A weekly roundup of news, commentary, research, events, and more from The Heritage Foundation.
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New Government Regulations—and Endless Spending—Will Worsen Inflation
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It may be back: Like the villain of many a slasher movie franchise, Build Back Better is back again and hungry for blood—mostly from your bank account. Congressional Democrats resurrected this bill in new form, complete with price controls and increased spending on Obamacare subsidies.
The "minibus” maxi-spending: On top of the new iteration of Build Back Better, House Democrats are trying to pass a “minibus” bill through Congress that will increase federal spending by $1.7 trillion, which translates to an increased tax and inflation burden of more than $13,000 per household.
The bottom line: It doesn’t take a math professor to figure out that both of these proposed massive increases in government spending, plus the attached economic regulations, will just add fuel to the fire of the inflationary crisis we already face. A crisis that, despite the Biden administration’s claims, is not going away anytime soon.
Learn more: Read about the resurrection of Build Back Better here. You can also find out exactly what’s in House Democrats’ minibus bill here.
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Leftists’ Political Theater at Supreme Court Ends in Police Action
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In the news: Police detained at least 10 congressional Democrats on Tuesday, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., for obstructing traffic during a pro-abortion protest in front of the Supreme Court.
The squad: Videos taken by Heritage’s own Douglas Blair show that while Ocasio-Cortez was the highest-profile detainee, police also detained other members of the “squad” of female Democrats, including Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.
Showing their true colors: It’s no surprise that members of the “squad” and other leftist lawmakers protested for abortion. Taken with the support they’ve shown for unlawful protests in front of Supreme Court justices’ homes, their disdain for the law and the Constitution is very clear.
Learn more: Read The Daily Signal’s story about the incident here.
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The Left’s Marriage Bill Is a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
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In the news: Congressional Democrats in the House of Representatives passed a radical new bill last week called the Respect for Marriage Act.
Misnomer: The name is nothing if not ironic. House Democrats pushed this bill in reaction to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and, if passed, it would strip states of their right to define what marriage is and would even open the door for polygamy if even one state requires it.
Our take: In short, it’s a publicity stunt. “Its goal? Take the spotlight off progressives’ radical policies and paint conservatives as bigots—and all this conveniently before the midterm elections,” writes Heritage research assistant Jared Eckert.
Learn more: Read the full implications of this bill here.
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CHIPS Act Fails on Every Level—From Countering China to Reducing Inflation
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On the threshold: Heritage President Kevin Roberts released a statement Friday lambasting the CHIPS Act ahead of the Senate's vote on the bill. The bill is ostensibly meant to address the semiconductor chip shortage by stimulating production in the U.S.
Sound and fury, signifying nothing: At best, the bill is an empty gesture that spends more money without effectively addressing the semiconductor shortage. At worst, it’s a witless gaffe that will line the pockets of the Chinese Communist Party with American taxpayer dollars.
Our take: “CHIPS is a failure based on what’s in it and what it lacks. Frankly, it is unacceptable that this is the best bill Congress could come up with to protect American interests and counter the CCP’s evil influence and ambitions,” Roberts said in his statement.
Learn more: Find out why this bill is such a failure by reading Roberts’ full statement here and analysis from Heritage expert Dustin Carmack here.
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ALWAYS ON OFFENSE
Heritage Expert Testifies Before Congress on Gun Control’s Harmful Effects
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Taking the stand: Heritage legal fellow Amy Swearer testified Wednesday before the U.S. Joint Economic Committee on the harmful economic effects of gun control legislation.
Aiming at the wrong target: In her third congressional testimony in two months, Swearer argued that criminals, not lawful gun owners, are largely at fault for gun violence and its costs. In fact, lawful gun owners provide a largely underappreciated protective economic value.
Countering popular lies: In the face of leftist arguments that guns like the AR-15 are never used for self-defense, Swearer amply demonstrated that the opposite is true, providing example after example.
Just the facts: “Not only do lawful gun owners regularly thwart crimes, but there is a lot of evidence that, every year, a good number of criminals are deterred from committing a good number of crimes precisely because they’re afraid victims might be armed. It turns out, many criminals are rational actors who don’t like when people shoot back,” Swearer said in her testimony.
Learn more: Find Swearer’s full testimony here. You can also watch her opening remarks here.
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NEW RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
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The Freedom Agenda & America’s Future featuring Former Vice President Mike Pence, Monday, July 25, 5 p.m.
Join us online to hear from former Vice President Pence on what policies he believes will save our great nation and why we can't give up the fight for America’s future.
Register here.
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What’s Next in Syria: Captagon and Assad’s Booming Drug Empire, Tuesday, July 26, 2 p.m. Speakers include:
- Rep. French Hill, R-Arkansas
- Caroline Rose, senior analyst, Human Security Unit, Newlines Institute
- Dr. Muhammad Bakr Ghbeis, president, C4SSA
Register here.
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Promise to America’s Parents: How Congress and the States Can Protect Parental Rights, Wednesday, July 27, 10 a.m. Speakers include:
- Jonathan Butcher, Will Skillman Fellow fellow in Educationeducation, Heritage’s Center for Education Policy
- Ginny Gentles, director of, Education Freedom Center, Independent Women’s Forum
- Emilie Kao, vice president of Advocacy advocacy Strategystrategy, Alliance Defending Freedom
Register here.
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True Grit in Tough Times: Gov. Kristi Noem Shares Lessons Learned, Wednesday, July 27, 4 p.m.
Join us to hear firsthand accounts about South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's experience in leadership roles to promote the policies and principles that are working in the heartland and that will help preserve the best of America.
Register here.
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Lessons Learned From the War in Ukraine, Thursday, July 28, 12:30 p.m. Speakers include:
- Bryan Clark, senior fellow, Hudson Institute
- Dr. Rebecca Grant, president, IRIS Independent Research
- David Johnson, retired colonel, U.S. Army
Register here.
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Examining the Need for Fossil Fuels, Thursday, July 28, 5 p.m.
Energy expert Alex Epstein will break down the facts about oil, coal, and natural gas—the ones you don’t hear about in American news—as he sits down with Heritage President Kevin Roberts.
Register here.
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A Tale of Three Presidential Houses: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Friday, July 29, 10 a.m. The ‘woke’ left is co-opting Mount Vernon, Monticello, and Montpelier. Speakers include:
- Dr. William Allen, chief operating officer, Center for Urban Renewal and Education
- Dr. Samuel Gregg, visiting fellow, Simon Center for American Studies
- Dr. Peter Wood, president, National Association of Scholars
Register here.
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“The Kevin Roberts Show”: Three generations of elites—from Washington to Hollywood—have promised young Americans that severing the natural connections between sex, marriage, commitment, kids, and parenthood would be “liberating.” It has been anything but. The fact is, there is a policy and a civic component to revitalizing our institutions, communities, and human connections.
The Blaze contributor Delano Squires and Heritage President Kevin Roberts discuss the implications—and viable solutions—of a failing education system, the attack on the nuclear family, and a society where dads are replaced with government. Listen to the episode here.
“Heritage Explains”: After President Biden's meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the White House has been touting the agreement for Mexico to pay $1.5 billion over two years for U.S. border security efforts. So how will this money be spent, and is it enough? What will the U.S. have to do in return? Given that we are on track for a record-breaking year in terms of illegal border crossings, we look at what's at stake in terms of safety and security and what we must do to finally fix the border. Listen to the episode here.
Check out Heritage’s complete lineup of podcasts here.
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“How many times can you lie to us and do it with a straight face,” Andy Puzder, a visiting fellow at Heritage and former CEO of CKE Restaurants, said of the Biden administration on Fox News. Puzder rejected the administration’s continued claims that the inflation crisis is transitory, saying, “They ought to just admit that they caused this problem.” Watch the clip here.
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