Dec 15, 2019
Good morning from Washington! All of us at Heritage wish you all the joys of the holiday season as we enter the final week before Christmas. At times as polarized as these, one of the greatest gifts the conservative movement can give to the nation is a renewed respect and understanding of the American creed. We must also reject nationalism—a blind devotion to a top-heavy nation-state—which is diametrically opposed to the principles of our founding and its emphasis on the sovereignty of the people. Last week, Heritage Executive Vice President Kim Holmes led a panel discussion that probed this issue in greater detail. Also last week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez directed eyebrow-raising comments at Heritage’s Rachel Greszler over paid family leave; see how Greszler responded. Lastly, it’s been two years since tax reform was made law. Find out how it has influenced the American economy in tax-policy expert Adam Michel’s latest article.
Here’s Why American Exceptionalism, Not Nationalism, Is What Our Country Needs <[link removed]>
Heritage Executive Vice President Kim Holmes cautioned
Americans to avoid associating the great tradition of American patriotism with the general history of nationalism at an event held at Heritage on Dec. 9. Instead, Americans must unite around the principles of American exceptionalism, which respects the creed upon which our nation was founded. “The best way to protect America’s greatness, its special claims, its identity, if you will, is to believe in what made us great in the first place,” Holmes said. “It wasn’t our language. It wasn’t our race. It wasn’t our ethnicity. It was our creed and the belief system that was personified and lived in a culture, our institutions of civil society, and our democratic way of government that made America the greatest nation in the history of all nations and all nationalisms. In a word, it was our belief in ourselves as a good and free people. That’s what made America exceptional. That is a great tradition and culture that should make every American proud.” Listen to or read Holmes’ speech to find out what made America great in the
first place, and why we should avoid embracing nationalism <[link removed]>.
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez's Misleading Claims About Paid Family Leave <[link removed]>
Heritage expert Rachel Greszler testified before Congress last week on why government-mandated paid family leave programs would not meet the needs of workers and employers better than the private sector. Greszler was challenged by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., during the testimony: "Do we know how long puppies are allowed to stay with their mothers after a dog has given birth?" Ocasio-Cortez asked. "Uh, eight weeks. So, the market has decided that women and people who give birth deserve less time with their children than a dog.” Greszler responded to the claim in The Daily Signal <[link removed]>. “As a woman who has given birth to six children, I find being compared to a breeding dog with puppies incredibly offensive,” Greszler responded. “It’s also a terrible comparison, considering that puppies are taken from their mothers and sold after eight weeks (most states require an eight-week period for vaccination purposes)." Read more about Ocasio-Cortez’s tangles with Heritage <[link removed]>.
Celebrating America’s Economic Success on the Second Anniversary of Trump Tax
Cuts <[link removed]>
Two years later, the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has done wonders in creating more economic opportunity for the majority of Americans. The reforms that the law ushered in have lowered taxes for the majority of Americans, raised wages, and shown potential for a positive long-term effect on business investments, according to Heritage Senior Policy Analyst Adam Michel. “Between the tax cuts and wage gains, The Heritage Foundation calculated that over the decade following the tax cuts, the typical American household will reap an additional $26,000 in take-home pay or $45,000 for a family of four. That’s more than enough to buy a new car or put a down payment on a house,” Michel wrote. Find out more about how the TCJA has given
the American economy a turbo boost <[link removed]>.
Did You Know… <[link removed]>
When you make a tax deductible, year-end gift to Heritage, you can be part of the solution to
America’s problems. A $35 donation helps us give an elected official a copy of our Guide to the Constitution, that shows them the limits placed on government. A $250 donation helps us give 300 students a pocket Constitution. A $1,500 donation helps us facilitate the education of 25 congressional staffers. $10,000 supports a young conservative in our Young Leaders Program for a semester to learn and advance our founding principles. You can have a meaningful impact on our country’s future by making your best gift through this secure link <[link removed]>.
HAPPENING AT HERITAGE
Heritage Foundation President Kay Coles James hosted ambassadors and diplomats from America’s partners and friends in North Africa and the Middle East to discuss mutual challenges and opportunities. It followed another recent meeting at Heritage of diplomats from many of the nations of the Three Seas Initiative. Three Seas aims to strengthen trade, infrastructure, energy, and political cooperation among Eastern European nations.
As we wrote in last week’s email, President Trump has waited more than a year for Congress to act on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Heritage President Kay Coles James made the following statement in response to lawmakers’ decision to move forward: “After much delay, it is time for Congress to act on the USMCA. The USMCA represents an opportunity for economic growth for America.” Read more <[link removed]>.
Bridgett Wagner, vice president of policy promotion at Heritage, attended the University of Pennsylvania's Global Think Tank Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Wagner and other think tank leaders from across the world met to discuss their expertise and best practices in today’s global and digital age.  Learn more about the Summit <[link removed]>.
The Hispanic Action Network participated in a policy briefing and media training with Heritage experts. The group’s mission is to raise a unified grassroots movement of prayer and civic action among Hispanics in America. Learn more <[link removed]>.
Heritage held its annual media Christmas party in Washington, D.C., last week. There were nearly 200 attendees from news outlets such as BBC, Bloomberg News, Breitbart, CBS News, CNN, Daily Caller, The Daily Signal, Fox News, The Hill, Huffington Post, PBS, Politico, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Examiner, The Washington Times, and more.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Monday at 11 a.m., Heritage will host an event with Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy to discuss his state budget and spending, and what Alaska can provide the nation. Watch the event live <[link removed]>.
Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., Heritage and the Center for Conservative Women will host an event featuring Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas to discuss if the impeachment hearings of President Donald Trump are legitimate or a political weapon. Watch the event live <[link removed]>.
HERITAGE PODCASTS
This week on “Heritage Explains,” Senior Research Fellow Robert Rector, a leading authority on poverty, welfare programs, and immigration in America, talks about Trump’s new rule on food stamps and work requirements. Listen to the podcast <[link removed]>.
On “Millennial Myths,” host Tiffany Roberts talks to Rob Bluey, vice president of communications at Heritage and executive editor of The Daily Signal, to debunk myths about the media. Listen to the podcast <[link removed]>.
On “SCOTUS 101,” host Elizabeth Slattery chats with the Daily Caller's Kevin Daley about recent Supreme Court opinions, orders, and oral argument in the fifth Obamacare case. Slattery also chats with Judge Stephanos Bibas of the 3rd Circuit about the best way to eat a Philly Cheesesteak. Listen to the podcast <[link removed]>.
HERITAGE IN THE NEWS
Here are media highlights from media outlets like Fox News, Fox Business, and more featuring Heritage experts. This week, they touched on hot topics like impeachment, the UK election, Medicare for All, the Department of Justice inspector general report, and more. Watch the video <[link removed]>.
POLICY PICTURE
Do you agree? Email us at [email protected] <[link removed]>.

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