Heritage in the Arena

""It is not the critic who counts," President Theodore Roosevelt once said. "The credit belongs to the man who is in the arena." The Heritage Foundation has been in the arena for many years, fighting many battles, so it's no surprise that it has attracted many critics as well. And while Heritage cannot claim perfection, this much is certain: We have stayed true to our mission despite the critics;"

"Heritage has long been willing to stand alone on immigration and border security. Going back to 2013, Heritage opposed the Senate's "Gang of Eight" amnesty bill, which would have granted temporary legal status to nearly 11 million illegal aliens. It's hard to imagine now, but our stance was deeply unpopular inside the beltway on both left and right. No matter. The Gang of Eight bill was amnesty now, citizenship later, and border security never."

The Heritage Foundation has faced criticism from think tanks, conservative publications, pundits, and the Republican establishment while maintaining its policy mission. The Foundation credits itself with being correct on several major policy questions and with improving the country through those positions. Some criticism has been constructive, while other critiques have aimed to tear down rather than build up. Heritage claims leadership in shifting conservative consensus over the past decade on issues including immigration, Ukraine, trade, Make America Healthy Again (MAHA), and gender ideology. Heritage opposed the 2013 Senate "Gang of Eight" bill, arguing it amounted to amnesty without border security, and compared it to the 1986 amnesty outcome.

Read at The American Conservative