Search Results

In a stunning turn of events, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has withdrawn its controversial proposal to charter Natural Asset Companies (NACs). This move is a triumph for economic freedom and property rights, echoing the concerns raised by the CPAC Foundation's Center for Regulatory Freedom. The proposed rule, initially issued on October 4, 2023, posed significant threats to federal land sovereignty, economic stability, and environmental integrity. Several weeks ago we brought this issue to your attention, and were on the verge of filing comments with the SEC. Our team had raised the issue with our coalition partners and had been talking about it extensively in the press. Below are the issues we were raising in our comments: Sovereignty and Management of Public Assets: A key issue with the proposal was the potential enrollment of federal lands, including national parks, into NACs. This posed a direct threat to the sovereignty and traditional management of these lands, potentially shifting control from public to private entities. CRF argued that such a shift would undermine constitutional principles and established frameworks of land management. Environmental and Economic Implications: While NACs aimed to promote environmental conservation, the approach raised fears of commoditizing nature, overshadowing intrinsic ecological values. Economically, NACs could have diverted funds from traditional activities, impacting sectors like mining and agriculture, thus affecting local economies and communities. Legal and Policy Concerns: The proposal challenged traditional property rights, requiring extensive changes to laws and regulations. CRF highlighted the complexity of this legal transition and its potential to conflict with existing frameworks, underscoring the importance of maintaining a balance between conservation goals and broader public interests. National Security and Foreign Investment Risks: A significant concern was the potential for foreign control over American natural resources. CRF emphasized the national security risks associated with allowing foreign entities, especially adversarial nations, to influence public land management. Conservation Easements and Private Property Rights: The authority granted to land trusts to enroll conservation easements into NACs without landowner consent was particularly alarming. This could have led to significant changes in land use and rights without proper oversight, infringing on private property rights and leading to potential constitutional challenges. Ethics, Corruption, and the Dangers of Artificial Markets: CRF raised ethical concerns about the monetization of natural resources and the risks of corruption and mismanagement. Drawing parallels with historical examples like the Teapot Dome scandal, we warned against the creation of artificial markets, highlighting the risks of speculative bubbles and economic instability. Impact on Income Inequality: The proposal was seen as a mechanism that could exacerbate income inequality, benefiting the wealthy while harming rural and urban poor communities. CRF stressed the need for equitable policies that do not exploit public lands for the benefit of a few. The withdrawal of the SEC's proposal is a significant victory for those advocating for the preservation of economic freedoms, property rights, and public land sovereignty. The CPAC Foundation's Center for Regulatory Freedom commends this decision, highlighting the need for careful consideration and balanced approaches in future regulatory developments. This outcome not only protects public interests and environmental sustainability but also upholds legal mandates and respects economic realities.

For over fifty years, CPAC has led the conservative political scene with its annual national conferences. The speeches delivered by the likes of President Ronald Reagan, Rush Limbaugh, and President Donald Trump at the conferences made headlines, drove the news cycle, and set the standard for conservative thought and policy in America. Today, in the early days of 2024 and as we approach another one of our conferences, the lasting, national impact of CPAC has not changed. Our speakers continue to bring the cutting edge of conservative philosophy to our conferences, steer modern conservative policy, and break news that mainstream media refuses to cover. Most importantly, CPAC continues to empower our grassroots attendees by giving them a home, a place of refuge from the onslaught of bigotry from the Left, where they can freely and proudly express their values. Our conferences equip conservatives with the confidence and knowledge to take the conservative message with them when they return home and share it with their neighbors, friends, and family. At the core, CPAC unifies the conservative movement generation after generation by bringing together patriots from all walks of life, showing them that they are not alone, and inspiring them to advance the cause of freedom throughout the nation. We invite you to experience it for yourself this year at CPAC 2024 in Washington, D.C. Visit CPAC.org to reserve your spot.

Each year, thousands of conservatives from across the country travel to CPAC to join in the largest gathering of conservatives in the world and hear from the top conservative leaders who built this movement. Amongst the thousands of attendees who attend CPAC conferences each year lies the heart of the future of the conservative movement, students. Every year, hundreds of students get their first glimpse of what it means to be a conservative at CPAC! Attending my first CPAC as a sophomore in college was the catalyst that inspired me to get involved in growing the conservative movement at my university. I encourage all conservative students and student organizations to consider attending CPAC, February 21-24, in our nation’s capital. CPAC annually hosts the greatest leaders our movement has ever known. From Dr. Ben Carson, to Kari Lake, and even President Donald Trump, each day at CPAC is packed with speeches and panels addressing the issues that we, conservatives, care about most. CPAC is equipping the next generation of conservative leaders with the tools necessary to Protect America Now, a mission that can only be successful with you, our supporters. Help grow the future of our conservative movement by visiting CPAC.org/donate. Student tickets are on sale now for $50 at CPAC.org/ticket/student. The best way to build our movement is to get your friends to attend CPAC as well, so tell all your friends to join us! Bring a group of 5 or more students to receive a $10 discount on student tickets! Learn more at CPAC.org/dc/group. Get your tickets now, and we can’t wait to see you all for the largest gathering of conservatives in the world at CPAC!

Other blue state Dems should take Newsom's small steps in the right direction. The following is a recent article published in The American Spectator by Director Emeritus of the CPAC Foundation Nolan Center for Justice, Pat Nolan: Our major cities struggle with increased crime, sprawling homeless encampments, overcrowded jails, sky high taxes, and exploding budget deficits. Yet most government officials ignore the one factor that contributes significantly to each of these problems: the lack of acute psychiatric beds to treat mental illness. The federal government already spends $150 billion on mental health every year, and states kick in billions more. How is it possible that despite the huge sums we spend on mental health there are too few psychiatric beds? The answer is simple: we are spending those billions helping the wrong people. Most of the mental health dollars are spent on those dealing with minor life crises such as losing a job, breaking up with a girlfriend, being evicted, or the loss of a loved one. While stress and anxiety are common problems, they are not mental illness. They are normal reactions to temporary crises. However, the mental health industry cleverly rebrands it “psychological trauma” and “sub-clinical depression” to give it a gravitas that it doesn’t deserve. The Manhattan Institute described this as a “shift in mental-health funding that deprioritized treatment for the mentally ill in favor of preventing mental illness among the masses.” An example of how the money is spent on the “walking wounded” rather than on those with serious mental illness (SMI), California uses the $2 billion per year raised from a 1 percent tax on millionaires — which had been pledged to help people with “serious mental illness” — to fund activities such as yoga, line dancing, drumming, and “soulful movement,” deeming those individuals as suffering from “subclinical depression.” When the state mental hospitals were emptied, legislators promised to fund community treatment. Sadly, the legislators reneged on those promises. Instead of building acute care beds in the community they built clinics with no beds in the suburbs (far from where the homeless mentally ill congregate). The clinics are only open five days a week, M-F, 8am to 5pm. And the patients often wait over two weeks to schedule appointments. Unfortunately, those suffering from SMI don’t act out during the clinics’ business hours. The clinics are of little help to a person about to jump off a building or whose voices in their head tells them to stab a stranger walking past. The unspoken truth is that mental health providers avoid dealing with the severely mentally ill. It is easier to work with people experiencing a transitory difficulty in their lives; they recover much faster and can articulate their gratitude. On the other hand, those with mental illness are frequently not very likeable. They are ill-kempt, lack personal hygiene, and they are always difficult to deal with. So, the system chooses to deal with the easy cases while the seriously mentally ill are allowed to decompensate on the streets until they are ready for jail. Our prisons and jails have become the default mental health system. It is not law enforcement’s fault. The police would much rather take the non-dangerous mentally ill to facilities with acute psychiatric beds — but those beds are simply not available. The Los Angeles County Jail is the largest mental health institution in the United States. Cook County Jail and Rikers Island in New York City hold the largest mentally ill populations in their states. The video “Prisons and the Mentally Ill” provides an inside view of difficulties prisons and jails must deal with when people with SMI are incarcerated. Though the video was produced 10 years ago, the problems discussed in it remain unchanged. The government has prioritized help for those dealing with minor life crises over helping those who suffer from serious mental illness. Sadness and grief are receiving treatment while those with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are ignored and left to the streets and jails. In New York nearly 40 percent of the most seriously mentally ill receive zero treatment. Mental health dollars should be focused on programs that treat people with serious mental illnesses and “not just making people happier.” Because there are no psychiatric beds available, the most severely ill are turned over to police and law enforcement in record numbers. When they are released from jail they are on their own, without families and social networks to help them obtain the services they need. It is laughable to expect patients with serious mental illness to navigate the mental health bureaucracy to find housing and the professional services they so desperately need. They end up back on the streets, where they languish untreated until they spiral into disorder and violent behavior, get arrested again and continue to serve life sentences on the installment plan. There is a much better way to handle people with serious mental illness. Those billions spent on “mental health” should be used to fund additional acute psychiatric beds in hospitals — rather than in jails. There is a second important step we should take to reduce the number of mentally ill on our streets — enact a process that can require mentally ill people to stay in treatment after they are released. Most of those with SMI can lead peaceful and productive lives — as long as they stay on their anti-psychotic drugs. However, these patients can deteriorate quickly when they stop taking their medicines. They are too sick to realize that they need their medications to remain stable. People with SMI often stop taking their medications due to some unpleasant side effects. They decide that their lives are going well and conclude they don’t need to take the drugs any longer. That decision puts the patients and the community at risk. Several states have established Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), in which a judge can order someone with a serious mental illness to follow a treatment plan, including taking their medications. Data from the New York State Office of Mental Health found that following six months of AOT: 55 percent fewer recipients engaged in suicide attempts or harm to self, 47 percent fewer recipients physically harmed others, 46 percent fewer recipients damaged or destroyed property, and 43 percent fewer recipients threatened physical harm to others. These data indicate that AOT programs reduce arrests and incarceration in excess of 80 percent for those in it. Another study found that individuals in AOT are four times less likely to commit violence than the untreated seriously mentally ill. There is some good news from California. Governor Newsom and the legislature are finally getting serious about its crisis of untreated mental illness. California is home to 12 percent of the country’s population, but the state accounts for half of the people living on the streets nationwide. In the last few months, the state established a court intervention program for people with severe mental illness and passed a law making it easier for relatives and first responders to send people to mandatory treatment. And Governor Newsom announced a $6.4 billion bond proposal to build nearly 25,000 psychiatric and addiction beds statewide. Some are concerned that involuntary treatment can be misused. And that is a reasonable apprehension given the record of governments around the world that have declared political opponents insane. However, the safeguards built into the AOT laws, i.e., hearings must be held in open court with competent counsel for the patient, have proven successful at preventing abuse. The alternative to involuntary treatment is to continue to allow those with SMI to live in homeless encampments, covered in feces, screaming at themselves, lying face down on bus shelter floors with their pants around their ankles, wandering into traffic or fighting with ghosts and with each other — and often dying on the streets. As Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has noted, “It is profoundly inhumane to allow people to suffer mental illness and die on our streets.” AOT laws seek to find a path to protect the right of psychiatric patients to live where and how they want in the least restrictive setting, and those patients and their loved ones to avoid the often tragic effects of the patient’s illness. There are too many cases where the letter of the law was met, and the patient died. Or as one psychiatrist put it, they died “with their rights on.” Hopefully other blue state governors and mayors follow Newsom’s lead and take steps to deal with the seriously mentally ill on their streets so that America’s cities become livable once more. Pat Nolan is the Director Emeritus of the Nolan Center for Justice at the American Conservative Union. He served in the California Assembly from 1978-94, where he was a leading voice for reform of mental illness laws.

Late last week, as Washington, DC was returning to work from the Christmas and New Year's Holiday, the Biden Administration quietly announced its intention to remove a statue of Pennsylvania founder William Penn from "Welcome Park" in Philadephia (which is itself a part of the greater "Independence National Historical Park"). But this announced intention to remove the statue is more than a mere alteration of a public space; it's a concerning symbol of the administration's broader approach to history, religious freedom, and policy implementation. William Penn, a pivotal figure in early American history, embodies the spirit of religious freedom and tolerance. His legacy, especially in the very location of his former home, is crucial to our understanding of these values today. William Penn: Champion of Religious Freedom William Penn's life and contributions are cornerstones of America’s narrative on religious liberty. Born into an era of religious conflict, Penn, influenced by Quaker beliefs, faced imprisonment for his faith. His founding of Pennsylvania marked a significant departure from the era's religious persecutions, offering a sanctuary for religious minorities. This commitment to religious freedom and tolerance influenced the formation of the First Amendment, a testament to Penn's enduring impact on American ideals. The Significance of Welcome Park and Penn's Charter of Privileges Welcome Park is not just another site with a statue. It's the location of the home Penn used when he would live in Philadelphia, and the site where he drafted his "Charter of Privileges". This charter served as the colony's constitution for over 75 years and was a pioneering piece of legislation that laid the groundwork for a democratic government within the colony. Its most notable feature was the provision for religious freedom and tolerance, which allowed all residents, regardless of their faith, to freely practice their religion without fear of persecution. This was a groundbreaking concept at the time, given the religious conflicts and intolerance prevalent in Europe. Additionally, the Charter granted significant political rights to the colonists, including the ability to elect representatives to a legislative assembly. This assembly had the power to propose and enact laws, representing an early form of self-governance in the American colonies. Penn's Charter of Privileges stands as a historic milestone, reflecting his visionary ideals for a society based on religious tolerance, democratic principles, and the protection of individual rights. Because of this location's significance to both the history of Pennsylvania and the United States more generally, Welcome Park is a unique and irreplaceable historical context for Penn's life and work. Arguments stating the presence of other Penn statues in Philadelphia miss the point; it's about preserving the direct connection to where he lived and contributed to the founding principles of religious tolerance in America. Moreover, an argument in the converse can be made regarding converting this site into one dedicated to "expanded interpretation of Native American history". There are a number of such monuments in Pennsylvania (and in Philadelphia) - and at the very least, one shouldn't sacrifice a monument to religious freedom and tolerance in the name of substituting a narrow, extremist political agenda. The "Whole of Government" Approach to Policy The current administration's use of a broad swatch of administrative agencies to further ideological goals raises critical concerns. The decision to remove Penn's statue under the guise of creating a more "inclusive" space can be seen as part of a wider strategy to re-shape the political landscape when it comes to religious freedom. From challenging the conscience rights of medical providers in healthcare by the Department of Heath and Human Services to the attempt by the Department of Education to rescind protections for faith-based student organizations on campuses in the past year, there has been growing concern about the Biden Administration's policies towards religious freedom. Now we have the Biden Administration attempting to use the National Park Service to do these same thing. Not only do these actions raise questions about the commitment to the liberties Penn so fiercely advocated, this "whole of government" approach, especially when it seems to undermine historical figures who championed religious freedom, is alarming. Call to Action: Your Voice Matters Literally, as this post was being drafted, the National Park Service announced that because of initial public concerns (some of which were raised by folks at the CPAC Foundation's Center for Regulatory Freedom), they are, for the time being, withdrawing the proposal and will be reviewing it. But you can be certain that they will still try to initiate some kind of action to erase the history of America's commitment to religious freedom. We will keep you apprised and ask for your input then. In conclusion, removing William Penn’s statue from Welcome Park is a matter that transcends mere aesthetic changes. It's about preserving the embodiment of religious freedom and tolerance in American history. As we grapple with various interpretations of our past, let's not lose sight of the figures who laid the foundations for our present liberties. Let's come together to ensure that the legacy of William Penn continues to be recognized and appreciated for generations to come. Join the Discussion We welcome your opinions on this matter. Share your thoughts in the comments below and join us in this important dialogue to safeguard our historical heritage and the values it upholds.

Every year on January 11th our country recognizes National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, to shed light on the issue of sex and labor trafficking that impacts every community across the United States. Known as the Blue Campaign, we take this day to encourage individuals to wear blue clothing as a powerful visual symbol to shine a light on the need to do more to support survivors and hold traffickers accountable. Ranging from Federal, state, and local government agencies to anti-trafficking advocates, CPAC joins our partners in focusing on prevention and protection by collaborating with partners across public and private industry to root out traffickers from our great nation. As we recognize National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, it is essential to acknowledge the dedicated steps CPAC’s Center for Combatting Human Trafficking is taking in 2024 to continue our fight. Our team is focused on educating government leaders on the need to provide policy solutions that remove the collateral penalties victims face when they come in contact with the criminal justice system, while enhancing punishment for those that coerce these victims into a life of crime. Breaking the chain of exploitation demands a compassionate approach, recognizing the complex journey survivors navigate and ensuring accountability for the traffickers themselves. January serves as a pivotal month for our Center, reinforcing the call to action for collective awareness, advocacy, and community engagement to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those impacted by human trafficking.

The Left is determined to entirely dissolve and degrade America’s law enforcement agencies. Defund the police movements have violently attacked the men and women who risk their lives to protect us and keep our streets safe. Not many people are able and willing to do what they so bravely do. They actively put themselves in danger day in and day out so that the rest of us might enjoy our freedoms safely. The country has seen in places like San Francisco, Portland, and Austin the chaos that ensues when their presence is diminished in our cities. We extend special gratitude to them and their families on this National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day for the sacrifices they make and the invaluable work they do in our communities. Thank you for your service!

CPAC Foundation’s Center for Legislative Accountability has begun its yearly rating of the states with 2023 scorecards for the Idaho, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Alabama state legislatures. The state ratings, overall, analyze thousands of bills and the voting records of individual legislators in all fifty states to assess the role of conservative principles in state governments in the past year. The ratings so far show a mixed bag of wins and disappointments for freedom in the respective states. While Oklahoma and Idaho showed strong conservative leanings with their Republican legislators championing border security, education reform, election integrity, and more, Missouri yielded disappointing results as Senate Republicans failed to pass key conservative legislation that would have stopped DEI in its tracks and protected parental rights.  Similarly, Alabama legislators left room for improvement in the areas of election integrity, school choice, and use of government subsidies. The Republican average ratings for each chamber in these four states reflected these performances with Missouri’s and Alabama's averages hovering below 80%, but Idaho and Oklahoma Republican averages clocking in at 83, 84, 85, and 86%. As CPAC continues to release their state ratings, keep an eye out for your state and see the already released scorecards at CPAC.org.

Since CPAC joined forces with the Japanese Conservative Union in 2017 to host the first ever international CPAC in Tokyo, Japan, our international family has only continued to grow. In these six short years, CPAC has become a name associated, not just in America, but around the globe with freedom. We continued this role in 2023 by joining forces once again with our friends in Japan, Hungary, and Australia. These conferences showed the worldwide left-wing media and socialist bureaucrats in the UN, EU, and elsewhere that we will not stand for their globalist agenda but will fight to the end to preserve our liberty and cultures. We can’t wait to see this fight for freedom grow even stronger in 2024. Visit CPAC.org to stay up to date on all CPAC events.

In 2017, the Trump Administration FCC voted to roll back the “net neutrality” policy of the Obama Administration. This was met with a well-orchestrated propaganda machine spearheaded by world-renowned “tech experts” like Mark Ruffalo and Alyssa Milano. These large tech companies and celebrities peddled far-flung conspiracies about how such a policy would ruin the internet – saying Americans would have to pay by the page, by the post, or even by the letter. Despite such threats, rolling back net neutrality has resulted in American internet getting faster, less expensive, and more reliable. In fact, the US outperformed its peers in the greatest internet stress test to date – the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the Biden Administration is intent on regulating every aspect of the American economy and has proposed bringing back net neutrality for vague “national security” reasons. The CPAC Foundation Center for Regulatory Freedom was happy to call the FCC out. In our comment, we explained that such a policy is outside the scope of the FCC, unneeded, and harmful to the American consumer.

As January unfolds, CPAC’s Center for Combating Human Trafficking turns its attention to National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. This time of year is dedicated to raising awareness about the continued challenges we face as innocent victims in this country continue to be forced into labor and sex trafficking. In the face of an estimated 27.6 million people subjected to trafficking worldwide, it is crucial for the public to be educated on the signs of trafficking and ensure resources are available to assist those caught in the cycle of abuse. As we reflect on the milestones achieved through our Center’s launch last year, we remain focused on our core values: supporting survivors, fostering cross collaboration with law enforcement leaders, holding traffickers accountable, and urging all of our partners in this movement to engage in the collective effort to eradicate this modern day form of slavery. Our work began with the screening premiere of the movie “Sound of Freedom” which highlighted the start of our Center and our commitment to inform and spread awareness to combatting this global issue of trafficking. Following the success of our launch, CPAC co-hosted an International Summit to End Human Trafficking on Capitol Hill, bringing together political leaders from the United States and Mexico to discuss the challenges facing our respective countries. Our Center was once again called to Congress in the subsequent weeks, this time to testify at the House Judiciary Committee at a hearing on Children are Not for Sale: Examining the Threat of Exploitation of Children in the U.S. and Abroad. During the hearing, our testimony focused on the hard truths of human trafficking from the dangers of our open southern border to the need to remove collateral consequences our criminal justice system places on victims. Moving into the new year, CPAC’s Center for Combating Human Trafficking is focused on serving as a beacon in this fight to keep communities safe by working tirelessly to empower survivors and collaborating with leading advocates and law enforcement partners. During Human Trafficking Prevention Month, let us heed the call to action every day, recognizing that collective awareness, advocacy, and community engagement are the key to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by human trafficking.

CPAC is ready to take on the leftists and socialists in 2024. This upcoming year will be crucial in American history to ensuring our country survives. In 2023, CPAC grew exponentially and has become one of the largest conservative grassroots organizations both nationally and internationally. CPAC DC 2023 united thousands of passionate, grassroots conservatives and featured hundreds of influential speakers capped off by remarks from President Donald Trump. We made a statement on the world stage this year as well with successful conferences with our friends in Hungary, Australia, and Japan. Back here at home, we were honored to participate in the premiere of blockbuster film, Sound of Freedom, this summer. We then answered the call of the film and launched the CPAC Foundation Center for Combating Human Trafficking where we now work to bring an end to human trafficking by raising awareness, collaborating with world leaders and legislators, and supporting survivors. Further, we established the CPAC Foundation Center for Regulatory Freedom to monitor and challenge the growth of the regulatory state and its burden on the American people, and our Center for Legislative Accountability kept elected officials in check with 8,000 ratings of every elected legislator in the country. We are also working on ending anti-Semitism and are at the forefront of protecting our children from the radical gender ideology. We couldn’t be prouder of the work we accomplished in 2023 but know that there is still plenty more work to be done in the fight to save America. We can’t wait to build on the success of the past year and hit the ground running this new year with CPAC DC 2024 in February. We wish you and yours many blessings in the year to come. Happy New Year!