Fellow Conservative,

The lame-duck Congress is now in full swing and will continue until January 3rd, when the newly elected federal representatives are sworn in to their offices.

However, the practical end of legislating for this current Congress will be when they can work out a deal on government funding. After that, Members of Congress will quickly get on planes to head home for the Christmas break.
Getting Serious about Spending
On December 16, 2022 government funding will run out unless more is approved by Congress. The Democrats will try to pass a massive omnibus spending bill which is expected to cost $1.3 trillion <[link removed]> and fund Biden’s agenda into 2023.

This is the same sort of recklessness that has contributed to the 40 year high inflation we are all struggling through, and the country cannot take much more of it.

Congress should refuse to pass such a spending plan and instead vote for a short term continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government at the minimum amount until late January when a new Congress, better reflecting the will of the people, will be able to set the financial agenda.

Currently, the effort to restrain the Democrats is being led by Sen. Lee <[link removed]> (R-UT), Sen. Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Scott (R-FL), and Sen. Braun (R-IN). But they need your support. CALL <[link removed]> your members of Congress and urge them to support a clean CR!
Attacking Corruption - Ending Earmarks
On Wednesday, Conservatives in the House had a golden opportunity to reduce spending and corruption by banning
earmarks <[link removed]>. However, in a conference vote behind closed doors, House
Republicans voted 158-52 <[link removed]> to continue this egregious practice and keep earmarks in Congress.

Earmarks <[link removed]> are special provisions inserted into legislation that send funds directly to a specific recipient, oftentimes circumventing formula, merit-based or competitive funds allocation processes.
Vice President of Government Relations Ryan Walker joined the podcast this week to dive into earmarks, what they are, and what can be done.

They are often used to send funds to representatives' interests or “pet-projects'' in exchange for their support. In short, earmarks are used to buy Congressional votes.

And what these earmarks ultimately fund are very often absurd <[link removed]>:


- $2 million for a “Great Blacks in Wax” museum in Baltimore.
- $3 million for water infrastructure on the remote island of St. George, Alaska, which is a cost of over $44,000 for each of the 67 residents.
- A $1.1 million solar array in Kirkland, Washington, one of the least-sunny places in the country.
- $1.5 million to promote eating outdoors in Pasadena, California, one of the sunniest places in the country.
- $1.6 million for the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Vermont. The center is named after Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-VT., and he had the audacity to request an earmark.
- Two separate earmarks totaling $5 million for the Universal Hip Hop Museum in New York.
- $13 million for expanding an airport in Abbeville, Alabama, a rural “city” of under 2,500.



Make no mistake, this is not the fiscal responsibility expected from conservatives, nor is it what the country needs.
Border Security Solutions
In May, Heritage Action added its name to a coalition letter <[link removed]> calling on Congress to address the border crisis with certain specific solutions. Now that Pelosi has lost her gavel and a new Congress will soon be in power, Heritage Action has doubled down <[link removed]> on its call for a secure border.

You can read the
full letter >>>HERE<<< <[link removed]>.
Leading the way on practical solutions is The Heritage Foundation’s Lora Ries. In a recent article <[link removed]>, she detailed specific and effective solutions:


- Excluding amnesty of any type
- Restarting border wall funding
- Weeding out fraudulent asylum claims
- Fixing the Flores settlement



To get the full list of solutions and why they would work, click >>>HERE<<< <[link removed]> to read the article.
Respect for Marriage Act - Update
The “Respect for Marriage Act”, a Trojan Horse that would subject religious individuals and institutions to coercion, officially passed the Senate on Tuesday.

This bill would change nothing about the state of marriage in America but would subject individuals and institutions to persecution and even the threat of losing their tax exempt status (think churches, religious schools, religious non-profits including adoption centers)

This is why Heritage Action listed this vote in the Senate on our legislative scorecard. Click HERE <[link removed]> to see how your Senator voted.

The House is expected to vote on this bill sometime next week. We are watching the situation closely and will keep you updated with the latest information and how you can help.
States are leading the way to stop ESG
Wealthy leftist elites are working to coerce states, businesses, and individuals into complying with woke practices via a Chineese-Commusit styled social credit score, or risk losing their financial support.

If you haven’t heard about what ESG is, take a moment to watch this 60 second video <[link removed]> that breaks it down into simple yet accurate terms.
Awareness of ESG has been building and a conservative defense of individual liberty is pushing back against this anti-freedom Agenda.

The most recent counter attack comes from Florida <[link removed]> which decided to withdraw $2 billion in Florida’s assets from being managed by BlackRock, a giant financial institution and one of ESG’s most prominent champions.
This comes on the heels of other states which have done the same <[link removed]> including Kentucky <[link removed]>, Louisiana <[link removed]>, Missouri <[link removed]>, Utah <[link removed]>, and
Arkansas <[link removed]>. BlackRock has lost billions of dollars as a consequence of their woke crusade against American business and we need to keep this momentum going.

Learn more about ESG and why it needs to be fought at our website ESGhurts.com <[link removed]>. It has the information you need to get started including model legislation, news, and additional resources.

We look forward to working side-by-side with you to forge a pathway to freedom for our nation.

Thank you for all that you do.

Jessica Anderson and the Heritage Action team
Join the fight to advance the conservative agenda.

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