Oct 25, 2021

Happy Monday! We say that because the news isn’t likely to make you feel that way. This week, we mark the release of the eighth annual Index of U.S. Military Strength, the only private assessment of our nation’s readiness. We also look at President Joe Biden’s one idea to relieve clogged ports—keep them open 24/7—and find it isn’t nearly enough. And we highlight 10 of the most wasteful programs in the massive tax-and-spend bill that Democrats are still hoping to get over the finish line. On the bright side, there are several high-level Heritage events and webinars worth checking out, plus podcasts and more, in this week’s Agenda.

What’s the Status of U.S. Military Strength Today? Not Good.
Heritage released the highly anticipated 2022 Index of U.S. Military Strength last week and, as the Washington Examiner noted, the findings aren’t encouraging. The Index, the only of its kind, shows that the military “would be ill-equipped to handle two nearly simultaneous” wars, the Examiner reports. Dakota Wood, lead editor of the Index and a senior research fellow at Heritage’s Center for National Defense, says some of the branches are worse than the others. “The Air Force has tipped over into the weak category, largely because they can’t get their pilots sufficient training,” he told “The Daily Signal Podcast.” Read the full report to find out why the military is in this state and what, if anything, can be done to improve. And check out the podcast interview with Wood.

24/7 Operations Might Not Be Enough to Solve Supply Chain Collapse
Frustrated that your packages are arriving late? Is it more difficult to find what you need in stores? You’ve no doubt noticed the nationwide effects of supply chain collapses caused by the Biden administration’s regulations and restrictive COVID policies. Will President Biden’s move to have the Port of Los Angeles operate 24/7 be enough to solve the issue? Heritage research coordinator Patrick Tyrrell doesn’t think so. “How operations have been going at the neighboring Port of Long Beach, which is also operating around the clock, suggest that this might not be enough to solve California’s supply chain collapse,” Tyrrell writes in his latest commentary. Read the full commentary to learn why.

10 Absurdly Wasteful Items Tucked Into Democrats’ Tax-and-Spend Monstrosity
Democrats a few weeks ago released the full text of their multitrillion tax-and-spend package that, at 2,465 pages, is about the length of two Bibles. Thankfully, Heritage policy analyst David Ditch sifted through this dense tome and highlights 10 recklessly wasteful items hidden among the many harmful policies we already knew about. “These ridiculous items are just 10 of the countless reasons why Congress should steer clear of the largest tax-and-spend bill in world history, which would impose real costs on the economy and on American society,” Ditch writes in his commentary. Read the full commentary to find out more about these 10 new glaring issues.

DID YOU KNOW?

Heritage briefs more than 70 candidates for public office on conservative policy solutions each year. Check out some of the solutions we share.

The Heritage Foundation celebrated Justice Clarence Thomas’ 30-year legacy on the U.S. Supreme Court. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the keynote address. Former Ambassador C. Boyden Gray presented the inaugural “Justice Clarence Thomas First Principles Award” to Judge Laurence H. Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Click here to watch the event.

Heritage  Foundation  scholars  regularly testify before  Congress on important issues facing the United States and the world. Last week, three of them spoke to lawmakers on a range of topics:

• Dean Cheng, a senior research fellow at Heritage’s Asian Studies Center, testified about the importance of the Marshall Islands when it comes to defending America, especially in the nuclear realm. Read more.
• Matthew Dickerson, director of Heritage’s Hermann Center for the Federal Budget, testified on challenges and barriers to growth that the “Build Back Better Act” will create for workers and the American economy. Read more.
• Senior Fellow David Burton testified on the utility of private equity and the problems within the “Stop Wall Street Looting Act.” Read more.

Saving Faith and Family in America, Monday, 11:30 a.m. Featured speakers include JP de Gance, president of Communio and co-author of “Endgame: The Church’s Strategic Move to Save Faith and Family”; Jay Richards, Ph.D., William E. Simon senior research fellow at the DeVos Center; and Rev. Dean Nelson, chairman at the Douglass Leadership Institute. Register for this event.

Strengthening Economic Dynamism, Societal Resilience, and Transatlantic Ties through the Three Seas Initiative, Monday, 4 p.m. The featured speaker is Edgars Rinkēvičs, minister of foreign affairs at the Republic of Latvia. Register for this event.

How to Better Understand the Chinese Defense Budget, Tuesday, 9 a.m. Featured speakers include Peter Robertson, dean at the University of Western Australia Business School, and Lucie Béraud-Sudreau, director of the military expenditure and arms production program at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Register for this event.

Religious Liberty’s Winning Streak: Do Recent Court Opinions Portend a Sea Change? Tuesday, noon. Featured speakers include Robert George, professor of jurisprudence at Princeton University; Mark Rienzi of the Becket Fund and professor at Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law; and Kristen Waggoner, general counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom. Register for this event.

Can Market Bridges Speed to New Naval Fleet Capabilities? Thursday, 10:30 a.m. The featured speaker is Dr. William Roper, CEO of Volansi, former assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, and former director of the strategic capabilities office at the Pentagon. Register for this event.

Getting Human Rights Back on Track, Thursday, 2 p.m. Featured speakers include Paolo Carozza, professor of law and director of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame; Paul Coleman, executive director at the Alliance Defending Freedom International; and Emilie Kao, senior counsel and vice president of advocacy strategy at the Alliance Defending Freedom. Register for this event.

This week on “Heritage Explains,” Dakota Wood, a senior research fellow in Heritage’s Center for National Defense, discusses the findings in the 2022 Index of U.S. Military Strength. Listen to the podcast.

The Media Won't Honestly Cover Black Lives Matter
Mike Gonzalez, Heritage’s Angeles T. Arredondo E Pluribus Unum senior fellow, joined “Fox & Friends” to talk about the radical Marxists behind the Black Lives Matter movement, and why we need to stop them from destroying our institutions and values. Watch the interview.

Americans use their firearms for defensive purposes hundreds of thousands of times every year. Check out our updated database that tracks incidents reported in the media.

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