As president of The Heritage Foundation from 2018-2021, Kay C. James lead America’s premier conservative think tank. She frequently commented on major news events and public policy issues. Her statements as president are organized by topic below.
On Policy
Agriculture
- The Next Farm Bill Cannot Be Business as Usual (Apr 17, 2018)
Asia
- Communist China Again Shows It Cannot Be Trusted (May 28, 2020)
Budget and Spending
- Heritage, Sen. Rick Scott Release Final Episode in Video Series on Runaway Government Spending (Jul 30, 2021)
- Heritage and Sen. Rick Scott Debut Video Series to Educate Americans on Government Spending (Jun 16, 2021)
- On Washington’s Out-of-Control Spending (Aug 1, 2019)
- The Path to Putting Government in Its Proper Place (May 20, 2019)
Civil Society
- Vice President Pence Joins Heritage and Heritage Action to Launch Fight for America (Aug 10, 2020)
- Heritage Unveils Plan to Rebuild After Riots in American Cities (Aug 6, 2020)
Crime and Justice
- On Passage of the First Step Act (Dec 20, 2018)
- On the FIRST STEP Act (Nov 15, 2018)
- Responding to President Trump's Police Reform Executive Order (Jun 16, 2020)
- Rioters Toppling Statues Must Be Prosecuted; Trump Administration Sends Strong Message to Criminals (Jun 26, 2020)
Conservatism
- The 1776 Opportunity: A 2026 Year-Long Celebration (Dec. 13th, 2020)
- Remarks at CPAC 2020 (Feb 27th, 2020)
- 2018 President's Essay: Returning to our Principles (Dec 25th, 2018)
Courts
- Heritage President Applauds Supreme Court’s Decision to Protect First Amendment, Freedom of Association (Jul 1, 2021)
- Heritage Foundation President Applauds Supreme Court’s Decision to Protect Election Integrity (Jul 1, 2021)
- Supreme Court Ruling Finally Lets Nuns Live Out Their Faith (Jul 8, 2020)
- Supreme Court Decision to Protect Religious School Autonomy (Jul 8, 2020)
COVID-19 Response
- Heritage Foundation Files Lawsuit Against Biden COVID Vaccine Mandate (November 29, 2021)
- Coronavirus Commission Highlights 15 Steps Individuals Can Take to Combat COVID-19, Bolster Recovery (Jul 27, 2020)
- National Coronavirus Recovery Commission Releases Final Report (Jun 15, 2020)
- 34 States Implement 5 Key Recommendations to Save Lives and Livelihoods (Jun 9, 2020)
- Houses of Worship Essential, Should Open Safely (May 22, 2020)
- Regulatory Relief Executive Order Is the Right Step for Economic and COVID-19 Recovery (May 19, 2020)
- On Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s Podcast "Hold These Truths" (May 8, 2020)
- Coronavirus PSA (Apr 29, 2020)
- On White House Guidance for Reopening America (Apr 16, 2020)
- Coronavirus Bill Should Be Targeted, Temporary, and Directed at Economic Fallout. The Senate Bill Does Not Pass These Tests.(Mar 22, 2020)
- Trump Administration Displays “Strong, Calming Leadership” in Coronavirus Response (Mar 13, 2020)
Defense
Education
Election Integrity
- HR 4 Would "Make It Easier" to Commit Election Fraud (Aug 18, 2021)
- Heritage Foundation President Calls Out the Left’s Attempt to Take Over Our Elections (Jun 30, 2021)
- Comments on Electoral Process (Jan 3, 2021)
- Supreme Court Ruling to Protect the Electoral College (Jul 6, 2020)
Europe
- Britain’s "New Future" Begins Today (Jan 31, 2020)
- Boris Johnson "A Strong Leader Committed to His Country" (Jul 23, 2019)
Government Spending
- Policymakers Must Resist State and Local Bailouts (Apr 21, 2020)
Gender
Health Care Reform
- Supreme Court Obamacare Ruling Emphasizes Why Congress Must Provide Better Health Reform (Jun 17, 2021)
- “No Choice, No Exit: The Left’s Plans for Your Health Care” (Oct 13, 2020)
Homeland Security
- In Remembrance of 9/11 Attacks: “We Will Never, Ever Break” (Sept 10, 2021)
Immigration
- On the White House Immigration Proposal (May 16, 2019)
- On the National Emergency at the Border (Feb 15, 2019)
- On Border Security Funding (Feb 14, 2019)
- On Illegal Immigration Crisis (Jun 20, 2018)
International Economies
- 2021 Index Of Economic Freedom: Global Economic Freedom Remains At All-Time High, U.S. Drops To An All-Time Low (Mar 4, 2021)
International Relations
- On U.S. Removing Signature from Arms Trade Treaty (Apr 26, 2019)
Life
- Supreme Court Puts Abortion Industry Bottom Line Above Women’s Health (Jun 29, 2020)
- On State Department Expansion of Pro-Life Policy (Mar 26, 2019)
- On the Protect Life Rule (Feb 25, 2019)
- On the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (Feb 25, 2019)
Political Process
- Refuting Sen. Warren’s Absurd Comments on Senate Filibuster (Mar 18, 2021)
- On Impeachment of President Trump (Jan 13, 2021)
- On Invoking the 25th Amendment (Jan 12, 2021)
- Unwarranted, Divisive Impeachment Behind Us, Time for Congress to Get Back to Work (Feb 5, 2020)
Poverty and Inequality
- On Proposal to Help Lift Americans Out of Poverty (Mar 14, 2019)
Religious Liberty
- Applauding Supreme Court’s Ruling to Protect Religious Liberty (Jun 17, 2021)
- Supreme Court Decision Protects Religious Freedom and School Choice (Jun 30, 2020)
- On Administration’s Efforts on National Religious Freedom Day (Jan 16, 2020)
School Safety
Space Policy
- Today A "Significant Moment of the New Space Age" (May 30, 2020)
Technology
- Heritage Pressure Leads to Amazon’s Reversing Censorship Decision (Sept 16, 2021)
- Heritage President Responds to Oversight Board Decision (May 5, 2021)
- Pledge Rejecting Big Tech Money (May 4, 2021)
- On Social Media Censorship (Jan 8, 2020)
- Preventing Online Censorship Executive Order (May 28, 2020)
Trade
- USMCA Ushers in New Chapter of American Trade (Jul 1, 2020)
- USMCA Puts Americans First (Jan 29, 2020)
- USMCA an Opportunity for Greater Economic Growth (Jan 16, 2020)
- It Is Time for Congress to Act on the USMCA (Dec 11, 2019)
The Biden Administration
- Calling for Congress to Hold Biden Administration Accountable for Weaponization of DOJ Against Concerned Parents (Oct 27, 2021)
- Biden’s COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates Are Unacceptable, Must Be Rejected (Sept 10, 2021)
- On Biden Administration’s Day One Actions (Jan 20, 2021)
The Trump Administration
- On Trump-Pence Accomplishments (Jan 20, 2021)
- Thanking Sec. Betsy DeVos for Service as Education Secretary (Jan 8, 2021)
- Thanking Sec. Elaine Chao for Service to Country (Jan 7, 2021)
- White House to Appoint Heritage’s Mike Gonzalez to President’s Advisory 1776 Commission (Dec 18, 2020)
- Comments on William Barr’s Service as Attorney General (Dec 14, 2020)
- Applauding Confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court (Oct 26, 2020)
- On the Nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett for U.S. Supreme Court (Sep 26, 2020)
- Praising President Trump Commitment to Defend American Values (Aug 28, 2020)
- Swiftly Confirm Chad Wolf As Secretary of Homeland Security (Aug 25, 2020)
- President Trump Nominates Heritage Legal Scholar to Serve on U.S. Sentencing Commission (Aug 12, 2020)
- Russ Vought Is a Fearless Advocate for American Taxpayers (Jul 20, 2020)
- On Choice of Russ Vought to Lead OMB (Mar 18, 2020)
- Choice of Mark Meadows as White House Chief of Staff (Mar 7, 2020)
- The State of Our Union Has Never Been Better (Feb 5, 2020)
- Edwin Meese III Receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom (Oct 8, 2019)
- On Mark Esper's Confirmation as Secretary of Defense (Jul 24, 2019)
- On Nomination of Stephen Moore to the Federal Reserve Board (Mar 22, 2019)
- On Neomi Rao’s Confirmation to Federal Bench (Mar 13, 2019)
- On Andrew Wheeler Confirmation to Lead EPA (Feb 28, 2019)
- On Confirmation of Bill Barr as Attorney General (Feb 14, 2019)
- On the Resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions (Nov 7, 2018)
- On Sec. of State Mike Pompeo's appointment of Dr. Kiron Skinner to lead the State Department's Policy Planning department (Aug 30, 2018)
- On Brett Kavanaugh’s Confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court (Oct 6, 2018)
- On Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court Nomination (Jul 9, 2018)
Anniversaries
- Honoring the Memories of Those We Lost on 9/11 (Sep 11, 2019)
- Celebrating the Centennial of the 19th Amendment's Passage in the House (May 21, 2019)
- On the 70th Anniversary of NATO (Apr 3, 2019)
- On Independence Day, Let's Celebrate America (Jul 4, 2018)
- On Women’s History Month (Mar 1, 2018)
Heritage Foundation Announcements
- Heritage President Kay C. James Receives 2021 William L. Armstrong Award (Jun 23, 2021)
- Jay Richards, Ph.D., to Join Heritage as Senior Research Fellow (Jun 17, 2021)
- Jay P. Greene, Ph.D., Joins Heritage Foundation as Senior Research Fellow in Education Policy (Jun 7, 2021)
- Heritage Foundation Awards Dr. Robert Jackson Its 2021 Salvatori Prize for American Citizenship (Jun 3, 2021)
- Heritage Foundation President, Executive Vice President Announce Resignations (Mar 22, 2021)
- Heritage Foundation Welcomes Tim Murtaugh as Visiting Fellow, Contributor to The Daily Signal (Mar 1, 2021)
- Vice President Mike Pence Joins Heritage Foundation as Distinguished Visiting Fellow (Feb 4, 2021)
- Heritage Foundation Welcomes Chad Wolf, Ken Cuccinelli, Mark Morgan as New Fellows (Jan 29, 2021)
- Lindsey Burke Named Heritage’s Mark A. Kolokotrones Fellow in Education (Jan 28, 2021)
- Heritage Ranks First Among Think Tanks Worldwide for Best Use of Internet, Social Media (Jan 28, 2021)
- On Dr. Ryan T. Anderson’s Appointment as President of EPPC (Jan 15, 2021)
- Heritage Dedicates Rush Limbaugh Radio Studios, Honors Conservative Broadcaster With Titan of Conservatism Award (Dec 9, 2020)
- Bob Woodson Wins Heritage’s 2020 Salvatori Prize for American Citizenship (Dec 9, 2020)
- Leadership Institute President Morton Blackwell Receives Heritage’s Titan of Conservatism Award (Dec 9, 2020)
- Heritage Foundation President Reacts to Presidential Election Results (Nov 7, 2020)
- Heritage Foundation Releases COVID-19: Lessons Learned and Path Ahead (Oct 29, 2020)
- Heritage Foundation Launches New TV Ad to Bolster Support for Judge Amy Coney Barrett (Oct 14, 2020)
- Heritage Foundation Launches $1.1 Million "Fight for America, Vote for America" Ad Campaign (Oct 5, 2020)
- Heritage Foundation Releases PSA on Encouraging In-Person Voting (Oct 1, 2020)
- Heritage Foundation Launches Campaign for Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court (Sep 26, 2020)
- Heritage Foundation Launches Citizen's Guide to Fight for America (Sep 15, 2020)
- Heritage Foundation Releases ‘Mandate for Leadership’ and ‘Solutions 2020’ (Jul 30, 2020)
- The Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action Announce #ProudAmerican Campaign (Jun 25, 2020)
- Heritage Foundation and Concerned Women for America Unite to Reach Young Women (Jun 18, 2020)
- Heritage President Kay C. James Statement on Heritage Action (Feb 19, 2020)
- Kay Coles James Sworn In to Help Lead Effort Commemorating 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage (Nov 5, 2018)
- Journalist Mollie Hemingway receives The Heritage Foundation’s 2019 Salvatori Prize for American Citizenship (May 30, 2019)
- Heritage President Kay Coles James to Receive Legacy Award from U.S. Dream Academy (May 8, 2019)
- On ADAPT Protest and Meeting (May 15, 2018)
- Heritage President Kay Coles James Honored by Virginia Library’s Women in History Program (Mar 21, 2018)
Obituaries
- On the Death of Sen. Mike Enzi (Jul 27, 2021)
- On the Death of Donald Rumsfeld (Jun 30, 2021)
- On the Death of Helen Krieble (Jun 30, 2021)
- On the Death of Foster Friess (May 27, 2021)
- On the Death of Rush Limbaugh (Feb 17, 2021)
- On the Death of Former Secretary of State George Shultz (Feb 7, 2021)
- On the Death of Dr. Bernard T. Lomas (Jan 15, 2021)
- On the Death of Walter Williams (Dec 2, 2020)
- On the Death of Ralph Z. Hallow (Oct 18, 2020)
- On the Death of James Gattuso (Jul 25, 2020)
- On the Death ofDavid Koch(Aug 23, 2019)
- On the Death of George H.W. Bush (Dec 1, 2018)
- On the Death of Richard DeVos (Sep 6, 2018)
- On the Death of John McCain (Aug 25, 2018)
- On the Death of Charles Krauthammer (Jun 21, 2018)
- On the Death of Barbara Bush (Apr 18, 2018)
- On the Death of Rev. Billy Graham (Feb 21, 2018)
Return to The President's Message page.