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CPAC is proud to announce that the CEO and President of Concerned Women for America, Penny Nance, is a confirmed speaker for CPAC USA 2026 in Grapevine, Texas, March 25-28. Penny Nance is one of the nation's leading advocates for women, families, and religious freedom. As the President for one of the largest public policy women’s organizations in the US, Nance represents the voices and concerns of millions of women nationwide. Nance is a frequent political commentator and leader in mobilizing conservative women, bringing to the table a powerful voice to some of the most important debates facing the nation today. Her powerful speech at CPAC in DC 2025 inspired conservative women to not be afraid to stand up and fight for the unborn and counter the left that denigrates women with radical gender ideology. This is an address you will not want to miss! Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Penny Nance at CPAC USA 2026!  Reserve your tickets today here .

Across the country, a new front has opened in the fight over parental rights and government authority. Longtime allies of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are backing a coordinated, state-by-state effort to repeal laws that require children to receive certain vaccines before attending daycare or public school. Bills have been introduced in at least nine states, including New Hampshire, Georgia, Iowa, and Idaho, aiming to eliminate or significantly scale back longstanding school-entry immunization mandates. In New Hampshire, for example, legislation has sought to repeal most statutory vaccine requirements tied to school and childcare attendance. At the same time, another measure was advanced to remove the hepatitis B requirement from the list. This movement aligns with the broader Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda emerging at HHS, which has emphasized informed consent, transparency, and parental involvement in medical decision-making. Secretary Kennedy has publicly stated that families should make vaccine decisions in consultation with their physicians,  not under pressure from government mandates tied to education access. In Florida, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has signaled support for revisiting school vaccine requirements, and lawmakers have considered proposals ranging from expanding exemptions to repealing specific mandates. Critics warn that loosening school-entry requirements could lower vaccination rates and increase the risk of outbreaks, pointing to recent measles cases in South Carolina that have affected hundreds of individuals, particularly in areas with lower immunization coverage. Public health officials frequently cite the 95% vaccination benchmark as necessary for preventing measles outbreaks. However, supporters of the MAHA movement argue that one-size-fits-all mandates have not fully prevented disease spread and that health policy should prioritize informed consent, medical freedom, and the right of parents to make individualized decisions for their children. As more Americans question blanket requirements, the conversation is increasingly shifting toward transparency, personal choice, and restoring trust in medical decision-making. At its core, the issue is whether access to education should depend on uniform medical mandates or whether families should retain the primary authority over their children’s health decisions. Read more here .

CPAC is proud to announce that Jim McLaughlin is a confirmed speaker for CPAC USA 2026 in Grapevine, Texas, March 25-28. Jim McLaughlin is the president of McLaughlin & Associates and a nationally recognized public opinion expert and political strategist who has helped elect over 70 members of Congress, 16 U.S. Senators, 10 Governors, and a U.S. President. He accurately predicted President Donald Trump's victory in both 2016 and 2024, earning widespread recognition for his polling accuracy and becoming one of Trump's most trusted pollsters. McLaughlin brings decades of expertise in strategic consulting and market research to his role conducting the annual CPAC Straw Poll at CPAC DC 2025, having previously been featured as a "Mover and Shaker" by Campaigns and Elections Magazine and named to Roll Call's "Fabulous Fifty". Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Jim McLaughlin at CPAC USA 2026!  Reserve your tickets today here .

This week, CPAC's Center for Regulatory Freedom filed comments with federal agencies across energy, healthcare, national security, agriculture, financial regulation, transportation, and space policy. Why? Because paperwork isn’t just paperwork. It affects the price of food. It affects whether small businesses can compete. It affects whether cancer patients get treatment on time. It affects whether foreign governments influence U.S. intelligence contractors. It affects whether America stays competitive in space and technology. Regulatory fine print shapes real life- And CPAC shows up to deal with the fine print. Affordability: When Red Tape Becomes a Hidden Tax Several of our filings focused on a simple truth: excessive regulatory burden eventually lands on consumers. At the Food and Drug Administration, we addressed expanding paperwork requirements. Food safety matters--and the ability to trace food sources matters. But when compliance systems become overly complex, the cost doesn’t disappear — it shows up in grocery bills. And small, independent producers feel that pressure first. At the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, we examined layered mortgage and banking disclosure mandates. Each new reporting rule may seem modest in isolation. But in aggregate, cumulative paperwork drives up compliance costs, pushes smaller lenders out of the market, and ultimately reduces affordable credit for first-time homebuyers. At CMS, we focused on Medicare enrollment paperwork for physicians and non-physician practitioners. When independent practices face unnecessary administrative barriers, patients lose access. Simplifying enrollment strengthens competition and supports care access — especially in rural and underserved communities. Energy affordability was also front and center. In our comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on LNG and price transparency reporting, we emphasized the need to detect market manipulation without imposing excessive reporting regimes that raise compliance costs and ultimately increase household energy prices. Paperwork, when poorly designed, becomes a quiet, not-so-hidden tax. National Security: Strategic Infrastructure Requires Strategic Oversight Other filings this week focused squarely on national security. At the Department of Agriculture, we addressed foreign ownership reporting for American farmland. America’s farmland is not just real estate — it is strategic infrastructure. We support stronger transparency and enforcement to guard against adversarial influence. But the rules must not become so burdensome that they price family farms out of the market. At the Department of Defense, we addressed Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) oversight for contractors performing sensitive government work. Strong vetting is essential. Foreign governments should not exert hidden influence over companies working with U.S. intelligence or defense agencies. Oversight must be robust — and smart. We also filed on federal procurement rules related to foreign products in national security contracting. Protecting supply chains from adversarial influence is critical. But certification and compliance requirements should be risk-based, not duplicative or needlessly complex. At NASA, we weighed in on Administrative False Claims Act implementation. As America pushes toward Moon-to-Mars missions, strong fraud enforcement protects taxpayer investment and ensures that innovation partnerships remain accountable. Exploration requires ambition — but it also requires discipline. National security and regulatory discipline are not in tension. They reinforce each other. Innovation and Access: Protecting Progress Without Smothering It Innovation thrives when oversight is serious — and proportional. At the U.S. Trade Representative, we urged a strong defense of American intellectual property in the 2026 Special 301 Review. Weak global IP protections discourage investment in cutting-edge technologies and medicines. Strong IP frameworks support innovation, high-wage jobs, and long-term competitiveness. At the Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, we addressed transportation paperwork for medical isotopes used in cancer treatments. Nuclear safety is non-negotiable. But repetitive shipment-by-shipment documentation for routine medical materials can slow the delivery of time-sensitive therapies. Streamlined processes preserve safety while improving patient access. Innovation is not advanced by bureaucratic excess. It is advanced by clarity and accountability. Showing Up Where It Matters Most people never read the Federal Register. But that’s where policy is shaped — line by line. This week alone, we engaged across agencies that touch food prices, housing access, healthcare delivery, national defense, energy reliability, and space exploration. Regulation can protect the public — or quietly burden it. Oversight can strengthen markets — or entrench incumbents. Paperwork can serve accountability — or become an obstacle to opportunity. We believe it should serve the public. And that means showing up — consistently — wherever the rules are written.

"The United States, as the most powerful of the free nations, is looked to for leadership by those who live in freedom and as a mighty source of hope to those who languish under tyranny. This is a weighty responsibility that no American, especially a President, can take lightly." -President Ronald Reagan, Presidential Medal of Freedom Award Ceremony, March 1984. Donald Trump’s presidency rests on the same foundational pillars that defined President Ronald Reagan’s success: high-growth economics through tax cuts and deregulation, uncompromising national defense and military strength, energy independence and resource dominance, fair and reciprocal trade to protect U.S. workers, and put America First. Like Reagan, who shattered the stagnation of the 1970s under President Jimmy Carter with bold economic reforms and rebuilt U.S. military might to confront Soviet threats, Trump has championed common sense tax relief, slashed burdensome regulations, unleashed American energy production, renegotiated trade deals for greater reciprocity, and wielded economic and military leverage to promote freedom and peace abroad, reclaiming decisive presidential authority. The role of an America First President had been forgotten after the Obama and Biden years, defined by managed decline, strategic passivity, and overreliance on one-sided international agreements that eroded military readiness and ceded ground to adversaries. By rejecting that weakness, Trump is breaking the cycle of America's decline and restoring the presidency’s exceptional character: a strong, self-reliant America: economically vibrant, militarily dominant, and energy independent. This President's Day offers a moment to reflect on the legacy of American leadership and the enduring strength of the Presidency. President Trump's bold vision continues the tradition of decisive action that has historically elevated the office and the nation, ensuring America remains the world's preeminent superpower.

Too often do we as conservatives become lost in the big picture. We worry about statistics and analytics, but in doing so, we risk forgetting what exactly it is that we are fighting for: the American dream.   Congressman Byron Donalds, Representative for Florida’s 19 th district, experienced the American dream recently while watching his son play basketball. He spoke of this experience on Friday, February 21, 2025, on the CPAC stage.  At the beginning of his speech, Donalds shouted out his wife, Erika, a school choice activist who had spoken about the topic on an earlier panel. He spoke of his son’s dedication to the game of basketball and his years of hard work.  Even when Donald’s colleagues were texting him about politics, and President Donald Trump called him about a Truth Social post, Donalds had one thing on his mind: his son’s success.   Though many may be shocked by this, Donalds explained, “I know we’re supposed to be talking about politics in the golden age of America and making America great again, but I will tell you, part of the golden age of our nation is the success of our children and grandchildren.”   Donalds spoke about the most important aspect of politics, an aspect that the conservative movement should never keep out of its mind – the human aspect. While we all must strive to make America great again, we must never lose focus on who we are making America great again for.  Make plans to see more great speeches live at CPAC USA 2026 at CPAC.org/USA .

The CPAC Ranchers Coalition met this week with USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to address the challenges facing American cattle producers and advocate for meaningful policy reforms that would level the playing field against foreign competition. With U.S. cattle inventories at their lowest point since 1951 and beef imports exceeding 4.6 billion pounds annually, the meeting underscored an urgent need for administrative action to protect the independence and viability of family ranchers who form the backbone of America's food supply. The discussions centered on regulatory reform, import enforcement, and restoring market integrity for American producers who have been squeezed by regulations that favor foreign beef over domestic production. The CPAC Ranchers Coalition's meeting with Secretary Rollins is a great stride in the fight to preserve the American ranching industry's independence. The coalition made clear that the tools to restore balance already exist within current law and that decisive administrative action can immediately strengthen food safety, enhance competitive fairness, and rebuild the resilience of domestic beef supply chains.

This past Monday, I represented CPAC at the Religious Liberties Commission hearing at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. The commission, established by an executive order by President Trump, is tasked with producing a comprehensive report on all aspects of religious liberties in our country. This hearing, masterfully chaired by Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, focused on Antisemitism. Unfortunately, much of the media attention afterward focused on controversy and side issues ( see here ), distracting from the Commission’s real purpose: hearing directly from Americans facing antisemitism and threats to religious liberty. One of the most powerful witnesses was Dr. Moshe Glick, a dentist from New Jersey. Dr. Glick testified that in late 2024, he intervened outside his synagogue during an unauthorized protest, as he witnessed a 64 year old Jewish old man being violently attacked by a protester. Despite the altercation being caught on tape and evidence showing that he intervened in defense of a victim, Dr. Glick was shocked to find himself arrested and charged with assault and bias intimidation. As he put it, “I stood up for a man who was being attacked because of his Jewish faith, and somehow, I was made the criminal.”  He argued that the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office selectively targeted him while ignoring the actual aggressor. Dr. Glick emphasized that he refused to plead guilty because he believed he had done nothing wrong: “I refused to plead guilty because I did nothing wrong.” At one point, he remarked, “You can’t really call yourself a civil rights activist until you’ve felt the cold steel of handcuffs close around your wrists.” After a long public fight, Dr. Glick was ultimately pardoned by the governor. But the experience left him shaken, and his conclusion was blunt: “My faith in America’s justice system was utterly shattered.” He warned that what happened to him was not simply a mistake, but a symptom of something larger: “This is the hallmark of a weaponized justice system—one that buries evidence to serve an agenda.” Credit is due to the Commission chair, Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, who ran the hearing with focus and professionalism and ensured that Dr. Glick’s testimony was heard by those positioned to make real policy recommendations. Cases like this are exactly why the Commission matters, and CPAC will continue to shine a spotlight on religious freedoms. Under President Trump, religious liberty is once again being treated as a serious national issue—and stories like Dr. Glick’s are finally being brought into the light. You can watch Dr. Glick’s testimony here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=t1RvIUpGzXsaXREq&v=95Ir0KeozBc&feature=youtu.be

Narco-terrorism and human trafficking constitute a multi-billion-dollar criminal enterprise for cartels, generating an estimated $1.2 billion per month through the systematic exploitation of the world's most vulnerable. U.S. Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL) joined the CPAC Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit to expose how cartels operate elaborate networks and infrastructure that fuel narco-terrorism and human trafficking, devastating American communities and brutally exploiting the most vulnerable. Drawing from her firsthand experience working alongside border law enforcement, often accompanying officers on patrols along the southern border, Rep. Cammack has witnessed the human cost of trafficking operations up close and heard directly from survivors. She presented a testament to the brutality and dehumanization used by cartels: a jar filled with wristbands collected by the millions at the southern border. Each band bears a cartel designation and identification number used to track victims as they are transported across Latin America and into the United States. "This jar represents, in its most disturbing form, what the cartels think of individual human beings," Cammack explained. "They treat them like cattle." Rep. Cammack's appearance at the CPAC Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit brought attention to the massive scope of cartel operations and the dehumanizing treatment of trafficking victims. Cammack's firsthand knowledge from working with border patrol and the wristbands demonstrated how cartels have turned human exploitation into a billion-dollar enterprise. Cammack remains a vocal advocate for the resources needed to dismantle these networks, fighting to ensure that no human being is ever again treated as a labeled commodity.

China has emerged as a global leader in the manufacturing and exporting of fentanyl and other illicit substances, fueling a crisis that has devastated communities across the United States. U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) recently joined CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp at the CPAC Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit to discuss how narco-terrorism poses a grave threat to America’s safety and national security, particularly through cartel networks supplied by Chinese-manufactured fentanyl, which has led to the deaths of thousands of Americans. Sen. Hagerty, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 2017 to 2019 under President Trump, explained how China exploits Japan as a transfer point for trafficking drugs into the United States and around the world. According to Hagerty, Chinese operatives use Japanese shipping vessels to transport fentanyl precursors and other key components to cartels in South America, Mexico, and beyond. While Japan remains largely drug-free, it hosts one of the highest concentrations of DEA officers in the region due to the need to monitor and intercept Chinese narcotics shipments using Japanese carriers. “They are there to monitor shipments of fentanyl precursors and other drugs from China to a Japanese carrier to mask them and move them into the United States to kill us or send them along to Mexico, where they are manufactured,” Hagerty said. China’s narco-terrorism only intensified under President Biden, as drug-related deaths have skyrocketed amid the fentanyl epidemic. Hagerty recalled that during the 2018 G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, President Trump directly confronted Chinese President Xi Jinping and demanded an end to the export of Chinese-produced narcotics into the United States, a demand Xi agreed to. However, Xi did not agree to halt the export of precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl, allowing China to continue supplying cartels that produce the drug in Mexico and elsewhere. Hagerty argued that China then exploited Biden’s open-border policies to escalate their narcotics war against America. In his home state of Tennessee alone, Hagerty noted, “We lose 3,000 young people a year to drug overdose, most of it fentanyl.” Last year, America saw the longest government shutdown in its history because of the Democrats' inability to work with Republicans to pass key legislation and appropriations, including for federal agencies involved in combating narco-terrorism. Hagerty said that America must act swiftly to counteract the fentanyl and drug crisis, but Senate Democrats are "weaponizing procedure," delaying administration confirmations and key legislation that are critical in combating narco-terrorism. "They say the Senate is supposed to be the world's greatest deliberative body, but we're doing a lot of deliberation. There is a weaponization of procedure way beyond what the founders intended," said Hagerty, noting that in 2025, "100% of Trump nominees had cloture invoked on them. Chuck Schumer held every single nominee, forcing us to wait because they are trying to destroy our ability to get anything done." Under the threat of a second government shutdown, Hagerty called on the Senate Democrats to stop delaying the allocation of critical resources and funding to federal agencies so that America's laws can be enforced before more American lives are claimed by the scourge of narco-terrorism. Hagerty’s discussion with Schlapp highlighted the escalating threat of narco-terrorism and China’s role in fueling the fentanyl epidemic, devastating American communities. He outlined how Chinese-supplied precursor chemicals, cartel networks, and lax border enforcement have combined to drive overdose deaths to record levels under Biden. Hagerty also warned that Senate Democrats are obstructing critical confirmations and funding not only to delay enforcement efforts, but to deliberately undermine President Trump’s agenda to secure the border and protect American lives. As the fentanyl crisis continues to claim thousands of victims each year, Hagerty emphasized that political gridlock in Washington is directly hindering the ability to keep America safe.

The CPAC Center for Combating Human Trafficking celebrated the signing of the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act by President Donald J. Trump in January. This is a victory in the fight against modern day slavery and offers survivors a second chance at freedom. The signing of the the Trafficking Survivor's Relief Act is another example of conservative leadership in the fight to end human trafficking following President Trump’s pardons for survivors and the declaration of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month earlier in January. Human trafficking victims are often coerced into committing crimes, such as prostitution, fraud, and identity theft, by their traffickers but once in the justice system, receive no recognition of their victim status, only a criminal record that damages their chances of escaping trafficking and the cycle of crime. This law advocates for human trafficking victims by offering expungement or sentence mitigation only for the crimes committed as a direct result of their trafficking, while ensuring survivors continue to work alongside law enforcement to hold the criminals behind these horrific crimes accountable.   The Trafficking Survivor’s Relief Act offers hope for trafficking victims by offering a pathway to break free from traffickers – while also breaking the cycle of crime that results from this version of modern day slavery. CPAC's Center for Combating Human Trafficking has supported this bill since its inception including its passage in the   House Judiciary Committee in September , in the U.S. House of Representatives in December , and in the U.S. Senate. Thanks to the leadership of Representative Russell Fry, Representative Ann Wagner, and Speaker Mike Johnson, the Trafficking Survivor's Relief Act successfully moved through Congress and thanks to the leadership of President Trump is now officially law, offering second chances to many victims and taking a step toward ending modern-day slavery.

The past year marked a historic decline in drug-related fatalities, driven by the Trump Administration’s efforts to combat narco-terrorism at its source and secure the border. At the Combating Narco-Terrorism Summit, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, or "Drug Czar," Sara Carter, spoke with CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp about the administration's progress in dismantling cartel networks and enforcing laws that keep America safe. Schlapp pointed to the direct correlation between President Trump’s border wall and the immediate decline in drug fatalities, noting that illegal crossings have effectively reached net zero for the first time in decades. Carter affirmed that the Trump Administration has worked tirelessly over the last year to close the border to violent criminals, and they will continue to always look for ways to tighten national security that keeps Americans safe. "We are seeing a 21% drop in fentanyl and overdose deaths in the United States over the past year, which for us is a huge success, but it's not good enough. We want to see that trajectory continue to go down; we want to protect not only American lives but the national security of this nation," said Carter. The Trump Administration, Carter highlighted, has equipped law enforcement in the fight against narco-terrorist networks by providing federal resources, advanced technologies, and enhanced intelligence capabilities to Border Patrol and other federal agencies. This support equips officers with the essential tools to dismantle cartel operations and safeguard American communities from drug trafficking. Carter emphasized the crucial role that Latin American countries can play in combating narco-terrorism by stopping these networks before they export narcotics to the United States. Through partnerships with Latin American allies, the Administration is targeting narco-terrorist networks at their source. These international partnerships have strengthened efforts to disrupt drug trafficking routes early, creating a coordinated, hemisphere-wide front against narco-terrorists. The Trump Administration's proactive efforts to combat narco-terrorism, securing the border with net-zero illegal crossings, dismantling cartel networks through enhanced law enforcement resources and technology, and forging partnerships with Latin American nations, delivered a historic 21% drop in fentanyl and overdose deaths over the past year. While this significant progress is saving American lives and strengthening national security, the work remains ongoing, with a firm commitment to drive overdose rates even lower and eliminate the threat of narco-terrorism.