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Todd Gaziano explains why the D.C. gun ban is unconstitutional.

The facts on the economy

That the American economy has weakened somewhat is clear.

But will Congress ram through counterproductive legislation that would make matters worse? That remains to be seen.

Many of the most talked-about proposals “have serious weaknesses that make them more likely to create additional problems down the road than to solve the current situation,” explains Heritage economist David John.

Proposals from both sides of the aisle—one from Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), and another from Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.)—would effectively reward irresponsible financial decisions at taxpayer expense, John argues.

John and Heritage economists Bill Beach and J.D. Foster recently sat down with former Congressman Ernest Istook to “discuss what the government can—and can’t—do to remedy the current situation.” Listen to the podcast on Heritage’s Foundry weblog.

Why the D.C. gun ban is unconstitutional

The District of Columbia’s “effort to disarm the residents of that city is unconstitutional,” legal scholar Nelson Lund argues in a new Heritage article.

» Watch the video: Heritage’s Todd Gaziano explains why the gun ban is unconstitutional

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week in a case testing the District’s firearms ban. The nation’s capital prohibits the ownership of handguns, and long guns must be kept inoperable.

The Supreme Court, Lund explains, may write a narrow decision overturning the District’s ban only. But the court “should not hesitate to affirm the core right to protect one's home and family against the criminal predators who pay no attention at all to disarmament statutes like those at issue in this case.”

When the case, D.C. v. Heller, was before a federal appeals court last year, Heritage legal experts helped the winning side prepare its case.

Other Heritage work of note

Protect America. “On the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, the United States has proved its critics wrong—again,” Heritage’s Nile Gardiner writes. America and its allies must remain committed to victory in Iraq, and should remember that withdrawal “would have catastrophic implications for the future of the country and would be seen by most Iraqis as a betrayal of trust.” The Heritage Foundation is running an advertisement this week on Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham’s radio programs, thanking our troops. Listen to the radio ad online.

American Leadership. Given China’s brutal crackdown on Tibetan dissidents in recent weeks, the American government should consider using the upcoming Beijing Olympics to send a message to the country’s communist leadership, Heritage’s John Tkacik suggests. Trade sanctions are unlikely to work and simply urging restraint would hardly be useful. Instead, President Bush should reconsider his attendance at the games, which could serve to delegitimize the Chinese government in the eyes of its people.

Entitlements and Entrepreneurship. Heritage Foundation economists have released the latest edition of their Federal Revenue and Spending Book of Charts, a graphical illustration of the federal government’s profligate spending. The charts demonstrate, for example, how spending has increased no matter which party holds power in Congress.

Entitlements. “Social Security and Medicare have promised $42.9 trillion more in benefits to senior and disabled workers than the programs will be able to pay, according to a new report,” explain Heritage’s David John and Robert Moffit. The report from the programs’ trustees, John and Moffit write, “affirms the need for Congress to begin a serious overhaul of both of these vital programs.”

In other news

Federal regulators have approved the merger of the XM and Sirius satellite radio services.

The Supreme Court has said it will consider the federal government’s regulations of profanity and indecency on the airwaves

A Philadelphia government panel has ruled store owner did not illegally discriminate with a sign advising customers to speak English.

Truckers are threatening a strike—against the federal gas taxes that artificially drive up the cost of fuel.

Reuters reports on the latest success from Britain’s nationally-run health care system: “Nearly half of Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) maternity units had to turn away women in labor last year because they were full.”

Detroit’s mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, has been charged with eight criminal offenses in an obstruction-of-justice case.

Coming up at Heritage

To attend these or any other events at Heritage please RSVP at Heritage’s website. Or you can view these events live online. All times are Eastern.

On Thursday, March 27 at noon, author Mickey Edwards explains how conservatives lost their way and how they can get back on track.

On Monday, March 31 at 10:00 at the National Press Club, Heritage’s Stuart Butler joins experts from the Brookings Institution to argue that entitlement programs should be taken off auto-pilot.

Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation. Chris Albright contributed to this report.