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Threatening Memo From Attorney General Merrick Garland to Parents Comes With Serious Conflict of Interest – What justification does the administration have in using a federal agency to even be involved in these local crimes if they took place? The answer is that there is none, and Garland’s memo doesn’t even explain how this is within the authority of the Department of Justice. It’s just a brutish threat cloaked in intimidating language that paints an absurd “violent” strawman of typical opposition to critical race theory in American schools. The bottom line is that Garland is sending a message that the Department of Justice perhaps views protest and public opposition to school boards and government agencies that promote critical race theory as a criminal act that may lead to an investigation by the FBI. It’s hard to interpret this move as anything other than an attempt to chill speech and intimidate people into silence. And it demonstrates how the Biden administration is eager to use a government agency, working alongside a left-wing advocacy group, to bully and threaten opposition using the levers of public power. Heritage experts: Mike Gonzalez and Jarrett Stepman

Why China's military overflights of Taiwan are (probably) not a prelude to war – China has long viewed the U.S. as a nation in decline, and the bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan only confirmed this conviction. Washington’s response to the Beijing air show – a “strongly worded” letter and an ambivalent phone call from Biden – did nothing to dispel that notion. Beijing thinks it has Biden’s number, and strangely enough, this actually makes an invasion scenario less likely. It encourages China to stick with its "winning without fighting" strategy. After all, why chance a bloody battle when you just have to hold on and wait for your target to fall into your lap? That’s not to say that Biden’s milquetoast response was optimal. He could have sent Beijing a back-off message the Chinese Communist Party would understand by directing a proportional military demonstration. That would have cost Beijing face, without ramping up the possibility of a military clash. Sadly, that’s not the president we have. Heritage expert: Dean Cheng

Biden’s Taxes Hit Americans at the Top and Bottom – The most detrimental part of the House bill, though, is not that it would impose harmful new taxes. It is that those tax revenues would go toward a socialist wish list of programs that ingrain entitlements and threaten America’s future prosperity. The U.S. has $28.4 trillion of debt and its existing entitlement programs face insolvency. Rather than shoring up the debt or making pro-growth reforms, the new spending would only discourage work and foster a culture of dependency that robs people of purpose and dignity. How will future generations deal with the debt we are laying at their feet if they are not raised in a culture that values hard work and entrepreneurship? The American people don’t need more taxes and government programs. They need the federal government to get out of the way, quit spending their money, and stop trying to control every aspect of Americans’ lives.
Biden’s claim of no middle class tax hikes is false – President Joe Biden has repeatedly promised that his massive tax increases won’t hit people earning less than $400,000…. But now that the official non-partisan congressional scorekeepers have reviewed Biden’s tax legislation, we know that the president’s pledge fails a fact check. Millions of middle-class families will see their tax burden grow. Heritage expert: Joel Griffith

America Tried the Biden Recovery Plan in the 1970s—It Was a Disaster – Instead of a “build back bureaucracy” approach that sacrifices the economy, America needs solid growth, healthy job creation, and entrepreneurs who are optimistic, driven, and unchained from mandates. Only then will Americans truly “build back better.” The 1970s demonstrated what the socialist playbook of tax, spend, and regulate brings: joblessness, inflation, and misery. The U.S. must hold the line to shelter this fragile recovery from new burdens and mandates and from perverse incentives that punish work or handicap entrepreneurs. Brighter days are possible for America, but only if leaders have the wisdom and the humility to stay out of the way of the American people. Heritage expert: Peter St. Onge

The truth about the Hyde Amendment – Americans on both sides of the debate surrounding abortion and pro-life protections care deeply about the issue, but thoughtful debate requires truthful discourse. The Hyde Amendment is longstanding, broadly supported, life-saving policy. Policymakers should respect Americans’ consensus on this issue and not use federal spending measures to bypass Hyde protections, and media outlets should accurately report the enduring support for the Hyde Amendment as these debates unfold. Heritage expert: Melanie Israel

Why Work Matters and How the Safety Net Should Encourage It – A work-oriented safety net advances the dignity of vulnerable individuals by expanding their abilities and adding to their long-term well-being. By connecting low-income beneficiaries to work, policymakers encourage them to overcome their hardships, find opportunities, and improve the lives of their children. As the safety net supports low-income families, policymakers must ensure that the safety net advances intergenerational mobility, as well as the ultimate goal of a temporary and targeted safety net: long-term dignity for all beneficiaries. A welfare system that carefully integrates benefits with some obligation of self-support is in the best interest of parents, children, and society. Heritage expert: Leslie Ford

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