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18 Absurdities of the McConnell-Schumer Omnibus Spending Bill <[link removed]>
– In a stunning betrayal <[link removed]> of the American electorate, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., worked with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and other Democrat leaders to author this example of congressional corruption. (House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Calif., expected to succeed fellow Californian Nancy Pelosi as House speaker Jan. 3, leads GOP opposition to the spending package in that chamber.) Far from the guise of keeping government’s light on, the foundation of this omnibus spending bill is a vast collection of special-interest handouts and fuel for the fires of inflation and the woke, leftist establishment <[link removed]>. The burdens of this bill, tragically, will stifle our economy and accelerate the dissolution of the fabric of our civil society for many years to come. Heritage Expert: Richard Stern <[link removed]>, David Ditch <[link removed]>, and Matthew Dickerson <[link removed]>
Heritage Vice President Condemns Lame-Duck Spending Disaster: Omnibus Deal a “Complete Betrayal of the American People” <[link removed]> - This omnibus is a complete betrayal of the American people. There is a reason that Congress waited until after the election, when it is least accountable, to pass a massive spending bill. If it’s so great, why didn’t they pass it in October? No surprise, radical Democrats are pushing another extreme proposal. And, no surprise, a number of Republicans are lining up to support this monstrosity. This omnibus would lock in the Biden-Schumer-Pelosi agenda for another year, instead of giving the new Republican majority in the House the opportunity to write spending bills starting Jan. 3. Senate Republican leaders are knowingly insulating the Biden administration from the only leverage the swamp cares about—the power of the purse. This bill ensures that the Biden regime will get its funding, while Congress will have little recourse but to complain until this funding runs out next year. Both get what they want, while the American people lose. Heritage Expert: Richard Stern <[link removed]>, David Ditch <[link removed]>, and Matthew Dickerson <[link removed]>
Zelenskyy Visits the White House Ahead of Massive Bill Funding Ukraine Military <[link removed]> - In its official statement, the White House added President Biden has been rallying the world to support Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February. "Three hundred days ago, Russia launched a brutal assault against Ukraine. In response, President Biden rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity," the statement read. "During the visit, President Biden will announce a significant new package of security assistance to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression." Heritage Expert: Victoria Coates <[link removed]> and Jim Carafano <[link removed]>
Incoming House Oversight Chairman: ‘Imperative’ to Stop Omnibus Spending Bill <[link removed]> - With 20 Republican senators already voting <[link removed]> Tuesday on a procedural motion to advance the bill, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., appears to have enough GOP support to get the bill done this week. That hasn’t stopped Comer and other House Republicans from warning about the consequences. “It’s imperative that we stop the massive omnibus <[link removed]> so that Republicans can use our majority power next Congress to conduct oversight of the federal government, hold the Biden Administration accountable, and enact good government reforms,” Comer told The Daily Signal in a
statement. Withholding money from the Biden administration is one tool House Republicans can use to exercise effective oversight—particularly if federal agencies and government officials are uncooperative or not forthcoming with information in the new year. Heritage Expert: Richard Stern <[link removed]>, David Ditch <[link removed]>, and Matthew Dickerson <[link removed]>
Biden Administration ‘Intentionally Unsecured’ Border for ‘Perceived Political Benefit,’ Mark Morgan Says <[link removed]> - The Biden administration “intentionally unsecured” the southern border because “they see a perceived political benefit from open borders <[link removed]>,” according to Mark Morgan <[link removed]>, former acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Morgan, now a visiting fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, says President Joe Biden has what he needs to secure the border. (The Daily Signal is Heritage’s multimedia news organization.) Biden just needs to “reach up on the shelf and take off the Trump-era border security plan that we had, dust it off, and implement it,” Morgan argues. Heritage Expert: Virginia Allen <[link removed]>
The Radicalization of Race Philanthropy and DEI <[link removed]> - Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has become the guiding principle and dominant focus of many foundations, corporations, and the federal government. At the heart of these multi-billion-dollar efforts—both public and philanthropic—are certain key assumptions: America is systemically racist; white America harbors unconscious racism; and equal rights, meritocracy, and the law itself reinforce a regime of white supremacy. Most of DEI’s practices violate the Constitution and the Civil Rights Act. Numerical quotas, government race-conscious policies, and speech codes do nothing to close the real disparities of achievement, because they do not address the root causes. DEI eradicates the best aspects of the American experiment, which have brought prosperity and opportunity to so many—the rule of law, respect for individual rights, and equal treatment under the law. Heritage Expert: Mike Gonzalez <[link removed]>
Uncle Sam’s three Christmas gifts to China <[link removed]> - Christmas is coming, and Beijing should be grateful for these three gifts from America: policies that strengthen China’s economy at the expense of our own, leaving Americans with higher costs and a weaker economy. China could not ask for a more generous Santa. Including: Battery Electric Vehicles, Focus on Climate Change, and the ESG Movement. Heritage Expert: Diana Furchtgott-Roth <[link removed]>
Big welfare handouts mean folks who stay home are living high on the hog off your tax dollars <[link removed]> - During the pandemic, idled workers received unemployment "bonuses" so high that many were pocketing more than twice
what they had been making on the job. Even without these extra weekly payments, unemployment benefits can reach unexpected high levels in many states. In New Jersey, for instance, a family of four with no one working can receive unemployment benefits equivalent to a job paying over $96,000. That’s more than the median household earns in wages and benefits combined. High unemployment benefits are not unique to the Garden State. In 13 states, a family can receive annualized unemployment benefits worth more than the median household income. The value of unemployment benefits comes not just from their sheer size, but their tax advantages as well. Unlike earned income, unemployment benefits are exempt from payroll taxes, and six states also exempt them from the respective state income tax. Heritage Expert: EJ Antoni <[link removed]>
Substations: The Weakest Link In America’s Power Grid? <[link removed]> - The energy sector, referred <[link removed]> to as the “Achilles heel of the United States,” is comprised of and interconnects power plants, transformers, substations, and wires, to the electrical grid via circuits. These circuits allow electricity to flow across 470,000+ miles <[link removed]>– enough to circle the Earth almost 19 times. As more pressure is placed on the energy sector and as attacks on grid-related facilities rise, it’s safe to assume the nation’s grid will continue to weaken. Substations <[link removed]> are high-voltage electric systems used to switch generators, equipment, and circuits in and out of the grid. Some have one transformer; others have several. Substations are quite vulnerable to attack. Many of the nation’s 55,000 substations are in remote, rural areas, obstructed by foliage. Heritage Expert: Hannah Davis <[link removed]>
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