Here is the Heritage Take on the top issues today.Please reply to this email to arrange an interview.
Democrats’ $3.5 Trillion Bill Is a ‘Socialist Wish List’ <[link removed]> – For everyone already fearful of even higher inflation — or worse, 1970s-style stagflation — adding another $4.6 trillion in federal spending (including the $1.1 trillion
infrastructure and $3.5 trillion reconciliation packages) only exacerbates these concerns. Moreover, specific policies would add fuel to current fires. It’s already hard enough to find workers with a record-high 10.9 million job openings in the U.S., but the proposed infrastructure package calls for simultaneously increasing the demand for infrastructure workers while limiting the supply of such workers to strictly unionized workers — making roughly one out of every eight construction workers eligible for construction
projects. Heritage expert: Joel Griffith <[link removed]>
Would a Surge in Spending on Children and Families Be an Investment or a Liability? <[link removed]> – Progressive policymakers are poised to pass a massive $3.5 trillion spending package. Included are significant “investments” in children and families that would—if made permanent—amount to spending up to $164,000 on every child in America. There is zero evidence that spending such large amounts—especially on middle-income and high-income children—would provide positive returns, and it could do more harm than good. Many families would be pushed into less desirable childcare settings, and, these proposals would likely amount to placing an extra mortgage on children throughout their adult lives. America does not need more unfunded entitlement programs—particularly not for affluent families. Rather than driving up costs and limiting families’ choices with one-size-fits-all government programs, policymakers should focus on fostering higher incomes and opportunities for all Americans while providing greater flexibility within existing resources for families in need. Heritage expert: Rachel Greszler <[link removed]>
FBI Statistics Show a 30%
Increase in Murder in 2020. More Evidence That Defunding Police Wasn’t a Good Idea. <[link removed]> – Cassell’s research shows a strong connection between de-policing and anti-police rhetoric driving surges in shootings. The 2020 numbers strongly back that up. Departments moved away from proactive policing, and now struggle to clamp down on violent crime as police officers leave the force and are not replaced. Many of the cities that defunded their police departments in 2020—like Portland—have been among the hardest
hit by shootings. Some of these same cities later tacitly conceded that the idea was a failure by re-funding their police departments and re-creating proactive policing programs under new names. Unfortunately, the issue is not just with the police. How much does policing matter when the justice system intentionally fails to prosecute people for crimes committed? A huge number of cities elected George Soros-backed, far-left district attorneys and have employed rogue prosecutors who’ve refused to prosecute criminals in the name of social justice. It’s hard not to see this toxic stew of attitudes and policies as a massive contributing factor toward why we have such a violent mess on our hands now. Heritage experts: Jarrett Stepman <[link removed]> and Zack Smith <[link removed]>
What the Arizona Audit Really Shows—and Why Election Officials Should Be Embarrassed <[link removed]> – What is most disturbing about the reaction to the audit report is that so many seem to think that this is the end of the review process since the hand recount showed that Biden won and, thus, nothing else needs to be done. This attitude is especially disturbing in Maricopa County election officials, who from the very start have done everything they could to obstruct the audit and who are now claiming that since their “canvass” was accurate, they don’t need to do anything else. That attitude is wrong. The audit seems to have revealed that sloppy, careless, and chaotic procedures were utilized in Maricopa County during the last election. Officials there have a duty to not only investigate all of the potential problems the audit found, such as potential multiple registrations by the same individual, but to correct their procedures and implement better training for their election workers to ensure that such problems, if confirmed, do not happen again. Arizona law enforcement also has an
obligation to investigate. Casting multiple ballots in the same election is a crime, as is registering and voting where you don’t actually reside. Failure of state election and law enforcement officials to fulfill their duties to investigate will reflect poorly on them. Heritage expert: Hans von Spakovsky <[link removed]>
Registering Women for Draft: Empty Pro-Equality Gesture Won’t Boost Military Readiness <[link removed]> – If we want more young men and women to serve their country, let’s improve voluntary opportunities to serve. Let’s create more opportunities for them to join the Reserves and National Guard, expanding options to be citizen soldiers. If the Pentagon really wants a further option, let’s have a voluntary registration, where qualified men and women can sign up for call-up in times of national emergency and designate whether they would be willing to
serve in combat or noncombat roles. Congressional leaders should come to their senses and take the “draft our daughters” clause out of the bill. Let’s step back and have an honest discussion in the light of day with Americans about what they really want and a serious assessment from the Pentagon about real measures to improve military preparedness. Let’s leave the woke aside for once. Heritage expert: Jim Carafano <[link removed]>
Senate committee deadlocks on Rachael Rollins nomination for US attorney <[link removed]> – The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced, with a tied vote, the nomination of Rachael Rollins to be the US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. Rollins, who is backed by George Soros and other liberal billionaires, has advanced a pro-criminal agenda in her current position as Suffolk County (Boston) District Attorney, even going so far as to list 15 crimes criminals can now commit without being prosecuted. Under her “guidelines,” someone can break into your home, be in possession of cocaine, and then resist arrest when police officers arrive, and Rollins will not prosecute that person for any of those crimes so long as the person said they were seeking shelter or a place to sleep. Heritage expert: Zack Smith <[link removed]>
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