Beware of the zombie Congress

Aug. 2, 2016
All is quiet on Capitol Hill with Congress in recess until after Labor Day, but there is still work to be done. Here is your weekly insight: Lawmakers left town without passing a single appropriations bill, setting the stage for a showdown in September. Russia says a helicopter carrying aid was shot down in Syria and a federal appeals court overturns a voter ID law in North Carolina. We have your conservative policy solutions right here. Take notes. —Michelle Cordero, Managing Editor, Heritage.org
Beware of the zombie Congress. When Congress returns, only a few working days will remain before the end of the fiscal year and a continuing resolution, or CR, is likely. Conservatives are pushing for a long-term CR to avoid a lame-duck session where lawmakers could ram through controversial legislation without consequence. Read our report on the dangers of lame-duck sessions.
A Russian humanitarian operation in Syria, or a "ruse"? After a Russian helicopter said to be delivering humanitarian supplies was shot down in Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry said Russia’s recent actions carried "the risk ... of completely breaking apart the level of cooperation" between the U.S. and Russia. U.S. officials also suggested that the so-called Russian-Syrian "humanitarian operation" is a "ruse" to evacuate civilians so that Russian forces can go after militants who oppose Assad's rule. Russian President Vladimir Putin successfully fooled two successive U.S. presidents. Heritage has a strategy on how to stop that.
There is no such thing as "voter suppression" in North Carolina. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit struck down a North Carolina voter ID law, ruling it was enacted to suppress minorities from voting. Heritage expert Hans Von Spakovsky has written extensively on this issue and says there is no evidence of a discriminatory intent or effect. In fact, in a previous election after the law went into effect minority voters increased. Read Heritage's report on election reform in North Carolina and the myth of voter suppression.
HAPPENING AT HERITAGE
Today at 3:00 p.m. a panel of experts will discuss the life of economist Milton Friedman and the current state of school choice in the United States.
Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Heritage interns will debate Cato Institute interns on conservatism vs. libertarianism.
POLICY PICTURE
In 2015, major entitlement programs consumed 52 percent of all federal spending, while the portion of spending for other national priorities (such as defense) declined. Check out more powerful charts here.
Have a question? Email us at ManagingEditor@heritage.org.
The Heritage Foundation is America’s most broadly supported policy organization. Your gift will advance your conservative principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. Donate now.
The Heritage Foundation | 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE | Washington, D.C. 20002 | (800) 546-2843 You are subscribed to Heritage Foundation e-mails as culdesac2008@gmail.com. If you want to change your e-mail preferences, please click here to update your subscription.