The House Committee on Education and the Workforce holds a hearing today in response to the National Labor Relations Board’s recent proposal to dramatically alter union election procedures. “Rushing Union Elections: Protecting the Interests of Big Labor at the Expense of Workers’ Free Choice” begins at 10 a.m. Expect the hearing to reveal the potential impact the proposed rule will have on employers and workers. Lachlan Markay will be on hand to report from Capitol Hill. Heritage Senior Policy Analyst Jena Baker-McNeill will also be on the Hill today to testify …
Representative Allen West (R–FL) said in a speech today that funding America’s Armed Forces is the No. 1 responsibility of the federal government. Without the protection they provide, America would cease to exist. West spoke at The Heritage Foundation, delivering the closing address for “Protect America Month.” In keeping with the month’s theme, West spoke on national security issues and the need for increased defense spending . At a time when many Members of Congress are calling for a decrease in military funding, West is calling for more, urging the …
This coming weekend we will celebrate the Memorial Day holiday. While it serves as the unofficial start of summer, it also marks a solemn remembrance of all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation. As a 24-year U.S. Navy veteran and graduate of the Naval Academy I am deeply humbled by those we have lost throughout our history. Now, as a freshman Representative from Minnesota and member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I believe I have the same mission as the one I previously …
The administration is launching a full-scale defense of the new START Treaty, as evidenced by two days of testimony in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and an op-ed out this morning in The Wall Street Journal by Michele Flournoy and Ashton Carter. Ms. Flournoy and Mr. Carter rightly point out the successes of the missile defense program over the past few years. Over 10 tests conducted since 2006, the Standard Missile (SM)-3 interceptor has had a 90% success rate. Missile defense is effective and a key component in our national …
In The Matrix, EMP (electromagnetic pulse) was used to stop the Machines during the Machine War. Even Agent Smith used EMP to take out the Hovercrafts. It all sounds like the work of science fiction and Keanu Reeves, but the real threat of electromagnetic pulse isn’t fiction at all—but a growing threat that Congress and the Administration have failed to take seriously. If used effectively by an adversary, a nuclear weapon detonated high in the Earth’s atmosphere could generate a radio frequency capable of destroying all of the electronic devices …
On July 20th, The Heritage Foundation launched the Four Percent For Freedom Petition calling on President Obama and Congress to halt defense spending cuts. If Congress passes Obama’s budget, America will spend less on defense than before the September 11th attacks. This puts our men and women in uniform at risk. In total, 112,623 Americans signed the petition to call on Obama and Congress to protect America by maintaining a minimum defense budget of 4% of GDP. Obama’s budget will put defense spending at historical lows but this type of …
Though the President made a big deal about Father’s Day, on national security issues the White House continues to look like an absent father. What can we expect from the White House on Independence Day? On issue after issue, Obama appears ambivalent or just flat wrong. Last week, President Obama continued his efforts at “spin control,” after being criticized for not speaking out more forcefully on events in Iran. Initially, the President sought to restrain his support for protesters to avoid the charge that the unrest was U.S.-inspired, rather than …
The character of the cartel war as seen in Pima County can be brutal. One “bandit” tactic is to organize small teams that camp out for days in the desert living on peanut butter and gallons of water. They set-up scouts on the hill tops to look out for law enforcement, as well as competitors. When a train of backpackers laden with dope are traversing the foot hills, an ambush team is quickly dispatched with sniper rifles. The packers are given a choice—give up their loads or their lives. Sometimes, …
