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Greetings from Pennsylvania, I hope you are enjoying this beautiful Spring weather!

Since my last note to you, it has been action-packed. As part of my recent travels, I was delighted to attend my first WWE event at the Sofi Arena thanks to my friend and generous hostess Linda McMahon. She served as the Small Business Administrator in the Trump Administration.

The Heritage Foundation is coming up on its 50^th Anniversary and many of us are looking forward to celebrating it! The Heritage Foundation wrote the playbook for President Ronald Reagan’s administration and also helped vet supreme court justice candidates for President Trump.

Additionally, I have had many opportunities to advocate for energy and security regarding Russia and China with businesspeople, parliamentarians, politicians, and students.

Please join me on June 2 for a discussion about global issues and their effect on Pennsylvania at 6:15 pm at the Briar Cliff Financial Services offices located at 404 Thorn Street in Sewickley, PA. (see flyer below)

One issue that I am worried about is America’s equal justice and the rule of law. The Department of Justice and our laws have been weaponized against individuals.

I am encouraged by our new congress under the leadership of Speaker McCarthy. His actions show that the new Congress is determined to bring fiscal sanity back to Washington. Just passed in the house, the once-in-a-generation sweeping HR-1|Lower Energy Costs Act reforms is a wonderful first step, with its 5 pillars:

1. Increasing domestic energy production
2. Reforming the permitting process for all industries
3. Reversing anti-energy policies advanced by the Biden Administration
4. Streamlining energy infrastructure and exports
5. Boosting the production and processing of critical minerals

You can listen to my conversation about HR1/American Energy here. ([link removed]) with Scott Sands on iHeart Radio.

It is amazing that America First Policy Institute was founded only 2 years ago today! AFPI was the convener and host for a discussion about HR-1 with Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Representative Kathy McMorris Rodgers, Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

President Biden has directed his EPA to mandate that 70% of all cars sold by 2032 have to be electric. Today only about 6% of cars are electric. “This is Chinese-style central planning, as automakers answer first to their political overlords, rather than consumers and investors.” (WSJ, 4/13/23) I encourage you all to do your part to defeat this unconstitutional mandate.

If Shark-tanker Kevin O’Leary can commit to building the first new oil refinery in America since the 1970s, just think what all of us can do to make life better and more affordable for our kids and grandkids.

Until next time, you can catch my latest hit on “Just the News” below.

Warmly,
Carla Sands
US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark (ret.)

Please see my latest news hits,
AFPI's Newsletter and event flyer below.
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** AFPI President and CEO Brooke Rollins's Response to the Indictment of former President Trump
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The New York prosecutor's indictment of former President Donald J. Trump is just the latest example of the radical Left's weaponization of government to silence their ideological opponents.

AFPI President and CEO Brooke Rollins had this to say in response to this egregious use of government force by the radical Left:
“Today, the radical Left proved yet again that it can weaponize the government against any American who dares to challenge their power, voice differing opinions, or believe in the fundamental greatness of our Nation.

Crime is out of control in New York. The people don’t feel safe. But a woke prosecutor decided to ignore the real concerns of people living in fear, and instead spend time and money to bring felony charges against a political opponent that the federal government didn’t even pursue as a misdemeanor.

There’s clearly a two-tier justice system that protects certain kinds of people and is weaponized against others. This is un-American and must stop now."







** AFPI Hosts First-of-its-kind National Security Symposium
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On Thursday, March 23, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) hosted its inaugural National Security Symposium, which included discussions with members of Congress and national security experts on the landscape of an America First approach to foreign policies.

Want to watch the event in full? You can access the full event livestream HERE ([link removed]) .

Here is what AFPI leaders and special guests discussed:

PANEL I - GROWING THREATS FROM CHINA ([link removed])
Steve Yates, AFPI Chair of the China Policy Initiative, kicked off the day by moderating a panel on the threats from Communist China. The discussion featured Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Rep. Mark Green (TN-7), former Governor of Mississippi Phil Bryant, and noted commentator Gordon Chang.

PANEL II - PROTECTING AMERICANS HERE AT HOME ([link removed])
Chad Wolf, AFPI Executive Director and Chair of the Center for Homeland Security and Immigration, led a discussion regarding homeland security that focused on securing the southern border. The panel featured Rep. Wesley Hunt (TX-38); Stephen Miller, President of America First Legal; Pam Bondi, AFPI Chair of the Constitutional Litigation Partnership and Co-Chair of the Center for Law and Justice; and Morgan Ortagus, the founder of Polaris National Security and former State Department spokesperson. The panel was moderated by Hogan Gidley, AFPI Senior Advisor for Communications.

LUNCHEON - AMERICA FIRST AND U.S. MILITARY POWER ([link removed])
Fred Fleitz, AFPI Vice Chair of the Center for American Security, then moderated a luncheon panel on America First foreign policy and military power. This discussion featured Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX-13); Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Keith Kellogg, AFPI Co-Chair of the Center for American Security; and Robert Wilkie, AFPI Distinguished Fellow in the Center for American Security.

PANEL III - PRESERVING PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ([link removed])
The afternoon panels began with a discussion on preserving peace in the Middle East by building upon the success of the Abraham Accords. The panel featured Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), the co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Abraham Accords Caucus; Rob Greenway, Executive Director and President of the Abraham Accords Peace Institute; and Victoria Coates, Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation. This panel was moderated by Dr. Jacob Olidort, AFPI Director of the Center for American Security and Middle East Peace Project.

PANEL IV - RUSSIA & THE WAR IN UKRAINE ([link removed])
Rounding out the day was a panel led by Lt. (Ret.) Gen. Keith Kellogg on ending the war in Ukraine and the need to define the American interest in the conflict. Gen. Kellogg was joined on stage by Robert Wilkie and Editor-in-Chief of the Federalist Mollie Hemingway. James Carafano, Vice President of the Heritage Foundation’s Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, also participated in this panel discussion.




** AFPI Launches Biblical Foundations Project
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On Monday, March 27, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) launched the Biblical Foundations Project.

The Biblical Foundations Project empowers local church and ministry leaders with language that communicates the foundational biblical principles that will safeguard AFPI’s 10 policy pillars on eternal truth. This project is about saving the soul of America. Our call to action is for all pastors, ministry leaders, and parishioners around the country to pray for our country, get connected with the Biblical Foundations Projects, and get involved in their local communities!

You can find the published content of our first sermon here ([link removed]) and the corresponding bible study worksheet here
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To launch this project, AFPI President & CEO Brooke Rollins and Chair of the Center for American Values Pastor Paula White-Cain were honored to be joined by nationally and internationally recognized faith leaders, including Dr. Alveda King, Pastor Jentezen Franklin, and Pastor Scott Turner, as well as Bob Unanue, one of the world’s top business leaders and the President and CEO of Goya Foods. These leaders shared incredible insights into the foundational principles that made America the greatest country in the world and how biblically based policy solutions are the best way to set our country and the American people on a path toward phenomenal success.

You can view the entire event here ([link removed]) .



** AFPI Hosts Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Members of Congress to Preview H.R. 1 Before its Passage in the House of Representatives
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Yesterday, March 30, H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation now heads to the U.S. Senate.

On Tuesday, March 28, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) held a roundtable discussion moderated by AFPI Vice Chair of the Board Larry Kudlow. The participants discussed the Biden Administration's war on American energy and the critical importance of embracing the solutions this vital legislation offers.

We were honored to be joined by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04), Rep. Sam Graves (MO-06), and AFPI Chair of the Center for American Freedom David Bernhardt.

Did you miss this great discussion between AFPI experts and Members of Congress? You can watch a recording of the event HERE ([link removed]) to understand this influential legislation moving through the legislature.



** Check out the latest from AFPI's Policy Centers below:
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1. STATEMENT: Rick Perry on the Passage of H.R. 1 ([link removed])
2. President Biden’s FY2024 DHS Budget Has Misplaced Priorities ([link removed])
3. DHS Docket Number USCIS 2022-0016: Circumvention of Lawful Pathways ([link removed])
4. FACT SHEET: H.R. 1 – The Lower Energy Costs Act ([link removed])
5. FACT SHEET: Give Every Parent More Control Over Their Child’s Education ([link removed])
6. TikTok, Time is Up ([link removed])
7. Understanding the Bank Failures: A Q&A ([link removed])

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Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg, AFPI Co-Chair for the Center for American Security, joined "America Reports" on Fox News to discuss China as Vice President Harris visited Africa.
Watch ([link removed])


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Rick Perry, Chair of the Center for Energy and Environment at AFPI, joined "Kudlow" on Fox News to discuss energy and climate.
Watch ([link removed])

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Chad Wolf, Executive Director of AFPI and former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, joined "Just the News" on Real America's Voice to discuss the border crisis.
Watch ([link removed])

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Fred Fleitz, Vice Chair of the Center for American Security at AFPI, joined "America Reports" on Fox News to discuss Ukraine.
Watch ([link removed])


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Marc Lotter, Chief Communications Officer at AFPI, joined "The Faulkner Focus" on Fox News to discuss the news of the day.

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Team Highlight

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Join The Team ([link removed])

Jacob Olidort is from Queens and Manhattan, New York, and serves as the Director of the Center for American Security at AFPI and as Director of AFPI’s Middle East Peace Project. Olidort recently served in the Office of the Vice President, where he contributed to the federal response to COVID-19. Previously, Olidort served as the senior foreign policy advisor to Senator Josh Hawley and Senator Orrin Hatch, as well as in positions at the Department of Defense, the State Department, and the Central Intelligence Agency. Olidort previously was a Soref Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and taught at George Washington University and American University. Olidort was a Fulbright Scholar in the United Arab Emirates, a non-resident fellow at the Modern War Institute at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and is a term member in the Council on Foreign Relations. Olidort received his Bachelor of Arts in History and Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, magna cum laude, from
Brandeis University, his Master of Arts in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University, and his Master of Arts and doctorate in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University. When Jacob is not writing, he enjoys visiting family in New York, browsing used book shops, and fishing on Long Island.



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America First Policy Institute
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America First Policy Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Tax ID#85-4202763
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