The State of Our Union Has ‘Never Been Better

Feb 10, 2020

Good morning from Washington, D.C.! In last week’s State of the Union address, President Trump laid out the positive effects his policies have had on the economy, national security, judicial appointments, and other areas—many of which were based on Heritage’s research and recommendations in these areas. Heritage experts weighed in on the points he made—be sure to check them out below. Heritage President Kay C. James had some stern words for Congress: Now that the impeachment trial is behind us, it’s time to get to work. Read her latest statement. With thousands of cases of coronavirus reported in China, Heritage expert Peter Brookes puts the outbreak in perspective.

The State of Our Union Has ‘Never Been Better’ President Donald Trump spoke to the nation last week, presenting an uplifting and positive State of the Union address. Heritage President Kay C. James appeared on Fox Business with host Charles Payne to give her assessment of the address, and 20 Heritage experts provided rapid-response analysis on issues like immigration, the economy, welfare, education, regulations, and much more. “Now is the time to debate ideas and work together toward policy solutions that will lead to a better life for all Americans,” said Heritage President Kay C. James. “At The Heritage Foundation, we stand ready to work with this administration and any member of Congress willing to build an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and civil society flourish.” Read everything you need to know about Trump’s policies and watch James’ full interview.

With Impeachment Trial Over, It’s Time for Congress to Get Back to Work President Trump was acquitted by the Senate on both impeachment articles last week. Heritage President Kay C. James lambasted the House of Representatives for inflicting harm on the nation by abusing impeachment. With the Senate trial now over, she urged members of Congress to get back to work. “This impeachment of President Trump never warranted the time, attention, and resources that Congress spent on it, and the process has only served to further divide the country at a time when we desperately needed unity,” said James. “Now, the president and members of Congress must put their personal differences aside and do the hard work of legislating on America’s most pressing issues and fighting for the interests of the American people.” James was present at Trump’s White House ceremony Thursday for his post acquittal speech. Read her full statement.

What Should Be Done About Coronavirus? Since the outbreak of coronavirus in China’s Hubei Province in December, more than 17,000 people have been infected and more than 300 have died. Now, the virus has begun to spread globally. In a new report, Peter Brookes, a senior research fellow in Heritage’s Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, writes that while the prospect of an epidemic is frightening, it is important to view the outbreak within the context of historical outbreaks. He noted that coronavirus has affected far fewer people than the flu does each year in the United States. Brookes also notes that both China and the U.S. have more steps to take to ensure that this outbreak does not reach levels of epidemic. “The Trump administration is moving in the right direction by creating a task force on the virus—but must push for a more effective ‘whole of government’ approach,’” writes Brookes. Read the new report on what steps both countries can take to combat coronavirus.

HAPPENING AT HERITAGE

House conservatives unveiled their playbook for efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability in government at an event on Capitol Hill. More than half of their solutions align with recommendations from The Heritage Foundation. Rob Bluey, Heritage’s vice president of communications and executive editor of The Daily Signal, served as moderator for the event, and Rachel Greszler, a research fellow in Heritage’s Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget, spoke on a panel of experts following remarks from lawmakers. Read more about the event.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison gave Heritage’s ninth annual Jesse Helms Lecture last Thursday. In her remarks, Hutchison highlighted the important role that think tanks play around the world. “I found as a United States senator that it was so helpful to have The Heritage Foundation to be able to do research and work that maybe was outside of what your Senate staff could do,” said Hutchison. “Having a think tank that can do the research and help you form big ideas for making a difference, that is the role that Heritage plays.” Watch her full speech.

Is America a creed or a culture? In Public Discourse, an online publication of the Witherspoon Institute, Heritage's new visiting fellow Allen Guelzo makes a compelling case that our creed is our culture. "For decades, both First Things and National Review have struggled to make as much peace as possible between two uncongenial streams of conservative thinking and praxis," writes Guelzo. “That their editors have now planted their feet decisively in one of those streams marks an important moment in the history of American conservatism.” Read his full article.

More than 100,000 pro-life Americans flocked to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24-25 for the 47th annual March for Life rally and 13th Pro-Life Summit—and The Heritage Foundation provided information and inspiration both days. Learn more.

HERITAGE PODCASTS

This week on the “ Heritage Explains” podcast, tech policy expert Klon Kitchen discusses the race to 5G and the implications of the United Kingdom’s decision to allow Chinese-controlled Huawei to build portions of their 5G network. Listen to the podcast.

HERITAGE IN THE NEWS

Here are highlights from media outlets like Fox News, Fox Business, Bloomberg, and CNBC featuring Heritage experts. This week, they touched on hot topics like the State of the Union address, impeachment, human trafficking and more. Watch the video.

POLICY PICTURE

What did you think of President Trump’s State of the Union address? Email us at  ManagingEditor@heritage.org