CPAC’s Center for Combating Human Trafficking is thrilled to announce we are hosting the 2nd Annual International Summit Against Trafficking on Tuesday, July 23rd on Capitol Hill alongside our partners at the Kaleido Charity. This event brings together elected officials from Mexico, Argentina, El Salvador, Brazil, and the United States to discuss the challenges facing our respective countries in combating both sex and labor trafficking. This year's conference will focus on finding solutions that will encourage collaboration between law enforcement and other agencies, support victims, and most importantly hold traffickers accountable. The Biden’s Administration's blatant disregard for securing our border has led to an explosion in criminal traffickers pouring into the United States. That is why last year CPAC stepped up in the fight to end modern day slavery, founding the Center for Combating Human Trafficking and hosting the First Annual International Summit. You can learn more about this historic event at: https://cpac.org/summit.

Just a year ago, CPAC embarked on a new journey to bring light and a conservative prospective in the fight to end modern day slavery. After years of neglect at the southern border and a crime wave that rocked communities across the nation, the scourge of sex and labor trafficking became rampant across our great country. After being approached to host the screening premiere of the movie Sound of Freedom, CPAC founded the Center for Combating Human Trafficking with a commitment to inform and spread awareness of this issue and solutions that would free victims from a life of abuse . 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. Educating the public and lawmakers about this growing problem was just the start, as our Center focused resources and advocacy in both State legislatures and Congress to move meaningful legislation that protects victims and holds traffickers accountable. That effort bore significant results, with CPAC supporting legislation that passed in five states while shepherding through a Federal law with Senator Blackburn (R-TN) that holds tech companies accountable for their role in allowing abuse. Now we come back to Capitol Hill for our Second International Summit to not only reflect on our progress, but plan for the next steps in policy that will finally bring an end to the scourge of trafficking. You can join us for this vital convening at https://cpac.org/summit.

This week, the House Small Business Committee is holding a hearing, Main Street Realities: Examining the Current Economic Landscape in America. The CPAC Foundation’s Center for Regulatory Freedom (CRF) has been closely examining the rapid acceleration of regulatory growth under the Biden administration, and the findings are alarming. Regulatory costs have surged by nearly 16% annually, increasing the burden of the regulatory state by more than 50% in just over three years. This pace has even surpassed the Obama administration's regulatory growth, which we had previously criticized for its 11.72% annual increase. The Obama-Era Regulatory Surge When President Obama took office in 2009, he inherited a regulatory state costing just over $900 billion. Under his administration, regulatory costs skyrocketed to approximately $2.25 trillion, with an annual growth rate of 11.72%. This rapid increase placed a heavy burden on America's small businesses. The per-employee, per-year (PEPY) regulatory cost for small businesses jumped from $7,762 to nearly $19,000 by the end of his term. The Trump-Era Regulatory Slowdown In stark contrast, President Trump aimed to combat regulatory excesses by pledging to discard two regulations for every new one implemented. Although it’s unclear if this specific promise was fulfilled, the overall growth rate of regulatory costs slowed dramatically to just 0.33% annually during his term. This period of regulatory stability allowed for significant economic benefits, with the PEPY cost for small businesses rising only marginally from $18,838 to $19,088. Biden's Regulatory Expansion Under President Biden, we anticipated a return to Obama-era regulatory levels. However, the actual regulatory growth has been even more aggressive, with costs soaring from $2.28 trillion to $3.65 trillion—a 60% increase in just three and a half years. The PEPY cost for small businesses has surged from $19,088 to $33,105. For a business with ten employees, this translates to an astronomical rise in regulatory costs from $190,880 to $331,050, with a further $2.5 million in lost opportunities due to diverted resources. The Path Forward The Supreme Court's recent decision in LoperBright has given hope for reining in the regulatory state. However, two paths lie ahead: one where regulatory growth continues at its current unsustainable rate of 15.85% annually, and another where it reverts to the more manageable 0.33% annual growth seen under President Trump. If regulatory costs grow at 0.33% per year from now until 2030, the aggregate cost will reach $3.716 trillion, with the PEPY cost for small businesses at $33,706.85. Conversely, if the current growth rate persists, the total cost will soar to $7.6 trillion, with the PEPY cost hitting $69,520.50. A regulatory state costing the American economy over $7.5 trillion would have devastating effects on GDP, household incomes, and the overall health of society. As we consider the future of America’s small business sector, it is crucial to address these regulatory trends and take steps to ensure the nation remains on a sustainable path.

CPAC Investor Summits are crucial to setting the tone for our organization’s work in the next year. They are a major way we make sure our supporters are involved in and knowledgeable of the work they make possible at CPAC. Through connections with conservatives from different parts of the country and remarks from conservative leaders on the front lines of the battle to save America, CPAC Investor Summits are unique events that grow, energize, and inform the conservative movement. Attending a CPAC Investor Summit gives our supporters the one-of-a-kind opportunity to participate in forming the future of the organization and the conservative movement at large. Our supporters get to share their ideas and experiences with one another while growing their personal network of patriots. They get exclusive access to CPAC and movement leaders to exchange opinions and updates all while receiving a boost of enthusiasm to spread the conservative message and save America. Save the date for our upcoming Investor Summit at Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida November 14-16 at CPAC.org/maralago.

Conservatives were celebrating last week at the Supreme Court’s ruling on Trump v. United States and the week before at Fischer v. United States, and though these rulings made some progress toward a fairer justice system, they do not totally eliminate political weaponization of the justice system, and they actually underscore the deep corruption and abuse within the Biden DOJ. As CPAC stated in response to Trump v. United States, “the decision does not go far enough.” The decision still does not shut down illegal prosecution of political opponents as we know the Left has no regard for the law. Justice Clarence Thomas’ opinion hinted at this, indicating that Special Counsel Jack Smith is not legally permitted in his position to prosecute and is using illegal means to attack President Trump. “If there is no law establishing the office that the Special Counsel occupies, then he cannot proceed with this prosecution. A private citizen cannot criminally prosecute anyone, let alone a former President,” wrote Thomas. The Fischer v. United States ruling likewise pointed to the Left’s preference for illegal means to prosecute conservatives. In this case, the Supreme Court simply made official what conservatives and many Americans have been saying all along about the prosecution of J6ers that the felony charges brought against them were unconstitutional. So, while these recent rulings righted some of the wrongs made by the Biden DOJ, the work is not yet over. More than ever, in fact, conservatives need to vigilant in keeping a close eye on the DOJ and justice system and holding the corrupt officials in them accountable. CPAC is leading the efforts to hold Biden’s corrupt DOJ accountable for their abuse of the justice system and you can join these efforts by adding your name to our petitions supporting President Trump and calling for the impeachment of Attorney General Merrick Garland at CPAC.org.

The Left has harnessed the media and pop culture to promote their agenda and impose a victim mentality on minority groups through identity politics. Brandon Straka once belonged to the group sucked in by the Left’s agenda. In 2018, however, he arrived at the truth and walked away from the Left’s identity politics. Straka then founded the #WalkAway movement to encourage others to also walk away. The movement took off and went viral on social media with growing numbers of individuals sharing their walk away stories. Straka soon learned, however, what happens when you leave the Left, and the mainstream media attacked his #WalkAway movement, accusing him and his team of collusion with Russian bots. At gatherings, his team was barraged by Antifa rioters, and ultimately, he was arrested under false accusations of instigating violence on January 6, 2021. “I never entered the capitol on January 6. I never engaged in any violence, vandalism, theft, or destruction nor did I witness any. In fact, nothing i witnessed could be described as a riot by any honest person, and I certainly did not engage in any rioting. But two and a half weeks later, a team of FBI agents in tactical gear stormed by apartment at dawn and got me out of bed, put me in handcuffs, and took me to jail,” explained Straka. “The government charged me with multiple felonies, and I was threatened with the now infamous 1512 obstruction of an official proceeding felony, the unconstitutional and unethical twenty-year felony charge being used to torment J-6ers into taking plea deals and put them in prison for years.” The criminal charging of Straka still wasn’t enough for the Left. From widespread censorship to being placed on the terror watch list, the Left has employed every means at their disposal to make his life difficult and steal his freedom. Hear Straka’s full testimony from CPAC in DC 2024 on Rumble @CPAC, and visit CPAC.org/2025 to make plans to hear more great speeches live at CPAC in DC 2025.

Americans from other parts of the country are flooding into North Carolina to take advantage of the state’s business-friendly laws and taxes and to flee the instability, bankruptcy, and high costs of their home states. North Carolina Lieutenant Governor and gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson weighed in on this pattern in his remarks at CPAC in DC 2024. States like New York and California are bankrupt, unsafe, and crumbling. In contrast, North Carolina has a $5 million surplus and has been named a top business location in the country by leading publications. Robinson explains what’s behind the difference, “It’s because conservatives do this little pesky thing that Leftists don’t like. We put principles inside of our policies, and they yield a desired result, and it shows in how our states operate. Yet, still, the news media, they never want to talk about that.” Indeed, the mainstream media, such as, ABC News, would rather credit the warmer climate than the conservative policies that have created safe, beautiful, and affordable states for the economic uptick and migration of Americans to red states in the South. At the same time, they ignore the Leftist policies and legacy Democrat leaders that have created the disasters in New York, California, and Illinois. “They don’t want to talk the fact California is falling apart and Florida is flourishing. They don’t want to talk about the fact that New York is in shambles and North Carolina’s on firm financial footing,” commented Robinson. He set the record straight for the mainstream media in his speech. Watch his full remarks on Rumble @CPAC. Make plans to see more great speeches live at CPAC in DC 2025 at CPAC.org.

"We should never despair, our Situation before has been unpromising and has changed for the better, so I trust, it will again,” George Washington encouraged General Phillip Schuyler and his troops in the midst of the War for Independence in 1777. "If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth New Exertions and proportion our Efforts to the exigency of the times." Washington’s encouragement rings true today. The safeguarding of our God-given, unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness forms the basis of the Constitution, which desperately needs our protection today. Our founders expertly and meticulously crafted our Constitution to enshrine our freedoms and promote justice for all. As new threats to our freedoms arise, we respond with increased vigor in defense of our exceptional founding. CPAC is committed to protecting our cherished freedoms and ensuring that the next generation can live and prosper in a free America. Happy Fourth of July from the CPAC family!

Presidential historian and author of Revolutionary Readers Jane Cook talks her patriotic children’s book series with Mercedes Schlapp. Literacy rates are on the decline across the country and history has been deprioritized in public school systems. Cook is on a mission to change that. Her book series, Revolutionary Readers, aims to teach both history and reading to children of all ages. The books cover a broad spectrum of reading levels to teach reading and history at every age. The books also fill a hole in the market for American history books that teach reading. “I just felt like there was a huge need. Even though that statistic is terrible, I think there’s a hunger to want to learn about America. So, I developed this series,” explained Cook. Each book teaches a different patriotic topic such as, the history and meaning of the flag, the pledge of allegiance, and the song America the Beautiful. Cook is finding success with her books resonating with parents and children especially in the homeschool community and is now taking them to public school systems, showing how they fit with social studies curricula. Cook went on in the episode to weigh in on the 2024 presidential election as a presidential historian with advice to President Trump: “I really think that President Trump is well positioned that he can really champion America’s 250th and make that part of his presidency, to gin up excitement about celebrating America’s 250th birthday in 2026.” Watch the full conversation with Cook and Schlapp on CPAC+ and for more, follow @CPAC on social media. You can also follow Matt Schlapp @MSchlapp or Mercedes Schlapp @MercedesSchlapp to keep up with current events.

Matt and Mercedes Schlapp weigh in on the first presidential debate, Kamala Harris’ BET awards cameo, and more on this edition of the Schlapp Down. The Schlapps react to a clip of Jill Biden speaking to supporters after the debate and the moment during the debate when President Biden falsely claimed to be endorsed by Border Patrol. Both clips indicate the president’s deteriorating health condition and point to someone else pulling the strings behind the scenes. “I did always have moments where I thought he was going to fall over. [It] was so scary,” Mercedes Schlapp said of Biden’s appearance during the debate. “The biggest lie in the history of America is Dr. Jill Biden saying that Joe Biden’s fine to serve. She knows he’s not. Hunter Biden knows he’s not. All those people around Joe Biden, Karine Jean-Pierre, all these people, they’re all lying to us on a daily basis,” commented Matt Schlapp. Biden’s bad health is eclipsing the fact that his campaign is also losing on the issues. Border patrol, in fact, is not endorsing him because they see the evil and danger that has resulted from his open border policies, and minority communities are not relating to the Biden campaign, despite Harris’ efforts, because they see how crime and cost of living have risen under Biden. Watch the Schlapps’ full reactions to the Biden campaign and Leftists’ hysterics after the Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. United States on social media and Rumble @CPAC.

Sean Spicer breaks down his new documentary on the loyal followers of President Trump, Front Row Joes, with Mercedes Schlapp on this episode of America Uncanceled. Front Row Joes interviews conservative leaders like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Steve Bannon, Mercedes Schlapp, and President Trump himself and Trump rally attendees to understand what keeps Trump supporters returning to rallies and often braving the weather, traveling long distances, and spending thousands of dollars to show up for President Trump. For one supporter, Rick Frazier, who’s daughter was a victim of the fentanyl epidemic, showing up consistently for Trump at rallies is personal. “There’s another scene in it where one of the Front Row Joes by the name of Rick Frazier talks very passionately and movingly about the passing of his daughter, Kaley, through fentanyl and why he believes that Trump will fight for the security and safety of this country and Joe Biden wouldn’t,” said Spicer. “There’s a lot of those moments, listening to their personal stories, why they’re doing what they’re doing.” Personal connections and admiration for Trump’s fighting spirit fuel the phenomenon of Front Row Joes, and Front Row Joes are a key part of maintaining conservative enthusiasm all the way to November. A lot could still happen that would favor Democrats before election day, and conservatives need to avoid complacency and be on high alert between now and November. Watch the full episode on CPAC+ and for more, follow @CPAC on social media. You can also follow Matt Schlapp @MSchlapp or Mercedes Schlapp @MercedesSchlapp to keep up with current events.

Host of War Room, Steve Bannon spoke at CPAC in DC 2023 on the role of the average American in politics and the Washington, D.C. establishment’s treatment of the silent majority. Bannon blames the inaction of the Republican establishment, including Fox News’ coverage of the 2020 election, for the Democrats’ victories and the disastrous state of the United States and even the world. Our foreign foes in China, Russia, and the Middle East have been empowered under President Biden, and American money, resources, and lives are going to a war in Ukraine instead of to the numerous crises in our own country. Bannon attributes the existence and bad policies of the Biden administration to Fox News’ betrayal of President Trump. Fox News has colluded with the rest of the elitist media to disregard the average American voter by demeaning President Trump. They called the 2020 election early on for Biden, ignored Trump’s campaign announcement for 2024, and given air time to his opponents. “He’s not up against DeSantis, or Nikki Haley, or Mike Pompeo. He’s up against Ken Griffin, and Mitch McConnell, and Murdoch. [Fox News has] deemed if he wins the primary, they’re going to work for the Democrats, just like they worked for Hilary Clinton,” Bannon concluded. “All they are is about money, and the only people [who] can stop them on the face of the earth are you, you, and you.” See more on CPAC.org and on social media @CPAC.