Heritage Events Podcast

This winter, the Supreme Court will hear three important cases involving one of our most precious rights: the freedom of speech. In Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31, public employees who have opted out of union membership are fighting for their voices to be heard. Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky deals with whether states can ban voters from wearing t-shirts with political messages at polling places. In National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra, pregnancy crisis centers are pushing back on California’s requirement that they advertise the state’s free abortion program. In all these cases, the government has tried to dictate what speech is permissible. How might the Supreme Court justices react to these cases? Will free speech win the day? Join us for a discussion with distinguished lawyers who are involved in these three cases.

Later this month, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in United States v. Microsoft Corp, a much-anticipated Fourth Amendment dispute with Microsoft over a domestic warrant issued to gain access to emails stored on the company’s Irish server. The case has raised several important questions about the reach of search warrants for overseas data and the continued cross-border data exchange with our European partners for law enforcement purposes. What is the extraterritorial reach of the Stored Communications Act? Is the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty Process outdated? Should Congress change the current law? These questions have important sovereignty, privacy, and security concerns that the court will be grappling with. Join us for an exceptional panel featuring two experts to discuss the upcoming Supreme Court case and two U.S. Representatives who will outline their legislative remedy to this problem: H.R. 3718, International Communications Privacy Act.

Taiwan increasingly finds its efforts to obtain meaningful participation in international bodies such as the WHO, INTERPOL, and ICAO checked by external forces. Setting aside political issues, there are valid reasons of health, safety, and livelihood for Taiwan to be included, even if only as an observer, in these organizations. Join us as our panel of experts discusses how to increase Taiwan’s role in international organizations and expand its international operating space, while addressing the swift and strong reaction from China that invariably results from such efforts.

Remarks delivered by Kay Coles James, as she discussed her vision for The Heritage Foundation and America.

The U.S. Navy maintains over 60,000 sailors and almost 100 ships and submarines continuously forward-deployed around the globe to deter potential adversaries, reassure our allies, and ensure the freedom of the global maritime commons for all nations. The challenges facing the 21st Century’s U.S. Navy have never been greater – ever-increasing maritime threats from a resurgent Russian Navy and extremely capable submarine force, a Chinese Navy that is rapidly increasing in size and capabilities, a North Korean regime whose actions and rhetoric threaten our Asian allies, and the ever-present threat of transnational terrorism. As formidable as these security threats are, there are those who would argue that the greatest challenge to our Nation’s Navy has come from our own Congress. Over a decade of continuing resolutions and the fiscal constraints of the Budget Control Act have had a cumulative effect of degrading the capacity, capabilities, and readiness of the U.S. Navy. The tragic events of 2017 that resulted in the loss of 20 sailors were a stark reminder of the dangers of naval operations and serve as a wakeup call to our nation’s leaders and Congress that the Navy, and in particular its Surface Fleet, has reached a breaking point. Admiral Richardson faces a daunting task of restoring the readiness of our naval forces, building the fleet to 355 ships, and developing new capabilities to maintain our warfighting advantage over current and future threats. What actions must be taken by the Navy and Congress now to ensure that the Navy has the needed resources to rebuild its capacity, capabilities, and readiness levels and remain the preeminent global naval power? Join us as the Nation’s top sailor discusses his vision for the Navy our Nation needs.

The Heritage Foundation is honored to host His Excellency Dr. Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah, Minister of State for Defense and Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar, for a discussion of U.S-Qatar military relations and its impact on long term security in the region. H.E. Dr. Khalid Bin Mohammad Al Attiyah started his career as a fighter pilot. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Air Science from King Faisal Air Academy and also a Law degree from Beirut Arab University. He also holds a Master's degree in Public Law and a Ph.D. in Law, both from Cairo University. While running his own law firm he served as the President of the National Human Rights Committee from 2003 to 2008. From 2008 to 2011, he served as the Minister of State for International Cooperation as well as serving as Acting Minister for Business and Trade. From 2011 to 2013 he served as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, becoming the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2013. In 2016 he was made Minister of State for Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in 2017.

Since the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000, the U.S. government has dedicated considerable attention to addressing trafficking, yet almost 20 years later it continues to affect millions of men, women, and children worldwide. The need to prevent – and ultimately end – human trafficking in all its various forms is urgent. In honor of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, The Heritage Foundation will host a discussion on current anti-trafficking policy with a special eye toward how U.S. policy can improve in the future.

The Trump Administration has brought leadership changes at the two federal antitrust agencies, the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission. How have these changes affected the antitrust review of mergers and business conduct, the treatment of regulations and intellectual property, and international cooperation? Our panels of top antitrust officials from the current and former Administrations will address these topics, which will have major implications for businesses and the economy, here and abroad.

In January 2017, a pro-life majority in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives and a President committed to defend innocent human life began pursuing an agenda to protect life from conception to natural death. In the last year, policymakers achieved a number of significant pro-life victories. But there is still much to be done in 2018 and beyond. Join us for a discussion with pro-life policy experts about progress and future priorities in Congress and the Administration.

President Trump is expected to announce decisions on two pending trade investigations initiated under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 in the coming days. Suniva and SolarWorld, two foreign-owned solar companies with manufacturing facilities in the U.S., argue that imports of solar panels and modules are injuring their industry. Whirlpool, a U.S. company, is making similar claims regarding imports of large residential washers. After 15 years without a Section 201 petition, these cases mark a troubling turn toward protectionism. Tariffs under Section 201 have yielded negative results in the past, with the most recent round in 2002 costing America 200,000 jobs. Join us for a discussion on the trade cases headed to President Trump’s desk and the threat they pose to the U.S. economy.

For many decades U.S. nuclear forces have aided in global nonproliferation and provided a deterrent against large-scale conventional and nuclear attacks that threaten the American homeland, forward-deployed troops, and allies. However, the value of U.S. nuclear forces depends upon the credibility of the U.S. nuclear deterrent – credibility that is threatened by neglect of U.S. nuclear infrastructure and capabilities. The nuclear threat environment is dynamic and proliferating, with old and new actors developing advanced capabilities while the U.S. enterprise is relatively static, potentially leaving the United States at a technological disadvantage. Please join us as General Kevin Chilton discusses the importance of maintaining the U.S. nuclear deterrent and the challenges facing our nuclear enterprise into the future. Marine Corps University Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to enhance and enrich Marine Corps’ Professional Military Education and Leadership. For more than 35 years, MCUF has harnessed the power of the private sector in support of the Marine Corps’ most pressing educational needs.

Out in the Pacific Ocean, there is a war taking place. It is a “warm war,” a shoving match between the United States, since WWII the uncontested ruler of the seas, and China, which now possesses the world’s largest navy. The Chinese regard the Pacific, and especially the South China Sea, as their ocean, and they’re ready to defend it. Each day the heat between the two countries increases as the Chinese try to claim the South China Sea for their own, and the United States insists on asserting freedom of navigation. Throughout Southern Asia, countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea respond with outrage and growing fear as China turns coral reefs into manmade islands capable of supporting airstrips and then attempts to enforce twelve-mile-radius, shoot-down zones. The immediate danger is that the five trillion dollars in international trade that passes through the area will grind to a standstill. The ultimate danger is that the U.S. and China will be drawn into all-out war. Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist Michael Fabey has had unprecedented access to the Navy’s most exotic aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, aircraft, and submarines, as well as those who command them. He was among the only journalists allowed to board a Chinese war vessel and observe its operations. In Crashback, Fabey describes how every year the U.S. is “losing sea.” He predicts the next great struggle between military superpowers will play out in the Pacific, and his book is a preview of how that conflict might unfold.

In a world bristling with dangers, China poses a special challenge. In Bully of Asia, Steven Mosher examines the aspirations of the would-be hegemon and its five-thousand-year history of conquest and assimilation of other nations, repression of its own people, and confrontations with other civilizations. Mosher argues that naïve idealism has lulled America into dreaming of "engagement" with the People's Republic of China and its "peaceful evolution" toward democracy and freedom. Wishful thinking, he says, has blinded us to the danger we face and left the world vulnerable to China's ambitions. Mosher knows China as few Westerners do. Having exposed as a visiting graduate student the practice of forced abortions, he became a target of the regime's retaliation. His insights into China's history and its present-day politics raise pertinent issues for consideration in building a productive international relationship. Steven W. Mosher is President of the Population Research Institute and an internationally recognized authority on China. He is also the author of numerous books on China, among them Broken Earth: The Rural Chinese, A Mother's Ordeal: One Woman's Fight Against China's One-Child Policy, and Hegemon: China's Plan to Dominate Asia and the World, as well as several edited volumes and hundreds of scholarly articles, editorials, and opinion pieces.

Last year, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer notified Congress of the Trump Administration’s intent to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). After several rounds of negotiation among the United States, Canada, and Mexico, many critical issues remain unresolved. Opportunities abound for negotiating a better NAFTA. As the Trump Administration pushes for modernization, one commonsense policy area that should be preserved and improved is energy. Canada and Mexico are two of America’s most important trade partners in energy markets. The Trump Administration should build off that success. Strengthening the integration of energy markets among the three countries will unleash the massive amount of energy abundance in North America. Join us as we hear from experts on how enhancing energy trade with Canada and Mexico will result in more jobs and affordable power for American households and help achieve the Trump Administration’s goal of energy dominance.

The publication of the Trump Administration’s National Security Strategy has predictably been greeted with praise from some quarters and condemnation from others. Its four pillars of protecting the homeland, promoting prosperity, preserving peace through strength, and advancing American influence are common sense. Making these principles into policy and applying them to crises in North Korea, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe will be a challenge. Join us for a panel and an ensuing discussion on the principles of the NSS, how it compares with those of other recent administrations, what it tells us about the direction of the Trump Presidency and the conservative movement, the policies that the Administration should follow to make its principles a reality, and whether the NSS offers the guidance the United States needs to tackle our most vital national security threats while putting America first.