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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. 

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.

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.

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.

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).

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

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  

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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  

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.

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

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.

REPORT: States Lead on Protecting Farmland from China

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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...

‘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: 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.”

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. 

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.

STATEMENT: AFPI Commends Bill Requiring Transparency and Integrity in Education

FACT SHEET: How Fentanyl Enters American Communities

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

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

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.

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:

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.

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.

OP-ED: Remembering The Real Reason For Black History Month

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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

School Choice: TX-59

School Choice: TX-68

School Choice: TX-81

School Choice: TX-71

School Choice: TX-14

School Choice: TX-147

School Choice: TX-126

School Choice: TX-76

School Choice: TX-29

School Choice: TX-16

School Choice: TX-03

School Choice: TX-119

School Choice: TX-53

School Choice: TX-44

School Choice: TX-43

School Choice: TX-42

School Choice: TX-32

School Choice: TX-30

School Choice: TX-65

School Choice: TX-64

School Choice: TX-62

School Choice: TX-58

School Choice: TX-33

School Choice: TX-04

School Choice: TX-21

School Choice: TX-11

School Choice: TX-09

School Choice: TX-08

School Choice: TX-55

School Choice: TX-17

School Choice: TX-13

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 propaganda victory to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and missed an opportunity to highlight and condemn human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region.

As Summer Begins, No Relief Yet from the Biden Price Hike and Inflation Tax

Just released data shows that inflation has reached a 40-year record high, with the consumer price index (CPI) rising by 8.6% year-over-year in May. Gas prices rose by $0.45 per gallon in May alone and have more than doubled since January 2021, with nearly half of that increase occurring before Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.

AFPI Statement on May’s Consumer Price Index Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) issued the following statement from James Carter, Director of the Center for American Prosperity:

STATEMENT on Security of Supreme Court Justices

“Throughout his career, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has been an advocate for truth and justice. We applaud law enforcement officials in Montgomery County, Maryland for their swift intervention to protect him and his family.

Venezuela’s False Promise

Biden’s Reckless Strategy for Global Energy Security Plays into the Hands of America’s Adversaries.

Op-ed: La falsa promesa de Venezuela

Op-ed: America needs its Gulf allies

Statement on House Republicans Energy Plan – “Will Help Unleash American Energy” as opposed to “more finger-pointing and inaction.”

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

AFPI Statement on May Jobs Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Statement from Michael Faulkender, Visiting Fellow at the America First Policy Institute, and former Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the Department of the Treasury:

FACT SHEET: Joe Biden’s Economic Op-Ed: Who Does He Think He Is Fooling?

Biden’s Intelligence Disclosures: An Escalatory Approach to Russia

Throughout Russia’s unwarranted invasion of Ukraine, many experts have opined regarding the role of the United States. The primary question is whether the U.S. should intervene with direct military force against Russia. Four months into the invasion, the United States and European allies have refrained from direct military engagement in Ukraine. However, the Biden Administration's information warfare against Russia — leaking both credible and noncredible intelligence to the media as a deterrent  — is taking this war on a dangerous course that could potentially bring the United States into a direct military conflict with Russia.

A national takeover of the home appraisal industry represents a dangerous expansion of the federal government

The Biden Administration and Members of Congress are laying the groundwork for a federal takeover of the home appraisal industry in the name of “equity.” A stable housing market is key to the prosperity of the middle class, and history shows that government interventions have led to severe consequences for America’s housing market before—particularly those made in the pursuit of “equity.” The left’s interest in overhauling America’s appraisal process is especially dangerous because it relies on the false assumption that racism is the cause of disparities in home values for minority groups.

Expert Insight: Russia and China Veto of U.N. Security Council Resolution on North Korea’s Recent Missile Tests a Sign of Biden Administration’s Incompetence

On May 26, 2022, China and Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution sponsored by the United States that would have increased sanctions on North Korea in response to a surge in its ballistic missile tests this year.

Statement from AFPI President and CEO Brooke Rollins on Memorial Day

“This Memorial Day, America honors the heroic warriors who laid down their lives for their country and the cause of freedom.

New CBO Analysis: Biden’s Economic Disaster Exacerbates Budget Outlook

The Congressional Budget Office published its latest Budget and Economic Outlook and the economic projection is a disaster for Joe Biden.

Persecution of 90-year-old Catholic cardinal underlines fragility of CCP, points to opening for America First tactics to contain Communist oppression

An effective America First foreign policy means employing a whole-of-government approach, using all tools relevant to the challenge, with a preference for minimizing military deployment and financial expenditure. Internal weaknesses and contradictions, as well as dissident groups and figures, should be leveraged to contain tyrannical governments. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is an essential example of an authoritarian regime with presumed total control over a state, but in recent months its popularity and moral strength have shown signs of frailty.

America First Policy Institute Statement: Georgia Primary Breaks Voter Turnout Records

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) issued the following statement from Chair of the Center for Election Integrity Kenneth Blackwell after reports voter turnout in the Georgia primary broke records, disproving the far Left’s message that the Election Integrity Act of 2021 would “suppress the vote.”

Issue Brief: Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022

Sponsors and proponents of the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022 argue that it is designed to authorize dedicated domestic terrorism offices within the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to analyze and monitor domestic terrorist activity and require the federal government to take steps to prevent domestic terrorism. This legislation was introduced after the January 6, 2021, security breach at the U.S. Capitol and was revived following the recent Buffalo, NY massacre.

Wet Blankets and the Looming Formula Shortage

Economies may soon confront the very real possibility of further fuel shortages with dire consequences for food security.

Selection of America’s Next Top Cop to Regulate Firearms

The importance of selecting a qualified applicant for the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is no small task. The mission of the ATF is to protect the public “…from crimes involving firearms, explosives, arson, and the diversion of tobacco products; regulates lawful commerce in firearms and explosives; and provides worldwide support to law enforcement, public safety, and industry partners” (DOJ, 2021). Correspondingly, in the agency’s values statement, the ATF highlights the goal of upholding the U.S. Constitution (ATF, 2022).

AFPI Statement on WHO’s World Health Assembly Annual Convening

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, America First Policy Institute issued the following statement from Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Keith Kellogg, Co-Chair, Center for American Security and Former Governor Bobby Jindal, Chair, Center for a Healthy America, regarding the World Health Organization (WHO) convening in Geneva.

Statement from AFPI on the “Unconscionably Excessive” Price-Fixing Measures — Market Distortion is an Invitation for Recession

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act. The bill would empower the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on whatever it deems to be “unconscionably excessive” price increases within the fuels market.

Murderous Cartels, Illicit Drugs, and Human Trafficking: The Threat and Atrocity of America’s Porous Southern Border

Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) / Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) represent a clear and present danger to stability in Mexico and Central America and have wide-spread secondary and tertiary impacts on the United States.

The Cartels of Mexico: Death, Drugs, and Depravity from America’s Porous Southern Border

More than 2 million illegal immigrants breached the U.S. border in 2021. This record number of apprehensions and the additional hundreds of thousands of “gotaways” is alarming on many levels, as is the Biden-Harris Administration’s apparent indifference to the crisis. At times, the Biden-Harris Administration almost seems to be actively trying to make the situation worse. For example, they have spent over $2 billion of taxpayer money to break border construction contracts to prevent the border wall from being built. And earlier in April 2022, they announced, even in the face of objection by those on both sides of the aisle, that they planned to rescind the Title 42 policy, which has allowed Border Patrol to expel illegal border crossers due to the ongoing pandemic immediately. This move will likely bring an additional 90,000 illegals into the U.S. each month that are currently subject to removal.

Marc Lotter joined Real America’s Voice to discuss school choice and news of the day

STATEMENT: Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg on Finland and Sweden NATO Application

“America First does not mean America alone. It means strengthening and modernizing our alliances, which is why we support Finland and Sweden applying to join NATO to ensure the safety of their nations.

Testimony Before the Communications and Technology Committee of the Michigan House of Representatives

Chair Hoitenga, Vice Chairs Damoose and Coleman, and members of the Communications and Technology Committee of the Michigan House of Representatives thank you for inviting me to testify. My name is James Sherk. I am the director of the Center for American Freedom at the America First Policy Institute.

Statement on Police Week

Today, the America First Policy Institute issued the following statements in support of our Nation’s law enforcement during National Police Week.

AFPI Announces Renee Hudson as Chief Government Affairs Officer

Today, America First Policy Institute (AFPI) announced Renee Hudson as its new Chief Government Affairs Officer.

Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined Fox Business to discuss Putin’s “Victory Day” speech

Chad Wolf joined Stuart Varney on Fox Business to discuss the latest on the border crisis

Chad Wolf joined Newsmax to discuss the Buffalo shooting and the latest on the border crisis

Chad Wolf joined Fox & Friends to discuss the Buffalo shooting and the border crisis

To strengthen America and weaken the CCP, billion-dollar U.S. university endowments must divest from Chinese firms

America First means deploying all elements of American statecraft to protect America’s interests and ensure its security, with economic pressure representing a primary tool. U.S. investment in mainland China has the harmful effect of helping to fund a Communist Party regime that undermines our geopolitical position. In addition, our rule of law, civil society, and respect for human and individual rights set our constitutional republic apart, and it gives us the strength to confront the authoritarian communist government of China. Our most affluent and generously endowed universities are damaging our security and making a mockery of higher education and their own humanitarian pretenses by bankrolling the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

America First Policy Institute: Statement

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the America First Policy Institute issued the following statement from President and CEO Brooke Rollins after the United States Senate failed to codify Roe v. Wade into law.

Correcting the Record on Job Creation

The Claim: “Biden was buoyed by strong numbers earlier in the day [Friday, May 6] that showed the U.S. added 428,000 jobs in April, more than expected and the 12th straight month of job gains in excess of 400,000. Manufacturing has seen the largest 15-month job gain in 15 years, he noted.” (Reuters, May 7, 2022)

Maintaining America’s Superpower Status

A Series on Restoring America’s Credible Deterrence After Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine.

Chad Wolf joined Newsmax to discuss the record levels of drugs pouring across the border

Stories of our Nation’s Founding Wives

Examination of the Founding Fathers’ lives shows complete and total sacrifice on the part of all involved. When Patrick Henry famously declared, “give me liberty or give me death,” he truly meant it. However, while everyone knows the sacrifices of individuals like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, or Alexander Hamilton, the sacrifices of the most important people in their lives, their wives, often go unnoticed. In reality, these women made tremendous contributions that helped form the exceptional country that we live in today. 

The European Union Announces Plan for Phased Ban of Russian Oil and Refined Products—America Must Meet the Moment

Chad Wolf joined Mornings with Maria to discuss the historic border crisis

Linda McMahon joined Neil Cavuto to discuss record inflation and small businesses

Chad Wolf discusses the disaster at the border with Stuart Varney on Fox Business

The New Terrorist Wave Sweeping Israel: How is This Year Different from Others?

Several aspects of the current wave of violence sweeping Israel since early March make it different from the violence that took place roughly this time last year. It also may point to broader changes in the Middle East that will impact American interests.

The Biden Recession Is Coming

This morning, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) confirmed what many have been fearing: the U.S. economy is potentially entering a recession. The BEA’s just released advanced estimate of gross domestic product (GDP)—the value of all goods and services produced domestically—for the first quarter of 2022, which came in at a decline of 1.4% (on an annualized basis) relative to the fourth quarter of 2021.

Issue Brief: Explaining Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine and The Need for an America First Approach

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brazen invasion of Ukraine is just the latest manifestation of the damaging weakness the Biden Administration is projecting on the world stage. Over the course of the first year of the Biden Administration, the credibility of American deterrence has eroded due to the debacle of America’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the failure to secure the southern border, and a less than serious policy obsessed with climate change. On the threat from Russia, President Biden ceded America’s leadership to Europe, removing strong policies like the Nord Stream II sanctions that the Trump Administration had imposed and instituted restrictions on critical intelligence sharing with Ukraine that it is only now weighing lifting over 2 months into the war.

Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined America Reports on Fox News to discuss the latest on Ukraine

Chad Wolf joined America Reports to discuss the end of Title 42 and the growing crisis at the border

America First Policy Institute Applauds the American Governor’s Border Strike Force Initiative

WASHINGTON, D.C.— America First Policy Institute released the following statement regarding the 26 Republican governors, led by Governor Doug Ducey (AZ) and Governor Greg Abbott (TX), forming the American Governors’ Border Strike Force. 

Marc Lotter joined Newsmax to discuss Trump’s interview with Piers Morgan and news of the day

AFPI Statement on the Biden Administration Final NEPA Rule that Will Delay Infrastructure, Increase Energy Costs, and Cement a Legacy of Build Back Never

President Biden’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) announced its final rule reversing critical reforms of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations. The historic, common-sense reforms accomplished during the Trump Administration modernized the complex, costly, and overly burdensome regulatory environment. These reforms maintained environmental standards and were critical to reducing excessive delays in the permitting process that led to crumbling infrastructure and misallocated capital.     

Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined Cavuto: Coast to Coast to discuss the latest on Ukraine

Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined America Reports on Fox News to discuss the latest on Ukraine

Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined Varney on Fox Business to discuss Russia & Ukraine negotiations

Op-Ed - Top Trump WH Staffers: We Want to Arm Ukraine to the Teeth - Why Won’t Biden Do It?

As former Trump administration national security officials who deeply believe in an America First approach to U.S. national security policy, we have been on television almost every day discussing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

NEW POLLING: Biden Administration is Wrong at the Border and on Masks on Airplanes

The America First Policy Institute today released new polling data from Scott Rasmussen, which shows the American people disagree with the Biden Administration’s plans to end Title 42 removals of illegal immigrants due to the threat of COVID-19. Voters — especially those who regularly fly commercial airlines — also oppose the continuation of mask mandates on airplanes.

Jack Brewer joined Fox Business to discuss BLM’s $6 million mansion and the importance of fatherhood

STATEMENT from former Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker on NY Shooting

Statement from Matt Whitaker, Co-Chair of the Center for Law and Justice at the America First Policy Institute and former Acting Attorney General of the United States.

Myths Versus Facts School Choice in Iowa

Iowans support school choice. FACT. Polling shows that 62 percent of Iowans surveyed believe that education dollars should follow students to a school of their choice. A majority of Iowa citizens believe no child should be forced to go to a school based on their zip code. Parents should be free to choose the school that best fits the educational needs of that specific child.

Chad Wolf joined Sunday Night in America to discuss his recent border trip and the ongoing crisis

Can Americans Afford Spring Break in Joe Biden’s America?

For the first time in a couple of years, COVID-19 mandates and restrictions have lessened to the point people can travel again. But can American families afford their spring break trips to warmer locales or see friends and family given 40-year-high inflation and record-high prices for gasoline?

Chad Wolf joined Sunday Night in America to discuss his recent border trip and the ongoing crisis

Biden’s far-left approach to ‘health’

People should not expect the Biden administration to solve problems with the healthcare system anytime soon. In fact, the president’s 2023 budget exacerbates some healthcare challenges. Policies contained in Biden’s budget continue to cater to a far-left agenda and perpetuate leading from behind on COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have mismanaged their response to recent COVID-19 variants and handed down confusing, inconsistent guidance on masking, quarantining, and testing. As a result, trust in the CDC has declined from 69% in April 2020 to 44% in January 2022. Instead of implementing increased oversight at the CDC, the Biden administration proposes to give $9.9 billion of discretionary funding to "build up capacity." This is a $2.8 billion increase over the 2021 enacted level and is proposed at a time when the agency is performing a sweeping review of its processes. A better approach would be to restore confidence and enhance pandemic preparedness through responsible use of public health dollars.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson: Not Supremely Qualified

The deliberate plan behind the border crisis

We are in the midst of the single worst immigration crisis that our country has ever experienced. This past fiscal year saw the highest number of illegal apprehensions on record, and we are on pace to exceed that number in 2022. Even more disturbing is the recent decision by the Biden administration to end Title 42, a public health emergency order, which undoubtedly will result in an additional surge of illegal immigrants to the border. Accompanying the huge rise in illegal crossings has been more human trafficking and a massive influx of drugs and other contraband that is contributing to an opioid crisis that is not only further devastating communities but enriching Mexican cartels.

Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined Mornings with Maria to discuss the latest on Russia and Ukraine

WOLF: Biden Admin Pulled The Plug On Title 42. Now America Is In For A Reckoning

The Biden administration has announced it will withdraw Title 42, a public health order that has allowed the U.S. to control the spread of COVID-19 in border facilities and protect U.S. communities and law enforcement agents from the virus, in a little over 50 days from now. There is no doubt that this authority has saved countless lives over the past two years and helped preserve medical resources along the border, particularly early in the pandemic.

Chad Wolf joined Mornings with Maria to discuss the latest on the border crisis

Testimony on Ohio House Bill 441

Chair Hudson and members of the Civil Justice Committee of the Ohio House of Representatives, thank you for inviting my testimony. My name is James Sherk. I am the director of the Center for American Freedom at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI). My work at AFPI focuses on protecting Americans from traditional and emerging threats to their freedom. Prior to joining AFPI I served as a Special Assistant to President Trump on the White House Domestic Policy Council. In that role I led the White House inter-agency working group on combatting Big Tech censorship, including the development of what became Executive Order 13925 on Preventing Online Censorship.

Chad Wolf joined Fox News to discuss the consequences of the removal of Title 42 at the border

America First Foreign Policy Principles in Practice

What is America First foreign policy? America Independent and Strong. America First requires an America that is independent and secure, ensuring first that America’s supply chains and economy are stable and strong and its people are safe.

Fred Fleitz joined Fox Business Tonight to discuss the latest on Russia and Ukraine

DHS-DOJ Joint Rule Latest Deliberate Attempt to Dismantle the Immigration System

The Biden Administration’s ongoing humanitarian and national security crisis at the Southern border is not the result of incompetence but rather a systematic and deliberate attempt to deconstruct the United States’ lawful and orderly immigration system. If this seems difficult to believe, recent comments by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Mayorkas should remove any doubt, as he proudly declared that the Biden Administration had “fundamentally changed immigration enforcement.” Sadly, the Secretary was accurate in his statement.

Biden blames Putin and US oil companies for the rising prices making Americans’ lives miserable, but the TRUTH is that runaway inflation is his own fault

If one listened to President Joe Biden's speech on Thursday, they may come away with the idea that there are two villains behind the severe economic pain that Americans are experiencing.  According to Biden, it is the fault of Vladimir Putin and American oil companies that gas prices are at record highs. 

STATEMENT: FMR DHS Acting Sec. Chad Wolf on Centers for Disease Control Decision to revoke Title 42

Op-ed: America Shouldn’t Compete Against China With One Arm Tied Behind Its Back

The Senate recently passed a bill intended to bolster America’s technological and industrial capacity as we compete against China. The bill, called the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, began as a serious, bipartisan effort to meet one of our country’s greatest challenges.

Issue Brief: Biden Administration Inflation & Oil Markets

Our present oil market woes have their roots in pandemic-induced demand reduction, quicker than anticipated demand recovery, and underinvestment stemming from anti-fossil climate policies. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the West’s response are serving as contributing factors—not the origin. Developing a strategy to alleviate market pressures will require the Biden Administration to resist interventionist tendencies and promote an unhindered energy market.

American families feel like they’re falling behind. They’re right.

Today’s jobs report reinforces the setbacks American workers have endured this past year. While the report shows that an additional 431,000 jobs were filled in March and the unemployment rate fell to 3.6%, it also shows that hourly wages have only risen 5.6% in the past year. Inflation through February has been measured at 7.9% and the release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) next week is likely to show that price increases again outpaced wage increases, particularly given the pressure on energy prices. Overall, this means that in inflation-adjusted terms, working has 2.3% less purchasing power than a year ago.

The Latest Strategic Petroleum Reserve Release Demonstrates the “Consequence and Peril” of President Biden’s War on Fossil Fuels

The Biden Administration has announced its third release of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, amounting to a record 1 million barrels per day of oil beginning in May 2022 and lasting 6 months, totaling an overall release of 180 million barrels.

Meet Anonymous Airman #7 of AFPI’s Lawsuit against the Biden Department of Defense

Eastern Europe is being ravaged by war. An old enemy has resurfaced. At a time when America needs its best, highly trained men and women in uniform, especially those specifically trained in Russian, the Biden Administration is kicking many out—even those we invested years and millions of dollars in preparing for exactly this adversary and this moment.

Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joins America’s Newsroom to discuss the latest on Russia and Ukraine

Op-ed: Just Say No to Rejoining TPP

Statement from Scott Turner, Chair, Center for Education Opportunity

“I congratulate Florida leaders on the passage of HB 1557. The Parental Rights in Education bill ensures kindergartners will not be taught gender ideology and empowers parents to be involved in their child’s emotional and physical health...

Evaluating the Biden Administration’s Budget Proposals

The Biden Administration released its fiscal year 2023 budget proposal yesterday. How does it compare to the president’s first budget? How should we evaluate the new budget? While some of the individual policies underlying the president’s budget may hold merit in and of themselves, we can get a reasonable sense of the overall budget’s merit by asking and answering 11 questions.

Biden is to blame for rising gas prices. America needs to expand energy production.

Gasoline prices had already hit a record high the morning that President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian energy imports on March 8. The last time average gas prices topped $4 a gallon was in 2008, when George W. Bush was president. At that time, the White House worked with the Department of the Interior to expand American energy production. By contrast, the Biden administration has been curbing oil and gas drilling. This means that today’s pain at the pump is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

The Pro-Life Movement Is the Real Pro-Woman Movement

When the Texas Heartbeat Act took effect in September of last year, pro-abortion activists predictably reacted with cries of hysteria. Critics falsely painted the bill as an “anti-choice” enormity, intentionally and maliciously designed by lawmakers to deprive innocent women of their right to healthcare. The abortion industry went so far as to describe this life-saving bill as a “diabolical scheme” designed with “an extra dose of cruelty.”

Team Biden’s strategic plan to erase womanhood

Promising to unify the nation through big government-sponsored gender equity and women’s rights, President Biden stated: “This moment demands a bold and united response — a commitment to do more than just rebuild to a status quo that wasn’t working for women and girls, but rather to build back better.”

Op-Ed: How the Left Is Using Ukraine to Discredit Trump and ‘America First’

America First means keeping America out of unnecessary wars promoted by the liberal elite for nation-building in which we have no strategic interests.

Evaluating the Biden Administration’s Budget Proposals

According to press reports, the Biden Administration is preparing to release its fiscal year 2023 budget on Monday, March 28. While it’s impossible to weigh the merits of the president’s budget before it is made public, it’s not too early to begin thinking about how we should evaluate it once that happens.

Chad Wolf joined the National Report on Newsmax to discuss border security and immigration

Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined America Reports to react to President Biden’s speech at NATO

Fred Fleitz joined Fox News @ Night to discuss the latest on Russia and Ukraine

Keeping America Great Is Key To The China Challenge

During the Cold War with the Soviet Union, the U.S. consistently overestimated the Soviet regime’s abilities and underestimated its threat.

Pro-Worker, Pro-Family Policies Are Pro-Women

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, it’s worth examining the significant role women continue to play in America’s workforce today. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw a sharp decline of women in the workforce. By April 2020, the female unemployment rate peaked at 16.1 percent, while the unemployment rate for men was 13.6 percent.

Op-ed: Biden’s Nuclear Deal With Iran Is Set To Be Even More Disastrous Than Obama’s

Russia’s demand for a sanctions exemption is the only thing stopping the new, deeply flawed nuclear deal from going forward.

Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined America Reports on Fox News to discuss Russia and Ukraine

Chad Wolf joined Fox and Friends to discuss threats from China and border security

You Can Oppose School Covid-Vaccine Mandates without Opposing Vaccines

Two New York City officials recently called on Mayor Eric Adams to require full Covid vaccination next school year as part of the standard vaccination requirements for public schools. Democrats such as Virginia’s Terry McAuliffe don’t think parents should have a say in what schools teach their children, and many also want those same schools to override parents’ role as their children’s first and most important caregivers. Yet mandatory Covid-vaccination policies for schoolchildren worry 53 percent of parents, and 76 percent of parents are concerned about long-term effects of the Covid vaccine in children.

Fred Fleitz joined America Reports on Fox News to discuss the latest on Russia and Ukraine

The Need to Refocus International Efforts on Traditional Air Pollutants

Much can and should be made of how the flawed Paris Agreement—which President Biden reentered—and more broadly, the overweening international focus on climate, distracts and detracts from issues of critical importance across the board, ranging from prosperity to energy to security, with exceedingly little to show for meeting any climate goals.

Producer Price Inflation Hits Double Digits

This morning’s release of the Producer Price Index (PPI) for February 2022 demonstrated that the inflationary pressures caused by the Biden Administration have continued. In February, prices for producers jumped another 0.8%, generating a 12-month producer inflation rate of 10.1%, tying the record set in December 2021.

State Health Policy Issue Brief: Increasing Hospital Price Transparency Compliance in States

Hospital price transparency requires hospitals to make standard charges for medical items and services available and accessible to the public. The goal is to reduce opacity in the healthcare system and empower consumers with information to choose the care that is best for them.

Biden’s HHS Undermines Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Our Declaration of Independence enumerates three cornerstone guarantees to all citizens: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Once a hallmark of our Nation, these cherished principles, particularly the right to life, lay under cultural assault. Without protecting the guarantee to life, we surrender the remaining two core American values.

Celebrating Women’s History Month through the Accomplishments of Women

The idea of women’s suffrage was a radical concept in the eyes of previous generations, but American culture was altered by decades of brave women entering public life. In the first decade of the 1900s, a teenage girl born in Manhattan and hailing from Oyster Bay, New York, Alice Roosevelt, grew of age in the spotlight of the Washington, D.C. press, where she emerged to be one of the most important political power brokers of the 20th Century. 

The Children of Ukraine

The escalation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is impacting Ukraine’s entire school-aged population. There are now 5.7 million girls, boys, and adolescents between 3–17 years of age, with no or severely disjointed access to education.

Free speech and the Bible on global trial

Led by America’s example, Western countries have shined as a global refuge for free expression and religious liberty, standing in contrast to the many authoritarian governments that act as paternalistic gatekeepers of their citizens’ speech. 

Sarah Bloom Raskin’s Radical Climate Change Agenda for the Federal Reserve

President Joe Biden recently nominated Sarah Bloom Raskin to serve as Vice Chair for Supervision of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Board. If confirmed, Raskin would be put in charge of regulating the U.S. financial system and become a pivotal voice in setting interest rates for our Nation’s banks.

Judging the Omnibus by the Numbers

Six months into FY2022, Congress has yet to send a single appropriations bill to President Joe Biden for his signature. Instead, Congress has relied on temporary continuing resolutions to avoid a government shutdown while it worked behind closed doors on legislation to provide permanent funding for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Re-establishing our Energy Independence

WASHINGTON, D.C. - America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement after reports that inflation increased 7.9% in the past twelve months, hitting the fastest rate of inflation since 1982. The report also contained the highest prices ever recorded for everyday items such as chicken (+13.2%), lunchmeat (+11%), baby food (+8.4%), and pet supplies (+7.5%). This provides yet another example of the Biden Administration’s continued efforts to advance economic policies that are depleting the American people’s wallets and sabotaging our Nation’s wealth and security. 

Unleashing American Energy

President Biden's anti-American energy policies are being felt by every American and relished by America's enemies.

Americans’ Inflation Nightmare Continues

Inflation has surged with a vengeance since the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan Act went into effect in early 2021, exacting a steep toll on Americans’ pocketbooks.

America First Policy Institute Statement on Congressional Omnibus Proposal

Today, America First Policy Institute (AFPI)’s President and CEO, Brooke Rollins, released the following statement regarding the reckless $1.5 trillion, 2,700-page spending package making its way through Congress.

AFPI FILES LARGEST RELIGIOUS LIBERTY VACCINE LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF AIR FORCE MEMBERS FACING DISCHARGE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI’s) Constitutional Litigation Partnership (CLP), in partnership with the Alliance for Free Citizens, filed a lawsuit on behalf of 36 members of the United States Air Force against the Biden Administration and the Department of Defense for their refusal to grant religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Rick Perry joined Cavuto Live on Fox to discuss the energy crisis and oil restrictions from Russia

Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined Jesse Watters Primetime to discuss Russia and Ukraine

Center for Election Integrity Launches Color-coded Interactive Map Comparing States’ Key Election Laws

To help clarify where states stand with their voter protection laws, CEI has developed an interactive, color-coded map that allows anyone to see where their state election laws stack up in comparison with other states.

Hogan Gidley joined Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss election integrity

Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined America Reports to discuss the latest on Russia and Ukraine

America First Policy Institute Statement on February Jobs Report

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, Jim Carter, Director of the Center for American Prosperity at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), released the following statement on the real impacts of the current administration’s policies on hardworking Americans:

AFPI Files Amicus Brief in the United States Supreme Court to Support Coach Fired for Praying After Game

America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) Constitutional Litigation Partnership (CLP), in conjunction with AFPI’s Center for 1776 and Center for Opportunity Now, filed an Amicus Curiae with the United States Supreme Court.

America First Policy Institute Launches Opportunity Now Tour

ATLANTA, GA - Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), alongside Civil Rights Leader Dr. Alveda King and NFL Great Jack Brewer, launched its two-day tour in Atlanta, Georgia, championing the ideas of AFPI’s Center for Opportunity Now. This initiative harnesses the power of revitalization by expanding opportunity in economics, education, criminal justice, healthcare, homeownership, and fatherhood. 

Chad Wolf reacts to President Biden’s State of the Union address on Fox & Friends

Fred Fleitz joined Fox News Live to discuss the latest on Russia and Ukraine

Center for Opportunity Now

The Promise of Opportunity Now

Opportunity is a concept deeply rooted in the core of the American experience. Whether it was the early American settlers or the small business owners of today, it is the undeniable promise of our great country. It is why the name is tied to legislative concepts like Opportunity Zones and socio-economic initiatives like Opportunity Now, with each seeking to ensure that this critical American ideal reaches beyond race, creed, and color.

Opportunity Now Profile for Georgia

The America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) Center for Opportunity Now began with a simple goal in mind: harness the power of revitalization by expanding opportunity in economics, education, criminal justice, healthcare, homeownership, and fatherhood. By championing these pillars of opportunity through smart policy initiatives, America’s forgotten communities can be set on the path to self-sufficiency and independence. 

Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined the Faulkner Focus to discuss the latest on Russia and Ukraine

Op-ed: Trump’s Abraham Accords continue to rack up wins

True Equality is Enforcing Law and Order

Many have heard of the “broken windows theory,” which states that visible signs of crime and civil disorder create an urban environment that fosters greater crime and disorder. The theory is not complicated. If a government cannot prevent minor crimes like graffiti or broken windows, how can it begin to tackle and solve serious crimes, such as rape or murder? This is but one of the common-sense policies that Rudy Giuliani ran on, successfully becoming Mayor of New York City.

State Health Policy Issue Brief: Removing Restrictions to Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance in States

Short-term, limited-duration (STLD) insurance plans are temporary insurance plans sold by insurance companies that are in effect for a predetermined amount of time, from as little as 1 month to up to 3 years. Because they are classified as temporary plans, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exempted-short term plans from many requirements.

America First Policy Institute’s Pennsylvania Act 77 Amicus Brief

National Marriage Week

What defines a successful, healthy, and thriving nation? It’s not a nation’s gross domestic product, nor is it a nation’s eco-friendliness score. It’s not even free-market capitalism. One key measuring stick to use is marriage.

AFPI on America’s Security and Standing in the World after Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine

Steve Yates joined Fox Business to discuss the latest on Russia and Ukraine, China and Taiwan

The Wages of Tax Reform Went to America’s Workers — and that’s why Trump’s Tax Cuts Should be Made Permanent

With inflation at its highest rate since 1982, if Democrats really care about our Nation’s “working” class, they will support making the Trump tax cuts permanent. Before the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), anemic economic growth had become the new normal. Workers were permanently on the sidelines, and American manufacturing was a thing of the past. The message from the Obama White House was, in short: Get used to it. President Obama even said a “magic wand” didn’t exist to fix the economy.

Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined Hannity on Fox News to discuss Russia and Ukraine

Fred Fleitz joined America Reports on Fox News to discuss Russia and Ukraine

Matt Whitaker joined Mornings with Maria on Fox Business to discuss the Durham report

Freedom Fact Sheet: Presidents’ Day

WHAT IS IT? Presidents’ Day honors all who have served as President of the United States of America. It is officially titled Washington’s Birthday.

The Biden Administration has Given up on Black America and Our Dreams

Biden has not pursued the sort of policies that lift Black Americans to self-sufficiency and independence.

Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined Special Report on Fox News to discuss Russia and Ukraine

Steve Yates joined Fox Business to discuss China’s accusation of U.S. exaggerating Russia tensions

America First Policy Institute Applauds Florida House for Unanimously Passing Bill Addressing the Fatherhood Crisis

The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) today joined Florida Speaker of the House Rep. Chris Sprowls (R - Palm Harbor) and Senate President Wilton Simpson (R - 10th District) in support of House Bill 7065, a bill targeting the growing crisis of fatherless children in the state and our Nation.

Op-ed: How to Counter Biden’s National Security Incompetence in 2022

America’s enemies have been watching this unprecedented deterioration of American global leadership and are preparing to cash in.

Celebrating Black History Month with AFPI’s Dr. Alveda King, Jack Brewer, & Gov. Phil Bryant

Building Back Stagflation

Our elected leaders must accept that inflation is a monster of their own making, and stop fanning the flames with ever-higher levels of government spending.

Toolkit: Protecting Your Taxpayer Dollars in the Classroom

The COVID-19 pandemic and heightened tensions over the teaching of racial and social issues have made curriculum, school boards, and education transparency a top priority among grassroots, parents, students, and politicians alike. Grassroots (citizen activists in a community) must have the tools they need to advocate for transparent and quality spending of their tax payer dollars. 

America First Policy Institute Statement on January Producer Price Index Report

Jack Brewer’s Fatherhood Initiative

Fred Fleitz joined America Reports on Fox to discuss increased tensions in Ukraine

Chad Wolf joined Fox Report Weekend on Fox News to discuss border security and immigration

BREWER And YATES: Putting America First Requires Resisting China’s Systemic Racism

While many Americans often hear about China’s storied culture and history dating back thousands of years, that is not the China we are dealing with today under Communist Party leadership. As Americans celebrate Black History Month and root for Team USA at the Olympics, we think this is an important time to take a closer look at the intersection of China, sports and race.

Op-ed: Russian Invasion of Ukraine Increasingly Looks Inevitable

Until yesterday, I didn’t believe Russian President Vladimir Putin would order a Russian invasion of Ukraine. When reports surfaced of the 100,000 Russian troops along the Ukrainian border in November of 2021, I was convinced the Russian troop build-up was just leverage that Putin planned to use to win concessions from the United States and NATO and ultimately divide NATO.

Promising to nominate a Black woman would be illegal in any other setting

Employment discrimination is disallowed everywhere but the corridors of power. President Biden’s promise to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court of the United States would be considered illegal in any other setting. Employment discrimination based on sex and race is disallowed everywhere but the corridors of power. Perhaps that’s why a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll showed only 23% of Americans supported Mr. Biden’s plan to only consider Black women for this post, while ignoring all other qualified candidates.

America First Policy Institute Statement on Inflation Report

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, following the release of January’s Consumer Price Index report, Jim Carter, Director of the Center for American Prosperity at the America First Policy Institute issued the following statement:

The Biden Administration’s Inflation Tax Continues to Take a Bite Out of Americans’ Paychecks

Vaccine Update: Religious Exemption Database

After President Biden’s illegal vaccine mandate for federal employees was struck down in court, the administration turned to another equally intrusive measure in pursuit of its state-mandated vaccination agenda: the construction of a federal database tracking workers who request a religious exemption from the vaccine.

Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined America Reports on Fox to discuss Russia and Ukraine

The Key To Prosperity

The Commerce Department recently reported that the U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 6.9% last quarter. While that may sound like fantastic growth, dig beneath the topline number and you find that arcane economic statistics can be, and often are, misleading.

Pam Bondi joined Kudlow on Fox to discuss the freedom convoys and Go Fund Me lawsuit

Fred Fleitz joined Shannon Bream on Fox News to discuss the overnight raid in Syria where U.S. forces killed the leader of ISIS

America First Policy Institute Statement on January Jobs Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released January’s jobs report, resulting in an unexpected gain of 467,000 jobs. In response to the data, Jim Carter, Director of the Center for American Prosperity at the America First Policy Institute released the following statement:

Americans Return to Work as Biden Administration Work Disincentives Expire, but Jobs Remain Over 7 million Below Trend

The U.S. economy created 467,000 jobs in January 2022 as the American people demonstrate their resilience in the face of omicron and return to work following the expiration of the work disincentives in the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan Act.

Expanding Obamacare subsidies will cause even more inflation

In 2021, inflation soared to 7% . We feel it at checkout counters, gas pumps, and in healthcare costs. The Build Back Better Act, currently stalled in the Senate but still looming in the legislative background, would encourage already sky-high health insurance premiums to rise even higher, making more people reliant on taxpayer subsidies to afford insurance.

Jack Brewer joined Americas Newsroom on Fox News to discuss the issue of fatherless homes in America

David Bernhardt joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss infrastructure

Russia and Ukraine – What Happens Next, and Why It Matters

States Have the Power to Restore Faith in Our Electoral System - Will They Use It?

The faith, trust, and confidence in our election process has been in steep decline for decades. Concerns over hanging chads and dimpled ballots from 2000’s presidential election may now have been replaced with questions about photo ID and drop boxes – but the overall result is the same: The American people simply don’t trust the outcome of elections.

States Have the Power to Restore Faith in Our Electoral System - Will They Use It?

The faith, trust, and confidence in our election process has been in steep decline for decades. Concerns over hanging chads and dimpled ballots from 2000’s presidential election may now have been replaced with questions about photo ID and drop boxes – but the overall result is the same: The American people simply don’t trust the outcome of elections.

Democrats’ Hypocrisy on Election Security Exposed

Hogan Gidley, director for election integrity at America First Policy Institute, said the montage shows the hypocrisy of Democrats today who want to silence those — particularly among supporters of President Trump — who raise valid concerns about election integrity.

KING: Black history is American history

Black History Month should remind us that we should never forget our past, yet moving ahead, our focus must be on uniting as one America

Tales From the Swamp: How Federal Bureaucrats Resisted President Trump

American democracy operates on the principle of government by the consent of the governed. Americans regularly elect the president and Members of Congress. However, difficult-to-fire career employees with entrenched job security—not political appointees who serve at the discretion of the President—perform most federal work. These employees’ jobs do not depend on election outcomes. Career employees thus exercise federal power without adequate transparency and democratic accountability.

DeSantis is right: A state election crimes agency will make elections more secure

The Left and their liberal media allies love to point to the low number of election crimes prosecuted as proof that there is little to no voter fraud. They claim these low figures prove we have secure elections and that we do not need election integrity reforms.

BLACKWELL: Black History as American History

Today, Americans of all stripes are constantly bombarded with an insidious propaganda campaign against our shared history. From Critical Race Theory to ripping down historical statues, our national story is being rewritten as irredeemably sinful. These efforts have taken a particularly racialized characteristic by implying that Black history is somehow distinct from, or in opposition to, “American history” itself, rather than an integral part of it.

Issue Brief: The Inflationary Impact of Expanded ACA Subsidies on Health Insurance Premiums and Alternative Options to Put Americans First

President Biden’s banner policy plan, the Build Back Better Act, otherwise known as the “Big Government Socialism Bill” (BGSB), is being advertised as a solution to a top concern of many Americans—the rising cost of health insurance premiums. The bill passed the House of Representatives on November 19, 2021, but does not have the votes to pass in the Senate in its current form. In reality, the bill’s healthcare provisions would do nothing to solve some of the worst problems with the Affordable Care Act (ACA): the trend of rising healthcare costs with no guarantee of better access to care.

Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined America Reports to discuss the Russia and Ukraine situation

AFPI Announces Jim Carter Will Direct Its Center For American Prosperity

Op-ed: Will Biden Defend America Against Surging Missile Threats?

The United States needs a bipartisan strategy to defend U.S. adversaries’ increasing missile capabilities.

AFPI’s Director of the Center for Election Integrity (CEI), Hogan Gidley, issued the following statement regarding today’s Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court decision – declaring Act 77 unconstitutional

“Pennsylvania law is clear – allowing no-excuse mail-in voting requires a change to Pennsylvania's Constitution. That did not happen with Act 77. As a result, today, Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court correctly declared Act 77 unconstitutional, which is a step in right direction to ensure voters are protected in Pennsylvania.

Inside the Economic Numbers: Despite Growth, Significant Headwinds Remain

Yesterday’s GDP release continues to show that the American economy is recovering from the COVID pandemic, largely thanks to the Trump Administration’s success with Operation Warp Speed of realizing three vaccines within a year of the onset of the pandemic and the quick implementation of fiscal aid from the CARES Act. The pandemic recession was by far the shortest on record, and the economy continues the expansion that began in May 2020.

Op-Ed: Ukraine is Europe’s problem, not ours so why is Biden wasting American energy on a fight that’s none of our business instead of tackling the true threat from China

Afghanistan in 2021 and Ukraine in 2022 stand out for their profound shock and the strategic importance of President Biden's failure in those two settings. Both are flashpoints in understanding what is fast coming together to be President Biden's 'America Last' foreign policy.

Biden and His Clown Car Have Failed America!

Politico reached out to me for a conservative perspective on Joe Biden’s first year in office, but when I hit their favored president too hard, they proved yet again that the establishment media continue to cover for this failed president as shills for Democrats and the far left.

Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined Fox News at Night to discuss Russia and Ukraine

Op-Ed: A call to renew the Black-Jewish bond

In these bonds, we find more than mere speeches or coincidental get-togethers. We find a deep and joint commitment to combating racism and fighting antisemitism.

Federal Labor Relations Authority’s Small Victory for Immigration Enforcement

It is rare to report good news these days, especially with the Biden Administration’s total standdown on homeland security and immigration enforcement. But last week, the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) decertified a union representing the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) immigration judges (IJs). As a result, immigration cases should theoretically now move more quickly through DOJ. While positive, the ruling nevertheless shows why America’s civil service system desperately needs reform.

Rick Perry joined Mornings with Maria on Fox Business to discuss the energy crisis

America First Policy Institute Adds Marc Lotter as Chief Communications Officer

WASHINGTON, D.C. - America First Policy Institute (AFPI) today announced Marc Lotter as Chief Communications Officer.

Op-Ed: Biden’s war on American energy made us dependent, again

Biden has come into office, and after one year, we have seen a 4 percent surplus of domestic oil and gas production fall to a 4 percent oil and gas deficit.

Op-Ed: Why the New Congressional Abraham Accords Caucus Matters

At a time of intense partisan divisions in Washington, D.C. the launch last week of a Congressional Abraham Accords Caucus was a very welcome development, indicative of bipartisan support for continuation and expansion of one of the most significant foreign policy achievements in decades.

Op-Ed: Work, March, Pray for Our Post-Roe Generation

God’s word and science agree — human life begins in the womb. For decades, the flawed ruling of Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973),  has denied pre-born babies the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Biden Expands the Role of Government in Healthcare

Just 1 year into his term, President Joe Biden has made a systematic effort to expand the role of government in healthcare resulting in fewer choices for Americans. Biden’s campaign promised to make healthcare more affordable through an agenda of broader government support, sometimes called the “Affordable Care Act 2.0.” This doubled down on the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Obama/Biden Administration’s healthcare agenda that failed to keep many promises. We now know that the ACA more than doubled premiums in the individual market, and Americans have fewer choices of insurers, meaning less access to doctors and hospitals of their choosing.

Op-Ed: Biden: It’s Not Who Can Vote, But Who Gets to Count the Vote

It is a shocking statement that could easily be attributed to a third world dictator. When asked about election legislation this week, the president of the United States of America stated, “It’s not who can vote, but who gets to count the vote. Who counts the vote—that’s what this is about.” 

Progressives Are the New Regressives

For more than a century, progressives have politically positioned themselves as the protectors of the poor. Whether it was safeguarding consumers from harmful products and workers from unsafe labor conditions or advocating for higher wages for lower-income workers, progressives have proclaimed themselves the advocates of those left behind by society’s advances. 

BREAKING CASE UPDATE: PRESIDENT BIDEN’S DOJ FILES MOTION TO INTERVENE IN PRESIDENT TRUMP’S LAWSUIT AGAINST FACEBOOK

President Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a Motion to Intervene in President Donald J. Trump’s class action lawsuit against Facebook, supporting the Constitutionality of Section 230.

An Examination of the First Year of Biden’s Presidency

Today marks 1 year since President Biden’s inauguration. Unfortunately for the American people, his presidency is shaping up to be a historical disaster. Over the last 12 months, the policies put forth have made Americans less secure. Below are some of the most egregious examples of what the Biden Administration has done to weaken America’s standing and set-back American families.

AFPI’s Center for Election Integrity Director Hogan Gidley issued the following statement on the U.S. Senate voting to stop the Freedom to Cheat Act

Fred Fleitz joined John Bachman Now on Newsmax to discuss Russia and Ukraine tensions

Holocaust Remembrance and America’s Fight Against Anti-Semitism

Next Thursday, January 27, is the 77th anniversary of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. In 2005, the United Nations designated this day as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, “in memory of the victims of the Holocaust” and “to develop educational programs that will inculcate future generations with the lessons of the Holocaust in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide.” Learning the lessons of the Holocaust requires understanding the ideology of anti-Semitism that not only motivated its planners but which also persists today.

Op-Ed: Civil Rights: Prophets and Preachers vs. Politics, Riots

Every year, during the holiday season for the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and subsequently during the time frame for the March for Life, some have questions abouth this writer's family heritage. One question which requiring an answer now is the focus of this message. "Why is there so little attention given to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's role as prophet and preacher?"

General Kellogg joined Kudlow to discuss national security and tension between Russia and Ukraine

Freedom Fact Sheet: The Constitution of The United States of America

The below definitions are frequently used keywords in the Constitution of the United States. Knowing these definitions allows for a deeper understanding of this important founding document.

Freedom Fact Sheet: The Bill of Rights of The United States of America

In this fact sheet, we will define key words in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution

Pam Bondi joined Hannity on Fox News to discuss the surge of violent crime in America

Dr. Alveda King joined America Reports on Fox to celebrate the ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

Dr. Alveda King Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined America Reports on Fox News to discuss the Russia and Ukraine situation

Chad Wolf joined America Reports on Fox News to discuss border security and immigration

Op-Ed: Let Dr. King’s Holiday Ring for Freedom — Each Year, Every Day

Each year, from Jan. 15 - 22, many Americans and others, globally, remember the legacy of my uncle The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. They pause to carefully reflect not only on my uncle's continually guiding legacy, they also ponder deeply the sanctity of life — in its entirety.

Op-Ed: Failing as Predicted: Joe Biden’s Presidency is shaping up to be a historical disaster.

Barack Obama once said—allegedly but plausibly—that Democrats should never underestimate Joe Biden’s ability to foul things up. Actually, he didn’t say “foul,” but this is a family publication.

Op-Ed: Ending the COVID-19 emergency

This is a pivotal moment in the two-year pandemic. Omicron has created record-high daily cases, but severe outcomes are fewer, ushering in a new phase — the likely transition to endemic status. Emergency order expiration dates are looming. Unless renewed, the public health emergency order should end on Sunday, and the national emergency declaration expires on March 1.

Rick Perry: What I’ve Got in Common with Stacey Abrams

Stacey Abrams and I have a lot in common. We’re both proud Southerners. We both hail from the only two states with schools that beat the Crimson Tide this season. We both think Joe Biden made the wrong VP pick. We both believe we won gubernatorial elections. Of course, only one of us is right on the last point — but as an Aggie, I respect the power of a healthy self-esteem. We now have one more thing in common: We both skipped the Biden-Harris phony election-reform show in Atlanta.

Back to the Future with the Highest Inflation in Four Decades

Tax Day is still a few months away, but thanks to a 7.0 percent inflation rate in 2021—the worst since 1982—the average American worker has already been hit with an $855 inflation tax over the last 12 months, with low-wage families and seniors on fixed incomes the most vulnerable to this stealth tax increase.

Op-Ed: President Biden is blaming everyone else for surging inflation

Americans paid more for everything this Christmas, from toys to turkeys. But this “Bah, humbug” reality didn’t start with the Christmas season. Only 1.4 percent when Joe Biden took the presidential oath last January, year-over-year inflation has come in at 5 percent or more for 7 consecutive months. We know inflation is a growing problem because President Biden has repeatedly gone out of his way to shift the blame away from his administration.

Dr. Hassett to Lead AFPI’s Board of Academic Advisors

Where is President Biden on Human Trafficking?

The Biden Administration is missing in action when it comes to combating the heinous crime of human trafficking. While President Biden signed an unprecedented number of executive orders in his first 100 days, none of them pertained to human trafficking. Overall, since taking office, the Biden Administration has done almost nothing of substance or new to combat this heinous crime that afflicts Americans and America’s children every day, as well as millions trapped in slavery around the world.

Op-Ed: The Freedom to Cheat Act: The Radical Left’s Latest Attempt to Undermine Our Democracy

Democrats in Congress are unable to move forward on their massive spending bill because of bipartisan opposition. Polling showed President Biden’s Big Government Socialism Bill was wildly unpopular with the American people. That is no surprise when you consider it did not address any of the significant issues facing American families today like sky-high gas prices, rising food costs, spikes in violent crime, and a shortage of products because of a failing supply chain.

Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined The Evening Edit on Fox to discuss national security

Meatpackers Are Biden’s Latest Inflation Scapegoat

President Biden has found a scapegoat for rising inflation: the meat industry. Mr. Biden claimed last week that meatpackers—who handle the processing, packaging and distribution of meat raised by farmers and ranchers—are price-gouging, driving a surge in consumer prices for beef, chicken and pork. As they say in cowboy country, Mr. Biden’s claim is all hat and no cattle. Unable or unwilling to acknowledge the problems actually driving inflation, Mr. Biden is proposing solutions based on the same failed policies that got us into this inflationary mess in the first place.

Op-Ed: Biden’s Vaccine Idolatry is Not Working

What does Covid-19 Relief Funding Mean for Children?

Op-Ed: January 6, 2021: My view from the White House

The Select Committee was more concerned with 'getting Trump' than finding lessons.

Fred Fleitz Joins AFPI’s Center for American Security

Op-Ed: Yes, the Biden Administration DOES Have a Magic Wand for Energy Prices

It’s been a few winters since gas prices were at the top of Americans’ list of concerns. But the pain many of us are feeling at the pump—and the drastic increase in home heating costs expected this winter—has changed public sentiment on energy policy.

Op-Ed: Alveda King Sends Staunch Challenge—and Warning—to Liberal Politicians

Finally, the anti-American agenda of critical race theory (CRT) is being exposed, and its devout followers should take note.

Steve Moore joined America Reports on Fox News to discuss the Big Government Socialism Bill

Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined America Reports on Fox News to discuss Soleimani & Iran Nuclear Deal

Op-Ed: President Biden may have finally realized that shutting down America over COVID is the wrong move, as commonsense ‘red state’ governors have known all along

Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg joined Mornings with Maria on Fox News to discuss national security

Chad Wolf joins Fox News Live to Discuss Border Security & Immigration

Statement: President & CEO Brooke L. Rollins on the 4th Anniversary of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA)

Happy 4th Anniversary TCJA

SAVE AMERICA COALITION STATEMENT: Big Government Socialism Bill Loses Democrat Support

Pam Bondi Joined ‘Hannity’ on Fox News to discuss DC’s new State of Emergency and mask mandate

AFPI Amicus Brief - West Virginia v. EPA

Democrats Shouldn’t Build Back Bitter

Issue Brief: The Big Government Socialism Bill Jeopardizes the Future of Prescription Drugs for Americans

President Biden and House Democrats are touting H.R. 5376, the “Build Back Better Act,” which passed the House of Representatives on November 19, 2021, as a supposed solution to high drug costs in Medicare. The bill, commonly referred to as the “Big Government Socialism Bill” uses expansive price controls, such as price negotiation and inflation caps, that will likely lead to less innovation, fewer generic drug approvals, and higher launch prices for new medicines.  

Matt Whitaker joined Shannon Bream on ‘Fox News at Night’

Freedom Fact Sheet

In this fact sheet, we will define key words in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution and look deeper into the meaning of this powerful document.

The Rights Reserved to the States

The Tenth Amendment, the last approved in the Bill of Rig