Heard at Heritage

Our system for electing the President—the Electoral College—was carefully crafted by the Framers and has worked successfully for over 200 years, protecting and nurturing our Republic. Unfortunately, it is currently under assault from two fronts: a constitutionally questionable National Popular Vote Movement, and now Congressional Democrats pushing a constitutional amendment. Every American should be concerned that the Electoral College is under siege by these efforts, which would radicalize the U.S. political system and marginalize the voices of smaller, less populated states. Our Founders masterfully crafted a system that balances popular sovereignty and state representation, while also encouraging broad coalition building, promoting legitimacy of election outcomes, fostering stability, and discouraging election fraud. We must preserve it. Join us for an address by Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), followed by a panel with two leading experts on the Electoral College who are on the front lines of this fight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From assassinations to spyware to the intimidation of family members, autocracies use the means of transnational repression to silence exiles and opponents around the world. Unfortunately, one tool used by abusive regimes to harass citizens abroad is Interpol itself.Interpol, the international organization of police agencies, plays an important role in promoting cooperation against genuine crime. However, it has also been manipulated by its autocratic members into an instrument of transnational repression, and a recent report by Freedom House emphasizes and details the reality of this abuse.A 2019 Congressional hearing with the U.S. Helsinki Commission led to the introduction of the TRAP Act, which would reform U.S. policy towards Interpol, in both the House and Senate. This legislation would be a critical tool against abuse of the system, but more needs to be done.Join a panel chaired by Dr. Ted R. Bromund, an authority on Interpol, as leading voices on Interpol abuse set out the problem and what the democratic world must to do to end it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congress passed Authorizations for the Use of Military Force in Iraq in both 1991 and 2002, and both AUMFs remain in force. However, the object and purpose of those war powers has long been accomplished.Repealing these war authorizations is key matter of congressional “hygiene” and gets the Congress back in the business of exercising its responsibilities under Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 of the Constitution.Rolling back these vestigial war powers also would not affect the 2001 AUMF passed after 9/11, which is the primary tool used to fight al-Qaeda, the Taliban, ISIS, and others like them. Join us for a moderated discussion with Senators Tim Kaine and Todd Young, who have crafted bi-partisan legislation to finally repeal the 1991 and 2002 Iraq AUMFs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First Principles Townhall: Parents Bringing Civics to the Public SquareAmerica is experiencing a cultural crisis, and parents across the country have asked us how to pass the American legacy to the next generation in a culture increasingly hostile to American identity. The Heritage Foundation’s First Principles Townhall will speak into this moment, offering participants the educational tools to give their children an honest understanding of our history: to help them appreciate America’s political and cultural achievements, as well as our debt to the classical-Christian tradition.Session Two: “Winning Freedom: The American Revolution”President Ronald Reagan famously stated that “freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction,” and preserving our liberties requires knowledge of their origins. This past year, our history and founding principles have been questioned, doubted, and challenged. Others have sought to not only distort our American heritage but to fundamentally change it. Join us for Part 2 of our Parent Townhall Series “Winning Freedom,” in which Dr. Joseph Loconte will explain how exceptional the American Revolution was in world history and why it could easily have collapsed into tyranny, like the French Revolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pushed by grassroots activists, President Joe Biden has created a Supreme Court commission that will examine “reform” ideas such as Court-packing. In the meantime, members of Congress have introduced legislation to increase the Court from nine to thirteen. This is the first attempt to change the basic structure of the Court since President Franklin Roosevelt failed to do it in 1937. The purpose of court-packing and the damage it would do to the judiciary, remain the same. Unlike the 1930s, however, achieving this result through legislation today would require changing the Senate’s legislative process for the first time in more than 200 years.Policy professionals won’t want to miss this 30-minute Policy Pulse discussion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United States Space Force (USSF) was founded in 2019 as the world’s first standalone military branch dedicated to the domain of space.This April, the Heritage Foundation released an in-depth study titled “Rebuilding America’s Military: The United States Space Force,” highlighting the service’s current state, capabilities, and its growing partnership with civil and commercial space organizations.Among the advances, NASA-funded innovations in small satellite propulsion and navigation have opened the aperture of possibilities for offensive counterspace operations and the commercial sector now offers the service an all-but-on-demand launch capability.However, there is still work to be done. The Space Force must develop operational and tactical doctrine for counterspace operations. It must increase space situational awareness, and operational resilience by growing its portfolio of satellites in all orbits. And Congress must grant the authorities required to consolidate all appropriate Defense Department space organizations, personnel, and systems into the USSF as rapidly as possible.Join in on the conversation with the former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and our all-star panel of space power experts as they explore this critical issue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Defense supply chains—the complex networks of firms which design, build, and maintain defense items—are critical to U.S. national security. Sadly, these supply chains are under threat. Some defense programs depend on Chinese suppliers for key items, while others rely on small American suppliers struggling to stay in business. There is a bipartisan consensus that these threats must be confronted, but no conclusion on how to do it.On May 7, hear about this critical issue from three different perspectives. Representative Mike Gallagher co-chairs the House of Representatives’ new task force on strengthening defense supply chains, Rick Giannini is President of Milwaukee Valve Company and chairman of the Aircraft Carrier Industrial Base Coalition, and Maiya Clark is a Research Associate at The Heritage Foundation specializing in the defense industrial base.This dialogue between Congress, industry, and the policy world aims to shed new light on the issue of defense supply chains—and begin to chart a path forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his groundbreaking work, Areopagitica (1644), English author John Milton offered the first comprehensive plea for freedom of speech in the West. The opponents of free speech, he wrote, would cause “the discouragement of all learning, and the stop of truth.” The enemies of free speech are back. As in the United States, Leftist groups in Great Britain have attempted to shut down speech on the nation’s university campuses, tear down statues of historical figures, and censor debate in the public square. But the British government is confronting the scourge of cancel culture. Recently, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new rules to strengthen freedom of speech in higher education and penalize attempts to silence legitimate debate. The Conservative government is also introducing legislation to protect British statues and monuments from mob rule. What can America learn from Great Britain in the fight against cancel culture?Join us as British experts shares their thoughts on lessons from across the Atlantic toward defeating cancel culture and protecting free speech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The national security threats the United States and its allies are facing around the globe are growing in number and complexity. The international order that has served as the framework for American security at home and abroad for over 70 years is being actively undermined by China, Russia and their allies.Is U.S. intelligence properly postured to answer the vexing national security questions that our national and military decision makers need answered? If there are obstacles to shaping a more responsive Intelligence Community (IC) to the challenges we face, what are those barriers to building a more effective IC? What does a revised social contract with the American people look like in era where there is a growing distrust in the government to protect their privacy and civil liberties? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Biden Administration wants to dramatically overhaul America’s health care, putting the government even more in charge of personal decisions. Conservatives must do more than oppose the President’s leftist agenda—they must advance policies that will actually lower health care costs and improve coverage choices. The good news is that there is a growing coalition offering bold reforms that have resulted in better care for all.Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), head of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), has become a strong leader on this issue, calling on conservatives to focus on health care reform, which starts with learning from past failures and successes. Join the Heritage Foundation for a discussion with Rep. Banks and a panel of experts, who will detail how to improve health care for all Americans by unleashing innovation, increasing transparency, and empowering doctors and patients over bureaucrats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.