Jan 13, 2020

Happy Monday. Last week, we saw the president take a firm stance against Iran’s attack on Iraqi soil in response to America’s elimination of terrorist mastermind Gen. Qassem Suleimani. Heritage’s top foreign affairs expert James Carafano shares his thoughts on the president’s handling of the situation. Heritage’s foreign policy team provided a steady stream of analysis in the media last week. Be sure to listen to what they had to say about the situation in Iran. Lastly, the final jobs report of 2019 showed that growth was steady the entire year. Heritage’s Adam Michel weighs in on what we can expect in 2020.

Trump Asserts Hard Line Against Iran
President Trump responded to the Iranian missile strikes on Iraqi bases where U.S. forces are stationed in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s chief architect of terrorism, Gen. Qassem Suleimani. “As we continue to evaluate options in response to Iranian aggression, the United States will immediately impose additional punishing economic sanctions on the Iranian regime,” Trump said. “These powerful sanctions will remain until Iran changes its behavior.” James Carafano, vice president of Heritage’s Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy and E.W. Richardson fellow, called Trump’s response “measured and proportional,” saying, “Trump’s endgame also remains the same: limit the Iranian regime’s ability to wreak mayhem, while offering it the option of going back to the negotiating table to do a real deal.” Read Carafano’s full assessment and recent statement on Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752. 

Heritage Experts Dominate Airwaves on Iran Escalation
As the conflict with Iran was escalating, The Heritage Foundation dominated the airwaves with expert analysis of the situation. Our foreign policy experts offered clear and concise assessments in more than 80 television and radio interviews and more than 30 print news publications. Cully Stimson, a senior legal fellow and manager of Heritage’s National Security Law Program, clarified the media controversy surrounding the president’s decision to eliminate Iran’s top terrorist Gen. Qassem Suleimani. Appearing as a guest host on Fox News’ “Outnumbered,” he said that the attack was not an “assassination,” but a “lawful killing of a combatant.” Last week, Stimson also released a new report that explains why Congress should exercise its power to end the two current authorizations to use military force in Iraq. Don’t miss Stimson’s latest report, and check out some of Heritage’s best interviews on the situation in Iran.

Jobs Growth Was Strong Across 2019 
The Labor Department reported that 145,000 jobs were added in December, marking the 111th month of straight gains. This closes out a year of fantastic economic progress. “Two years after the president signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law and began cutting unproductive federal regulations, the successes of pro-growth policies that help American workers is evident,” says Heritage senior policy analyst Adam Michel. “During this historic economic expansion, policymakers should be proactive and continue to remove government-imposed constraints on future economic growth by lowering tariffs and addressing the growing federal budget deficit.” Read Michel’s recent article in which he lays out how lawmakers can ensure continued growth in 2020.

Monday at 10:30 a.m., Heritage will co-host an event with the Global Taiwan Institute to assess the results of Taiwan’s election. Featured speakers include Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., Ambassador Stanley Kao, head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, and more. Watch the event live.

Tuesday at 6 p.m., Heritage and the American Federation for Children will host a special screening of the major motion picture “Miss Virginia.” The must-see film follows the true story of Heritage visiting fellow Virginia Walden Ford, who sacrificed everything to give her son a good education. Learn more.

Wednesday at noon, Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf will give an address regarding the strengthening of U.S. responses to human trafficking. Watch the event live.

Here are highlights from media outlets like Fox News, Fox Business, BBC, Yahoo Finance, and more featuring Heritage experts. This week, they touched on hot topics like Iran, war powers, and more. Watch the video.