Oct 04, 2021

Greetings from Washington, D.C., where there is plenty of activity these days. Democrats on Capitol Hill are scrambling—in vain, we hope—to get their massive spending program passed. The Supreme Court will soon be hearing several cases important to conservatives. President Joe Biden is compiling his National Defense Strategy, and the FBI’s latest statistics on murder show the grim toll of the “defund the police” movement. We are tracking all these developments. There are also podcasts, events, and more featured in this week’s Agenda.

Heritage Launches the Budget Reconciliation Tracker
What, exactly, is in the $3.5 trillion spending bill that President Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats in Congress are desperately trying to get over the finish line? Congressional Democrats aren’t making it easy to find out, which is why Heritage created the Budget Reconciliation Tracker to highlight the worst features of this monstrosity, and keep you up to date on what is happening in Congress. Check out the Budget Reconciliation Tracker to find out all you need to know about Biden’s socialist, big-government proposals.  

5 Supreme Court Cases to Watch
The upcoming Supreme Court term is sure to be a momentous one, as justices have already agreed to review several important cases and will likely add more soon. Heritage legal fellow Zach Smith and research assistant Alexander Phipps have identified the five most important upcoming cases thus far. Read their full commentary to learn more about these cases and why they are so important. For an even more in-depth preview of the upcoming Supreme Court term, watch Heritage’s virtual conference with two distinguished Supreme Court litigators, Paul Clement and Noel Francisco.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting a National Defense Strategy
With China’s growing aggression, Russia’s steady encroachment on NATO’s eastern flank, North Korea’s growing missile arsenal, Iran’s nuclear advancements, and the Taliban’s control of Afghanistan, the prospect of significant military conflict looks more likely than usual. The Biden administration is crafting a new National Defense Strategy that, hopefully, will address these threats. So, what should we expect from such a strategy? Thomas Spoehr, director of Heritage’s Center for National Defense, collaborated with experts from the Hudson Institute, American Enterprise Institute, and Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to help illuminate just that. Read the full commentary to find out more.

‘Defund the Police’ Yields a Shocking Increase in Murders
If you want evidence that defunding the police was a terrible idea, look no further than the FBI’s statistics on the murder rate in 2020. According to Daily Signal contributor Jarrett Stepman, 2020 saw a truly historic surge in violent crime in general and murder in particular. Leftists want to blame access to guns for this trend, but the facts tell a different story. “While there certainly could be a variety of factors involved in the murder surge, it’s hard not to see both the efforts to defund the police and—perhaps more importantly—the ‘Minneapolis effect,’ as driving factors,” Stepman writes. Read the full commentary to learn more.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Heritage Foundation has 624,000 followers on Twitter. Are you one of them? Check out one of the most influential and active Twitter accounts in America.

Mike Gonzalez, Heritage’s Angeles T. Arredondo E Pluribus Unum senior fellow, recently received the Patriot Award from the College of the Ozarks. The award, presented by former Vice President Mike Pence, was announced at the National Symposium on Patriotic Education on Friday, Sept. 17. Learn more.

Heritage Foundation experts responded Monday to Twitter’s censoring of a Daily Signal video documenting the work of mounted Border Patrol agents. The video, shot and published in 2017, highlights the important role horses play in helping the U.S. Border Patrol secure the border. Learn more.

The Bloody Price of Freedom: Israel’s Battle for Justice, Freedom, and Commitment to Democratic Values. Tuesday, 3 p.m. Featured speakers include Heritage visiting fellow Elan S. Carr and Richard Heideman, senior counsel of Heideman, Nudelman & Kalik, PC, and author of “The Bloody Price of Freedom.” Register for this event.

The Next Missile Defense Review: Policies to Make America Safer. Wednesday, noon. Featured speakers include Dr. Brad Roberts, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and missile defense policy, and Dr. Tom Karako, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Register for this event.

Joseph Story Distinguished Lecture. Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies is honored to announce that Chief Judge William Pryor of the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals will deliver our 14th Joseph Story Distinguished Lecture. Register for this event.

Is our supply chain collapsing? This week on “Heritage Explains,” Brent Sadler, senior fellow at Heritage’s Center for National Defense, explains the reason behind today’s shipping backlogs and why it could lead to national security concerns. Listen to the podcast.

Arizona Audit Results—What Officials Must Do Next
Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow in Heritage’s Meese Center for Judicial Studies, joined Newsmax to discuss the results of the Arizona election audit. Watch the interview. 

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