We are just over 3 weeks away from the biennial National Review Institute IDEAS SUMMIT in Washington, DC. It’s a Summit so big we only do it once every two years. Some like to attend CPAC. I like to say, this is the more intellectual version of CPAC (No offense, CPAC). The conversation is just a little higher level and so are the speakers. We also don’t have “speakers” come and pontificate from the podium. We have conversation-style presentations, where writers from National Review are paired with some of the top political leaders, as well as panels comprised of a mix of conservative journalists and politicos. In the spirit of our founder, William F. Buckley, Jr., we hold civil, respectful, yet honest and forthright conversations to advance conservative ideas.
Here’s 10 reasons why you should register and join us this March 28-29 in Washington, DC:
1. James Buckley, the older brother of William F. Buckley, Jr. will be speaking at the Ideas Summit. At 96 years old, he is still an intellectual heavyweight with a resume that includes being a U.S. Senator, a former Reagan administration ambassador, and a federal judge. There are few opportunities to see him in public and you’ll get this chance at the NRI Ideas Summit.
2. Dan Crenshaw is on the agenda. Check out this profile piece in Politico that ran on him just this past weekend. He’s a former Navy Seal who came to the public spotlight when SNL mocked his eye patch during his Congressional run. But Dan handled it with grace and was invited on SNL for this skit that won him fans all over the American political spectrum.
3. The guy that wrote that Politico piece on Congressman Crenshaw? John McCormack, who will be at the Summit too — and in a few days I will tell you why. John spent many years with The Weekly Standard and has also previously worked at National Review (hint, hint). He makes frequent appearances on Fox News, where his political analysis is sought. We are excited to see him … at the Ideas Summit. You can pick his brain for all things going on in Washington DC.
4. NRI Fellow Reihan Salam will be in conversation with U.S. Senator Marco Rubio. As you might know, Reihan was just selected to be the new President of the Manhattan Institute. His new book, Melting Pot or Civil War? dives deep into the immigration issues, which will dominate his discussion with Senator Rubio – who is now the Senior Senator from my home state of Florida!
5. In addition to Reihan, all of your favorite National Review writers and editors are on the agenda: Rich Lowry, Charles Cooke, Andrew McCarthy, Jay Nordlinger, Jonah Goldberg, David French, John O’Sullivan, Kathryn Lopez, Luke Thompson, Ramesh Ponnuru, and Matthew Continetti, among others, such as…
6. Kevin Williamson, who last year left National Review for a new gig at The Atlantic. But their readers and staff were not open-minded enough for a conservative, so he’s back at National Review and that means also at the NRI Ideas Summit – his first summit since the national outcry against him writing for The Atlantic. Should be fun to hear his thoughts!
7. Tammy Bruce, President of the Independent Women’s Forum is on the agenda. We love strong, independent women. One article posted on the IWF website describes her as “a gun-owning lesbian and former NOW chapter president turned conservative radio host.” You won’t want to miss a word she has to say.
8. Speaking of strong, independent women. We will hear from Brooke Rollins, who serves as a Policy Advisor to President Trump. She was the former President of the Texas Public Policy Foundation and has led the White House’s efforts towards criminal justice reform and other great conservative policies advanced during the Trump administration. Also, inside baseball: her uncle was James Burnham, one of the original editors of National Review in its earliest days.
9. How excited are you for the reshaping of the U.S. Supreme Court and the federal judiciary? You can come thank Leonard Leo in person, who is on the agenda to give us his thoughts. According to the L.A. Times, “he is one of the most important inside players in the conservative legal movement.” I have never agreed more with the L.A. Times.
10. And since I mentioned the Supreme Court, I should also mention we will be recognizing Mark Janus with the Whittaker Chambers Award for his courageous and successful battle against public employee unions in the landmark case he won at the Supreme Court, Janus vs. ACSME. This dinner is also included with the Summit! Come rub shoulders with Mark and all those who helped propel him to victory – including John Tillman, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute, who will be introducing Mark.
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You can’t say we haven’t assembled an all-star lineup for the NRI 2019 Ideas Summit. But in the coming days, we have a few really huge announcements to make. Let’s just say, you will want to get your tickets now. Or, maybe you even want to be a sponsor? This is a pivotal time for the conservative movement and for the country. Come hear some of the best ideas being offered to pave the way for our path ahead. And you can do it with a wide variety of NRI friends and supporters from around the country.
See you in Washington!