Mar 21, 2022

On the Agenda: As the Senate confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson get underway, we take a deep dive into her past rulings and examine her troubling record on crime. We explain what can be done to rein in food prices and how the Biden administration’s regulatory agenda is putting upward pressure on prices. We also talk with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other leaders about how to deal with the Biden border crisis and illegal drugs. There are podcasts, events, and more in this week’s Agenda that you should check out.

Who Is Ketanji Brown Jackson? A Radical Judge, Soft on Crime

In the news: Senate confirmation hearings begin this week for President Joe Biden’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson. Who is she, and what should senators ask her?

Troubling pattern: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., uncovered disturbing information about Jackson’s “treatment of sex offenders, especially those preying on children.” The revelation comes on top of existing concerns that she’s soft on criminals.

Why it matters: Now more than ever, Americans need to make sure that any nominee is fit for service on the Supreme Court and will respect and uphold the Constitution.

Get the facts: The Daily Signal’s Fred Lucas reports on Hawley’s discovery, plus other questions about her legal career and record on crime. Read his story here.

Learn more: John Malcolm, vice president of Heritage’s Institute for Constitutional Government, looks into Jackson’s previous rulings and what they say about her as a judge. Read about them here. 

Need Relief From Rising Food Prices? Don’t Look to Biden

Hard times: February saw the biggest year-over-year jump in food prices in 40 years. One of the biggest culprits is also one of the most obvious—bad policy coming out of the Biden administration, particularly labor and energy policy.

What’s the cure? It’s not so much about what the government should do as much as what it should stop doing. “Congress and the administration should make it a priority to remove harmful government interventions that are driving up food prices,” writes Heritage senior research fellow Daren Bakst.

Read more: Learn what Biden and Congress can do to bring down food costs here.

The Fentanyl Crisis: The Mexico-Texas Connection

Riddle me this: What links the U.S.-Mexico border and the deaths of 100,000 Americans over the course of the year?

Answer: A flood of illegal opioids, particularly fentanyl, flowing from Mexico across our southern border into Texas, New Mexico, California, Arizona, and then to communities throughout our country.

Working on a solution: Heritage President Kevin Roberts hosted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Rep. Brian Babin, former Drug Enforcement Agency head Uttam Dhillon, and former Customs and Border Protection commissioner Mark Morgan to discuss solutions to the fentanyl flood.

Learn more: Watch the informative event here. You can also learn more about the Biden border crisis on the latest episode of “The Kevin Roberts Show” here.

The Biden Administration’s Radical Regulatory Agenda

The other inflation: Prices aren’t the only thing going up under President Joe Biden. So are regulatory costs, and this will get a lot worse if he enacts his 2022 regulatory agenda.

What’s ahead: Diane Katz, senior research fellow in regulatory policy, looked at the administration’s new “Unified Agenda” and concludes that “few, if any, of the thousands of looming regulations are necessary or beneficial,” and that "many will erode free enterprise and individual liberty.”

Read more: Learn more about how the Biden administration’s regulatory agenda would affect you here.

DID YOU KNOW?

Heritage offers more than a dozen professional development programs led by policy analysts, subject matter experts, and seasoned practitioners. Learn more about Heritage training.

To stop the insidious tenets of critical race theory from being taught in K-12 schools, Heritage crafted model legislation that prohibits compelled speech and protects teachers and students from CRT's prejudices. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed a bill that rejects the application of CRT in the classroom and uses Heritage’s recommended language. Learn more.

Edwin Meese III Originalism Lecture, Thursday, 6:30 p.m. ET. Featured speakers include:

• John Malcolm, vice president of Heritage’s Institute for Constitutional Government
• Josh Blackman, professor of law at South Texas College of Law

Register for this event

“The Kevin Roberts Show”: Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, and Mark Morgan, former U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner and Heritage visiting fellow, join Heritage’s president to discuss the harsh reality of the Biden border crisis. Listen to the episode.

“SCOTUS 101”: John Malcolm, vice president of Heritage’s Institute for Constitutional Government, joins Carrie Severino of the Judicial Crisis Network and Ed Whelan of the Ethics & Public Policy Center to discuss Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s record and judicial philosophy. Listen to the episode.

“Heritage Explains”: Co-host Tim Doescher interviews H.E. Muse Bihi Abdi, president of the Republic of Somaliland, and Joshua Meservey, a senior policy analyst for Africa and the Middle East at Heritage. Listen to the episode.

Joel Griffith, a research fellow in Heritage’s Roe Institute, joined One America News Network to explain how the Biden administration is responsible for the spike in gas prices. Watch the interview.

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