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EXPERT INSIGHT: Groff v. DeJoy decision upholds religious freedom

The Supreme Court’s decision in Groff v. DeJoy safeguards religious liberty for faith-loving Americans and expands the ability of employees to observe their Sabbath day.

EXPERT INSIGHT: 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis

303 Creative LLC v. Elenis Supreme Court decision protects religious freedom for all Americans.

FACT SHEET: Why Labor Productivity Growth Matters

Americans are working more to produce less, and their paychecks are not going as far as they used to.

FACT SHEET: Universal Licensing Recognition: An America First Policy for Workers

Occupational Licensing is a Barrier to Employment

ISSUE BRIEF: Requiring Voter Identification For Mail-In Ballots

Requiring voter identification (voter ID) to verify a mail-in ballot ensures the voter is who they claim to be.

FACT SHEET: In His Own Words: Mexican President Defends the Drug Cartels

During the past several years, Mexican drug cartels have continued to gain power and destroy lives. Despite THIS, Mexican President Andres Manuel LopeZ Obrador has refused to speak out against them. Here is where he stands on his country's drug cartels

EXPERT INSIGHT: The Border Numbers Don’t Lie: Biden Administration Policies Fueling Crisis

Over the last two and a half years, the policies of the Biden Administration have unleashed a historic security, humanitarian, and fentanyl crisis along our southern border. We continue to see record numbers of illegal aliens released into American communities, tragic deaths from illicit fentanyl poisoning, an explosion of human trafficking cases, and other untold consequences to American communities.

FACT SHEET: Virginia School Choice Solutions

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the educational progress of American schoolchildren, revealed deep inadequacies of the public-school monopoly, and left families feeling powerless about setting the direction of their children’s education. Thankfully, Governor Glenn Youngkin has made school choice his top priority since he started campaigning. He is following through on that promise now by prioritizing several school choice bills, including H.B. 1508, which would enable Virginia students to access $5,000 in Education Savings Account (ESA) funding per year. These funds can be used for private school tuition, school supplies, or even test prep.

FACT SHEET: Utah School Choice Solutions

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the educational progress of American schoolchildren, revealed deep inadequacies of the public-school monopoly, and left families feeling powerless about setting the direction of their children’s education. Utah families will be pleased to know that the state legislature passed H.B. 215, a bill that empowers parents by allowing them to choose the best school for their children, whether charter, private, or parochial. It establishes the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program—an Education Savings Account (ESA) program—and increases teacher salaries by $6,000. It also provides $8,000 per student to be used for tuition and other educational expenses. Not only will it benefit between 5,000-7,000 students during its first year, but it will also incentivize teachers to put their best foot forward.

FACT SHEET: Texas School Choice Solutions

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the educational progress of American schoolchildren, revealed deep inadequacies of the public-school monopoly, and left families feeling powerless about setting the direction of their children’s education. Texas families will be pleased to know that educational opportunities for children are increasing due to continued support for school choice.

FACT SHEET: Tennessee School Choice Solutions

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the educational progress of American schoolchildren, revealed deep inadequacies of the public-school monopoly, and left families feeling powerless about setting the direction of their children’s education. Thankfully, in 2017, Gov. Bill Lee signed an Education Savings Account (ESA) program that provides approximately $8,000 to families. This money can be allocated towards tuition fees and other educational needs. It will also allow Tennessee students to attend schools outside of their district, private schools, and charter schools.

FACT SHEET: South Carolina School Choice Solutions

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the educational progress of American schoolchildren, revealed deep inadequacies of the public-school monopoly, and left families feeling powerless about setting the direction of their children’s education. Thankfully, in May 2023, Governor Henry McMaster signed S39, which expanded school choice to all families in the state. This bill will expand schooling options for South Carolina students and families by allowing taxpayer funds to go towards private and religious school tuition fees. This law is expected to provide education vouchers to 15,000 students by 2026, which will greatly improve educational outcomes and parent satisfaction. In addition to these benefits, it will also help spur economic growth in South Carolina.

FACT SHEET: Ohio School Choice Solutions

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the educational progress of American schoolchildren, revealed deep inadequacies of the public-school monopoly, and left families feeling powerless about setting the direction of their children’s education. Thankfully, school choice is growing in popularity in Ohio. The current budget proposal, which is pending approval, would expand school choice greatly. Having universal school choice in Ohio would mean that students are not constrained by county lines and can select from private, charter, and public options.

FACT SHEET: North Carolina School Choice Solutions

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the educational progress of American schoolchildren, revealed deep inadequacies of the public-school monopoly, and left families feeling powerless about setting the direction of their children’s education. Thankfully, North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarship program, which provides private school vouchers to children of low-income households, launched in 2014. Families can use these funds to cover the cost of private school tuition, transportation, and other supplies. In addition to this program, North Carolina also offers a program called Education Student Accounts (ESA+). This program is available to students with disabilities and provides between $9,000 and $17,000 depending on needs. Qualifying families can choose from either homeschooling, private schooling, or public schooling co-enrollment.

FACT SHEET: Missouri School Choice Solutions

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the educational progress of American schoolchildren, revealed deep inadequacies of the public-school monopoly, and left families feeling powerless about setting the direction of their children’s education. Thankfully, support for school choice in Missouri has been consistently growing. Several bills have been proposed that would allow students to attend public schools in other districts, enabling them to thrive and learn in a setting suited to their personal needs. They would also allow families to use a tax credit towards charter schools, which often benefit students with special needs.

FACT SHEET: Kansas School Choice Solutions

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the educational progress of American schoolchildren, revealed deep inadequacies of the public-school monopoly, and left families feeling powerless about setting the direction of their children’s education. Thankfully, on May 2022, Governor Laura Kelly signed a comprehensive school choice bill that will allow all Kansas students to attend any public school of their choosing by June 2024. Students can apply before the fall semester begins and will be granted a spot if space permits. Transportation, however, is their responsibility. House Bill 2567 will finally allow families to have a say in which school best suits their child’s needs and will help ensure that educated decisions on which schools are best to attend will no longer be dictated by county lines.

FACT SHEET: Iowa School Choice Solutions

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the educational progress of American schoolchildren, revealed deep inadequacies of the public-school monopoly, and left families feeling powerless about setting the direction of their children’s education. Thankfully, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has championed school choice throughout her term and has set a notable example nationally. In January, she signed House File 68—the first school choice bill of 2023—which will provide education savings accounts (ESAs) to Iowa families. Enrolled families will have access to $7,598 annually once this law goes into effect. The remaining money after tuition can be put towards school supplies and electronics.

FACT SHEET: Georgia School Choice Solutions

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the educational progress of American schoolchildren, revealed deep inadequacies of the public-school monopoly, and left families feeling powerless about setting the direction of their children’s education. Thankfully, Georgia has a history of supporting school Unfortunately, though, its lawmakers recently failed to pass SB 233—The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act. However, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) and America First Works (AFW) remain committed to ensuring that each Georgia family has the freedom to choose the best-suited school for their children. Among other efforts, AFW has issued letters of support to House Education Committee members in Georgia.

FACT SHEET: Florida School Choice Solutions

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the educational progress of American schoolchildren, revealed deep inadequacies of the public-school monopoly, and left families feeling powerless about setting the direction of their children’s education. Thankfully, in March, Governor Ron DeSantis signed historic school choice legislation into law, which will lead to an expansion of school choice policies throughout Florida. Eliminating financial eligibility restrictions, as well as the cap, will allow even more students to benefit from a school that meets their individual needs. Florida already has 1.3 million students benefiting from school choice and services more school choice applications than any other state.

FACT SHEET: Arkansas School Choice Solutions

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the educational progress of American schoolchildren, revealed deep inadequacies of the public school monopoly, and left families feeling powerless about setting the direction of their children’s education. Thankfully, on March 8, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the comprehensive Arkansas L.E.A.R.N.S. bill into law. The bill ensures that Arkansas parents will have the right to choose which education is best suited to their children—private, parochial, or charter. It prioritizes increasing access to effective teachers, increasing record-low test scores, and using federal/state funds to expand quality childhood education.

ISSUE BRIEF: DEI spells CRT at Arkansas Universities: Reasonable Restrictions on Campus Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives Will Strengthen the Academic Climate

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs are radical offshoots of Critical Race Theory (CRT), a Marxist doctrine that rejects equal treatment and meritocracy in favor of reverse discrimination to advantage favored identity groups. DEI operates as an industrial complex of programs, people, and policies working together to create powerful incentives and career-threatening penalties that reach into every corner of the institution.

FACT SHEET: Arizona School Choice Solutions

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the educational progress of American schoolchildren, revealed deep inadequacies of the public school monopoly, and left families feeling powerless about setting the direction of their children’s education. Thankfully, Arizona has long been a leader in school choice, ad Governor Doug Ducey signing the first ever universal school choice bill (H.B. 2853) in 2022.

FACT SHEET: Myths and Distortions from TikTok’s Defenders Help It Evade Needed Accountability

TikTok poses a significant risk to American security and MENTAL HEALTH

ISSUE BRIEF: Energy Innovation Protects the Environment

The global economy will continue to run on fossil fuels for the foreseeable future.

RESEARCH REPORT: Biden Administration Policies Replace Equal Opportunity with Equity & Discrimination

The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution requires the government to treat Americans equally. However, Biden’s “equity” executive orders call for us-ing the immense power of the federal government to equalize outcomes across identity groups by replacing equality of opportunity with differential treatment based on race.

Op-Ed: A Diverse Group of Women Faith Leaders from Around the Nation will Hold an Historic Panel Discussion to Address the Impact of Abortion on Minority and Marginalized Communities

Op-Ed: Revolutionizing rural healthcare: The untapped power of virtual care

ISSUE BRIEF: Biden Administration Proposal Insulates the Bureaucracy from Accountability

Civil service rules make firing career federal employees prohibitively difficult, whether for poor performance or intransigence. President Donald Trump created a new “Schedule F” that would enable agencies to dismiss career employees from policy-influencing positions. That executive order allowed the president to hold key portions of the federal bureaucracy accountable and ensure that policy was made by the American people’s elected representatives. However, President Joseph Biden rescinded it shortly after taking office.

Bill to Save Your Bank Account Advances in House

FACT SHEET: Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)

A Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is an electronic means of exchange that is established, issued, and controlled directly by a central bank such as the Federal Reserve. In March 2022, President Biden’s signed Executive Order 14067, which directed the Federal Reserve to begin exploring the possibility of adopting a CBDC.

Top America first actions needed to put patients and doctors back in charge of healthcare

The U.S. leads the world in medical and scientific innovation, but unfortunately, our healthcare system is fractured. Today, the high costs, limited choices, and variable quality of healthcare in the country are significant concerns for Americans.

FACT SHEET: Protect Women and Women’s Sports

When biological men compete in women’s sports, they threaten both the safety of female athletes and the integrity of women’s sports.

AFPI Announces Addition of Senior Advisor to the CEO for Strategic Partnerships Margaret Iuculano

Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) announced the addition of Margaret Iuculano, who will serve as the Senior Advisor to the CEO for Strategic Partnerships at AFPI.

Op-Ed: National Voter Registration Day: Celebrate by Making Sure Voter Registrations and Rolls are Accurate!

Registering to vote is a special, sacred gift often paid for with blood, that should be revered. American men and women have fought and died on battlefields across the world to preserve and protect our constitutional republic’s freedom to vote. National Voter Registration Day is a vital reminder for us to highlight the proper perspectives on voter registration and celebrate accurate, transparent, and accountable voter registration and voter rolls.

Statement: Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg on FY24 House Defense Appropriations Bill

Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg, Co-Chair of the Center for American Security at AFPI, regarding the proposed Fiscal Year 2024 House Defense Appropriations Bill

EXPERT INSIGHT: Proposed Overtime Rule Would Hurt Workers, Limit Flexibility

On August 30, 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a new proposed overtime rule that would limit worker flexibility, decrease productivity, and have no impact on worker pay.

ISSUE BRIEF: Grid Security: Evaluating the Effects of Reliance on Wind and Solar-Based Renewable Energy

The effort to make renewable technology the primary source of electricity generation is challenged by the inherent intermittence of these sources.

Op-Ed: Be the Janitor

FACT SHEET: American Innovation Can Bolster Israeli Energy Security

Today is the third anniversary of the signing of the Abraham Accords, which ushered in a new chapter of peace in the Middle East. On this historic day, the United States should recommit to strengthening our partnerships with countries in the Middle East that are actively seeking regional peace, prosperity, and security.

TESTIMONY: The Impact of Biden’s Open Border on the American Workforce

On September 13, 2023, Robert Law, AFPI’s Director of the Center for Homeland Security & Immigration, testified before the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions. The hearing was titled, The Impact of Biden’s Open Border on the American Workforce, and can be viewed here. Below is the written testimony that was submitted for the Congressional record:

STATEMENT: Carla Sands on H.R. 1435, the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Carla Sands, Vice Chair of the Center for Energy & Environment at AFPI, regarding H.R. 1435, the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act. This bill amends the Clean Air Act to prevent its use in banning the sale of internal combustion engines.

RESEARCH REPORT: Five Steps Toward an American Nuclear Renaissance

Energy policy in the United States is at a crossroads. Spurred by environmental concerns, current federal efforts to replace fossil fuel electricity generation with wind and solar are making the nation’s grid dangerously unreliable. This vulnerability is due to wind and solar’s reliance on favorable weather conditions, coupled with the absence of battery technology needed to balance unpredictable electricity supply with consumer demand. At a recent congressional hearing, half of commissioners on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) warned that the United States is on the brink of an electricity reliability catastrophe (Christie, 2023; Danly, 2023). The human and economic costs of electrical grid failure are not hypothetical; the power outages associated with Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 were responsible for more than 200 deaths (FERC et al., 2021) and tens of billions of dollars of economic damage (Golding, et al., 2021). Amid changing weather patterns, a national reliance upon weather-dependent sources of electricity—the generation of which cannot be ramped up on demand—risks sleepwalking the United States into an avoidable disaster.

No Borders, No Nation

Op-Ed: Competition cures high drug costs

ISSUE BRIEF: Overregulation HARMS American Manufacturing Workers

The wave of overregulation coming from the Biden Administration is hurting American workers in manufacturing by leading to fewer jobs, lower pay, and a worse outlook for the future.

Op-Ed: Mexico is in bed with cartels, profits from open border

Although the U.S. border with Canada is the longest international border in the world, the one that arguably has a greater impact on the daily lives of Americans is the border we share with Mexico.

FACT SHEET: American Defense Supply Chains Are Beholden to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

The CCP Controls the Rare Earth Element (REE) Mining and Processing Operations That Are Key to our Most Sensitive Defense Systems

FACT SHEET: The Left’s Recent Pattern of Questioning and Challenging Election Results

The political Left has a consistent history of questioning and challenging election results for more than two decades.

Op-Ed: Failing government agencies can be fixed

RESEARCH REPORT: The America First Approach to Defeat the Cartels

The Mexican drug cartels are Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) that are public enemy number one to the American people.

Statement: Hogan Gidley Calls on North Carolina Legislature to override Governor’s veto of Election integrity bill

Washington, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Hogan Gidley, Vice Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI, regarding the opportunity for the North Carolina Legislature to override Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill (S.B.) 747. This bill includes several beneficial election integrity measures, including banning Zuckerbucks and establishing firm deadlines for when all ballots must be received.

Op-Ed: If Puerto Rico bankruptcy ruling stands, it could devastate municipal borrowing

Congress needs to look into how Puerto Rico is managed after bankruptcy ruling

Op-Ed: Biden Neglects NKorea, Do New Dangerous Alliances Await?

To say that global and regional threats from North Korea have gone from bad to worse would be a gross understatement, given an upcoming Vladimir Putin/Kim Jong Un summit meeting and a recent North Korean simulated nuclear attack.

Op-Ed: Why the far left hates ‘Sound of Freedom’

Ultraliberals would have to admit their wrongs to curb child sex trafficking

Op-Ed: It’s Not a Happy Labor Day for American Workers Under Biden’s Economy

The spirit of the American worker is the very foundation of our great Nation. There is no force more potent, when left to be free, to prosper, and to flourish. From 2017 to 2020, American workers experienced once of the greatest and most robust economies in U.S. history, which featured the lowest unemployment rate in half a century, consistent wage increases, and a clear path out of poverty for millions of low-income Americans.

Op-Ed: The spiritual significance of Labor Day

Op-Ed: This Back-To-School Season, Celebrate The Boom Of Educational Choice

Op-Ed: The next front of China’s economic war is out of this world

Chinese aggression in the drone space has the potential to threaten U.S. national security and economic power

Op-Ed: My uncle, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had an iconic ‘dream.’ Here’s how we can live it today

Op-Ed: As America continues to run on oil, foreign dictators have Biden over a barrel

Just a few months ago, President Biden declared that America will need oil “for at least another decade, and beyond that.”

Op-Ed: Kamala Harris slip-up reveals how Bidenomics hurting American families

American families are in deep trouble, and it’s worse than any Bidenomics spin can conceal

Op-Ed: It’s Past Time to Protect Our Children Online

FACT SHEET: Georgia’s Recent Election Issues and Progress

Georgia had well-documented security issues and transparency failures during the 2020 election.

RESEARCH REPORT: Reversing the Woke Takeover of Higher Education: Strategies to Dismantle Campus DEI

Campus Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts are a direct offshoot of Critical Race Theory (CRT). DEI officers see their work as an overdue response to structural racism and believe the university should be used to re-engineer American society away from color-blind meritocracy and toward equality of outcomes.

Op-Ed: Biden Pushes Electric Vehicles, Which Kill Union Jobs

Joe Biden calls himself the most pro-union president in history, but he’s pushing policies that would eliminate tens of thousands of United Auto Workers members’ jobs. More surprising, UAW leadership is going along with it.

Statement: Hogan Gidley on The North Carolina Legislature’s Passage of Senate Bill 747

Washington, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Hogan Gidley, Vice Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI, regarding the North Carolina legislature’s passage of Senate Bill 747. This bill includes several critical election integrity measures, including banning Zuckerbucks and establishing firm deadlines for when all ballots must be received.

EXPERT INSIGHT: The ‘Extremists’ who want to End Human Trafficking for Good

The box office hit Sound of Freedom tells the true story of Tim Ballard, an American who rescued victims of child sex trafficking in Colombia.

ISSUE BRIEF: DHS’s Unlawful Use of Parole is a Profit Driver for Cartels and Human Traffickers

The Department of Homeland Security is unlawfully using the narrow immigration parole authority to allow at least 500,000 inadmissible aliens into American communities every year.

The Afghanistan Withdrawal: What Really Happened

On August 7, 2023, nearly two years after the Biden Administration began its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, Congress held a public forum featuring the Gold Star families of all thirteen Marines killed during the early days of the withdrawal. Today, we have an opportunity to learn more about what really happened – what they were told and saw, the importance of their testimonies, and what steps can be taken to hold the Biden Administration accountable. The America First Policy Institute is proud to convene a discussion moderated by Fred Fleitz, Vice Chair of the Center for American Security, and featuring Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Keith Kellogg, Co-Chair of the Center, and Robert Wilkie, Distinguished Fellow in the Center.

Op-Ed: Biden’s open border worsens fatherhood crisis in America

RESEARCH REPORT: Central Bank Digital Currencies

The digitization of money through a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) creates substantial threats to financial privacy, increases government power, and could be weaponized against the American people.

SPEECH: The Naval War College Foundation Symposium

I believe there is general agreement in this room that when we talk of deterrence it is most importantly the Chinese Communist Party who we need to deter and that it is a dangerous increasingly aggressive adversary of the United States.

Op-Ed: California could be a more affordable place to live if politicians made wiser choices

As Californians face incredible pressures on their household budgets and the state’s cost of living remains among the highest in the nation, our state’s leaders continue to repeat a pattern of seemingly endless investigations into government failures.

Op-Ed: Biden’s plan to help evict energy revolution from federal land

Technological innovation has unlocked America’s oil and gas resources, turning the United States into an energy superpower.

Op-Ed: Protect small businesses from crime if you want a thriving economy

Increase in retail theft has a cascading and negative economic impact on small businesses and communities...

Op-Ed: Fight Over New FBI HQ Part of Larger Debate on Draining the Federal Swamp

As of now, House Republicans have removed funds from the FY 2024 budget for the controversial $3.5 billion proposed relocation of the FBI’s Washington, D.C. headquarters to a new complex at one of three locations in the D.C. suburbs of Virginia or Maryland.

Op-Ed: New U.S.-Iran Prisoner Swap? What Strings Are Attached?

Thursday, the Biden administration announced it reached an agreement to swap five American prisoners unjustly held by Iran, in exchange for the United States releasing an unstated number of Iranian prisoners, as well as unfreezing six billion dollars in Iranian funds; money held in South Korea.

Op-Ed: Inflation’s up… credit card debt tops $1 TRILLION ... and Americans drain 401(K)s to make ends meet…

It calls to mind Charles Dickens' famous line – 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.'

Op-Ed: Team Biden’s Weakness Sidelines U.S., Strengthens Putin on Ukraine

Although a 42-nation summit hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) last weekend failed to make significant progress on ending the Ukraine War, Saudi Arabia’s and China’s peace efforts...

Op-Ed: Peace, Peace When There Is No Peace

A century ago, Teddy Roosevelt published a collection of articles titled Fear God and Take Your Own Part in which he outlined his views on war and peace.

Top 10 America First Actions For Key Policy Areas

Op-Ed: How the Border Crisis is Impacting Montana

Over the past two and a half years, the Biden Administration has ushered in an historic security, humanitarian, and fentanyl crisis along our southern border. Today, we see record numbers of illegal aliens released into American communities, tragic deaths from illicit fentanyl poising, an explosion of human trafficking cases, and other untold consequences to American communities. Unfortunately, what occurs along the southern border does not stay along the southern border. Instead, it impacts communities across the country, including right here in Montana. 

Op-Ed: Hands off our appliances, President Biden

Administration's energy approach puts Washington, not Americans, in the driver's seat. It’s just the latest move in a long line of aggressive regulations on gas-powered stoves, dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners, light bulbs and even cars.

Op-Ed: Joe Biden’s Bureaucratic Land Grab

Earlier this year, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed Public Lands rule. The rule seeks new regulations to prioritize “the health and resilience of ecosystems” across the 10% of American land the bureau manages.

Op-Ed: FBI wrecked its reputation. Fixing it requires these essential things

Director Wray glossed over some of the mistakes that have damaged the FBI's reputation.

MESSAGING AND DATA LAB: Weaponizing Government to Prosecute the America First Movement – and Protect Corrupt Elites

It has now been shown the federal government is being weaponized against the America First Movement. 

Op-Ed: Biden Admin Planning to Evade Congress with Secret New Nuclear Deal with Iran

The agreement includes major U.S. concessions with reportedly little given in return.

ISSUE BRIEF: Is a Special Counsel Necessary to Investigate the Department of Justice?

Special counsels have been appointed on numerous occasions to investigate the actions of senior government officials.

FACT SHEET: 2023 Chinese Communist Party (CCP) State Legislation Scorecard

The CCP is a political and economic adversary of the United States, with the stated intention of ensuring China overtakes America as the world’s leading power. Securing and dominating world food supply chains is integral to this goal, so China has rapidly built up its American agricultural assets in recent years. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Chinese investors’ holdings of U.S. agricultural land surged from 13,720 acres in 2010 to 352,140 acres in 2020—a stunning 5,300% increase. In total, this land is worth about $1.9 billion. At least 23 state legislatures in 2023 introduced at least 53 bills to impede CCP access to American agricultural land. The bills summarized below have either been successfully signed into law or have innovative features worthy of study.

BILL ANALYSIS: Analysis of S. 1207, the Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act of 2023 (EARN IT ACT of 2023)

Children are becoming increasingly vulnerable to online exploitation. The EARN IT Act aims to fix this problem and create avenues of justice should a horrific incident of abuse occur.

Op-Ed: Never Forget What The Left Is Capable Of

On Tuesday, June 25, 2013, an extraordinary scene unfolded in the Texas state Senate. Having lost — electorally, and legislatively — on their extremist pro-abortion stance, the Texas Democrats were making a last-ditch effort to stall popular pro-life legislation.

STATEMENT: Mike Faulkender on Fitch’s Downgrade of U.S. Long-Term Credit Rating

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Mike Faulkender, Chief Economist at AFPI, on Fitch Ratings’ decision yesterday to downgrade the U.S.’s long-term credit rating from AAA to AA+:

EXPERT INSIGHT: Federal Union Arbitrators Frequently Misapply the Law

In disputes between federal agencies and unions, arbitrators decide whether the agency has violated the law or contract. These arbitrators typically have little firsthand experience with agency operations or federal employment law.

BILL ANALYSIS: Analysis of S. 1409, the Kids Online Safety Act of 2023

Children have more Internet access than ever, which leaves them more exposed to exploitation and the dangers to mental health. KOSA (S. 1409) aims to fix this issue while still allowing children to benefit from the freedoms that come with being online.

FACT SHEET: New Chinese Mineral Export Controls threaten U.S. National Security

The CCP’s new export controls on gallium and germanium— which are used to manufacture items from microchips to fiber optics and satellites—go into effect today, August 1, 2023. By weaponizing China’s position as the world’s largest producer of gallium and germanium, these coercive measures underscore the urgent need for secure mineral supply chains. The United States must strengthen American supply chains by enacting comprehensive permitting reform, coordinating with allies, and ending financial incentives that weaken them.

Op-Ed: BlackRock and Its ESG ‘Voting Choice’ Ruse

Amid growing criticism of its environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment  practices, BlackRock has announced that it will offer retail investors in its largest exchange-traded fund (ETF) the opportunity to participate in its “Voting Choice” program.

Op-Ed: Davids And Goliaths: The Case Studies Of Israel, Taiwan, And Ukraine

In 2023, the United States approaches transition points in its relationships with three nations that share the following qualities: Each is in a theater with a major U.S. adversary (a “Goliath”). Each is not part of any formal alliance structure...

Op-Ed: The trials of Donald Trump

We must subordinate the administrative state to its proper place. Coincidences happen in twos. When they come in threes, fours, and more, then we have to think it is less by happenstance than by design.

Op-Ed: School’s slavery language distracts from how far we’ve come

Conservatives should celebrate robust Black American History curriculum. If you have been keeping up the news lately, you might have seen the ongoing controversy concerning the Florida Department of Education and their egregious update to their social studies curriculum where they claim, "slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit." 

Op-Ed: An America First Approach to End the War in Ukraine

Good morning. Today, I am going to talk about a difficult and controversial topic that is dividing the American people and the conservative movement: what American policy should be concerning the war in Ukraine.

STATEMENT: Faulkender Commends Conservatives for Putting the Retirement Savings of American Families First

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Mike Faulkender, Chief Economist at AFPI, applauding the House Financial Services Committee for considering policies that put the retirement savings of hardworking American families above efforts to politicize our retirement markets.

Op-Ed: Georgia Secretary of State Must Address Documented Issues Raised by the Halderman Report

Criminals are always looking for new ways and technology to hack into your life, steal protected information, and rob you blind.

Op-Ed: Doctor’s Office Care at Hospital Prices

Op-Ed: How Promising NATO Membership To Ukraine Could Lead To World War III

President Joe Biden’s promise last week to admit Ukraine after the conclusion of the war will make it harder to negotiate an end to the war. It also could force America to send troops to fight Russia in Ukraine if fighting resumes after a ceasefire or peace agreement. 

SPECIAL ANALYSIS: Countering Xi Jinping’s China: An Existential Threat That America First Leadership Can Stop

China has long been an existential threat to U.S. and global security, but this threat has grown significantly over the past two years due to the weak and incompetent national security policies of the Biden Administration.

ISSUE BRIEF: Post-Title 42: How the Biden Administration’s New Border Policies Hide the Border Crisis

The Biden Administration’s new border policies following the expiration of Title 42 divert illegal aliens from areas between the ports of entry to the actual ports of entry to hide the optics of the border crisis.

Op-Ed: Biden’s Biggest Gift To China

The Biden administration’s China outreach continued earlier this week as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry stepped up to the plate, following Secretaries Antony Blinken and Janet Yellen’s recent trips — and telling bowing and scraping to Chinese officials.

STATEMENT: Chad Wolf on Schools Not Shelters Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, former acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and Executive Director of the America First Policy Institute Chad Wolf released the following statement on H.R. 3941 Schools Not Shelters Act:

America First Policy Institute Expands Weaponization of Government Initiative

Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) announced the expansion of its Weaponization of Government Initiative. AFPI is adding the expertise and knowledge of Nicole Parker, former FBI Special Agent, who will serve as a Senior Advisor for AFPI’s Center for Law and Justice. The Center is chaired by former Acting U.S. Attorney General Matt Whitaker and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.

ISSUE BRIEF: Government Surveillance and the Collection of Private Data, The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and Congressional Reauthorization

Create civil and/or criminal liabilities for abuses within the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act application process and ensure prompt and credible enforcement.

Op-Ed: Biden is cooking the books at the border

The reality the Biden administration is hiding from you and media are failing to report accurately

RESEARCH REPORT: Help Wanted:  An Economic Productivity Agenda to Boost Workers

Average labor productivity is down 1.8% in the first two years of the Biden Administration and posted an even worse 2.1% annualized drop in Q1 of 2023. No other administration in modern history has begun with such a dismal performance of labor productivity.

FACT SHEET: Hydrogen Fuel: background, Applications, and Challenges

Accounting for nearly 75% of all matter, hydrogen is the simplest, lightest, and most abundant element. When activated as a fuel, hydrogen has the benefit of producing only water as a byproduct and can be used in a variety of contexts. Although hydrogen is the technological frontier for energy storage and transportation, high production costs and outdated federal regulations risk stymieing the development of this innovative fuel source.

Op-Ed: Proposed EV mandate will cost thousands of jobs

The Biden Administration plans to force Americans to switch to electric vehicles (EVs) within a decade. While the media has extensively covered this proposal, its consequences for workers have received relatively little attention.

STATEMENT: Ken Blackwell and Hogan Gidley as The House Administration Committee clears the American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act

Washington, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Ken Blackwell, Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI, and Hogan Gidley, Vice-Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI, as the House Administration Committee clears the American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act. The ACE Act would implement several key federal election integrity measures, such as prohibiting outside funding of elections administration, ensuring only American citizens can vote in American elections, and more.

Public Health Solutions to Combat Fentanyl Poisoning in the United States

Americans are united in their concerns about illicit fentanyl—more than nine out of 10 voters (92%) believe it is a serious problem in the U.S. today (RMG Research, Inc., 2023).

Framing Religious Freedom Globally

The Center for American Values of the America First Policy Institute hosts Ambassador Sam Brownback and Paivi Rasanen, a Member of the Finnish Parliament, for this timely discussion on religious freedom and how this core human right is under attack around the world and more so in the West.

RESEARCH REPORT: Reverting to the “New Paradigm” on Title IX: What the Biden Administration’s ‘Gender Identity’ Regulations Mean for U.S. Universities

The Biden Administration has proposed two revisions to Title IX regulations. The 2022 proposal would forbid universities from discriminating based on gender identity, requiring universities to open intimate facilities like bathrooms and locker rooms to students based on self-professed gender identity. The 2023 proposal is focused on athletics and will pressure administrators to allow biologically male athletes to compete in women’s sports in K–12 and college athletics.

Op-Ed: The way to end this violent epidemic wreaking havoc on America’s cities

As a former United States attorney and acting attorney general dedicated to upholding the principles of justice and ensuring public safety, I am compelled to address a deeply concerning issue that has plagued our communities: the escalating wave of gang violence.

RESEARCH REPORT: Proposed EV Mandate Would Eliminate 117,000 Auto manufacturing jobs

Proposed Biden Administration regulations would require Americans to switch to electric vehicles they do not want. Under the draft rules, auto manufacturers would be required to increase the proportion of electric vehicles they sell from 6% to 67% in less than a decade.

Liberty and Justice for All: An America First FBI

Wray Testimony: Shedding Light on Politicization at the FBI

The congressional testimony of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray before the House Judiciary Committee should provide Congress with the opportunity to examine, in detail and under oath, many of the serious allegations concerning the politicization of investigations within the FBI.

RESEARCH REPORT: The Impacts Of Photo Identification Requirements On Voting

Requiring a photo ID to vote is sometimes mocked and maligned by political elites, but 81% of Americans favor the measure.

LETTER OF SUPPORT: The American Confidence In Elections (ACE) Act

On behalf of the Center for Election Integrity (CEI) at the America First Policy Institute, we would like to express our support for the passage of the American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act.

Statement: Ken Blackwell on The American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act

Washington, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Ken Blackwell, Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI, regarding the American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act, which would implement several key federal election integrity measures. The Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 12.

Op-Ed: Joe Biden’s Climate Policies Weaken the U.S. and Strengthen China

President Biden’s commitment to end fossil fuels has been ineffective in reducing the demand for oil – but very effective in both weakening the U.S. and empowering our primary global adversary, China.

NEWS RELEASE: AFPI Calls on Congress to Restrict Communist China’s Access to American Agricultural Land

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Steve Yates, Chair of the China Policy Initiative at the America First Policy Institute, regarding the importance of passing federal legislation to prevent hostile foreign powers from accessing America’s farmland.

Op-Ed: Biden Administration Loses Student Loans Battle in Court, Promises to Try Again

When the Supreme Court struck down the Biden Administration’s unconstitutional student loan bailout last Friday, it scolded the Executive for “seize[ing] the power of the Legislature.” Later the same day, the administration promised to do it again.

EXPERT INSIGHT: Revisiting Judicial Review:  The Next Step for Permitting Reform

The agreement to raise the federal debt ceiling last month provided a long-overdue, first step toward modernizing America’s federal permitting system. Among its various provisions, the agreement—more formally known as the Fiscal Responsibility Act—mandates both page- and time-limits for various forms of environmental reviews. Additionally, if federal agencies ignore their deadlines, the law provides project developers with the right to seek a court order to enforce compliance within 90 days. Moreover, when several agencies need to complete an environmental review, the Act compels them to develop a single environmental review document.

Statement: Ken Blackwell on the Passage of the Enact Data Analysis Transparency Archive (DATA) Act in Ohio

Washington, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Ken Blackwell, Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI, regarding the passage of the DATA Act in Ohio. The DATA Act establishes new methods of retaining election data, creating better clarity and accountability in election administration.

Op-Ed: Bidenomics is a disaster, but president is still trying to run on it

Word out of the White House is that President Joe Biden wants to tout his economic successes. He's even embracing the slogan "Bidenomics" — which most people think is a term of as a term of derision and policy flops.

NEWS RELEASE: AFPI Releases List of Major Wins for Education Opportunity During the Most Historic Year for School Choice

AFPI Leads the Charge in Most Historic Year for School Choice Progress

At the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), we believe that the transformative progress on school choice will help prepare Americans for the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. This year, more states have passed school choice legislation than any other time in history.

Op-Ed: Bidenomics Spin vs. Economic Reality

President Biden is on a “Bidenomics” tour, trumpeting what he claims are his administration’s economic gains. His effort comes as no surprise. In the RealClearPolitics average of the polls, only about 38 percent of Americans approve of Biden’s job on the economy.

Op-Ed: Election denier: How to respond to the buzzword

People who use the term “election denier” to attack their political opponents are like children on a playground using name-calling in an attempt to bully their peers. The left has resorted to name-calling as their primary defense against legitimate questions raised about policies that lack election integrity. The term “election denier” is used like a locked gate to shut out further conversation and apply a stigma to everyone who is concerned about election integrity in America. This is not a small percentage of the population; rather, this group represents more than 65% of the voters in our country.

Op-Ed: America’s Independence on a Precipice, but Hope Remains

America’s July 4 observance in 2023 arrives with more skin color arguments, affirmative action disputes, global unrest, domestic debates, political battles and natural disasters.

Op-Ed: The good news behind the low number of Americans who believe the best is yet to come

As America celebrates its 247th birthday and stands just three years away from the celebration of a lifetime, our 250th birthday, the morale of our Union is disheartening.

Op-Ed: Harvard’s loss on affirmative action raises questions about university DEI programs

“Eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it.” So writes Chief Justice Roberts in his Supreme Court majority opinion ending the use of race preferences in college admissions. Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College, which also applies to a companion suit against the University of North Carolina, is a monumental victory for proponents of race-neutral enforcement of civil rights guarantees and a colorblind Constitution.

Op-Ed: Illegal immigration is bringing slavery into America

There is a very real human cost to open borders: modern-day slavery. Right now, our southern border is the least secure in history, and Mexican drug cartels are making a killing by taking advantage of migrants on the journey to our country. Sadly, migrant women and children are often raped, robbed, and forced to smuggle drugs, and those who cannot pay their fee, or “piso,” for passage to the U.S. are trapped in indentured servitude in fear for their own lives or their families.

Op-Ed: Biden’s radical climate agenda is hurting families and robbing America of its independence

STATEMENT: AFPI Lauds Supreme Court for Upholding Free Speech

STATEMENT: AFPI Applauds Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Biden’s Student Loan Bailout

AFPI Praises Supreme Court Decision in Harvard and University of North Carolina Affirmative Action Cases 

America First Policy Institute Outlines Plan to Hold National Security Officials Accountable

ISSUE BRIEF: Recommended America First Actions to Counter Meddling in Domestic Politics by U.S. National Security Officers

Recent reports show current and former U.S. national security officers (Executive Branch employees who perform classified national security work) abused their access to classified information, their security clearances, and their credentials as intelligence officers to meddle in U.S. politics and attempted to influence the outcome of presidential campaigns.

EXPERT INSIGHT: DEI spells CRT: Ohio Can Strengthen the Intellectual Environment at State Universities with Reasonable Restrictions on Campus Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives

Legislation restricting highly ideological campus Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs was proposed during the 2023 legislative sessions in more than a dozen states, including Ohio (Lieb, 2023). Bills in Florida and Texas have passed, while others are sure to be reintroduced next year if sessions concluded without successful legislative action.

ISSUE BRIEF: Enhanced Prosecutions for Fentanyl

Fentanyl continues to ravage communities across the Nation, infiltrating our borders and poisoning Americans of all ages and backgrounds. In each of the past two years, more than 100,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdose, with a substantial amount of those coming at the hands of opioids like fentanyl (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). If we are to begin to turn the tide against this scourge, the Nation must get serious about how we treat criminals who engage in the manufacturing or distribution of this particularly dangerous drug.

Op-Ed: Mississippi Celebrates Major Educational Victory

It’s rare to see a comeback story as strong as that of Mississippi students. According to the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, Mississippi fourth-graders, when adjusted for demographics, are ranked as the nation’s top performers in reading and second in math.

Voter Discrepancies Found In The Arizona 2022 General Election

In recent years, several state officials have raised concerns that some ballots could have been counted multiple times in their elections, resulting in more ballots counted than registered voters who voted. Others have raised the question of whether ballots could have been destroyed, resulting in more registered voters who voted than ballots counted.

Op-Ed: One year after Dobbs, here are challenges facing the pro-life movement

June 24, marks the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade and held that there is no constitutional right to abortion. 

Op-Ed: Championing Women in the Post-Dobbs Era of the Pro-life Movement

Op-Ed: California’s Anti-Worker Policies Are Coming To Washington

I have long feared that the Biden Administration would emulate the disastrous, anti-worker policies of California. The Administration’s recent nomination of California Labor Secretary Julie Su to lead the U.S. Department of Labor suggests that my fears may be turning into reality.

FACT SHEET: Churches Can Influence Public Policy

There is a pervasive misperception that churches, religious organizations, pastors, and other religious leaders are unable to engage in public policy debates without losing their tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.1 The lack of proper understanding of the interplay between a church’s First Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution2 and the limitations of tax-exempt status has caused many religious organizations to remain on the sidelines, even as public policy debates veer contrary to the church’s teachings.

FACT SHEET: Jack Smith – A Record That Speaks for Itself

Special Counsel Jack Smith, tapped by Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate former President Donald Trump for allegedly wrongfully maintaining classified documents in his residence – a fairly common practice other U.S. Attorneys General have refused to prosecute – has a troubling record of failed, botched, and/or suspect prosecutions against prominent public figures.

FACT SHEET: United States v. Donald Trump

n June 8, 2023, 10 months after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided former President Donald J.

Op-Ed: The Stealth Student Loan Bailout

The Supreme Court is likely to strike down the Biden Administration’s borrower bailout in the coming weeks.

Op-Ed: Durham Report Was Another Blow To Americans Trust In FBI

In what should be a shocking discovery, the Durham Report corroborates the level at which the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Justice (DOJ) undermined their oath and public trust. What the report uniquely shows, however, is the audacity with which ruling-class elites were willing to sink to subvert the will of the American people. And that is still taking place today. 

STATEMENT: Hogan Gidley on North Carolina Senate Bill 747, The Elections Law Changes Act

Washington, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Hogan Gidley, Vice Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI, regarding Senate Bill (S.B.) 747 in North Carolina. The Elections Law Changes Act would strengthen North Carolina’s election integrity by enacting stronger regulations on mail-in ballots, prohibiting outside private funding from being used to administer public elections, and authorizing other commonsense measures.

Messaging and Data Lab: The Southern Border Crisis

This Administration has torn down successful, proven policies and implemented new ones that have defied the rule of law and allow for never-before-seen numbers of illegal aliens to cross into our country, Mexican drug cartels to exploit men, women, and children to rake in billions of dollars, deadly fentanyl to pour into our communities killing Americans, and a record-high number of human smuggling and child trafficking. To be blunt, the Biden Administration is the first administration of either political party to deliberately take steps to diminish the security along our southern border. 

RESEARCH REPORT: Changing Government to Move at the Speed of Business: A Case Study

This case study shows how a government agency transformed itself to serve citizens better by cutting its layers of management nearly in half, reducing red tape, streamlining bureaucracy, and cutting its workforce by 10 percent. These actions enabled the agency to begin producing substantially better results with more satisfied and motivated employees.

Op-Ed: Progressive approaches to justice leave Californians less safe

This month marks one year since San Francisco voters recalled Chesa Boudin, the city’s notoriously progressive district attorney. One of a string of liberal “reform-minded” district attorneys throughout California who seek to replace punitive justice with a sense form of equity, Boudin presided over a predictable crime surge in a city plagued for years by drug use, delinquency, and organized crime.

Op-Ed: The swamp’s process of punishing Trump

The indictment of former President Donald Trump for allegedly violating federal laws regarding records and classifications is a watershed in the history of the republic — and not for the reasons touted by his enemies.

ISSUE BRIEF: 2021-2023: Child Exploitation at the Southern Border

America is experiencing a revival of the worst parts of the Industrial Revolution in the forms of indentured servitude, modern-day slavery, and forced labor of children being trafficked and smuggled across the southern border. An overlooked aspect of the Biden Administration’s open border policies is that they enable the cartels to take advantage of vulnerable children for profit.

FACT SHEET: How Open Borders Incentivize Exploitation of Children

Unaccompanied Alien children (UACs) suffer the worst consequences of the Biden Administration’s Inhumane border crisis.

Op-Ed: Foreign Policy Blob Starts To Admit A Ukraine Ceasefire Is Inevitable

On June 5, the day after Ukraine’s long-delayed spring counteroffensive began, Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass said during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that a ceasefire in the war, with Ukraine not recovering most of its territory, is inevitable.

Statement: Ken Blackwell on Texas’s Withdrawal from ERIC

Op-Ed: Biden wants higher taxes and more spending. We have a better idea

Having resolved the latest federal debt ceiling “crisis,” Congress now turns its attention to the federal budget for fiscal year 2024. True to form, President Biden proposes to increase federal taxes and spending by $4.7 trillion and $1.8 trillion, respectively, over the coming decade.

Op-Ed: Father’s Day, Juneteenth, and Dobbs Merit Deepest Reflection

It’s no coincidence that the anniversaries of Father’s Day, Juneteenth and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) coincide, this year, during the month of June.

Op-Ed: Biden’s failed economy: Here’s what those inflation numbers really mean for consumers, businesses

Inflation for the month of May came in at an annual rate of 4% and the White House immediately and misleadingly tweeted that "inflation has fallen by more than half." In reality, inflation is increasing, not falling.

Op-Ed: Here’s What The Left Gets Wrong About Benjamin Netanyahu’s Vision For Israel

Israel has recently been the target of a new wave of attacks, much of it relating to the Left’s disappointment in the return of Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-leaning coalition.

Open Border, Closed Case: Chad Wolf Testifies Before House Committee on Homeland Security

On Wednesday, June 14, Chad Wolf was called back to the Hill to share his testimony with the House Committee on Homeland Security.

The Fight Against the Weaponization of Government Continues

For years, the radical Left has used everything in its arsenal to attack and suppress the America First conservative movement. The latest example? Using a two-tiered system of justice against any individual it ideologically opposes.

National Security Experts Urge Congress to Investigate the Investigators

Findings from the Durham Report highlight the politicization of investigations within the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and raise serious questions regarding the agency's integrity involving those who engage in sensitive FBI operations.  

Op-Ed: Biden’s EV Diktat Will Cost Consumers and Threaten Jobs

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced aggressive C02 mandates, with the expressed goal of 67% of all cars having 0% tailpipe emissions in the next seven years.

No More Signs on Bragg Boulevard

Today, the military is on the frontline in those culture wars ripping America apart. Progressive politics have been injected at every level of service from the academies to basic training to the Joint Chiefs. It is a long way from George Marshall saying he served only the Republic to General Mark Milley opining from Black Lives Matter talking points about white rage.

Op-Ed: Saudi’s MBS Won’t Tolerate Biden’s Incompetent Foreign Policy

Saudi Arabia, America’s long-time ally and a key anchor for its interests in the Mideast and across the globe, has found itself the victim of President Joe Biden’s extraordinarily incompetent foreign policy.

Op-Ed: The Founders Wouldn’t Recognize This ‘Justice’ System

Our Founders envisioned a Nation where the rule of law ensures justice for everyone before our legal system. Equal enforcement of our country’s laws, regardless of a citizen’s political affiliation or social status, was the primary hallmark of this system, which, although imperfect, has set a shining example for the rest of the world to follow.

FACT SHEET: The Economic Benefits of Natural Gas:  The Mountain Valley Pipeline and the Need for Further Pipeline Expansion

Almost a decade since its first permitting proposal was submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is set to be completed by the end of 2023. Originating in West Virginia, this pipeline will transport natural gas from the Marcellus shale formation to customers in Virginia. The MVP demonstrates the potential merits of further developing the Nation’s natural gas pipeline network.

The Border Crisis: Is the Law Being Faithfully Executed?

Wednesday, June 7, 2023, Chad Wolf, former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security and Chair of the Center of Homeland Security and Immigration at AFPI, provided expert testimony to Congress on the humanitarian and security crisis unfolding at our southern border.  

ISSUE BRIEF: Religious Freedom Challenges Transcend the International and Domestic Divide

Religious freedom is now under threat on a global level. A separation of domestic issues from international issues no longer exists.

STATEMENT: Carla Sands on OPEC’s Decision to Reduce Global Oil Production and the Fragility of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Carla Sands, Vice Chair of the Center for Energy & Environment at AFPI, regarding the decision by members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to reduce global oil production and the ongoing fragility of the strategic petroleum reserve.

Op Ed: Gretchen Whitmer Is Selling Workers A Lemon

If there were a law that forced everyone to buy their cars from one dealership, do you think the dealer would really care about the quality of the cars? Of course not. They just want to sell cars, and without competition or choice, they would have no incentive to ensure quality.

The Border Crisis Hits Your Community: Key Facts and Figures 

ISSUE BRIEF: How the Administrative State is Being Used to Criminalize Lawful Gun Owners

Although recent victories for the Second Amendment in the United States Supreme Court, such as New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022), may give many Americans the impression that the Second Amendment has become immune to attempts by state legislatures and Congress to violate it, the administrative state has been working behind the scenes to criminalize law-abiding gun owners. Over the last several years, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has been bypassing Congress and abusing its power to alter the definitions of firearms within already enacted laws. For decades, gun owners have abided by these definitions as they have exercised their constitutional rights. Most recently, the ATF, without Congress’ approval, changed the definitions of firearms found in the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA). This change in definitions, via the ATF’s new “rule,” specifically jeopardizes the legality of “stabilizing braces,” a popular accessory commonly used by millions of gun owners nationwide.

AFPI Debt Ceiling Deal Policy Takeaways

In February 2023, AFPI published a debt ceiling primer that contained recommendations to address the country’s unsustainable fiscal path and implement policies that put the American people first.1 The primer made key recommendations and included several estimates of impact on deficit reductions. 

EXPERT INSIGHT: Congress Explores ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence. Will America First Solutions Prevail?

Throughout our Nation’s history, the U.S. has been a leader in developing cutting-edge technology, processes, and products that improved the lives of millions. Countless examples include Henry Ford’s streamlined process for building cars, the Internet, and Steve Jobs unveiling Apple’s iPhone. Today, the latest technological advancement creating a global buzz is generative artificial intelligence (AI), which includes OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which was released in November 2022.

FACT SHEET: Fatherhood and Crime

The United States has the HIGHEST RATE of children in single-parent households of any nation in the world.

FACT SHEET: Fathers Matter – Pass It On

The United States has the HIGHEST RATE of children in single-parent households of any nation in the world.

Op-Ed: Remember the Fallen — and Those They Left Behind

The Christmas season of 1942 was clouded by war in the small town of Waterloo, Iowa, but for Mrs. Alleta Sullivan, it was especially dreadful.

Op-Ed: Let’s all take pride - In AMERICA

Memorial Day Remembrance - 2023

Christmas season of 1942 a small town in Iowa was clouded by war, but for one mother, Mrs. Alleta Sullivan it was especially dreadful.

Op-Ed: American leadership in East Africa is helping stabilize the region–and that’s good for our long-term national security

Kenya is a democratic outpost in a very bad neighborhood. The raging conflict in Sudan is one of many challenges faced by a continent that will be home to one out of every four people on Earth by 2050. Piracy and lawlessness in Somalia. Ongoing unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique. A newly announced arms trade agreement between South Africa and Russia. These are all examples of freedom and democracy losing ground in Africa – a region of paramount importance to America’s long-term national security.

STATEMENT: AFPI on the Supreme Court’s Decision Rejecting the Environmental Protection Agency’s Overreach

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statements regarding the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Op-Ed: Attacks on Whistleblowers Hurt Bureau’s Nonpolitical Reputation

Harsh criticism by the FBI, congressional Democrats, and the news media to discredit three FBI whistleblowers who testified last week to Congress was an unprecedented response to government professionals who risked their careers to speak out against government corruption and abuse of power.

STATEMENT: AFPI Applauds Oklahoma Governor for Instituting School Choice

STATEMENT: AFPI Praises the Passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act of 2023 

STATEMENT: House Resolution to Stop the Biden Administration’s Borrower Bailout Reasserts the Constitutional Separation of Powers

FACT SHEET: Banning TikTok on Government Devices in Ohio

Governor Mike DeWine has already signed an executive order banning TikTok to “ensure and maintain the cybersecurity of the Ohio state government, its employees and contractors.” But a law is needed to make this ban permanent!

STATEMENT: AFPI Supports Price Transparency Policies that Put Patients and Doctors Back in Charge of Healthcare

STATEMENT: Carla Sands on the House’s Rebuke of the Biden Administration’s Heavy-Duty Vehicle Emissions Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Carla Sands, Vice Chair of the Center for Energy & Environment at AFPI, regarding the House of Representatives passage of S.J. Res. 11.

AFPI submits public comment detailing serious flaws in the Education Department’s proposed Title IX athletics regulation.

Notice of proposed rulemaking: Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance: Sex-Related Eligibility Criteria for Male and Female Athletic Teams, Docket ID ED- 2022-OCR-0143

Op-Ed: Governor Hobbs Thumbs Nose at Election Integrity and American Manufacturing

The integrity of our electoral process is vital to maintaining the foundations of democracy. Reliable and secure voting machines play a crucial role in the faith, trust, and confidence of our elections.

Testimony of Robert Lighthizer Before the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party

The United States cannot continue to underwrite the geopolitical rise of the People’s Republic of China. China’s entire economic system centers around increasing Chinese power on the world stage. For too long, the U.S. government allowed American corporations to feed into these plans and sat idly by while Chinese entities stole American intellectual property and technical know-how.

STATEMENT: AFPI Commends Senator Rubio for his Report Examining COVID-19’s Origins  

Op-Ed: Want To Solve The Debt Crisis? Here’s Where To Start

House Republicans fired a strong opening salvo in the debt ceiling debate with the passage of the Limit, Save, Grow Act, which partners a necessary debt limit increase with a critical push for fiscal responsibility and economic growth.

FACT SHEET: All Ballots In By Election Day

The deadline for election officials to receive ballots varies widely by state. Requiring that ballots be delivered to election officials by Election Day will increase trust and transparency in elections administration. For people legitimately unable to vote in person, options such as entrusting a family member or using the U.S. Postal Service are available. Requiring uniform deadlines will also make it simpler for voters who have moved recently to know when to mail their ballot in order to ensure timely delivery.

Op-Ed: Debt ceiling fight: Republican Medicaid plan shows how to make work requirements work right

The House GOP’s Limit, Save, Grow Act to raise the debt ceiling contains within it a vitally important reform — work requirements for able-bodied adults to qualify for Medicaid.  

Op-Ed: Ending Title 42 proves Biden’s border disaster could have been avoided

Biden caused a humanitarian and security crisis at the border. Ending Title 42 makes it worse

ISSUE BRIEF: Fatherlessness and its effects on American society

At the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), we are motivated by a simple truth: American greatness relies on the strength of American families. A genuinely “America First” vision understands that families are at the very core of society—stable families form stable communities, and stable communities create a stable Nation.

Op-Ed: Arizona can still be the leader in school choice

Arizona is leading the way in education opportunity, but with a stroke of the pen, Gov. Katie Hobbs could turn back the clock on this significant progress.

Op-Ed: Mother’s Day Is for All of Humanity

Proverbs 31:26-27, "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness."

2022 Year End Review Crime in America

Nationwide crime is still on the rise, but why? Crime continues to plague American communities across the Nation. In the wake of the widespread civil unrest and violence that beset much of the country in 2020, crime rose to levels unseen in decades. Unfortunately, while the riots and looting have abated, overall crime rates have not.

Back the Blue Police Week: Honoring Our Heroes

AFPI speaker series event discussing the challenges law enforcement faces today, such as recruitment and retention, rogue prosecutors, and state and local leadership subverting the rule of law, and proposed remedies to restore law and order.

STATEMENT: AFPI Praises Congressman Bob Good’s Joint Resolution Supporting Religious Freedom 

Op-Ed: Proposed DEI Legislation Strengthens Texas Campuses, Including NCAA Athletics Programs

This week, the Texas House will consider H.B. 5127, an important bill designed to restore norms of free inquiry, viewpoint diversity, merit-based hiring, and civil deliberation at Texas’s public universities.

EXPERT INSIGHT: DEI spells CRT: Legislation Restricting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs Will Improve the Intellectual Environment at Missouri Universities

Legislation restricting highly ideological campus Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs has been proposed in several states during the 2023 legislative session, including Missouri. These bills are long overdue. Campus DEI-industrial complexes are transforming U.S. colleges and universities from truth-seeking institutions to radical indoctrination centers. Their effect is to establish a campus viewpoint monoculture on issues of race, gender, sexuality, and class.

STATEMENT: AFPI Praises Arizona’s Budget Defending America First Policies

Op-Ed: The Deep State Is All Too Real

There are two competing conceptions of American governance: the version students are taught in the classroom, and the one that exists in the real world.

STATEMENT: David Bernhardt on the United States Senate’s Permitting Reform Package

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from David Bernhardt, Chair of the Center for American Freedom at AFPI and former Secretary of the Interior, on the Revitalizing the Economy by Simplifying Timelines and Assuring Regulatory Transparency (RESTART) Act, and the Spur Permitting of Underdeveloped Resources (SPUR) Act, which were both recently introduced in the Senate.

Fact Check: How H.R.2 Secures the Border and Fixes Our Broken Asylum System

The new Republican House majority is offering a serious legislative solution to solve the humanitarian and security crisis at the southern border that was created by the Biden Administration’s failed policies. If enacted, H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, would help secure the border, discourage asylum fraud, end the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) abuse of the parole authority, resume border wall system construction, and deter human trafficking.

STATEMENT: AFPI Praises Oklahoma for Banning Irreversible Child Sex Surgery

STATEMENT: Ken Blackwell on The Passage of Mississippi House Bill 1310

Washington, D.C. – Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves recently signed into law House Bill 1310, which creates stronger audits, strengthens citizenship requirements, and establishes better voter roll maintenance, re-enforcing Mississippi as a leader in election integrity.

EXPERT INSIGHT: White House Claims that Federal Union Membership Grew Under Biden Appear Incorrect

In 2021, the Biden Administration created a Task Force to increase union membership. The White House recently released a progress report claiming significant progress towards this goal. This report claimed that: The number of Federal Government employees in a union has increased by nearly 20%. Since the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) began working with agencies to better inform federal workers of their right to join a union, nearly 80,000 workers have done so.

STATEMENT: Ken Blackwell on Governor Kemp Signing Senate Bill 222 into law

Washington, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Ken Blackwell, Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI, after Governor Brian Kemp signed into law Senate Bill (S.B.) 222, which prohibits private money from being used in elections administration.

Top America First Solutions in H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act

The Biden Administration unleashed a humanitarian and security crisis at the southern border by refusing to enforce the law. These reckless policies put the American people last and the Mexican cartels and human traffickers first. The Biden Administration wrongly defines “border security” as additional personnel and resources to process migrants out of custody and into American communities more quickly. The House Republicans have rejected this flawed approach and have offered a bill that will solve the crisis instead of further facilitating it.

STATEMENT: AFPI on Speaker McCarthy’s Debt Ceiling Plan Passing the House of Representatives

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statements regarding the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 passing the House of Representatives:

STATEMENT: AFPI Praises House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Efforts to Increase Transparency and Competition in Healthcare  

Op-Ed: A Down Payment on Fiscal Sanity

This summer, the U.S. Treasury will exhaust the money in its checking account.

FACT SHEET: Another Blow to Women’s Sports: A Q&A on The Biden Administration’s Proposed Title IX Athletics Regulation

The Biden Administration has proposed changes to Title IX regulations governing athletics eligibility criteria that will open female sports to transgender athletes. If finalized in its current form, the rule will invalidate state laws passed by at least 20 elected legislatures to protect women’s sports.

FACT SHEET: Fatherlessness In Utah

Fatherhood is foundational to strong families, and strong families are essential to a strong Nation. An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance and criminality—and unfortunately, the effects of fatherlessness are visible in Utah.

FACT SHEET: Fatherlessness In Arkansas

Fatherhood is foundational to strong families, and strong families are essential to a strong Nation. An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance and criminality—and unfortunately, the effects of fatherlessness are visible in Arkansas.

Op-Ed: Pentagon leaks show need for these major reforms to protect US secrets

We learned last week that recent leaks of highly classified information, with significant information not publicly known about the defense capabilities of Ukraine and Taiwan, reportedly originated from a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard stationed at Fort Bragg.

STATEMENT: AFPI Praises the House’s Passage of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act 

FACT SHEET: The Effectiveness of Faith-Based Rehabilitation in reducing Recidivism

INCARCERATION AND RECIDIVISM IN THE UNITED STATES

Op-Ed: House GOP Offers Border Crisis Solutions – Will Sound Policies Prevail?

To seemingly every American except Biden administration officials, there is an ongoing humanitarian and security crisis at the southern border. In just 26 months, the Biden administration has allowed approximately 4 million illegal aliens into American communities – a number larger than the population of the city of Los Angeles.

Statement: Ken Blackwell on Issues with Maricopa County Elections

Washington, D.C. – Maricopa County, Arizona, recently released a report and statement about their performance in the 2022 midterm election. In part, the report stated, “All legal ballots were counted and included in the official results, but the printer issues caused frustration for many Election Day voters, something the Board has vowed to remedy.”

RESEARCH REPORT: Reducing recidivism through faith-based prison programs

It is no secret that the United States is struggling to maintain law and order amid the massive crime increase raging across this country. Murder rates have dramatically increased, the American people feel unsafe in their communities, and law enforcement officers are leaving the profession in droves.

Trans Athletes Are Turning The Dream Of Title IX Into A Nightmare

As Division I athletes, we trained for hours each day, putting the normal college life aside to fight for a dream of being number one in the country. A dream that we worked towards for years before ever getting to college, a dream that was only made possible by Title IX, a dream that today is slipping away.

Op-Ed: Pentagon Leaks Highlight Biden’s Incomplete Strategy for Ukraine Spring Counteroffensive

Recently, a series of leaked classified documents from the Pentagon were posted to Telegram and Twitter, and the source of the leak was discovered as a member of the National Guard.

REPORT: States Lead on Protecting Farmland from China

Op-Ed: America is being ruled by a regime of elite interests

The indictment, arrest and arraignment of former President Donald Trump inaugurate a dangerous new era in the life of the American republic.

Statement: House Judiciary Committee Unveils Legislative Package to End Biden Administration’s Border Crisis

Washington, D.C.— Following the announcement by the House Judiciary Committee’s majority that it will mark up the Border Security and Enforcement Act this week, Chad Wolf, America First Policy Institute’s Executive Director and former Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, issued the following statement.

A Checklist for Nominees to the Election Assistance Commission

The Election Assistance Commission is responsible for adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration, accrediting testing laboratories, certifying voting systems, and auditing the use of Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA)  funds. It also develops guidance to meet HAVA requirements.

Op-Ed: America Needs Trump’s Foreign Policy Wisdom Now More Than Ever

Recently, America quietly observed a tragic anniversary: exactly twenty years since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

435 Economists Agree: The Biden Administration’s Proposed Budget is Wrong for America

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Brooke Rollins, President and CEO of the American First Policy Institute, regarding a letter signed by more than 400 economists calling the Biden Administration’s Proposed FY24 Budget wrong for America:

FACT SHEET: Fatherlessness In Nevada

Fatherhood is foundational to strong families, and strong families are essential to a strong Nation. An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance and criminality—and unfortunately, the effects of fatherlessness are visible in Nevada.

Op-Ed: Applying Biblical Principles to Public Policy

Op-Ed: Economists Have a Message About Biden’s Economic Policies

On Thursday, I joined with 434 economists from universities, think tanks, and businesses across the country to convey a message to the American people: “We urge Congress...

Op-Ed: Counter China and Russia in Mideast through Abraham Accords

When China stepped in to broker a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran last month, it filled a vacuum created by the Biden administration.

China and U.S. Agricultural Land: Tracking State Legislative Responses

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has positioned itself as an adversary of the U.S., politically and economically, with the stated intention of ensuring China overtakes America as the world’s leading power. Securing and dominating world food supply chains is an integral part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which also promotes hoarding computer chips, minerals, and other sensitive commodities. The CCP has realized that acquiring new land in the U.S. is key to this dominance, and so it has rapidly built up its American agricultural assets in recent years. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports, Chinese investors’ holdings of U.S. agricultural land surged from 13,720 acres in 2010 to 352,140 acres in 2020—a stunning 5,300% increase. In total, this land is worth approximately $1.9 billion. The average U.S. farm is 445 acres, so nearly 800 American families could be farming this acreage that is now controlled by the CCP.

Expert Insight: Biden Administration Deprioritizes Criminal Alien Deportation in FY24 Budget

The Biden Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 24 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget proposal reveals that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targets for criminal alien removals are continuing to plummet. For the second year in a row, target deportations of “noncitizens who have a prior criminal conviction” was set at 29,389. This number marks a 68% decrease from the target of 91,500 for FY22 and a 76% decrease from the average of the five-year targets from FY17–FY21. Target deportations are the number of deportations ICE should aim to carry out in a given year, and “noncitizens who have a prior criminal conviction” are also known as criminal illegal aliens.

Op-Ed: Forget China. This is America’s greatest challenge

While politicians rightfully focus on the pressing threat posed by a rising China, intent to reshape the current liberal rules-based order according to her values and interests, they risk ignoring a more pernicious domestic danger.  

Op-Ed: This terrifying reason Silicon Valley Bank collapsed is a threat to thousands of other businesses

The reasons for Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse are fairly obvious. The bank’s poor risk management strategy left it with insufficient cash to meet the needs of its largely tech sector customers base, which was particularly hard hit by rapidly rising interest rates.

Op-Ed: The New Frontiers for the Pro-Life Movement

After the Supreme Court’s historic Dobbs decision overturned one of the worst decisions in Supreme Court history, Roe v. Wade, the American pro-life movement celebrated its greatest victory for life in nearly 50 years.

Op-Ed: The Federal Government Thinks It’s Spending Monopoly Money

As Mark Twain once observed, “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”

Statement: Ken Blackwell on The Passage of Georgia Senate Bill 222

Washington, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Ken Blackwell, Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI, regarding the passage of Georgia Senate Bill (SB) 222, which prohibits private money being used in elections administration.

Statement: Ken Blackwell on the New Prohibition of Ranked Choice Voting in Idaho

Washington, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Ken Blackwell, Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI, regarding Idaho Governor Brad Little signing H179, which prohibits Ranked Choice Voting.

Expert Insight: Examining The Asylum Fraud Loophole

The approximately 5 million illegal aliens apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection during the Biden Administration utilized similar strategies to achieve their goal of being released into American communities. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), aliens who are “encountered” by Border Patrol agents between the ports of entry or who present themselves at a port of entry without a visa are inadmissible, meaning they have no right to be admitted into the U.S. However, most of them are able to exploit a legal loophole and Biden Administration policies to be allowed into American communities.

Statement: Steve Yates on Speaker McCarthy’s meeting with Taiwan President Tsai

Washington, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Steve Yates, Chair of the China Policy Initiative at AFPI, regarding Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in California: “Speaker McCarthy is correct to meet with President Tsai despite Beijing’s bluster, and he should plan to visit Taiwan in the near future.

FACT SHEET: Colorado HB23-1003 Gives Parents Less Control Over Their Child’s Education

“I do not believe in co-parenting with the government, and I never will. Parental rights are a God-given blessing. I am deeply saddened to see our country even debating who should have the right to raise our children.” – Lou Holtz, AFPI Chair of the Center for 1776

Manhattan DA has nothing to Bragg about

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was elected on a platform of progressive criminal justice reform and increasing police accountability. On day one, he declared that his office would no longer pursue charges for “low-level” offenses and directed his staff against aggressively charging for robbery, assault, and gun possession offenses. In concert with New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is seemingly more preoccupied with suing the former President of the United States, they both have passively allowed violent crime to increase by 29% over the last year while actively ignoring New Yorkers’ pleas to get it under control.

Op-Ed: Campus crybullies banish liberal education from American universities

Campus shout-downs, disinvitations and academic cancellations are so common today that hundreds have been documented in recent years.

Op-Ed: In the 60th Anniversary Year of ‘I Have a Dream’ Let’s Fulfill It

Today, April 4, 2023 marks the 55th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee.

Statement: Ken Blackwell on Indictments Issued by Manhattan District Attorney Bragg

Washington DC – Ken Blackwell, Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at the America First Policy Institute, released the following statement on the indictments handed down by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Op-Ed: The stats on faith and fatherhood

Lawmakers should follow the data and the science because they will eventually point them to the truth. Statistics in the United States don’t lie – the number of religious Americans and families with a father in the home is on a rapid decline.

STATEMENT: Rick Perry on the Passage of H.R. 1

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Rick Perry, former Secretary of Energy and Chair of the Center for Energy & Environment at the America First Policy Institute, regarding the House’s passage of H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act:

President Biden’s FY2024 DHS Budget Has Misplaced Priorities

The White House recently released its proposed budget plan for Fiscal Year 2024, a document that indicates the administration’s priorities. Despite two years of a record-setting number of illegal aliens crossing the southern border, the proposed budget for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to double down on the same failed strategy of tolerating the border crisis by “managing” it instead of actually fixing it. The budget is loaded with far-left initiatives that fall outside of the core mission of DHS. This is not a serious proposal to secure the homeland, and Congress should reject it when drafting the DHS appropriations bill.

Op-Ed: It’s Time to Give Small Businesses A Real Seat at the Rulemaking Table

Policymakers often talk about the importance of small businesses, but they will simultaneously implement rules and regulations that make it extremely difficult for those same companies to conduct commerce.

DHS Docket Number USCIS 2022-0016: Circumvention of Lawful Pathways

The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) submits the following public comment to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in response to the departments’ request for comments on the Joint Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (JNPRM) titled Circumvention of Lawful Pathways, as published in the Federal Register on February 23, 2023.

FACT SHEET: H.R. 1 – The Lower Energy Costs Act

Unleashing American energy abundance will lower costs for hard-working families and provide the economic prosperity and security necessary for our Nation’s future.

STATEMENT: Congressional Action to Stop the Biden Administration’s Borrower Bailout Reasserts the Constitutional Separation of Powers

Biblical Foundations Project Introductory Sermon Series

The idea of mixing religion and public discourse has been made into an untouchable idea in the U.S., but in reality, God has called His Church to be active in the issues of our day. This sermon series will underline the biblical foundation for each of America First Policy Institute’s 10 foundational pillars for America. Without the guidance of the Holy Bible in a world full of evil, it is impossible to safeguard the future of America for the next generation. Our Christian and biblical values over the last two centuries matter. The extraordinary progress, prosperity, freedom, and equality it has produced matters. The Church in the U.S. must play a significant role in standing for the values and freedoms that have made America the most prosperous nation on Earth. This is not about building a state religion; it’s about maintaining the country’s foundational Judeo-Christian values that secured the Nation’s future over the last two and half centuries. 

Biblical Foundations Bible Study #1 - Two Unlikely Friends: Why Faith and Politics Do Mix in America

The Calling from God: God has called His Church to be a part of political discourse and the system of governance. Jesus called His Church the salt of the Earth and the light to the world. This salt and light do not end where government begins.

Op-Ed: This Biden Administration Policy Could Turn Millions Of Regular Americans Into Criminals

On January 31, 2023, Biden’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) bypassed Congress and posted its finalized rule, “Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached ‘Stabilizing Braces,’” to the Federal Register. This rule will effectively turn millions of Americans into felons if they fail to comply with intentionally vague restrictions on a gun accessory that has been legally used for over a decade.  

FACT SHEET: Give Every Parent More Control Over Their Child’s Education

“I do not believe in co-parenting with the government, and I never will. Parental rights are a God-given blessing. I am deeply saddened to see our country even debating who should have the right to raise our children.”  - Lou Holtz

STATEMENT: AFPI Praises the Passage of the Parents Bill of Rights Act

Ken Blackwell Calls on States to Withdraw from Membership in ERIC

Washington, D.C. – Ken Blackwell, Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at the America First Policy Institute, sent a letter with the below language to Secretaries of State and state election officials responsible for maintaining accurate voter lists in every state. This letter calls on those elected officials to reconsider their membership in the Electronic Registration Information Center after Ohio became the latest state to withdraw from the organization.

Op-Ed: Woke capitalism is the true threat to democracy

This week, President Biden issued his first veto, rebuffing HJ Res 30, the bipartisan effort to roll back a Department of Labor (DOL) rule that politicizes retirement savings.

TikTok, Time is Up

Unlike Meta (formerly Facebook), Google, YouTube, and Twitter, TikTok stands in a league of its own—its CEO has never testified before Congress. That all changes on March 23, 2023 when Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok, faces Congress for the first time.

Understanding the Bank Failures: A Q&A

Q: Why did Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank fail?

H.R.1 Energy Roundtable Discussion

Join us for a lively discussion about H.R.1 Energy bill proposed by the 118th Congress. Panelists include...

Op-Ed: Yes, Kids Need Celebs Like Ja Morant To Be Good Role Models, But Fathers Matter Much More

Basketball player Ja Morant was suspended by the NBA on March 15 for eight games after he flashed a gun on his Instagram Live account while at a strip club. His careless social media share and other recent incidents spurred major criticism and made headlines.

Op-Ed: ‘All of the above’ approach needed to defeat Mexican drug cartels

It is not hyperbole to say that Mexican cartels are public enemy No. 1 for all Americans. Or at least they should be. The cartels are the common denominator fueling the humanitarian, security and fentanyl crises along the southern border. Over the past several years, the cartels have been significantly emboldened and enabled by both the Biden administration’s disastrous border policies and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s cozy relationship with them. As a result, the cartels are killing literally hundreds of Mexicans and Americans daily. It is time to stop admiring the problem and attack it head-on.

STATEMENT: AFPI Applauds Georgia State Legislature for Banning Transgender Medical Care of Minors 

Brooke Rollins on Anticipated Weaponization of Government by State Prosecutors in New York

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The America First Policy Institute today issued the below statement ahead of potential state charges being levied against former President Donald J. Trump from Brooke Rollins, President and CEO of the America First Policy Institute: “The weaponization of government is dangerous, wrong, and un-American."

Op-Ed: Federal Parents Bill of Rights Act important first step to reestablish authority in education

Horace Mann, a leading advocate of state-run common schools in the 19th century, wrote: “We who are engaged in the sacred cause of education are entitled to look upon all parents as having given hostages to our cause.”

Op-Ed: Biden’s policies designed to ensure ‘equity’ will only further marginalize underserved communities

FACT SHEET: New Legislation Would Empower South Carolinians with Constitutional Carry

Constitutional carry, or permitless carry, codifies the right of law-abiding citizens to carry a handgun—open and/or concealed carry—without a permit. It is the primary way states formally recognize the right to bear arms as an extension of the right to self-defense, not as merely a privilege bestowed by the government.

FACT SHEET: Expanding Constitutional Carry to ALL Citizens in North Dakota

Constitutional carry, or permitless carry, codifies the right of law-abiding citizens to carry a handgun—open and/or concealed carry—without a permit. It is the primary way states formally recognize the right to bear arms as an extension of the right to self-defense, not as merely a privilege bestowed by the government.

FACT SHEET: New Legislation Would Empower Nebraskans with Constitutional Carry

Constitutional carry, or permitless carry, codifies the right of law-abiding citizens to carry a handgun—open and/or concealed carry—without a permit. It is the primary way states formally recognize the right to bear arms as an extension of the right to self-defense, not as merely a privilege bestowed by the government.

Statement: Ken Blackwell on Involvement of Center for Voter Information in Wisconsin Elections

Washington, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute released the following statement regarding the involvement of the Center for Voter Information (CVI) in Wisconsin elections:   “CVI claims to be a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, but unfortunately, it has drifted away from that mission,” said Ken Blackwell, Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at the America First Policy Institute and former Ohio Secretary of State. “CVI has come under intense scrutiny for mass mailing an undisclosed number of pre-filled absentee ballot applications designed to look like official government documents, and in doing so, caused widespread chaos due to incorrect names and addresses. This is a horrible way to conduct an election. CVI’s overt partisan actions have resulted in possibly millions of unmonitored, misdelivered, incorrect absentee ballot applications being sent out across Wisconsin. This practice confuses voters and creates ample opportunities for fraud. State and local election offices should be the only ones administering elections.”

Op-Ed: Biden approves Alaska’s Willow drilling operation, but that’s only a small step to stop next energy crisis

This week, the Biden administration issued a long overdue approval of the Willow Project in Alaska’s North Slope, an oil production site within the National Petroleum Reserve.

Back-end Semiconductor Packaging In the CHIPS & Science Act

America has chosen, through our elected representatives in Congress, to invest $52 billion in our domestic semiconductor manufacturing sector through the CHIPS and Science Act, which subsidizes semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. This policy, which was undertaken in the name of national security, must be done right, or we will miss the mark, give ground to our competitors, and waste taxpayer dollars. 

Op-Ed: Morocco is key to bolstering the Abraham Accords

The Abraham Accords broke new ground in how the United States engages in the Middle East and how our allies can work together.

Op-Ed: Biden Admin is dazed and confused when it comes to American energy

The Biden administration moved Monday to indefinitely block 16 million acres of future oil and gas leases in federal lands and waters in the Alaskan Arctic.

Op-Ed: Russia Shooting Down US Drone Belligerent, But Not Worth War

Earlier this week, Russian fighter jets harassed and downed an American MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drone over the Black Sea, in international airspace.

Defining National Security:  A comparison of the Trump and Biden Administration’s National Security Strategies

The 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Act requires that “the President shall transmit to Congress each year a comprehensive report on the national security strategy of the United States.” It has become standard practice for every presidential administration to produce its National Security Strategy (NSS) within the first year of the administration.

Op-Ed: Move school board elections to boost parent turnout

Today, state legislators have an important opportunity to help ensure that the voices of all Americans are heard.

Op-Ed: China is not invincible, nor is its path to dominance preordained

In some quarters of the professional foreign policy establishment, a notion is taking hold that a rising China is destined to become the world’s dominant power and that the best hope for America is to “manage national decline.”

Op-Ed: No Credit

When the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Board of Trustees passed a unanimous resolution calling on campus leaders to “accelerate” the “development of a School of Civic Life and Leadership”...

STATEMENT: AFPI Commends Bill Requiring Transparency and Integrity in Education

Op-Ed: Chinese officials knowingly permitted COVID-19 virus to spread around the world.

According to the Biden administration’s 2022 National Security Strategy, because the Cold War “is definitely over,” we now live in a “new era of competition.”

FACT SHEET: How Fentanyl Enters American Communities

Op-Ed: Biden Bungles Our Security While China Mediates Saudi-Iran Peace

In what may be the biggest diplomatic setback for the United States in decades, China has negotiated an agreement to restore diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Evaluating the Biden Administration’s Budget Proposals

The Biden Administration submitted its fiscal year 2024 budget proposal on March 9. We can evaluate if the new budget puts Americans First by looking at 11 key questions...

STATEMENT: AFPI Applauds the Passage of Arkansas Education Reform 

Op-Ed: Modernize Medicare Without Cutting Benefits or Raising Taxes

Crack down on fraud, practice preventive medicine, establish site-neutral payment policies, and other lessons from the 1990s.

NEWS RELEASE: AFPI Calls for Congressional Action to Protect American Farmland from China

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Steve Yates, Chair of the China Policy Initiative at the America First Policy Institute, on the importance of quick legislative action to protect America’s agricultural land from hostile foreign takeover: “Our agricultural land and farmers are a strategic asset to America. The Communist Party of China, or any adversarial nation, cannot be allowed to dominate U.S. food markets.

Statement in Support of Congressional Resolution Disapproving D.C. Council’s Criminal Code Act

Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Pam Bondi, former Attorney General of Florida, and Matt Whitaker, former Acting Attorney General of the United States, Co-Chairs of the America First Policy Institute’s Center for Law and Justice, issued the following joint statement in support of a bipartisan congressional resolution disapproving the D.C. Council’s Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022. The act would have allowed for jury trials for nearly all misdemeanor cases, eliminated most mandatory minimum sentences, and most notably, reduced the maximum penalties for offenses such as robberies, carjackings, and burglaries.

Research Report: Make the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Permanent

Before the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), the U.S. was experiencing one of the slowest recoveries from a recession in its history. The Obama Administration’s anti-growth, redistributionist policies resulted in taking a full six years to recover the jobs that were lost during the 2008–2009 recession.

FACT SHEET: The Benefits of Expanding Member-Based, Nonprofit Health Plans in Missouri

GIVE MISSOURIANS MORE CONTROL OVER HEALTH BENEFITS

Op-Ed: Biden, Schumer are using ESG to come after your retirement savings and bipartisan efforts won’t stop them

Progressive Democrats pushing the ESG (environmental, social and governance) agenda are focused on controlling the private decisions and beliefs of millions of Americans.

Op-Ed: Mutilating children for wokeism’s sake will have dire consequences

God calls on us to take care of the most vulnerable in our society. That calling has traditionally manifested itself in Americans taking care of our women, old people and children.

Op-Ed: Ranked choice voting in Montana: The wrong choice

The Montana Legislature is currently considering implementing Ranked Choice Voting. If you’ve never heard of this issue before, you’re not alone. But you might want to tune in.

Op-Ed: America’s $100 billion climate change flop

For at least the last 20 years, politicians in Washington, at the behest of green energy groups, have spent some $100 billion of taxpayer money to fight climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. How is that going for us so far?

Radical Gender Ideology is Transforming American Society, and AFPI is Fighting Back.

A transgender fever is gripping the North Atlantic world. According to a 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, an astonishing 1.8% of high school students now identify as transgender (Johns et al., 2019). A 2022 Pew research report puts the number of gender-nonconforming young adults even higher, at 5.1% of the U.S. population between the ages of 18 and 29 (Brown, 2022). In the UK, rates of gender dysphoria among teenagers increased by 4,400% during the second decade of the 21st century (Shrier, 2020a). The explosive growth in demand for transgender medical care has driven the number of comprehensive gender clinics operating in the U.S. up from only one in 2007 to more than 60 today (Bazelon, 2022).

ISSUE BRIEF: Securing Fathers’ Rights and Enforcing Their Responsibilities Could Help Prevent Abortion

While mothers must have the full financial and emotional support of the father during and after a pregnancy, current case law and policy fall far short of securing the rights of the father. This creates a difficult situation for the father, who has virtually no voice in the debate surrounding abortions. As a result, the decision regarding whether to have an abortion rest solely with the mother. Many fathers are deeply wounded and suffer from anger, grief, shame, guilt, and remorse when their children are aborted. As such, fathers must have the ability to protect their unborn children. At the same time, the responsibilities of the father to pregnant mothers are not enforced through any meaningful legal or policy framework. This void often leaves mothers without the financial and emotional support they need during and after pregnancy. Sadly, many women believe that the only real option they have is abortion. Women deserve more support, especially from the fathers of their children. Policies that protect fathers’ rights and enforce fathers’ responsibilities would help provide more American mothers with the critical support they need and would likely lead to fewer abortions.

Op-Ed: Will Georgia Allow Private Money To Creep Into Its Election System?

The state of Georgia has made incredible strides in the field of election integrity.

Op-Ed: There’s a Major Obstacle to Finding The Cure for Alzheimer’s

Three years ago, one of us (Carter) co-authored an op-ed projecting that the fiscal and humanitarian costs from a single disease, Alzheimer’s (AD), if left unchecked, would be ruinous.

STATEMENT: Carla Sands on the Biden Administration’s Disastrous “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Carla Sands, Vice Chair of the Center for Energy & Environment at AFPI on the Biden Administration’s proposed rule that would redefine “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act to include the overwhelming majority of America’s waters:

Op-Ed: Here’s One Commonsense Reform to Put American Workers First

America First is not a slogan. It is a call to action to restore and strengthen the ideals that made America the most powerful economy in the world.

FACT SHEET: Deceptive border numbers: Funneling illegal aliens through Ports of Entry

The Biden Administration’s New Policies are Not Fixing the Border Crisis—They are Covering it Up.

Op-Ed: Spending Faster Than The Speed of Light

The federal budget is an utter mess. Unsurprisingly, the congressional budget process responsible for that mess is no better.

FACT SHEET: Improving hospital Price Transparency in Ohio

FEWER THAN 1 IN 5 OHIO HOSPITALS ARE COMPLIANT WITH FEDERAL HOSPITAL PRICE TRANSPARENCY REQUIREMENTS. STATE ACTION CAN HELP PATIENTS SAVE MONEY.

FACT SHEET: Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Ownership of Agricultural Land is a Threat to South Carolina

The CCP DOES NOT have a right to own U.S. agricultural land, but it is taking advantage of our Nation’s vulnerabilities.

FACT SHEET: Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Ownership of Agricultural Land is a Threat to Arizona

The CCP DOES NOT have a right to own U.S. agricultural land, but it is taking advantage of our Nation’s vulnerabilities.

FACT SHEET: Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Ownership of Agricultural Land is a Threat to Iowa

The CCP DOES NOT have a right to own U.S. agricultural land, but it is taking advantage of our Nation’s vulnerabilities.

FACT SHEET: Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Ownership of Agricultural Land is a Threat to Tennessee

The CCP DOES NOT have a right to own U.S. agricultural land, but it is taking advantage of our Nation’s vulnerabilities.

FACT SHEET: Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Ownership of Agricultural Land is a Threat to Missouri

The CCP DOES NOT have a right to own U.S. agricultural land, but it is taking advantage of our Nation’s vulnerabilities.

FACT SHEET: Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Ownership of Agricultural Land is a Threat to North Carolina

The CCP DOES NOT have a right to own U.S. agricultural land, but it is taking advantage of our Nation’s vulnerabilities.

Op-Ed: States Need To Step Up And Protect Kids From The Left’s Gender Lunacy

Why are government leaders insistent on allowing minor children to undergo permanent, life-altering medical procedures?

Op-Ed: Russian sanctions: Biden admin must tighten, change rules to be taken seriously

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration has deployed a wide array of economic sanctions against Russian companies and persons.

Op-Ed: Americans Should Read The Fine Print On Biden’s Newest Border Enforcement Policy

If you believe the reporting of the legacy media, the Biden administration’s newly proposed 153-page asylum rule is a resurgence of the Trump administration policies they loathed.

EXPERT INSIGHT: An Assault Weapons Ban is not the Solution Illinois Needs

On January 10, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed H.B. 5471, the Protect Illinois Communities Act, into law. This new law effectively halts the sale and distribution of assault weapons in the state and requires owners of such weapons to register them with the Illinois State Police by the end of the year. The law’s definition of “assault weapon” includes semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns, with one or more of a list of attachments or modifications, and high-capacity magazines. This ban comes less than a year after the mass shooting incident that occurred in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park on July 4, 2022. On that day, suspect Robert Crimo III, who had exhibited multiple red flags before the incident, opened fire on an Independence Day parade, killing seven and injuring 48. Illinois’ red flag laws were enacted before the shooting and are meant to remove firearms from individuals who are a potential threat to themselves or others. However, these restrictive red flag laws have not been effective, and a restrictive assault weapons ban is also unlikely to solve the problems in Illinois.

ISSUE BRIEF - An Assault Weapons Ban Will Not Cure America’s Crime Crisis

Americans continue to face a mass shooting contagion and a historic crime crisis, reaching levels unseen since the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 2022, major cities across the Nation experienced crime on pace with the record highs set amid civil unrest in 2020. In response, the current administration has doubled down on its demand for an assault weapons ban—the same remedy it presented during last year’s State of the Union address, following tragedies across the country last year and again last month.

ISSUE BRIEF: DEBT CEILING PRIMER

ISSUE BRIEF - Risking Two lives—The Dangerous Rise of Chemical abortion

Abortion is corrosive to children, women, and society broadly because it devalues and extinguishes innocent human life. Unfortunately, federal policymakers have recently expanded access to abortion pills, also called chemical abortions, which are far more dangerous to women, enabling rapid access to abortion.

FACT SHEET: Improving Hospital Price Transparency in Oklahoma

Fewer than 1 in 10 Oklahoma hospitals are compliant with federal hospital price transparency requirements. State action can help patients save money.

FACT SHEET: Improving Hospital Price Transparency in Missouri

Only 14% of hospitals in Missouri are compliant with Federal hospital price transparency requirements. State action can help patients save money.

FACT SHEET: New Legislation Would Empower Floridians with Constitutional Carry

Constitutional carry, or permitless carry, codifies the right of law-abiding citizens to carry a handgun—open and/or concealed carry—without a permit. It is the primary way states formally recognize the right to bear arms as an extension of the right to self-defense, not as merely a privilege bestowed by the government. Florida currently does not have a law permitting constitutional carry.

Op-ed: Remembering The Holocaust, And The American Soldiers Who Helped End It.

Seventy-eight years ago today, the Nazi death camp Auschwitz was liberated by the Red Army, and in April of the same year, the U.S. 6th Armored Division freed 21,000 Jews in Buchenwald, including the future Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel.

Op-Ed: Here’s The Secret to Keeping Kids Out Of Prison And Reducing Recidivism

The United States is facing both a cultural and a spiritual crisis. Approximately 2.1 million individuals are behind bars in state and federal prisons across the U.S., and many of them are fatherless and/or fathers themselves. Fatherlessness is linked to increased chances of committing a crime and becoming incarcerated, so this reality about the current prison population are not entirely surprising. 

Op-Ed: Ohio Train Derailment Shows We Need An America First Infrastructure Policy Now More Than Ever

After the massive train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, our nation’s infrastructure issues are now top of mind for many American citizens.

Op-Ed: Remembering The Real Reason For Black History Month

Black History Month is about remembering the history of black Americans’ struggles to earn equal citizenship. The month should focus on celebrating the 15th Amendment and the civil rights movement. Now, nearly all of Black History Month has gone by and I bet you’ve heard little about either of these important historical lessons.

FACT SHEET: Understanding U.S. Asylum Law

How do aliens qualify for asylum under U.S. Immigration Law? An alien physically present in the U.S. may qualify for asylum by demonstrating that he or she is unable or unwilling to return to their country of nationality or last habitual residence because of a well-founded fear of persecution by the government or a group the government is unable or unwilling to control on the grounds of race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group, or political opinion The alien demonstrates a well-founded fear by establishing a reasonable possibility that persecution would occur if returned to their home country.

Op-Ed: In Defense of the America First Approach to National Security

Stop Irreversible and Off-Label “Treatments” on America’s Children

The U.S. has some of the most permissive laws regarding transgender treatments for children. Doctors often prescribe irreversible and off-label treatments for transgender children.

Op-Ed: It’s now or never for school choice everywhere

This story could bring tears to your eyes. In Baltimore, Maryland, there are 23 schools in which not one single student tested “proficient in math.”

FACT SHEET: The Worst January Ever: Border Crisis Continues in New Year

January’s Illegal Alien Apprehensions 178% Higher than the Average of the Last Nine Years.

The Biden Administration’s Day One Immigration Proposal: Mass Amnesty and No Border Security

Although the U.S. has experienced two straight record-setting years of illegal alien apprehensions, the Biden Administration has refused to acknowledge this situation as a crisis. This two-year period corresponded with the 117th Congress, which was controlled by the president’s own political party. Now, with a new House majority in the 118th Congress, the Biden Administration has pivoted from denying the existence of a border crisis to blaming conservative policies for what is now taking place.

Op-Ed: Jordan sits out the Negev Forum with Washington’s tacit approval

There was a glaring absence from last month’s meeting of the Negev Forum in Abu Dhabi.

Op-Ed: Biden wants you to believe America’s border crisis is getting better. Here’s why it’s not.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and a delegation of lawmakers will visit the border Thursday to shine a light on the extent of this humanitarian and security crisis.

Statement in Support of the Thin Blue Line Act

Today, Pam Bondi, former Attorney General of Florida, and Matt Whitaker, former Acting Attorney General of the United States, Co-Chairs of the America First Policy Institute’s Center for Law and Justice, issued the following joint statement in support of the Thin Blue Line Act:

Celebrating Black History Month: “Advancing the American Dream”

Join us LIVE 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Friday, February 17, 2023 Featuring: AFPI President & CEO Brooke L. Rollins, NFL Great Jack Brewer, Ambassador Ken Blackwell, Civil Rights Icon Dr. Alveda King, Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, Civil Rights Activist Wanda Evers & other special guests

Op-Ed: Securing Mississippi’s land – American soil – is not a partisan issue

Mississippi’s agricultural land is a strategic asset providing food security and independence to the United States, and our farmers are an essential part of the Nation’s fabric. Mississippi has approximately 34,700 farms that cover 10.4 million acres and employ 17.4% of the state’s workforce. Our crops, including poultry, eggs, soybeans, corn, and cotton, contribute $9.72 billion to the economy, supporting communities throughout the state.

FACT SHEET: How The Biden Administration’s Cancellation of the Keystone XL Pipeline Affects American Prosperity

On his first day in office, President Biden canceled permitting for the Keystone XL pipeline extension, which was projected to carry 830,000 barrels of oil per day. This extension would have increased the total amount imported from America’s most reliable energy trading partner, Canada, to 1.38 million barrels per day, leading to lower energy prices and thousands of high-paying jobs. The Biden Administration stated that “the United States must prioritize the development of a clean energy economy” and that the Keystone XL did not serve the U.S. natural interests of this agenda. Because of the Biden Administration’s misguided climate agenda, the American people are not reaping the economic benefits the Keystone XL pipeline would have provided.

Op-Ed: Americans Can Turn Up the Heat to Save Gas Stoves

Recent debate regarding a potential ban of gas-fired stoves has provided a fresh example of the Biden administration’s callous regulatory bent. Public backlash, however, could cause them to put the notion on the back burner.

Remarks - Panel on the Case for Impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas

On February 8, AFPI’s Center for Homeland Security & Immigration Director Robert Law participated as an expert panelist in a forum hosted by Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) at The Heritage Foundation.

State of the Union Address Glosses Over Border Crisis

Americans tuning in to the State of the Union address, hoping the president would offer a new strategy to secure the border, end human trafficking, and defeat the cartels, were left disappointed. During the past two years, the Biden Administration has overseen the worst two years of illegal alien border apprehensions ever recorded. In Fiscal Year 2022, which ended on September 30, U.S. Customs and Border Protection apprehended 2.38 million illegal aliens, a total that exceeds the combined levels apprehended from Fiscal Years 2017–2020. This number of apprehended aliens included a single-year record 157,000 vulnerable unaccompanied alien children who were trafficked or smuggled across the border. Furthermore, December 2022 set an all-time single-month record for apprehensions of illegal aliens. In December, 251,487 illegal aliens were apprehended, which marked a 141% increase over the December average during the Trump Administration. 

FACT SHEET: Proper Identification for Mail-In Ballots

Ballot signature matching is not reliable. Verifying a ballot’s validity by this method is too subjective—it relies on an election worker’s judgment over an objective process. Voters need a new way.

Standing up to the Chinese Communist Party: How to Protect State Sovereignty

Join America First Policy Institute for "Standing Up to the Chinese Communist Party: How to Protect State Sovereignty" featuring keynote remarks by South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.

Op-Ed: Super Bowl LVII quarterbacks Mahomes, Hurts would make my uncle Martin Luther King smile

With Super Bowl LVII slated for Sunday, the media has highlighted the fact that this will be the first Super Bowl in NFL history with two Black quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, squaring off against each other.

Op-Ed: This Super Bowl Sunday, The Race-Obsessed Press Is Focused On The Least Important Thing

This Sunday will see a Super Bowl for the ages: the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs are, together, genuinely the very best of their respective conferences.

Op-Ed: Public Schools Go To War Against Merit

The fraying relationship between American parents and public schools was almost completely undone during the pandemic lockdowns.

AFPI’s Public Comments on the New Federal Acquisition Regulation Requiring the Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

RE: Notice of proposed rulemaking: Federal Acquisition Regulation: Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate-Related Financial Risk (RIN 9000-AO32)

AFPI Submits Public Comment Detailing Serious Deficiencies in the Biden Administration’s Proposed Regulation Reforming Income-Driven Repayment of Federal Student Loans

RE: Notice of proposed rulemaking: Improving Income-Driven Repayment for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, Docket ID ED-2023-OPE-004

Op-Ed: Biden’s fantasy economy: Americans see through SOTU spin on jobs, inflation, deficits

In his State of the Union address, President Biden made every effort to take credit for what he claimed is an economy improving at an historic pace. Americans disagree.

Op-Ed: Taxpayers should not subsidize government unions

How much should taxpayers spend subsidizing political advocacy groups? If you answered “nothing,” you have more sense than the government.

Op-Ed: Biden has overseen most catastrophic foreign policy failures in recent history

The Biden administration arrived in January 2021 with the media amen chorus heralding the return of competence and professionalism in foreign affairs.

Op-Ed: Americans Are Crushed Economically While Biden Lives In Fantasyland

In the lead-up to the State of the Union Address, former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said her old boss, President Joe Biden, needed to tell the American people a story.

House Committee Hearings Confirm: Open Borders are Bad for Everyone

The 118th Congress has started carrying out its oversight responsibilities by investigating the Biden Administration’s border crisis. In two separate hearings, members of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees questioned two Border Patrol (BP) Chiefs; a Cochise County, Arizona sheriff; a father who lost his son to fentanyl poisoning; and a Judge from El Paso, Texas, about their perspectives on the current situation.

Op-Ed: Securing South Dakota’s land – American soil – is not a partisan issue

South Dakota’s agricultural land is a strategic asset providing food security and independence to the United States, and our farmers are an essential part of the nation’s fabric. South Dakota has approximately 29,400 farms covering 43.2 million acres and supporting about one in every five jobs across the state. In addition, the crops we harvest, including soybeans, corn, wheat and sunflowers; and the cattle, pigs, chickens and turkeys we raise contribute $11.7 billion to the economy.

Op-Ed: The Chinese spy balloon above our country was temporary, but threats to our land are permanent.

After a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) spy balloon passed over many parts of the U.S. unhindered, the federal government finally shot it down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4. The balloon may be gone, but the threat to our national security remains.

FACT SHEET: Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Ownership of Agricultural Land is a Threat to West Virginia

The CCP DOES NOT have a right to own U.S. agricultural land, but it is taking advantage of our Nation's vulnerabilities.

FACT SHEET: Give West Virginia Parents More Control Over Their Children’s Education

Moving West Virginia school board elections to November of even years will provide parents with more awareness of how they can have an active voice in their children’s education.

Op-Ed: With Unwavering Faith Black History, Progress Will Endure

Though we are at the end of the first week of February 2023, please be assured Black History Month is still very much with us, as it well should be, remaining as a most significant observance of how so many Blacks have contributed to the Founding and building of our great nation...

FACT SHEET: Give Texas Parents More Control Over Their Children’s Education

Moving all Texas school board elections to November of even years will provide parents with more awareness of how they can have an active voice in their children’s education.

FACT SHEET: Give Missouri Parents More Control Over Their Children’s Education

Moving Missouri school board elections to November of even years will provide parents with more awareness of how they can have an active voice in their children’s education.

FACT SHEET: Give Georgia Parents More Control Over Their Children’s Education

Moving all Georgia school board elections to November of even years will provide parents with more awareness of how they can have an active voice in their children’s education.

FACT SHEET: Give Kansas Parents More Control Over Their Children’s Education

Moving Kansas school board elections to November of even years will provide parents with more awareness of how they can have an active voice in their children’s education.

FACT SHEET: Give Iowa Parents More Control Over Their Children’s Education

Moving Iowa school board elections to November of even years will provide parents with more awareness of how they can have an active voice in their children’s education.

FACT SHEET: Give Ohio Parents More Control Over Their Children’s Education

Moving Ohio school board elections to November of even years will provide parents with more awareness of how they can have an active voice in their children’s education.

FACT SHEET: Give Arkansas Parents More Control Over Their Children’s Education

Moving Arkansas school board elections to November of even years will provide parents with more awareness of how they can have an active voice in their children’s education.

FACT SHEET: Debunking Debt Ceiling Myths

The federal government reached the debt limit of $31.4 trillion on Jan. 19, 2023. Even with “extraordinary measures,” tax receipts are insufficient to cover all approved spending, and cash balances are expected to be exhausted in June 2023.

Op-Ed: The Federal Government Is Dining Out On Your Dime.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently announced that the U.S. government reached the debt ceiling on January 19 and initiated extraordinary measures to avoid default, extending the debt ceiling increase deadline to June.

Pulse of the People

The America First Policy Institute is partnering with media outlet Real America’s Voice and data technology leader Campaign Nucleus to provide the American people with real-time coverage of the State of the Union address. Coverage titled “Pulse of the People” will begin at 7:00 p.m. (EST) on February 7, 2023. The broadcast will provide viewers with coverage of President Joe Biden’s speech with exclusive real-time social media trends that people will not find anywhere else.

Op-Ed: Conservative movement tells truth of Black history

America First Policy Institute Opposes Illegal Student Loan Bailout Before U.S. Supreme Court

Op-Ed: Protect Indiana’s pension plans by keeping ‘woke’ politics out

This week, the Indiana General Assembly is considering a bill (House Bill 1008) that would reinstate the retirement security of Indiana’s citizens as the paramount consideration in the management of the state’s pension plans.

Op-Ed: The Making of the Mississippi Miracle

Ten years ago, only 33% of third graders and 32% of 8th graders were reading proficiently on state tests.

Op-Ed: Four paradoxes of health care reform: Conservatives can take moral and political high ground

Improving Hospital Price Transparency in Virginia

Just 1 in 5 hospitals in Virginia are compliant with Federal Hospital price transparency requirements. State actions can help patients save money.

Op-Ed: This Black History Month let’s shine a spotlight on fatherlessness and saving Black babies

STATEMENT: Dr. Alveda King Praises Congressman Chip Roy’s Action to Protect Honest Teaching in Schools

The Worst Border Month Ever: December 2022 In Perspective

The Worst Border Month Ever: December 2022 In Perspective

Another Record-Breaking Month for the Southern Border Crisis

Another Record-Breaking Month for the Southern Border Crisis

Update on Hospital Price Transparency in 2023 State Legislative sessions

Last year, the Center for a Healthy America (CHA) worked with Texas State Representative Dr. Tom Oliverson and our colleagues at Patient Rights Advocate (PRA), Gingrich360, and the Texas Public Policy Foundation to create a model hospital price transparency policy that encourages greater compliance with existing federal requirements for hospitals to post public prices. This model policy was unanimously adopted by the American Legislative Exchange Council last summer. The goal of the model policy is to encourage better hospital compliance with the federal hospital price transparency rule. Transparency is a necessary step to spur competition amongst providers that will help lower healthcare prices and enable patients to make better-informed decisions about their care.  

Op-Ed: Banning Gas Stoves? That’s Too Many Government Cooks In Your Kitchen

Cooking with gas has become the epicenter of a recent political firestorm. Comments from Biden-appointed Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Richard Trumka indicating a potential gas stove ban over spurious health concerns led to hasty backtracking from the administration and sympathetic media voices.

Analysis of H.R. 29, the Border Safety and Security Act of 2023

The Border Safety and Security Act of 2023, was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX-21) on January 9, 2023. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) introduced the Senate companion on March 8, 2023. This bill grants the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) new discretionary and mandatory authorities to secure the border, end human trafficking, and defeat the cartels.

Op-Ed: Joe Biden Could Secure The Border Today. Here’s How

The American people can clearly see that the growing crisis on our southern border needs to end. However, this crisis will never end unless our Nation has a coherent strategy to solve this problem. During the past two years, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sidelined career Border Patrol agents — the operational experts — and became the first administration in American history to refuse to enforce our immigration laws. As a result of the administration’s reckless decisions, there were more than a quarter million border apprehensions in December 2022— the highest single month ever recorded.

Statement from Matt Whitaker on potential protests in wake of the release of body camera footage by the Memphis Police Department

Today, Matt Whitaker, former Acting Attorney General of the United States and Co-Chair of the America First Policy Institute’s Center for Law & Justice, issued the following statement on potential protests in the wake of the release of body camera footage by the Memphis Police Department:

Making America the Priority: A Preview of the 118th Congress

Featuring a fireside chat between AFPI Executive Director Chad Wolf & U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

Request for Comments on FLRA Docket No. 0-MC-33, Miscellaneous and General Requirements

Requiring Photo Id To Vote Act

A government-issued photo identification (“photo ID”) is a fundamental requirement of an effective electoral system that protects the validity of every legal vote and legal voter. Out of 47 European countries, 46 require photo ID to vote. Photo IDs are regularly required in personal and professional situations to verify that an individual is who they claim to be. Additionally, obtaining a photo ID for voting should be free of cost. This requirement is vital to ensure each voter is properly identified to protect against voter fraud, guarantee fair outcomes, and help restore trust in the results. These measures will help make it easy to vote but hard to cheat.

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Ownership of Agricultural Land is a Threat to Mississippi

The CCP DOES NOT have a right to own U.S. agricultural land, but it is taking advantage of our Nation’s vulnerabilities.

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Ownership of Agricultural Land is a Threat to South Dakota

The CCP DOES NOT have a right to own U.S. agricultural land, but it is taking advantage of our Nation’s vulnerabilities.

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Ownership of Agricultural Land is a Threat to Texas

The CCP DOES NOT have a right to own U.S. agricultural land, but it is taking advantage of our Nation’s vulnerabilities.

Kellyanne Conway Praises Utah Legislature for Advancing School Choice for All Students

During National School Choice Week, Utah’s legislature took a major step toward providing parents with the opportunity to choose the school that best meets the needs of their children. Today, the Utah legislature passed a bill that would provide the families of nearly one million children in 163 school districts with education choice.

Stakeholder Toolkit: Combating Antisemitism In Your State

Antisemitism has reemerged as an urgent and systemic civil rights issue in the United States in recent years (Belkin, 2022). As researchers at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) have observed, college campuses are a key locus of the problem—the place in American society where antisemitism’s “proponents feel free to articulate an intellectual defense of the hatred they advocate” and where one finds the “academic case for antisemitism” that justifies growing violence and bigotry toward a religious and ethnic minority (Olidort & Pidluzny, 2022a). Too often, the ideas and habits students learn on campus diffuse with graduates throughout society broadly. One only needs to look at the increasing frequency of attacks against Jewish residents in major U.S. cities—or the social media accounts of influential figures in popular culture—to appreciate antisemitism’s pervasive presence in America today (Contreras, 2022a).

The Biden Administration’s New Plan Fails to Solve the Border Crisis

The Biden Administration’s first two years in office corresponded with the two worst years at the southern border in our Nation’s history. In Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022, over 5 million illegal aliens crossed the southern border unlawfully, including known “gotaways,” over 25,000 pounds of fentanyl was seized at the border, and an untold number of illegal aliens and fentanyl successfully made it into American communities undetected by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. The border crisis is not coincidental or unexpected but an inevitable crisis borne of the intentional decision by the Biden Administration to swiftly abandon every successful Trump Administration border policy, including Remain in Mexico, the Asylum Cooperative Agreements, and the use of expedited removal to the fullest extent authorized under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (MPP) (ACA) (8 USC 1225).

Op-Ed: Our Children Deserve The Best Opportunities. Let’s Start With School Choice

Every American student deserves the opportunity to receive a quality education, a pathway to fulfilling dreams, and upward economic and social mobility.

The Biden Administration, Not Congress, is Responsible for the Border Crisis

Fact Checker: The Humanitarian crisis at the Souther Border.

Op-Ed: Congress Must Act to Stop D.C.’s Reckless Crime “Reforms”

Few issues pique the bipartisan interests of legislators on Capitol Hill, but the forced passage of a reckless criminal justice “reform” act in Washington, D.C., should be one of them. The Revised Criminal Code Act takes such a profound step backward in the interests of public safety that even D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser — herself a proud progressive — vetoed the legislation before it was nearly unanimously overridden by the D.C. city council on January 17. Fortunately for citizens and visitors to the Nation’s capital, Congress has the authority to right this impending wrong and reject the implementation of the Act.

Op-Ed: It’s Time to Unleash American Energy Again

This month, the House of Representatives fired its first energy reform salvo — a bill prohibiting oil sales from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Fact Sheet - H.R. 29, the Border Safety and Security Act of 2023

One of the first bills that the new House majority is scheduled to bring to the floor for a vote is Rep. Chip Roy’s (TX-21) Border Safety and Security Act of 2023. If enacted, this three-page bill would help secure the border, discourage asylum fraud, and deter human trafficking. Failure to pass the policies contained in this bill will undoubtedly result in the continuation of the humanitarian border crisis created by the Biden Administration’s failed policies.

Using Executive Action to Secure the Border

The ongoing two-year humanitarian crisis at the Southern border was intentionally created by the Biden Administration’s decision to end the successful Trump Administration border policies. Over the objections of career Border Patrol agents, the Biden Administration halted the construction of the border wall and other key policies while failing to offer replacement policies to deter illegal immigration. Now, instead of implementing a new strategy, the Biden Administration is blaming the “broken system” and faulting Congress for refusing to pass its signature amnesty bill. This is absurd; amnesty is not a solution and would only make the situation on the border worse.

Using Executive Action to Secure the Border: In-Depth

The ongoing two-year humanitarian crisis at the southern border was intentionally created by the Biden Administration’s decision to end the successful Trump Administration border policies. Over the objections of career Border Patrol agents, the Biden Administration halted the construction of the border wall and other key policies while failing to offer replacement policies to deter illegal immigration. Now, instead of implementing a new strategy, the Biden Administration is blaming the “broken system” and faulting Congress for refusing to pass its signature amnesty bill. This is absurd; amnesty is not a solution and would only make the situation on the border worse.

FACT SHEET: The Strategic Petroleum Reserve—America’s Energy Security Back-Stop

Following the 1970s oil crises, Congress established the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to address “severe energy supply interruptions” through the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975.

Former Director of White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to lead America First 2025 Transition Initiative

The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) today announced that Doug Hoelscher, former Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs under President Donald J. Trump, will chair AFPI’s American Leadership Initiative. This initiative is an effort to ensure the next conservative administration is ready to govern effectively on day one and advance an America First agenda on behalf of the American people.

Op-Ed: Biden Classified Docs Fiasco: Abuse of Power, Arrogance

The series of explanations offered by Biden administration officials for the discoveries of classified documents in President Biden’s think tank office, home office, and home garage was not a cover-up of some kind of mistake by Mr. Biden’s former staff — when he was vice president.

Op-Ed: March for Life About Justice, Value of Human Life

Op-Ed: Weapon of self-destruction: Biden’s obsessive hunt for extremism in the military

The late 1960s and early 1970s were dark times for the U.S. Army. It imploded, collapsing in on itself after the shock of Vietnam.

Op-Ed: It’s official: Trump’s tax cuts paid for themselves

How many times have you heard President Joe Biden or Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) berate the Trump tax cuts as “a giveaway to the rich?”

Secure Our Voting Machines Act

Voting systems are designated as critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security and should therefore be subject to strict regulation regarding component sourcing, manufacturing, and production. This act mandates that states do not use voting machines that contain any part or material sourced from producers of election infrastructure contracting or subcontracting with entities or businesses in countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism by the Department of State as well as the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation. This will ensure better security standards for U.S. critical infrastructure and help restore public trust in elections.

Op-Ed: Biden must get serious about ending human trafficking

For nearly two years, we have heard a lot of talk from the Biden administration about its commitment to bringing “an end to human trafficking.” President Biden claims his administration is leading the fight to counter it, but the American people know that actions speak louder than words. In just two years, a record 306,000 vulnerable children have been trafficked and smuggled to the border — more than 1.3 times the number over the entire four years of the Trump administration.

Op-Ed: Sunny Prices Report Hides Discouraging Reality — Inflation Is Still Here

While the Biden Administration is in a self-congratulatory mood about today’s year-end Producer Price Index (PPI) of 6.2%, a closer look at the data and recent history tells a more complicated and discouraging story.

Op-Ed: Biden is putting Americans’ retirement savings in the crosshairs

President Joe Biden’s Labor Department recently announced a new rule that will permit money managers to play politics with trillions of dollars of people’s retirement savings.

Prohibiting Ranked Choice Voting Act

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), as defined below, is an overly complicated system that is not popular among the vast majority of Americans and often prevents the candidate receiving the most votes from being declared the winner. Studies show Ranked Choice Voting discourages voter participation, adds wait time for results, does not decrease negative ads, puts a greater strain on election workers, and increases voter distrust. Instead of making it easy to vote but hard to cheat, RCV will confuse voters and discourage more citizens from voting. The purpose of this act is to ban RCV in states.

Confronting Growing Threats from North Korea

North Korea test-launched a record number of ballistic missiles in 2022 and could conduct a nuclear test in 2023. Our expert panel will examine these threats and discuss the urgency that the Biden Administration adopt a serious policy to address them.

AFGE Corruption Warrants Investigation

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)—the largest and most influential federal em-ployee union—has a serious corruption problem. AFGE accounts for more than 1-in-10 federal criminal union corruption convictions over the past decade. AFGE has the highest conviction rate of any public or private sector union over this period. During this time, dozens of AFGE locals have been placed into trusteeship for corruption.

American Made Voting Machines Act

This act mandates that electronic voting systems be sourced, manufactured, and assembled in the United States. This will ensure better security standards, make it easier to investigate any machine issues, and help restore public trust in elections. Voting systems are designated as critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security and should therefore be subject to strict regulation regarding component sourcing, manufacturing, and production. If issues arise with a voting machine, it would be easier to discover the cause if the machine hardware and software are created in Birmingham, Buffalo, or Boise, and not Beijing.

Op-Ed: MLK Holiday Remains a Time for Much Needed Reflection

The March for Life and The Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday are bookmarks on America’s new calendar annually.

Defending Your Right to Bear Arms

Fact Checker: Second Amendment. Setting the record straight on some common yet deeply flawed arguments against your second amendment rights.

AFPI Impact in 2022

Alarm Over TikTok Threat Reaches Critical Mass as Government Responds

TikTok is a short-form video content mobile application controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a subsidiary of Beijing-based ByteDance, Ltd. It serves as an ingenious data-harvesting weapon for the CCP disguised as a social media platform and has become a dominant force in American youth culture.

Ranked Choice Voting.

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is an overly complicated system that is not popular among the vast majority of Americans and often prevents the candidate receiving the most votes from being declared the winner. Instead of making it easy to vote but hard to cheat, RCV can confuse voters and discourage more citizens from voting.

Department of Defense Rescinds COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Service Members

Today, Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg, Co-Chair of the Center for American Security at the America First Policy Institute, released the following statement regarding the Department of Defense rescinding its COVID-19 vaccine mandate:

Ensuring Ballots Received By Election Day Act

This model policy would require all ballots, with the exception of military personnel serving overseas and American citizens living overseas, to be received by the close of polls on Election Day. Currently, 30 states require ballots to be received by Election Day, although the deadline hour varies. Other states allow ballots to be received up to 14 days after Election Day. This legislation will decrease the prolonged post-election vote tally, which often leads to public distrust and protracted litigation.

Op-Ed: Biden’s Hostility Strengthens Saudi-China Relations

On Jan. 5, 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that Biden administration officials took significant steps over the past few months to repair U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia.

HR 27 Prosecutors Need to Prosecute Act

Progressive criminal justice policies simply do not work. They remove accountability from criminal perpetrators and place communities at risk.

Op-Ed: Putin’s war against Ukraine will ruin Russia

In Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, a young St. Petersburg student, Rodion Raskolnikov embarks on a murder spree to validate his pride.

STATEMENT: House Votes to Defund 87,000 New IRS Agents

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The America First Policy Institute today issued the following statement by Linda McMahon, Chair of the Board of the America First Policy Institute, Director of the Center for the American Worker, and former Administrator of the Small Business Administration following the passage of the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act:

Op-Ed: Biden’s Mexico visit: A change in strategy or more of the same?

President Joe Biden has a unique opportunity to reverse his administration’s legacy of border security failures during the upcoming North American Leaders’ Summit in Mexico City. The United States and Mexico have a shared interest in each country securing its respective borders, but over the past two years, the Biden administration’s failed border policies have inflicted significant harm to both countries.

Addressing the Challenges of Recruiting and Retention in-Law Enforcement

Challenges affecting the recruiting and retention of qualified police officers are contributing to rising crime rates and social dysfunction in communities.

Op-Ed: Inflation Reduction Act threatens national security

Shortly after taking office, the Biden administration declared the integrity of America’s critical mineral supply chains an important issue for “economic prosperity and national security.”

Requiring Identification for Mail-In Ballots Act

This model legislation requires individuals voting by mail to submit their driver’s license number, the number on their government-issued voter ID, or the last four digits of their social security number to validate that they are whom they claim to be. Signature matching was a reasonable way of vetting mail-in ballots in the past when only 20% of voters submitted ballots by mail, but the heavy increase in mail-in ballots now necessitates more secure identification measures. Voter identification is the foundation of election integrity, for in-person and mail-in voting.

America First Policy Institute Expands Economic Team

Four New Economic Leaders Tackle Number One Issue of American Public

Op-Ed: Escalation control: Lessons from the Soleimani strike

Three years ago, on Jan. 3, 2020, the United States launched a military drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian Quds Force commander.

School Choice: TX-59

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Fatherlessness In South Dakota

Fatherhood is foundational to strong families, and strong families are essential to a strong Nation. An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance and criminality—and unfortunately, the effects of fatherlessness are visible in South Dakota.

Fatherlessness In Illinois

Fatherhood is foundational to strong families, and strong families are essential to a strong Nation. An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance and criminality—and unfortunately, the effects of fatherlessness are visible in Illinois.

Fatherlessness In North Dakota

Fatherhood is foundational to strong families, and strong families are essential to a strong Nation. An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance and criminality—and unfortunately, the effects of fatherlessness are visible in North Dakota.

Fatherlessness In Tennessee

Fatherhood is foundational to strong families, and strong families are essential to a strong Nation. An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance and criminality—and unfortunately, the effects of fatherlessness are visible in Tennessee.

Fatherlessness In Oklahoma

Fatherhood is foundational to strong families, and strong families are essential to a strong Nation. An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance and criminality—and unfortunately, the effects of fatherlessness are visible in Oklahoma.

Biden’s refusal to act on Title 42 creates ‘state of emergency’ at border, and Nationwide

Our Nation’s sovereignty is on a collision course with an unprecedented surge of illegal aliens that recent drone footage reveals is mobilizing on the Mexican side of the U.S. southern border. On December 21, the government’s ability to immediately turn away illegal aliens at the southern border ends.

Voting Machines Are Critical Infrastructure and Should Be Made in America

Voting machines, registration databases, polling locations, and voting storage facilities are designated by the Department of Homeland Security as critical infrastructure.

STATEMENT on FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – We applaud the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), particularly its inclusion of key America First priorities – namely, the revocation of the Biden Administration’s ill-conceived COVID vaccine mandate, well-deserved pay increases for our men and women in uniform, and measures to deter China.

Statement on Bill of Rights Day

The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) hopes everyone is enjoying the holiday season and spreading Christmas cheer to friends and family. During this time, we also celebrate a gift that Americans received 231 years ago — the Bill of Rights! On December 15, 1791, after crafting our Constitution, the Founding Fathers devised and ratified an equally necessary document — the Bill of Rights. Importantly, the Bill of Rights does not give us the rights mentioned within it but instead acknowledges them as fundamental to a free people and granted by God. Indeed, in drafting these first 10 Amendments, James Madison intended to protect the people from its government, not the other way around.

Statement on New Call for Ranked Choice Voting in Georgia

This week, the Georgia Secretary of State signaled his intentions to encourage the state legislature and the Governor to adopt Ranked Choice Voting. Hogan Gidley, Vice-Chair of the Center for Election Integrity, issued the following statement.

Restoring Justice and Upholding the Second Amendment

The recent surge in violent crime is making the streets of America increasingly unsafe. In the last year alone, the rates of assault, murder, robbery, and rape have risen anywhere from five to forty percent, coming off unprecedented escalations in 2020 (Colton, 2022). When the state of public safety is in peril, citizens must be able to defend themselves and their families against criminals or those who seek to do them harm. This basic principle is consistent with America’s historic commitment to freedom and equality, enshrined in the Nation’s founding documents.

Harnessing the Sun: The Triumph of American Innovation

In December 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower presented his vision for the future of humanity at the annual summit of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

AFPI’s Public Comments on the Department of Labor’s Independent Contractor Rule

RE: Notice of proposed rulemaking: Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (RIN 1235-AA43)

FACT SHEET: Why You Need to Understand the ESG Threat

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing is resulting in money managers allocating capital to meet their personal political and social goals rather than prioritizing financial security for their clients.

Protecting Due Process on Public University Campuses After the New Title IX Regulation

The Biden Administration’s proposed Title IX regulation will allow universities to revert to the Obama Administration’s deeply flawed framework for investigating sexual misconduct allegations on college campuses.

Three Approaches to improving Viewpoint Diversity at State colleges and Universities

A truly liberal education requires the freedom and opportunity to explore a wide range of viewpoints. Exposure to a diversity of perspectives on campus also builds viewpoint tolerance and intellectual humility in college graduates. When students learn that people of goodwill and character can disagree vehemently and still enjoy learning together, we make progress toward improving our public dialogue. Unfortunately, most campuses today are characterized by a Left-leaning viewpoint monoculture.

Combating Antisemitism on U.S. College Campuses

The number of recorded antisemitic incidents in the U.S. reached an all-time high in 2021 (Anti-Defamation League, 2022a). In recent years, American universities have become increasingly hostile environments for Jewish students and faculty because of policies instituted by the universities themselves and pressure from student groups.

Requiring Photo ID to Vote.

A government-issued photo identification (“photo ID”) is a fundamental requirement of an effective electoral system that protects the validity of every vote and voter. Photo IDs are regularly required in important personal and professional situations to verify that an individual is, in fact, whom he or she claims to be.

American Jewry and the Search for American Moral Confidence

Recent trends, including a dramatic spike in anti-Semitic attacks in New York City over the last two years and a recent poll that found more than a quarter of American Jewish millennials conceal their Jewish identity due mainly to anti-Israel pressure on campuses, have invited the question of whether it is the end of the American Jewry and what is needed to save it. Bret Stephens and Adam Milstein argue in separate settings, correctly, I believe, that the rise in anti-Israel sentiment can only be turned back by restoring America’s strong bond with Israel, which is key to making America a welcoming home for Jews.

Protecting Students’ Expressive Rights on Public College Campuses

Colleges and Universities are failing to protect students' expressive rights.

25 State Higher Education Policy Priorities of The America First Agenda

The America First Policy Institute’s Higher Education Reform Initiative works to develop and advance policy reforms that invigorate a competitive higher education marketplace, strengthen protections for free expression on campus, improve viewpoint diversity in the academy, and build civic literacy. As a starting point, the Higher Education Reform Initiative has identified 25 state policy priorities and provided examples of promising legislative initiatives that have recently been passed into law, introduced as bills, or developed as model legislation. They fall into eight broad categories: initiatives designed to (1) improve protections for students’ expressive rights, (2) protect students’ religious liberties, (3) enrich the marketplace of ideas by encouraging viewpoint diversity, (4) guarantee minimum due process rights in sexual misconduct investigations, (5) incentivize innovation and efficiency, (6) improve governance accountability, (7) improve civics literacy, and (8) counteract the pernicious effects of Critical Race Theory. This is a draft resource intended to inform and educate policymakers; all feedback is welcome.

The U.S. is Funding China’s Genocide

This October, the United Nations Human Rights Council sparked global outrage as it voted not to discuss accusations of abuses against the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region of China. China claimed a “victory” as the motion for debate on their human rights record was voted down by fellow member states, despite mounting evidence of state-sanctioned brutality (Aljazeera, 2022).

America First China Policy Principles in Practice - Center Overview - China Policy Initiative

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) represents the most comprehensive threat to our national security since the fall of the Soviet Union three decades ago. The essential difference is that the CCP is far stronger economically and culturally and is embedded into nearly every aspect of American life. 

State Legislative Priority: Ensuring a Legal Workforce

The ability to obtain a job in the U.S. is one of the primary drivers of illegal immigration. Millions of illegal aliens currently work in the U.S. unlawfully because the existing paper-based Form I-9 verification process is easy to exploit, and human resources personnel are not experts in forged documents. As a result, the wages and job opportunities for many Americans are harmed. Additionally, states are deprived of revenue from the undeclared income paid to illegal aliens. The federal “Commitment to America” policy agenda includes a requirement that workers prove legal status to obtain a job. States can act now to combat illegal immigration and ensure a legal workforce by requiring employers in their state to use E-Verify, a free web-based system that allows them to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the U.S. States should also establish criminal and civil penalties for employers who are found to hire illegal aliens, such as mandatory business license suspensions.

State Legislative Priority:  International Wire Transfer Fees

High-Level Summary Illegal alien and narcotic trafficking networks typically use international wire transfers to send money out of the country. Trafficking networks favor international wire transfers because these companies lack the oversight of traditional banks, making it easier to structure the transactions to hide their illicit nature. Wire transfers are also the easiest way for illegal aliens to send remittances back home. States can fight back by imposing a fee on all outgoing wire transfers. This fee generates new revenue without raising taxes and makes it more costly for illegal aliens and narcotics trafficking networks to operate within the state. Any fees charged to taxpayers are reimbursed through a tax credit. States could use this additional revenue to cover the uncompensated costs of illegal immigration on schools and healthcare systems, bolster law enforcement funding to combat smuggling and trafficking, or go into the state’s general fund.

Ending Putin’s Invasion:  Defining the Direction of U.S. Assistance (Updated - as of day 285 of the invasion)

The earlier version of this Issue Brief (on day 231 of Putin’s invasion) coincided with the publication of the Biden Administration’s National Security Strategy (NSS) on October 12. It also predated the publication of the unclassified version of the Biden Administration’s National Defense Strategy (NDS) (October 27).

Bibi’s Return and the Future of U.S. - Israel Relations

Israel just held a historic election – the fifth in four years, resulting in the return to power of Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu. Bibi Returns to Israel and the Middle East in a time of transition, with new progress through the Abraham Accords but also new challenges, including a rising threat from Iran and new waves of terrorist violence in Israel.

Universal Parental School Choice Act

The Universal Parental School Choice Act creates a scholarship program that provides all children the option to attend the public or private elementary or secondary school of their parents’ choice.

Tax Credit Scholarship Act

The Tax-Credit Scholarship Act incentivizes individuals and businesses to donate to nonprofit organizations that provide tuition scholarships to eligible students. In exchange for donations, donors receive a tax credit from the state. Through this process, tax-credit scholarship programs use entirely private funds to offer private school scholarships to families. It identifies student eligibility for the Tax-Credit Scholarship program, establishes administrative and financial accountability measures for scholarship-granting organizations and qualifying schools, and develops procedures for a state agency to oversee it.

Part-Time Enrollment Act

The Part-Time Enrollment Act increases new learning opportunities for students, establishes new flexibilities for families, and supports public schools to serve students in new and different ways.

Education Savings Accounts Act

The Education Scholarship Account Act allows parents to use the funds that would have been allocated to their child at their resident school district for an education program of the parents’ choosing. It identifies student eligibility as well as approved educational expenses, establishes procedures for parents to apply to the program, and develops procedures for an authority to oversee the ESA program while also providing academic and fiscal transparency measures for participating families, schools, and education providers.

Literacy-Based Promotion Act

This bill ensures that a student’s progression from one grade to another be determined, in part, upon proficiency in reading; that district school board policies facilitate reading instruction and intervention services to address student reading needs; and that each student and his or her parent or guardian be informed of that student’s reading progress.

AFPI Letter to Congressional Leadership

With the midterm elections behind us, attention in Washington has once again returned to funding the federal government.

Elections Systems are Critical Infrastructure and Must Be Protected

Protecting United States critical infrastructure—defined by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as “the physical and cyber systems and assets that are so vital to the United States that their incapacity or destruction would have a debilitating impact on our physical or economic security or public health or safety”—is a necessary component of national security (Humphreys, Shanton, 2020). For decades, presidential administrations have recognized the need for oversight, collaboration, and security surrounding critical infrastructure. While typically critical infrastructure is thought of as emergency services, energy, banking, defense, or the like, it also necessarily includes elections infrastructure (the voting machines, voter registration databases, data management, and physical infrastructures such as polling locations and storage).

Respect for Marriage Act

The Respect for Marriage Act, which is currently under consideration by the United States Senate, would codify same-sex marriage into federal law. Proponents of this legislation argue that it is simply a measure to codify the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. These proponents claim that the law would not undermine religious freedom or infringe upon the freedom of churches to maintain their commitment to traditional marriage.

Analysis of H.R. 9240, The Concerned Citizens Bill of Rights Act

The public safety dangers posed by progressive criminal justice policies continue to plague communities across the Nation. The elimination of cash bail, broad non-enforcement policies absent the imprimatur of the legislature, and non-prosecution policies mark just a few of the more nefarious policy prescriptions negatively impacting public safety.

What is Constitutional Carry? State Legislation: Permitless Carry

Constitutional carry, or permitless carry, codifies the right of law-abiding citizens to carry a handgun—both open and concealed carry—without a permit and is the primary way states recognize the right to bear arms as an extension of the right to self-defense, not a privilege bestowed by government.

Midterm Results: Americans prefer the America First Approach to Criminal Justice

Crime and public safety remained top of mind for midterm voters across the Nation, as many big cities continue to experience a record-high crime wave. The America First policy approach aims to provide safe and secure communities to ensure all Americans can live their lives in peace by supporting law enforcement, holding criminals accountable, and pursuing justice for all.

CRT Subverts Public School Education, Deforms Citizenship, and Threatens America’s Future

The teaching of critical race theory (CRT) in classrooms across America has raised the ire of parents—and for good reason. CRT’s principal claim is that America is systemically racist and incapable of racial justice, and its constitutional, legal, and political systems were designed to perpetuate a corrupt white supremacist power structure. CRT is a wholesale ideological assault on the American experiment and disputes its commitment to self-declared founding principles—namely, that “all men are created equal” and should be treated as such under the law. Its ubiquity concerns parents, specifically, and citizens, generally, who object to this vision. 

Fentanyl: The Deadly Consequences

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is an extraordinarily potent drug that is devastating communities across our Nation. One potentially lethal dose of fentanyl is only 2 mg—less than a gram of sugar. But Mexican drug cartels, who obtain the precursor chemicals from China, package fentanyl by the kilogram – about the size of a cantaloupe. A kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill up to 500,000 people (DEA, 2022). As a direct result of the failed border strategy of the Biden Administration, a staggering amount of it is flooding into every American community. In fiscal year 2022, enough fentanyl was caught crossing the border to kill 3.3. billion people – or every American 10 times over (CBP, n.d.).

Restoring America’s Critical Mineral Supply Chains

Critical minerals are essential to a variety of modern manufacturing industries. While they are often associated with renewable and low-carbon energy, such as the use of lithium in electric vehicle batteries or tellurium in solar panels, they are also used in a variety of high-tech applications, such as military laser systems or cellphone screens. Although the United States relies upon a consistent and predictable supply of critical minerals for domestic industry, China has developed domination of the mining and refining of some of the scarcest critical minerals. Historically, this domination has not been benign. Rather, the Communist regime in China has weaponized its control of critical mineral supply chains to punish and coerce its international rivals. In light of the risk that Chinese control of critical mineral supply chains poses to the economic and national security of the United States, successive presidential administrations and Congress have sought to support American access and production of these minerals.

Targeted State Restrictions Are Required to Protect U.S. Agricultural Land from the CCP

China is an adversarial nation with the stated goal of overtaking the United States politically and economically. American agricultural land is a strategic asset providing food security and independence, and U.S. farmers are an essential part of the fabric of our Nation. Meanwhile, securing and dominating world food supply chains is an integral part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which also sees them hoarding computer chips, minerals, and other sensitive commodities. An America First approach to national security emphasizes the centrality of our own economic prosperity and the need to secure our supply chains and ensure national self-reliance to ultimately marginalize the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its policies.

AFPI’s Top National Security Priorities for the 118th Congress

Implement a border strategy that stops illegal immigration and ends human trafficking, including codifying the Remain in Mexico policy and Asylum Cooperative Agreements that offer arrangements for processing those seeking entry to the United States to do so elsewhere.

STATEMENT: Steve Yates on the Ongoing Civil Unrest Across China

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute released the following statement in response to the ongoing civil unrest across China.

Op-Ed: This Black Friday, Remember Your Local Small Businesses

For millions of Americans, the minute the clock strikes midnight after a big Thanksgiving dinner, the Christmas shopping season begins. For many, this is highlighted by a rush to the nearest big box store early in the morning on Black Friday to beat the lines for the best discount possible.

America First Policy Institute Honors Trish Duggan and Vernon and Shirley Hill with Awards at its Second Annual America First Gala Experience at Mar-a-Lago

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) hosted its second annual America First Gala at Mar-a-Lago, where America First leaders from around the country participated in dozens of events, with panels led by top experts in their fields, including legends such as Larry Kudlow and Newt Gingrich, discussing the policy prescriptions that will result in putting America First.

Chinese Communist Party-Funded Campus Initiatives Undermine U.S. National Security

The CCP seeks to control American campus culture and enforce political alignment among foreign Chinese students.

The State of American Small Businesses Post-Pandemic: Identifying Headwinds and Crafting Market-Based Solutions

Small businesses have long been the lifeblood of our Nation’s economy and employ roughly half of America’s workforce today.

Protect American Campuses Act

The purpose of this act is to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from influencing and subverting American public universities through Confucius Institutes (CIs), Chinese Student and Scholar Associations (CSSAs), and any potential successor organizations. The CCP seeks to control American campus culture and enforce political alignment among foreign Chinese students and take advantage of American intellectual products to fuel their technological and military progress. The precise language banning “designated foreign missions of China” and “recruitment or propaganda programs” from operating in public universities ensures that repackaged successor groups to the CIs and CSSAs will be barred.

Students for Fair Admissions V. President & Fellows of Harvard College

On October 31, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases about the use of racial preferences in college admissions: Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and a similar case involving a state institution, the University of North Carolina. For more than five hours of questioning—almost unprecedented in the modern era—the justices raised probing questions about the legality of Harvard's practices in particular and the constitutionality of using race as a plus factor in college admissions generally.

AFPI Announces Michael Faulkender as Chief Economist

Michael Faulkender will lead AFPI’s charge to unleash prosperity and ensure the greatest economy in the world works for all Americans.

Statement on the Respect for Marriage Act

An Inflation Nation—Stubbornly High Inflation Persists

The American people continue to suffer from 40-year high inflation rates, as reported in the most recent Consumer Price Index release. 

Let’s Put America First and Secure the Border

The American people have been expressing a clear preference for America First policies that have been proven to secure the border over policies that make up an open-border, anti-enforcement, America Last strategy.

As the Mexican press disappear, cartels take over and endanger public

As dangerous as the war is for journalists in 2022 in Ukraine, where eight have been killed, the danger closer to home is more severe. In Mexico, 13 journalists have been confirmed killed, and an additional 15 are missing or have been abducted so far this year. Mexico also topped the world list in journalist deaths in 2021 and 2020, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Op-Ed: The United States Can Still Be a Leader on Natural Gas

In 2014, the cover of Foreign Affairs magazine was devoted to the newfound American energy renaissance, dubbing it a “Big Fracking Deal.” Already gaining momentum, the shale revolution provided a glimpse of once unfathomable economic and national security prospects.

Op-ed: The left’s radical agenda to sexualize our public schools

Christian and Muslim parents protest content together at Dearborn school board meeting.

The Biden Administration’s Scary Education Priorities

The Biden Administration Attacks Honest Education and Parental Rights

New Website Launched to help Parents Take Back Control of Their Children’s Education

What’s on Your Ballot?

Election Day is quickly approaching, and several states have important ballot propositions on the ballot. Voters will be able to directly decide issues such as non-American citizen voting, ballot drop box use, and more. Election integrity measures are vital to restoring Americans’ trust in elections. Here are the most critical ballot initiatives and how they compare to the Center for Election Integrity’s goal of making it easy to vote and hard to cheat.

Issue Brief: Distillate Disaster

As the winter heating season closes in, our Nation is increasingly unprepared compared to previous years.

After Amini:  Engagement with an Iran in Transition

The current wave of protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini —a 22-year old woman who was imprisoned for violating the regime’s strict regulations on women’s hair covering —have just entered their second month. In fact, protests have been ongoing throughout the country since the Green Revolution in 2009, with notable increases in intensity in 2018-2019 and this past month. The protests come at a decisive time, not only with an aging and reportedly ailing Supreme Leader Khamenei, but also given who is participating in them and the scale of the popular response. One example is Iran’s oil workers, who have gone on strike and joined the protests, chanting “we will destroy everything we built” (Joffre, 2022).

Fentanyl Fatalities in Perspective

50 times stronger than heroin found in all 50 States.

Fentanyl Q&A: The Pills That Are Plaguing Our Population

10 Questions and 10 Answers.

State School Choice Progress Report

At-Will Employment in the Career Service Would Improve Mississippi State Government

Mississippi’s civil service laws protect state service employees from removal. Most state employees can only be dismissed “for cause.” If fired, they can appeal their removal administratively and then in the courts. Administrative appeals take an average of six months to complete. These removal protections make removing incompetent or intransigent state employees more difficult. Mississippi partially addressed these problems with a series of incremental and temporary reforms.

Xi’s Brazen Power Consolidation Shows Us Why Strengthening America Must Be Our First Priority in Containing Chinese Authoritarianism

The world watched and stomachs collectively churned last Saturday as disturbing footage emerged from the 20th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress, with General Secretary Xi Jinping sitting stone-faced while his predecessor, 79-year-old Hu Jintao, was forcibly removed from a meeting by an aide. The imagery supported the narrative of an old-fashioned public purge carried out by Xi while the state-controlled Xinhua News Agency reported that Hu simply felt ill and needed to rest.

WATCH: AFPI Senior Fellow Mike Faulkender Joins Kudlow on Fox Business

Unleashing American energy will revitalize our economy.

Biden Administration Releases Its National Security Strategy (NSS): A Comparison

America First vs. America Last

Grassroots Toolkit: The Debate About Transgender Participation in Women’s Sports

Are you confused about the outrage over transgender participation in sports? Or don’t even know where to begin the discussion? This toolkit acts as a guide, so you can be well-informed to advocate for your position regarding this important issue.

The American People Will Not Benefit From Ranked Choice Voting

Ranked Choice Voting: What Is It?

The Biden Administration’s Regulatory Machine Wants to Stifle the Freedom of the American worker

In 2020, California voters repudiated regulators’ efforts to stifle the gig economy, overturning much of Assembly Bill 5, a bill that sought to force independent contractors into full-time employee status.

Know Before You Go: Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board Elections

Too many of our schools, with the backing of elected school boards, are working to purposely divide children by teaching them Critical Race Theory (CRT) concepts, like believing that the color of their skin is more important than the content of their character, and sexualizing them by presenting age-inappropriate sexual content. Your local school board has the power to reverse these attacks and make sure our children have age-appropriate education materials. The power lies in your vote! Elections take place on November 8, 2022.

Know Before You Go: Wake County School Board Elections

Too many of our schools, with the backing of elected school boards, are working to purposely divide children by teaching them Critical Race Theory (CRT) concepts, like believing that the color of their skin is more important than the content of their character, and sexualizing them by presenting age-inappropriate sexual content. Your local school board has the power to reverse these attacks and make sure our children have age-appropriate education materials. The power lies in your vote! Elections take place on November 8, 2022.

Know Before You Go: Guilford County School Board Elections

Too many of our schools, with the backing of elected school boards, are working to purposely divide children by teaching them Critical Race Theory (CRT) concepts, like believing that the color of their skin is more important than the content of their character, and sexualizing them by presenting age-inappropriate sexual content. Your local school board has the power to reverse these attacks and make sure our children have age-appropriate education materials. The power lies in your hands to vote! Elections take place on November 8, 2022.

Know Before You Go: Indianapolis School Board Elections

Too many of our schools, with the backing of elected school boards, are working to purposely divide children by teaching them Critical Race Theory (CRT) concepts, like believing that the color of their skin is more important than the content of their character, and sexualizing them by presenting age-inappropriate sexual content.  Your local school board has the power to reverse these attacks and make sure our children have age-appropriate education materials. The power lies in your vote! Elections take place on November 8, 2022. 

Know Before You Go: Palm Beach County School Board Elections 

Too many of our schools, with the backing of elected school boards, are working to purposely divide children by teaching them Critical Race Theory (CRT) concepts, like believing that the color of their skin is more important than the content of their character, and sexualizing them by presenting age-inappropriate sexual content.  Your local school board has the power to reverse these attacks and make sure our children have age-appropriate education materials. The power lies in your vote! Elections take place on November 8, 2022. 

Know Before You Go: Pinellas County School Board Elections

Too many of our schools, with the backing of elected school boards, are working to purposely divide children by teaching them Critical Race Theory (CRT) concepts, like believing that the color of their skin is more important than the content of their character, and sexualizing them by presenting age-inappropriate sexual content.  Your local school board has the power to reverse these attacks and make sure our children have age-appropriate education materials. The power lies in your vote! Elections take place on November 8, 2022. 

Know Before You Go: Broward County School Board Elections

Too many of our schools, with the backing of elected school boards, are working to purposely divide children by teaching them Critical Race Theory (CRT) concepts, like believing that the color of their skin is more important than the content of their character, and sexualizing them by presenting age-inappropriate sexual content.  Your local school board has the power to reverse these attacks and make sure our children have age-appropriate education materials. The power lies in your vote! Elections take place on November 8, 2022. 

Know Before You Go: Scottsdale School Board Elections

Too many of our schools, with the backing of elected school boards, are working to purposely divide children by teaching them Critical Race Theory (CRT) concepts, like believing that the color of their skin is more important than the content of their character, and sexualizing them by presenting age-inappropriate sexual content.  Your local school board has the power to reverse these attacks and make sure our children have age-appropriate education materials. The power lies in your vote! Elections take place on November 8, 2022. 

Know Before You Go: Mesa School Board Elections

Too many of our schools, with the backing of elected school boards, are working to purposely divide children by teaching them Critical Race Theory (CRT) concepts, like believing that the color of their skin is more important than the content of their character, and sexualizing them by presenting age-inappropriate sexual content.  Your local school board has the power to reverse these attacks and make sure our children have age-appropriate education materials. The power lies in your vote! Elections take place on November 8, 2022. 

Know Before You Go: Chandler School Board Elections

Too many of our schools, with the backing of elected school boards, are working to purposely divide children by teaching them Critical Race Theory (CRT) concepts, like believing that the color of their skin is more important than the content of their character, and sexualizing them by presenting age-inappropriate sexual content.  Your local school board has the power to reverse these attacks and make sure our children have age-appropriate education materials. The power lies in your vote! Elections take place on November 8, 2022. 

Know Before You Go: Peoria School Board Elections

Too many of our schools, with the backing of elected school boards, are working to purposely divide children by teaching them Critical Race Theory (CRT) concepts, like believing that the color of their skin is more important than the content of their character, and sexualizing them by presenting age-inappropriate sexual content.  

Issue Brief: Childcare to Support the American Worker

While some parents are able to stay home and care for their children, millions of American families rely on childcare to facilitate work outside the home. In 2021, 32.8 million American families, which equates to approximately 40 percent of the United States, had a child under 18 in their household.

Teacher Preparation Programs and Accreditation

To learn more about teacher preparation programs and accreditation, check out the full research report on our website (AmericaFirstPolicy.com)!

Statement on the FY22 Record Southern Border Apprehensions

Today, the America First Policy Institute released the following statement from Chad Wolf, AFPI Executive Director, and Chief Strategy Officer, regarding the number of illegal aliens apprehended at the southern border during Fiscal Year (FY) 2022:

FY 2022: By the Numbers

The inhumanity of an America last immigration policy.

Perspective on The Record-Breaking Fiscal Year 22 Border numbers

2.38 Million Illegal Alien Apprehensions. More than FY17-FY20 Combined.

America First Women’s Agenda

Advancing an agenda for all Women & for America. The America First Women’s Agenda envisions a S.A.F.E.1 America. We set forth the following principles as the core of a new movement for women: Security, Affordability, Fairness, and Education. The S.A.F.E. Agenda—researched and branded by Kellyanne Conway—is rooted in the promise of America that belongs to all; it aligns with and will be delivered through the 10 policy pillars of the America First Agenda.

Bipartisan “Police Funding” Bill Will do Little to Reduce Crime

Last month’s passage of the Invest to Protect Act of 2022, sponsored by Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), may provide politicos on Capitol Hill with a constituent-friendly talking point to emphasize their commitment to supporting the police, but it will do little to reduce the rising crime rates afflicting communities across the Nation.

Biden’s Negligence Causes North Korea Threat to Surge

Similar to the Biden Administration’s approach to Iran’s nuclear program, its approach to North Korea’s nuclear effort has been an even worse version of the Obama Administration’s. Like the Obama presidency, the Biden Administration has devoted most of its diplomatic efforts to issues other than North Korea—most notably climate change, which was the focus of its recently released National Security Strategy. Biden officials also have been obsessed with negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran and have shown little interest in similar negotiations with North Korea. The primary theme of President Biden’s approach to North Korea’s nuclear efforts has been to repudiate the policies of his predecessor.

Biden administration’s problem with Saudi Arabia

President Joe Biden threatened “consequences,” including virtually severing the US-Saudi bilateral relationship over the kingdom’s recent cuts to oil production. It is an extreme position, to be sure, but not a surprising outcome given that he spent his campaign and much of his first two years – including his short visit there over the summer – ostracizing the kingdom.

Analysis of H.R. 6448, the Invest to Protect Act of 2022

Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6448, the Invest to Protect Act of 2022. A corresponding Senate bill, S. 3860, passed unanimously in August. While the bill will no doubt be touted as a pro-police/crime-reduction funding measure by Congress, the bill falls far short of having any meaningful impact on rising crime rates, nor does it remotely address the generational crisis in recruiting and retention facing police departments across the Nation.

The Crimes that are 100% Preventable

Recently, law enforcement discovered that Alberto Santacruz, a convicted felon who shot five people at a birthday party in Las Vegas, is an illegal alien who had been deported at least four times and had previously pled guilty to kidnapping.  

Op-Ed: Health care is a moral issue first, economic second. Here’s what conservatives must do

Conservatives must ground health care reforms in fairness, compassion, and equality

Fact Sheet - How Progressive Prosecutors are Undermining Safe and Secure Communities

The effects progressive prosecutors have on major U.S. cities.

Progressive Prosecutors Undermine Safe and Secure Communities

The election of Left-wing progressives committed to the radical reformation of the criminal justice system into the positions of district attorney, state and local prosecutor, sheriff, and other authoritative offices within the broader criminal justice system represents a significant threat to public safety and the rule of law itself.

Wisconsin Governor’s Vetoes of Education Bills harm Milwaukee’s most underserved Students

Declining education outcomes for all students. Last month, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that test scores for grade school students in Wisconsin have been declining since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Attorney General as Threat to the Rule of Law

By her words and deeds, New York attorney general Letitia James threatens the rule of law. Her political obsession with former president Donald J. Trump recently culminated in a civil lawsuit against the Queens-born real-estate mogul, his three adult children, and his company. In the complaint, James demands $250 million in damages and an end to the family’s New York business operations.

Political Prosecutions: Abusing Discretion in the Service of Politics

Former President Donald J. Trump made his fortune in Manhattan real estate. Jose Alba made his living as a clerk in an Upper Manhattan bodega. The similarities seem to end with a shared connection to New York City, but the two men may have something far more consequential in common: They both offended the political sensibilities of progressive law enforcement actors.

The United States Has a Crime Crisis

Crime in America has been on the rise at an alarming rate, and the American people have had enough. This week the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) will focus on several critical issues for Americans and the America First solutions to restore law, justice, and safety to our frightened communities. Crime is affecting nearly every community across the country. In fact, just two years ago, only 38% of Americans believed crime posed a threat to their livelihoods. Just one year later, 51% of Americans now believe crime poses a threat to their livelihoods.

Systematic Chinese Communist Subversion of American Higher Education

The U.S. prides itself on being an open civil society. The American higher education system is the envy of the world, attracting hundreds of thousands of foreign students who acquire education and training to build a better life and, in many cases, return to make substantial contributions to the improvement of their home countries. While America has long encouraged this desire and has facilitated it through special programs and visas in recent history, the program now faces its greatest challenge yet. Malicious actors from adversarial nations, especially the People’s Republic of China (PRC), have developed strategies to exploit American openness to pursue ends that pose a serious threat to the U.S. national interest.

Then vs. Now: By the Numbers

Are you better off now than you were 3 years ago?

America First vs. America Last

Liberty for Our Agricultural Land Act

Neither the CCP, its members, nor any company or development owned or controlled by a company that is owned, in whole or in part, by, or is a subsidiary of the People’s Republic of China or the CCP or whose principal place of business is located within the People’s Republic of China may own, in whole or in part, or lease, possess, or exercise any control over any agricultural land in this state.

Chinese Communist Party Ownership of Agricultural Land is a Threat to America

ADVERSARIAL NATIONS DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO U.S. AGRICULTURAL LAND

The Iran protests and the Biden administration’s human rights hypocrisy

The Biden administration has found itself in another awkward diplomatic moment of its own making. In pursuing its nuclear talks with Iran—which include discussions of loosening sanctions—the administration is ignoring the Iranian people protesting against the same regime.

Ending Putin’s Invasion:  Defining the Direction of U.S. Assistance (as of day 231 of the invasion)

How much support does Ukraine need to prevail in the face of Russia’s ongoing and brutal military campaign? To what extent have the money and military equipment the United States and other nations provided to Ukraine since late February helped Ukraine win against Russia on the battlefield?

Fact Sheet - A Border Crisis by Design

There are laws currently on the books that provide any administration with the ability to secure the border, end human trafficking, and defeat the cartels. The Biden Administration inherited a successful playbook from the previous administration but decided to discard it. The result: A humanitarian crisis on the southern border with deadly consequences.

Key Points of the Hospital Price Transparency Act

WATCH: Rick Perry Joins Fox News to Discuss the Biden Administration’s Energy Crisis

Rick Perry is the former governor of Texas, 14th secretary of energy, and chair of the center for energy & environment at the America First Policy Institute.

The American People Know that the Failure to Secure the Border is the Real Immigration Scandal

The governors of Texas and Arizona bused a few thousand illegal aliens to Washington, D.C., and its Leftist mayor panicked. Despite our Nation’s capital branding itself as a sanctuary city, a jurisdiction that unlawfully impedes federal immigration enforcement, Mayor Muriel Bowser repeatedly requested National Guard assistance. After the Department of Defense denied the third request, Bowser declared a state of emergency for her city of more than 700,000 people.

Fact vs Fiction: The Southern Border

Disinformation From The Biden Administration. AFPI Experts Set The Record Straight.

Statement - On the recent Arrest of Eugene Yu, CEO of Konnech Inc., Elections Software Company

A bombshell arrest follows allegations that a Michigan company specializing in election software in the United States has been storing personal information of American election workers on a server in China. 

Faith Leader Toolkit: School Lunch Funding

Across the country, 100,000 schools and residential childcare institutions rely on federal funding through the National School Lunch Program to provide meals to children in need. The school lunch program serves breakfast, lunch, or both to more than 29 million children each day and served approximately 4.9 billion meals in 2019 (before pandemic-related school closures). Unfortunately, recent actions by the Biden Administration indicate that it prioritizes the imposition of a radical gender ideology agenda over the health and nutrition of America’s school children.

Abortion In America

The U.S. was founded on the belief that human life is sacred. Radical abortion policies undermine our most essential values. Putting Americans first means rejecting abortion radicalism and protecting the most vulnerable. The below summarizes key findings from AFPI’s research report titled “Who Are the Real Abortion Radicals? A Comparative Perspective” and recent public opinion findings from Scott Rasmussen National Surveys.

Timeline of Russia’s Nord Stream 1 & 2 Pipelines

Russia has a long and demonstrated history of using energy as a geopolitical weapon since supply disruptions are a tangible reminder of Russia’s economic leverage over Europe. This Fact Sheet serves to demonstrate the timeline of events following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which indicates a higher probability of pre-meditated sabotage on the part of Russia.

Trump Administration’s Transparency in Coverage: Three-month Review and What to Expect in January

The price of healthcare in America has been shrouded for far too long, and efforts to shine a light on the high cost of insurance are finally taking effect. President Trump’s 2019 Executive Order “Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American Healthcare To Put Patients First” directed the Department of Health and Human Services to create a final rule, often referred to as the “Transparency in Coverage Rule,” that required insurers to disclose prices paid by insurers on behalf of enrollees’ healthcare. On July 1, 2022, price transparency advocates celebrated the first phase of implementation of the rule as an important first step to increase cost awareness, spur competition among insurers, and enable plan sponsors to benefit from cost savings by comparison shopping.

As Biden and the Squad Saddle Taxpayers with a Student Loan Bailout, Americans Push Back

Following the first federal lawsuit against the Biden administration’s student loan debt bailout plan, “The Squad” held a Capitol Hill press conference to advocate for a “swift and equitable implementation of President Biden’s student debt relief plan.” Also, six Republican-led states sued the administration Thursday in an effort to halt the bailout plan.

The 9 on title IX What State leaders need to know and how they can act

The Biden Administration’s proposed changes to Title IX regulations reengineer K-12 and postsecondary education to advance a radical sexual identity agenda, harming students and families, but state and local leaders can fight back!

Fact Sheet: Give Parents More Control Of Their Child’s Education: 10 Model Policies To Restore Excellence To America’s Schools

We have a duty to restore transparency and accountability to America’s schools and educate the next generation about our Nation’s foundational ideals of responsible citizenship. These model policies achieve exactly that.

The National Association of Scholars and The America First Policy Institute Present: 10 State Policies to Restore Excellent k-12 Public Education in America

Every student and family should have access to excellent education in the United States. We have a duty to educate the next generation on the ideals this Nation was founded upon and prepare them for the responsibilities of citizenship. Unfortunately, debates about education have become partisan, but restoring excellent public education should be a priority for all.

Border governors taking action on illegal immigration because Biden administration caused crisis

Biden administration’s immigration crisis is reason border governors sent buses to sanctuary cities

Biden Admin Wants Us To Believe Things Are Just Peachy At The Southern Border

While much attention is focused on illegal aliens arriving in sanctuary cities, the real story unfolding is the concerted and choreographed disinformation campaign regarding the security of the southern border. When it comes to the security of Americans and the challenges to ending human trafficking and defeating the drug cartels, the first obligation of the federal government should be to tell the truth. It was a responsibility that I took seriously during my time leading the Department of Homeland Security.

Immigration Survey: The Biden Administrations Border Crisis

The American People Reject Failed Immigration Policies

In case you missed it: Florida school board election update

Below is a list of School Board election outcomes in the state of Florida in August 2022.

Puerto Rico & the Jones Act—The Urgency of Modernizing Energy Policy

On Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, Hurricane Fiona arrived in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States—with a devastating impact on the lives of more than 3.2 million Puerto Ricans. As a Category 1 Hurricane, Fiona is the first hurricane in the Caribbean and Gulf hurricane season of 2022. The impact of Fiona serves as a reminder of the devastating hurricane that struck Puerto Rico in late September 2017—Hurricane Maria. That Category 5 hurricane left Puerto Rico without a functioning power grid for months, caused billions of dollars in damage to infrastructure, and significant death in the wake of its destruction.

STATEMENT: Chad Wolf on the Continuing Resolution to Fund the Government

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the America First Policy Institute released the following statement regarding the Continuing Resolution to fund the Government from Chad Wolf, Executive Director and Chief Strategy Officer of the America First Policy Institute:

Playbook for Securing the Border, Ending Human Trafficking, and Defeating the Cartels: Existing Laws the Executive Branch Should Use

An overused trope by many politicians and the media is that our immigration system is “broken.” Those who make this assertion rarely identify with specificity what precisely is broken or offer solutions to fix the immigration system. Instead, “broken immigration system” is largely understood to be a catchphrase that necessitates providing amnesty to millions of illegal aliens in the country and sometimes also increasing legal immigration beyond the current 1 million lawful permanent residents our country welcomes every year under current law.

America First Policy Institute to Host “Hispanic Leadership Conference”

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) will host the Hispanic Leadership Conference on October 4-5, 2022, in Miami, Florida. This two-day event, which will be co-hosted by Bienvenido and the Hispanic Impact Panel, will feature many of our country’s top conservative Hispanic leaders, including Goya Foods Chief Executive Officer Bob Unanue, Representative Carlos Gimenez (FL), and Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (FL).

Teacher Education Preparation: How National Accreditation Standards Influence Teaching

Our Nation’s teachers have the unique privilege and responsibility to form the hearts and minds of future generations. How exactly do they obtain that privilege, and who gets to decide whether they are qualified for the task?

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve—America’s Energy Security Back-Stop

Following the 1970s oil crises, Congress established the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to address “severe energy supply interruptions” through the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. The SPR is notable as a tool to mitigate short-term supply disruptions but falters in efficacy under long-term disruption scenarios—the latter requires a domestic policy calculus geared toward greater production. As a result of the shale revolution and supportive regulatory policy by the Trump Administration, the U.S. became the world’s largest producer in 2019 and a net exporter of oil. This monumental advancement means that the U.S. needs to rethink the role of the SPR as an emergency tool in an era of American energy independence.

Op-Ed: GOP’s New Plan Proves America First Policies Are Making A Huge Comeback. Here’s How

In 1994, it was called the Contract with America. Between 2016 and 2020, it was just known as America First. If you want to return to the policies that worked, there is a simple solution — the policies of the newly released “Commitment to America.” Simply put, it is the policies that put America First.

STATEMENT: Brooke Rollins on Rep. Buchanan’s Bill to Make the TCJA Permanent

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Brooke Rollins, AFPI’s President and CEO, on Representative Vern Buchanan’s legislation to make the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 permanent:

FACT SHEET: The Kigali Amendment—More Hot Air

The U.S. Senate will soon vote on the ratification of the Kigali Amendment, a 2016 United Nations climate change treaty targeting the refrigerants essential to running air conditioning and refrigeration as well as building insulation and semiconductor manufacturing—hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

The U.S.-Japan Alliance Sets the Standard for Successful America First Foreign Policy in the 21st Century

Over the past two decades, Japan has built itself into the diplomatic and military cornerstone of the American-led alliance system in Asia. In the coming years, it must continue its evolution into an indispensable, responsible stakeholder with global influence that transcends Asia and takes its natural place as a potent force for the advancement and protection of democracy and capitalism worldwide.

America First Policy Institute Announces Middle East Peace Project

Today, on the second anniversary of the signing of the historic Abraham Accords, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) announces the launch of the Center for American Security’s new Middle East Peace Project. This Project will be led by the Director of the Center for American Security, Dr. Jacob Olidort. The Middle East Peace Project will focus and expand upon the success of the groundbreaking Abraham Accords and propose new paths forward to build on these achievements in the Middle East.

STATEMENT: James Carter & Mike Faulkender on the August PPI Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute released the following statement on the August Producer Price Index (PPI) release from James Carter, Director of the Center for American Prosperity, and Mike Faulkender, Visiting Fellow at the America First Policy Institute:

So Much for Inflation Reduction

In the words of Larry Summers, former Treasury Secretary under President Clinton and National Economic Council Director under President Obama, “Today’s CPI report confirms that the U.S. has a serious inflation problem.” The inflation problem is so massive that following the news release this morning, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 1276 points today, a one-day decline of nearly 4%.

Expert insight:  As we remember 9/11, DHS is Forgetting ITS Mission

The anniversary of 9/11 calls to mind the extraordinary loss of innocent American lives and the subsequent sacrifices made by our service members at home and abroad. Though 21 years have passed since the devastating attacks on our homeland and two decades of military involvement, it has been barely more than a year since the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. This disastrous exit was one that took place far away from U.S. soil but directly exposed our country to national security threats.

Union Arbitrators overturn Most Federal Employee Dismissals

Civil service protections make removing federal employees difficult. Dismissed employees can appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), which reinstates employees in just over one-quarter of cases. Unionized federal employees can alternatively grieve removals before an arbitrator. Federal unions help select these arbitrators, and they are even more lenient than the MSPB. New analysis shows arbitrators reinstate employees in three-fifths of cases—more than twice as often as the MSPB.

STATEMENT: Mike Faulkender on the August CPI Release

“So much for inflation reduction. Today’s report shows that the inflation fire is still raging. Hardworking Americans continue to suffer under the Biden Administration’s big government blowout spending, and there is no relief in sight.

AFPI Submits Public Comment on Proposed Changes to Title IX Regulations

RE: Notice of proposed rulemaking: Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance, Docket ID ED-2021-OCR-0166

Is the Government being Weaponized Against You?

Unequally Applying the Law Subverts Justice for All

At-Will Employment in the Career Service Would Improve Florida State Government

Florida’s civil service laws protect state government employees from removal. Most state employees can only be dismissed “for cause.” They can appeal their removal administratively and then in the courts if fired. These removal protections make removing incompetent or intransigent state employees more difficult. Florida partially addressed these problems with the 2001 “Service First” reforms.

Reforming Florida’s State Career Service

Florida modernized its state government by making supervisors at-will in 2001. These reforms were a success. Several other states have gone entirely at-will. HR directors in these states report this makes their workforces more responsive, flexible, and efficient. Florida can serve Floridians better by making the entire state workforce at-will.

Making the Utah Career Service At-Will Would Improve State Government

Utah’s civil service laws give state government employees extensive removal protections. These restrictions make removing incompetent or intransigent state employees more challenging. A series of incremental reforms have addressed these problems by making some state employees at-will, allowing agencies to dismiss them without going through civil service procedures. State officials report these reforms were successful. Other states have expanded at-will employment through part or all of their state workforces. Human Resource (HR) directors in these states report at-will employment improves government operation without evidence of systematic abuses. Utah could make its government work better for Utahns by extending at-will employment to all state employees.

Reforming Utah’s State Career Service

One-in-three Utah state employees serve at-will. The remaining workers have civil service job protections that require 8 months for dismissals. Other states have entirely at-will workforces. HR directors in those states report an at-will makes their workforce more responsive, flexible & efficient. Utah could provide better government with at-will employment.

21 Years After 9/11, Has DHS lost its Mission?

The America First policy approach towards securing the homeland embraced the mission of counterterrorism, resulting in a series of successful measures that made Americans safer.

Renewing our Strength in the Middle East: The Second Anniversary of the Abraham Accords

The America First Policy Institute and the Abraham Accords Peace Institute are honored to invite you to mark the second anniversary of the signing of the historic Abraham Accords agreement between the governments of Israel and its neighbors.

Abraham Accords Mindset: A Bold Vision for the Middle East and America

What made the Abraham Accords successful was not simply the agreement on paper, but the embrace of a “mindset” shared by Israel, its Arab neighbors, and America’s leadership.

America First in the Middle East: The Middle East Peace Project at AFPI

The America First Policy Institute’s Middle East Peace Project builds on the Trump Administration’s approach to the Middle East, particularly the Abraham Accords.

AFPI Introduces Occupational Licensing Reform Initiative to Honor Our Military and the American Worker  

AFPI will be engaging with stakeholders across the country to advance mobility in occupational licensing for all Americans, as such limitations on commerce and opportunity must be addressed as part of its commitment to support these brave and patriotic Americans.

PARENT TOOLKIT - The 9 on Title IX What you need to know about the Biden Administration’s proposed changes to Title IX

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, legislation that applies to K-12 and postsecondary schools that received federal funding. Title IX guarantees that “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination in education and athletic programs on the basis of sex.”

The 9 on title IX What you need to know about the Biden administration’s proposed Changes to Title IX

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, legislation that applies to K-12 and postsecondary schools that received federal funding. Title IX guarantees that “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination in education and athletic programs on the basis of sex.” The law’s legacy has been to equalize education opportunities for women, most famously in collegiate athletics. Title IX also requires schools to investigate instances of sexual harassment. 

Biden’s inhumane open-border policies devastate Americans, illegal immigrants

Fentanyl, violent crime plague Americans thanks to Biden's open border policies

What’s in the Draft Nuclear Deal With Iran?

U.S. and European officials negotiated a complex four-stage draft nuclear deal with Iran that reportedly was close to being agreed to in late August.

OP-ED: Only American citizens should vote in American elections

In 2014, Samuel Swift-Perez sought asylum in the United States from socialist-controlled Venezuela. Like so many others whose countries of origin are wracked with crime, oppressed by authoritarian governments, and burdened by economic uncertainty, Samuel wanted a better life. He found one in America. Eight years later, he proudly stood before a judge in Kansas City, Missouri, raised his right hand, and took the sacred Oath of Citizenship. His wife was with him, tears in her eyes, as Samuel celebrated the culmination of years of hard work towards this incredible moment.

U.S. Infrastructure Security Requires Effective State-level Protection from Chinese Communist Party Ownership

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) entities already own considerable infrastructure and land across the U.S., putting vital systems such as port facilities, energy installations, and adjacent military bases at risk.

Statement Ahead of President Biden’s Philadelphia Remarks

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Joe Biden pledged during his inaugural address to be a unifying president, and as president-elect, said that “[Trump supporters] are not our enemies. They are Americans.” Tonight, as widely previewed, the Office of the President of the United States will be used, amplified by mainstream news media, to castigate half the country for wanting to put America First.

Fact Sheet - Seven Major Problems with the Biden Administration’s Borrower Bailout

MAJOR PROVISIONS OF THE BORROWER BAILOUT: Approximately 43 million borrowers with federal student loan balances will be eligible for $10,000 in loan cancellation if they make less than $125,000 ($250,000 for households). This includes loans that were in default before the pandemic repayment pause. Those who continued making payments during the pause may apply for a refund.

Seven Major Problems with the Biden Administration’s Borrower Bailout

President Biden’s student loan bailout transfers debt from college grads to taxpayers, sets a precedent for future waves of bailouts, and adds further fuel to the inflation fire.

School Choice in the State of Arizona

Arizona recently passed the most expansive school choice law in the country. HB 2853 opens the state’s education savings account eligibility to all school-age children. Under the legislation, families who wish to opt out of their local public school will receive over $6,500 per year per child for the private school, home-based education, learning pods, tutoring, or any other kind of educational service that would best fit their students’ needs. 

Early Literacy in the State of Arkansas

According to the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), in 2019, the average reading score of fourth-grade students in Arkansas was 215. This was lower than the nationwide average score of 219, which is out of a total of 500.

State of Arkansas’ Workforce

According to the most recent economic data, Arkansas has a labor force of 1.36 million individuals.[1] As of July, 1.31 million Arkansans were employed, and 44,558 Arkansans were unemployed. The state’s labor force participation rate (LFPR) remained at 57 percent. Since last year, the LFPR has ticked up slightly (0.5 percentage points).

STATEMENT: AFPI Center for Law & Justice on President Biden’s Safer America Plan

The America First Policy Institute’s Center for Law and Justice Co-Chairs Pam Bondi, former Florida Attorney General and Matthew Whitaker, former Acting United States Attorney General released the following statement on President Biden’s Safer America Plan: “President Biden’s speech is pure political expediency to propose spending new money on a problem that he and his allies created in the first place. Suggesting that his administration is now committed to supporting our Nation’s men and women in blue is a stark departure from his coddling of the ‘defund the police’ movement of recent years.

H.R. 1901, the Stopping Border Surges Act

H.R. 1901 will combat child trafficking by subjecting all unaccompanied alien children to the same streamlined removal process.

The Weaponization of Government is Worse than You Think

The federal government has been increasingly using its authority and power to unequally target groups and individuals based on their political or ideological views.

STATEMENT: Ken Blackwell on Arizona Supreme Court Ruling Regarding Arizona Free Enterprise Club

The Center for Election Integrity (CEI) of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) issued the following statement regarding the Arizona Free Enterprise Club’s victory in court—a ruling which disqualifies unverifiable, illegitimate signatures for the so-called Arizona Free and Fair Elections Act. The Arizona Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling that a significant enough number of signatures were proven to be not properly gathered to qualify the measure for the ballot in November.

Hospital Price Transparency Act

The purpose of the model policy is to require healthcare facilities to disclose prices for certain items and services provided by defined medical facilities, provide administrative penalties, and prohibit collective action of debt for noncompliant facilities.

Fatherlessness In Arizona

Fatherhood is foundational to strong families, and strong families are essential to a strong nation. An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance and criminality. Unfortunately, the effects of fatherlessness are visible in the state of Arizona.

Fatherlessness In Texas

Fatherhood is foundational to strong families, and strong families are essential to a strong nation. An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance and criminality. Unfortunately, the effects of fatherlessness are visible in the state of Texas.

Fatherlessness In The National Capital Region

Fatherhood is foundational to strong families, and strong families are essential to a strong nation. An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance and criminality. Unfortunately, the effects of fatherlessness are especially visible in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

Fatherlessness In Mississippi

Fatherhood is foundational to strong families, and strong families are essential to a strong Nation. An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance and criminality—and unfortunately, the effects of fatherlessness are visible in the state of Mississippi.

Op-Ed: Student Loan ‘Forgiveness’ — Another Slight To Blue-Collar Workers

This legally dubious action represents an upward redistribution of wealth from hard-working taxpayers toward the higher-income minority of Americans who have a college degree, all the while doing nothing to solve the ongoing challenge of rising college costs.

WATCH: Pam Bondi and Larry Kudlow discuss the Mar-a-Lago raid and America First policies

Statement on the Biden Administration’s Student Loan Forgiveness Scheme

This is a huge slap in the face to hard-working Americans who paid off their college loans, didn’t take on loans, or didn’t go to college in the first place.

Op-Ed: Biden Has Forgotten America’s Rural Workers

Instead of giving our rural communities the tools they need to advance, the Biden White House has been more focused on catchy names for legislation, like the Inflation Reduction Act, that neither reduces inflation nor provides any actionable support for these hard-working Americans.

Former U.S. Ambassador Carla Sands Joins America First Policy Institute as Vice Chair of the Center for Energy and Environment

The America First Policy Institute is delighted to announce the addition of Ambassador Sands to the AFPI team.  As the former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, there are few people who have such a wealth of experience promoting energy policies that put our Nation first.

Education As A Civil Rights Issue Of Our Time

ALEC Keynote Remarks as Prepared

AFPI Executive Director Chad Wolf Runs Into The Lion’s Den on CNN

Ambassador Richard Grenell speaks on collapsed Serbia-Kosovo

Director of Center for Election Integrity, Hogan Gidley, Congratulates Governor DeSantis on Florida’s Election Integrity Actions to Stop Voter Fraud

The Center for Election Integrity applauds Governor Ron DeSantis for taking immediate action to stop voter fraud in Florida. The Governor recently created the Office of Election Crimes and Security, and it has now arrested and charged people with casting fraudulent votes

Expert Insight: Biden Administration Setting All the Wrong Border Records

It is not a coincidence that all the wrong border records are being set by the current administration. They threw away the playbook they inherited that actually succeeded in addressing these complicated issues and have doubled down on a strategy that doesn’t work.

Op-ed: Team Biden’s reckless energy policies hurting American families and businesses

The complete absence of rational policy out of the White House and from many complacent congressional Democrats is failing the American people, and it is making us less resilient as a nation.

STATEMENT: Brooke Rollins on President Biden Signing the Big Government Socialism Bill into Law

The Left’s behemoth tax hike and spending law will do nothing to help struggling Americans. It will only make a bad situation worse.

The Biden Administration’s Afghan Executive Amnesty Exploited our Immigration Laws and Jeopardizes National Security

After mismanaging the evacuation plan for Afghanistan and the subsequent and swift takeover of the country by the Taliban, the Biden Administration began the mass importation of improperly screened and unvetted Afghans into the United States in blatant disregard of our immigration laws and every American’s desire for safe and secure communities.

How the Biden Administration Exploited the Botched Afghanistan Withdrawal to Import Countless Unvetted Afghans into the U.S.

The U.S. offers lawful permanent resident status to Afghan allies who meaningfully contributed to the war effort. The screening and vetting process is extensive as many applicants have derogatory information in their background, past affiliation or association with the Taliban or other malicious actors, and unreliable identity documents. There is also a legitimate concern that the Taliban or other terrorist groups could try to exploit the application process as a means of getting a terrorist into the U.S. to conduct a future attack on the homeland.

Letter from AFPI Chair Linda McMahon to House Leadership regarding Concerns with the Inflation Reduction Act

When I was the Administrator for the Small Business Administration, I very much respected your sincerity and deep commitment to the 33 million small businesses in our Nation, recognizing that they contribute about 41% of our Nation’s economy. I enjoyed our work together and appreciated the bipartisan consideration of the bills which affected not only our small businesses but ultimately the health of our economy. It is with this backdrop that I urge you and your colleagues to consider the short-term and long-term impacts of the “Inflation Reduction Act” on the many hardworking business owners throughout our country, many of whom are still struggling coming out of the pandemic.

The Big Government Spending Package Shrinks American Wages and Attacks Small Businesses

Liberals in the Senate, spearheaded by Senators Schumer and Manchin, have passed a massive spending and tax hike bill deceptively titled the “Inflation Reduction Act.” While the premise of this legislation is to reduce inflation, the bill’s substance indicates that the effect is likely to be the opposite. In fact, even the Biden White House has acknowledged that this package would do little to impact inflation—a contention further bolstered by an independent, nonpartisan analysis from the Penn-Wharton budget model, which finds that the bill would lead to modestly higher inflation in the short term.

STATEMENT: Mike Faulkender on the July PPI Release

In the current economy, businesses are being hit with the double-edged sword of costly overregulation and near-record cost increases and fuel prices.

From Scalding to Sizzling: Inflation Remains Too Hot to Handle

Despite inflation remaining near historic highs, the Biden Administration is pressing ahead with its inflationary plans to increase government spending and raise taxes through a massive Big Government Socialism Bill.

America First Policy Institute and America First Works Highlight Disastrous Effect New IRS Enforcement will have on Low-Income Minority Families

America First Policy Institute (AFPI) and America First Works (AFW), the advocacy arm of AFPI, are releasing a new video highlighting President Biden’s disastrous so-called Inflation Reduction Act and its effect on low and middle-income families throughout America. The bill would weaponize the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in unprecedented ways, adding 87,000 new IRS agents and allocating $45.6 billion for IRS enforcement. Hardworking American families are already struggling with the largest recession in 40 years, and now many will soon be chief targets of IRS audits.

STATEMENT: James Carter & Mike Faulkender on the July CPI Release

Americans have received a massive pay cut due to the inflation tax, and the historic price increases on gas, groceries, and housing hit seniors and low-income Americans the hardest.

AFPI DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

To drive transparency for the American people, AFPI is requesting all emails between the FBI and relevant DOJ components, and between members of the January 6th committee and their senior staff.

Statement from Brooke Rollins, President and CEO, America First Policy Institute

“The action today by Joe Biden’s Justice Department is an unprecedented weaponization of federal law enforcement against a former President of the United States. This marks the third recent election in which the FBI meddled in the outcome – each time against the 45th President of the United States (2016 ‘Russiagate,’ 2020 Hunter Biden Coverup, and now 2022).

The Combatting State-Sanctioned Bigotry Act

SEC. 1. DEFINITIONS. For the purposes of this [Act]: The term “educator” means a professional employee of any school district whose position requires certification by [certifying body or appropriate section of state code]. Administrators, specialists, and teachers are included within the definition of this term.

The On-Cycle School Board Election Act

SEC. 1. DEFINITIONS. For the purposes of this [Act]: “school board member election” or “school board election” means the election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in even-numbered years beginning in 2024.

Open Enrollment for New Buildings Act

Short Title This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Open Enrollment for New Buildings Act” (the “Act”).

Workplace and Student Enrollment Act

Short Title This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Workplace and Student Enrollment Act” (the “Act”).

Border crisis hits home in DC, so Mayor Bowser finally cares

For the past 18 months, our nation has experienced a historic crisis at the southern border fueled by the Biden administration’s immigration policies allowing millions of illegal aliens into the country. Texas and Arizona are ground zero for this border crisis and, over the past 17 months, have been pleading with the federal government to address the record number of illegal aliens and amounts of deadly fentanyl flooding into their communities.

Re-Energizing American Diplomacy with Africa & Countering the Left’s Climate Colonialism

The Biden Administration has adopted a policy of supporting “green” energy alternatives in developing countries while actively discouraging almost all activities associated with the oil, gas, and coal industries.

FACT SHEET: Big Government Socialism Bill

The Liberals’ “Inflation Reduction Act” should actually be titled the “Stagflation Promotion and Bogus Deficit Reduction Act of 2022.” Despite false promises to the contrary, this bill raises taxes on the middle class, increases inflation, slashes Americans’ wages, decreases Americans’ access to life-saving drugs, kills jobs, and increases energy prices that are already at record highs.

STATEMENT: House GOP’s American Security Task Force unveils legislative blueprint to secure the border in the next Congress

On July 29, Leader Kevin McCarthy’s American Security Task Force unveiled its legislative blueprint for securing the border during the 118th Congress. Chad Wolf, former Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and Executive Director and Chair, Center for Homeland Security and Immigration at the America First Policy Institute, issued the following statement:

The America First Agenda

The America First Policy Institute presents the America First Agenda. These policies will make the greatest economy in the world work for all Americans; put patients and doctors back in charge of healthcare; restore America’s historic commitment to freedom, equality, and self-governance; finish the wall, end human trafficking and defeat the drug cartels; deliver peace through strength and American leadership; make America energy independent; make it easy to vote and hard to cheat; provide safe and secure communities so all Americans can live their lives in peace; fight government corruption by draining the swamp; and most importantly, put the American people first!

The Biden Administration’s Recession Has Arrived. Just Don’t Call It That

This recession was induced by the big-government socialism and anti-American energy independence policies of the Biden Administration and liberals in Congress.

STATEMENT: Mike Faulkender on the Biden Administration’s Recession

Excessive government spending and declaring war on American energy have caused inflation not seen in 40 years. Now, the American economy saw a decline in economic activity for the second quarter in a row.

On-Cycle Election Fact Sheet

Moving school board elections from off-cycle years to on-cycle years would not only make it easier to vote and raise voter participation but would also increase government accountability, save taxpayer dollars, reduce the power of special interest groups, and elect candidates who better represent their constituents demographically and on policy preference.

On-Cycle School Board Elections Make It Easier to Vote

There are roughly 14,000 school boards across the country, with about 100,000 school board members, and 95 percent of them are elected to their positions (Burke et al., 2021). They represent the largest group of elected officials in the country. However, school board elections—until recent years—have received little attention and experienced very low voter turnout.

STATEMENT: Pam Bondi & Matt Whitaker on the Release of Rep. Lee Zeldin’s Attacker

"We are outraged, though not surprised, to learn that the man accused of violently attacking Representative Lee Zeldin at a campaign event in New York yesterday has already been released from custody.

STATEMENT: Brooke Rollins on the CHIPS-Plus Bill

“It’s no wonder that our national debt is over 30 trillion dollars with policy proposals like this.

Close Calls and Cold Winters—The Ongoing Threat of Russia’s Energy Weaponization

Russia’s Gazprom announced its intent to resume significantly reduced natural gas flows to Europe through its Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Russia stated that exports, already decreased by 60 percent, could see a further reduction of 20 percent by next week.

MANY STATES HAVE ENACTED NEW VOTER PROTECTION MEASURES

America First Policy Institute Reveals Which States Improved the Integrity of Their Elections

Did You Know The Federal Government is Trying to Pass a $6 Billion Civics Education Bill?

Members of Congress have introduced the Civics Secures Democracy Act (CSDA), which provides $6 billion in grant money to “support educational programs in civics and history.”

Biden’s assault on Border Patrol agents continues even though they were exonerated

On Sept. 19, 2021, photographers captured images of Border Patrol agents on horseback patrol trying to prevent illegal aliens from crossing the border near Del Rio, Texas. To any reasonable person, the photos showed Border Patrol agents controlling their horses in rough terrain while trying to prevent the rush of Haitian migrants from getting past them. The only thing "newsworthy" about these photos at the time should have been a visual confirmation of a border crisis driven by eight months of the new administration’s refusal to enforce immigration laws. Instead, the Biden administration jumped to politically convenient yet incorrect conclusions and vilified Border Patrol agents for doing their job.

Improving School Safety & Reducing Gun Violence

Improving school safety and fostering safe communities where our children can live and thrive should be a unifying priority for all Americans. This paper outlines America First principles to improve community safety: (1) Adopting school safety best practices (2) Improving access to mental health services (3) Understanding the relationship between culture and violence

STATEMENT: Bodega Charges Dropped

The District Attorney’s immediate decision to charge Alba with second-degree murder, despite the video evidence suggesting otherwise, was emblematic of the ‘suspect first, victim last’ mentality pervasive among activist prosecutors in many of our large cities today.

Op-ed: Society must re-establish respect for law enforcement

Where policing and public safety stand six years after the tragedies of Dallas and Baton Rouge

Statement: Indiana Mall Shooting

Incidents like these are not uncommon but they are deliberately ignored by the mainstream media. In situations such as these, seconds matter. It is imperative that American citizens can protect themselves, their loved ones, and others.

STATEMENT: Total Border Apprehensions Surpass Last Year’s Record with 3 Months Remaining in the Fiscal Year

On July 15, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published data revealing that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) apprehended 207,416 illegal aliens at the southern border in the month of June. Chad Wolf, former Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and Executive Director and Chair, Center for Homeland Security and Immigration at the America First Policy Institute, issued the following statement:

Statement on the House Healthy Future Task Force

For too long, Washington-centric policies have empowered big government bureaucracy and special interests rather than patients and doctors. The Left’s Build Back Better agenda only doubles down on this failed approach. But the House Healthy Future Task Force demonstrates that it does not have to be this way.

Op-ed: As he heads to Saudi Arabia, Biden should look to Texas and send a special envoy to Midland

Begging Saudi Arabia for more oil instead of promoting domestic energy producers is the wrong strategy for the Biden White House

The Wartime Harvest

Americans were facing higher costs for agricultural goods and food products, well before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and now American farmers must wrestle with the high costs of critical agricultural inputs, like fertilizer. The result is greater strains meeting global demand while ensuring the sustainability of farmers’ livelihoods.   

America First Agenda - Program Overview

Op-ed: Beware of Energy Isolationism

The SPR is not a price-fixing tool, and it never has been. It is a safeguard against real emergencies, like natural disasters taking U.S. production offline or wars that the United States is actively engaged in.

Inflation Cracks 9% as Prices Continue to Accelerate Upward

Americans are used to contending with rising temperatures in the summertime, but the thermometer is not the only gauge registering a heat wave this summer. Inflation remains red hot, with the latest consumer price index (CPI) data coming in at 9.1% year-over-year, as shown in figure 1 above, which also reveals that producer price inflation remains in double-digit territory.

Biden’s border policies helping cartels, traffickers flourish

The recent discovery of 53 illegal aliens dead in an abandoned tractor-trailer in the scorching heat of the San Antonio, Texas, summer is the latest example of a failed border security strategy by the Biden administration. Eleven others remain hospitalized. This is the single largest casualty event involving human traffickers and smugglers in our country. There is little doubt that the inaction, mixed messaging, and gross incompetence of the Biden administration led to this tragedy.

Center for Election Integrity at the America First Policy Institute Praises Act 88

Act 88 is a new election integrity bill that passed through the Pennsylvania House and Senate with bipartisan support and was just signed by Governor Tom Wolf. This new law prohibits the use of non-governmental private money to administer elections, voter registration, and election preparation and adds transparency measures to voter rolls.

Biden Administration’s Mismanagement of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Demands a Response – a Long-Term Strategy for American Energy Security

The recent news of more than five million barrels of Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) oil being exported to foreign refineries following private sales should come as a shock to Americans, but not for the reasons you think. After all, the cornerstone of oil is its relative fungibility as a commodity—volumes can be readily interchanged with volumes from varying origins.

Statement from Ken Blackwell on Signing of Arizona House Bill 2243

Arizona Governor Ducey signed into law Arizona House Bill 2243, which will help ensure Arizona’s voter rolls remain clean, accurate, and current. Comprehensive voter roll maintenance is one of many critical measures needed to ensure integrity in elections:

Statement from Ken Blackwell on Wisconsin Supreme Court Ruling

Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from the Honorable Kenneth Blackwell, Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI: “Protecting the chain of custody for someone’s ballot is a critical part of making it easy to vote but hard to cheat.

Op-ed: Yes, Biden’s War On The Oil And Gas Industry Is Driving Shortages And High Prices

Destructive policies and rhetoric have caused producers and investors to approach new oil and gas projects with extreme caution.

The Impact of West Virginia v. EPA: Reining In the Administrative State

America First Policy Institute (AFPI) celebrates the Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia v. the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), No. 20-1530, reversing the D.C. Circuit’s decision and holding unlawful the illegal and destructive Clean Power Plan regulation promulgated by President Obama’s EPA. The Supreme Court decision is a victory for the American people as it returns policy-making regarding key decisions to the people’s representatives in Congress and respects the constitutional principle of federalism rather than vesting those far-reaching decisions with unelected bureaucrats. In doing so, the Court took an important step to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C.

STATEMENT: AFPI URGES BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO SECURE THE BORDER AFTER BIDEN V. TEXAS RULING ALLOWS FOR MPP TERMINATION

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could terminate Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). The MPP is referred to as the “Remain in Mexico” policy and was an effective Trump Administration policy for securing the southern border and combatting human trafficking.

AFPI ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF FORMER SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ROBERT WILKIE

Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) announced the addition of former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie to serve as a Distinguished Fellow in the Center for American Security at AFPI. Wilkie, the ninth former cabinet official affiliated with AFPI since its inception in April 2021, will serve alongside the former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg, and former Chief of Staff of the National Security Council Fred Fleitz.

Federal Gas Tax Holiday is a Gimmicky Approach to Biden’s Failing Energy Policy

In a June 22 “Fact Sheet” the Biden Administration deflected blame for the skyrocketing gas prices (which were an entirely predictable consequence of his ongoing war on domestic energy). The Biden Administration called on Congress to suspend the federal gas tax of $0.18 per gallon, a proposal that even President Barack Obama shunned during the 2008 campaign, referring to it as “a gimmick to save you half a tank of gas over the course of the entire summer so that everyone in Washington can pat themselves on the back and say that they did something.”

Pastor Toolkit: Abortion and the Dobbs Decision

On June 24, the Supreme Court released its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. In its decision, the Court overruled Roe v. Wade and held that there is no longer a federal constitutional right to procure an abortion. This removes the Court from the abortion debate and returns the question of abortion’s legality to the States, where citizens can now act through their state legislatures to form abortion policy through the democratic process.

Lessons In Patriotism From Black Heroes Of The American Revolution

By emphasizing that what we have in common (sharing the promise of America) is far less important than our differences (skin color), these efforts serve only to divide us along racial lines and pit Americans against each other.

STATEMENT: Supreme Court Decision on Roe v. Wade

The pro-life movement is ultimately motivated by love, not only love for the unborn child but love for the mother and the father, as well.

STATEMENT: Supreme Court Decision on Roe v. Wade

“For 49 years, ‘we the people’ have had to endure a flawed and unconstitutional ruling from the Supreme Court that allowed unelected judges to create a national right to abortion, which ultimately led to extreme actions, like late-term abortions, against the unborn.

STATEMENT: Supreme Court Decision on Roe v. Wade

“For two years, we have been told to follow the science when it comes to a paper mask on a seven-year-old child, yet not when it comes to a sonogram of a 15-week-old fetus showing a clear image of human life, the baby’s gender, heartbeat, and limbs.

Statement from Matthew Whitaker on Gun Control Package

“All Americans want safer and more secure communities free from gun violence. Unfortunately, the Senate gun control bill drafted behind closed doors and being voted on this week fails to accomplish this goal.

America First Policy Institute Launches “American Leadership Initiative”

This initiative will provide a roadmap on policy and personnel and on the all-important process of how things get done in government.

Op-ed: Biden’s open borders encourage child trafficking and smuggling

Rick Perry Statement on Proposed Gas Tax Suspension

“The Biden Administration’s proposed gas tax suspension is yet another exercise in political theater.

Op-ed: An Encore at the Left’s Energy Theater

AFPI Statement on the SEC’s Destructive Climate Disclosure Rule

“Make no mistake: The Biden Administration is unconstitutionally empowering federal bureaucrats to enact its failed and unpopular ‘green’ agenda.

Comments by America First Policy Institute on The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Proposed Rule entitled

“The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors” File Number S7-10-22”

Statement on May’s Record-Setting Border Apprehensions Including 50 Individuals on the Terrorist Screening Database

The crisis at the southern border continues to worsen as the Biden Administration refuses to enforce our immigration laws. In May, the Biden Administration set another record with 239,416 apprehensions of illegal aliens on the southern border.

Statement On President Biden’s Announcement of $1.2 Billion in Additional U.S. Assistance to Ukraine

“President Biden’s June 15 announcement of providing an additional $1.2 billion in aid to Ukraine is irresponsible. The United States should not contribute more assistance to Ukraine until NATO members contribute more, and until there is accountability firmly in place and it is clear that the alliance is fully supporting Ukrainian goals and requirements to bring Russia to negotiations to end its aggression in Ukraine.

The Left’s Abortion Radicalism in Action: Attacks on Pregnancy Resource Centers Across America

After the leaked draft of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization opinion was published by Politico in early May, abortion has once again taken center stage in American politics, and the Left’s radical pro-abortion extremism shows no signs of abating. From state-level codification of the “right to abortion,” to taxpayer funding for abortion providers, to calls for federal legislation guaranteeing abortion up to the point of birth, to dialogue of keeping the baby “comfortable” while the mother and doctor determine if it is kept alive post-birth, the advocates on the Left have proven themselves to be extremists in the abortion debate.

Congress: Make Expensing of Machinery and Equipment Permanent, ASAP

Some of the most economically beneficial features of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) were enacted on a temporary basis to hold down the revenue cost during the 2018-2027 budget window. These provisions are due to expire over the course of the next few years, unless extended by Congress.

Op-ed: Radical Abortion Policies Do Not ‘Follow The Science,’ Or The American Conscience

What Can Be Done to Help America’s Small Businesses

Last week, Dr. Michael Faulkender, Visiting Fellow at the America First Policy Institute, testified before the Senate Committee on Small Business and discussed some of the challenges facing American small businesses. Dr. Faulkender’s full written testimony can be found here. An abbreviated version of it is below.

AFPI Demands Iowa School District Stop Indoctrinating Students with Critical Race Theory

The America First Policy Institute stands with the brave parents of Baxter Community School District, and across the Nation, who are saying no more to the un-American indoctrination of our children.

Op-Ed: Historic $5 gas exposes Biden’s energy delusion

Spiking pump prices part of administration's open hostility to American energy infrastructure

AFPI Statement on May’s Producer Price Index Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute issued the following statement from James Carter, Director of the Center for American Prosperity, after the release of the May 2022 Producer Price Index report:

Perils of ESG Investing

Over the last decade, a growing craze in investing has been the ESG movement—investing in companies based on their Environmental, Social, and Governance practices. Such practices differ depending on whose definition one is using, which is part of the problem, but this generally involves a firm’s activities to reduce its carbon footprint (E), its attention to diversity and inclusion (wokeism) among its stakeholders, particularly its employees (S), and the practices of its leadership and Board of Directors (G).

Who Are the Real Abortion Radicals? A Comparative Perspective

In the 50 years since Roe v. Wade determined that the point of fetal viability was the compelling factor for the interest in potential life (then thought to range from 24 to 28 weeks gestational age), the medical community has made remarkable strides in recognizing the biological reality and humanity of a baby in the mother’s womb. Despite these advances, U.S. federal and state abortion policies have increasingly embraced expanded access to abortion and increased availability of late-term abortion.

AFPI Statement on Gasoline Prices Breaking $5.00 per Gallon

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) issued the following statement from former Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, Chair of the Center for Energy Independence:

UN High Commissioner hands CCP propaganda victory, enables human rights abuses

On May 28, the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet returned from a 4-day tour of China, the first such visit in 17 years. Bachelet, a former President of Chile for the Socialist Party, handed a propagand