carafano <[link removed]>
Left Leans Into Champagne Socialism <[link removed]> – Left-wing, woke sloganeering is the social capital of the cultural elite. It’s the currency by which they maintain their status and shield themselves from criticism. “Tax the rich” is a perfectly acceptable and, in fact, an approved message, just as “protect unborn life” wouldn’t be. John Gibson, the executive officer of Tripwire Interactive, a video game studio, resigned after tweeting out support of a Texas law prohibiting the abortion of babies with a heartbeat. He was literally denounced by the company as he left. Solidarity to the cause is the only quality that now matters in our increasingly mediocre “meritocracy.” Join the cause and you can do no wrong; go against it and you’ll be unpersoned. By demonstrating their commitment to various left-wing causes—especially diversity, equity, and inclusion—no manner of hypocrisy, incompetence, or failure can derail this elite’s access to power. Heritage expert: Jarrett Stepman <[link removed]>
**Testimony Alert** Hans von Spakovsky on HR 4/S4 <[link removed]> – It is easier to register and vote today than at any other time in America’s history. The permanent, nationwide provisions of the Voting Rights Act, such as Section 2 and Section 3, are more than adequate to protect voting rights in those rare instances where discrimination does occur. There is no need to bring back the preclearance provisions of Section 5 or to implement a new, vastly expanded Section 5. There is no longer any justification for giving the federal government the ability to veto the election laws and regulations that citizens and their elected representatives choose to implement in their respective states. H.R. 4 is a federal power grab designed to thwart election reform and manipulate state redistricting decisions. Heritage expert: Hans von Spakovsky <[link removed]>

How A Rising China Complicates Europe’s Future <[link removed]> – The reality is that the U.S. can both counter malicious Chinese and Russian activity and balance and accommodate Turkish interests with a modicum of hard power offset. With a stable security situation in Central and Eastern Europe, the democracies will work through the economic and gray zone challenges, mostly on their own. They realize that, in the end, broad economic and political engagement with the U.S. and Western Europe as the best way not to become a suburb of Beijing or Moscow. Security relationships, however, need to be updated and enhanced in order to allow the buildup and maintenance of the arc of stability and cooperation encompassing the Black Sea from East to West. Heritage expert: Jim Carafano <[link removed]>
The Need
to Examine the Life Cycles of All Energy Sources: A Closer Look at Renewable-Energy Disposal <[link removed]> – Renewable energy sources will be a vital part of America’s future energy mix, but policymakers must not allow the goal of “clean emissions” to cloud their judgement or close their eyes to the negative environmental impacts and other limitations of
renewable energy. There are no panaceas for America’s energy needs, and policymakers and the public must be willing to look at the positives and negatives of all available and potential energy sources—including their disposal. Heritage expert: Andrew Wheeler <[link removed]>
Unique Florida learning option offers families safety, choice, peace of
mind <[link removed]> – Kaufman and her team designed their own curriculum, aligning it with Florida’s state standards and allowing students to earn a state of Florida high school diploma. But it goes further to include social, emotional, wellness and character-building standards that are integrated into every academic and extracurricular program. Students have an array of benefits, from academic coaches, who provide one-on-one assistance for skill development and strategy building. They are eligible for honors, Advanced Placement and college dual enrollment, as well as the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship. Space of Mind reports a 100% acceptance rate for college-bound students. It’s an understatement to say that Space of Mind is difficult to categorize. It doesn’t meet the definition of a homeschool co-op; parents are not part-time teachers during the school day. It doesn’t fit the description of a learning pod; with 60 students enrolled this fall in the “full-time schoolhouse,” it’s far larger than most learning pods. Yet it appears to be a “just right” learning option as families grapple with how to best meet their children’s educational needs during the continued
pandemic. Heritage expert: Jonathan Butcher <[link removed]>
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