Saturday, May 31, 2014

FRC Responds to Reports Meriam Ibrahim May Be Released from Sudan's Death Row


May 31, 2014

Tony Perkins Renews Call for Obama administration to Immediately Grant Safe Haven in U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Family Research Council President (FRC) Tony Perkins responded today to reports that the Sudan government may release Meriam Ibrahim from death row within the next "few days." She is a Sudanese Christian who was sentenced to death for the "crime" of converting from Islam.

Meriam languishes in a notoriously rank Sudanese prison with her 20-month-old son and her newborn daughter. Nearly 30,000 people have signed a WhiteHouse.gov petition asking President Obama to grant her expedited save haven in the United States.

FRC President Tony Perkins made the following comments:

"We are encouraged by reports that Meriam and her two small children may be released from a prison that is notorious for torture and its high infant mortality rate. Nearly 30,000 Americans have signed a WhiteHouse.gov petition in the last three days asking that the administration immediately extend safe haven to Meriam and her two children who are eligible for U.S. citizenship. We remain deeply concerned about Meriam's safety in Sudan, especially if she is released back into Sudanese society.

"Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ) that he wasn't sure he knew about her case but promised to look into the possibility of granting safe haven in the United States. Since then, he has said nothing more publicly.

"The Obama administration should grant immediate refugee status to Meriam and her children so that they will have the option of finding safe haven in the United States. Family Research Council joins thousands of Americans in demanding President Obama offer a safe haven to this suffering American family," concluded Perkins.



Congressman Robert Hurt's Statement on Secretary Eric Shinseki’s Resignation


Friday, May 30, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) today released the following statement in response to the resignation of Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Eric Shinseki:

 

"I thank Secretary Shinseki for his service to our country and his willingness to accept responsibility for the failures that have occurred during his tenure as Secretary of the VA.  As we move forward, we must recognize that one man alone is not responsible for the broken system of veterans health care – the VA must be meaningfully and structurally reformed to ensure that our veterans receive the level of care they so genuinely deserve.  Our nation's veterans have made countless sacrifices in the name of our liberty, and it is of the utmost importance that we continue to promote greater accountability within the VA to restore our commitment to those who serve."

 

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

First Health Care, Now The Weather


Gary L. Bauer
VISIT AMERICAN VALUES

Having seized control of the nation's healthcare industries, the left is now aiming for the rest of the economy under the guise of fighting climate change. Today the government unveiled its "National Climate Assessment." The report is an action plan to combat global warming.

The "National Climate Assessment" warns of impending doom unless big government steps in to save us from ourselves. According to the White House, "The findings … underscore the need for urgent action to combat the threats from climate change, protect American citizens and communities today…"

We are getting this dire call to arms just as we have experienced below average hurricane seasons for the past three years and late starts to the tornado seasons. We've just had the coldest winter on record. In most of the country, folks would have paid good money for a little "global warming."

Government bureaucrats couldn't make the Obamacare website work. But we're supposed to believe they can control the weather?

Several years ago, Professor Walter Williams published a great column about the wild predictions of environmentalists. Consider these excerpts:

"In 1968, Professor Paul Ehrlich … predicted there would be a major food shortage in the U.S. and 'in the 1970s ... hundreds of millions of people are going to starve to death.' … Ehrlich's predictions about England were gloomier: 'If I were a gambler, I would take even money that England will not exist in the year 2000.'

"Here are my questions: In 1970, when environmentalists were making predictions of manmade global cooling and the threat of an ice age and millions of Americans starving to death, what kind of government policy should we have undertaken to prevent such a calamity? When Ehrlich predicted that England would not exist in the year 2000, what steps should the British Parliament have taken in 1970 to prevent such a dire outcome?"


The left's environmental alarmism borders on the "big lie." The extremists have been so wrong, for so long, yet they keep coming back to it. But one thing hasn't changed -- their solution is always the same: bigger government, higher taxes and less freedom. The environmentalist movement is riddled with socialists and some proudly admit it.

Congressman Robert Hurt's Statement on China’s Lift of Virginia Poultry Products Ban

Tuesday, May 6, 2014


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement regarding China's recent action to end its ban on the importation of Virginia poultry and poultry products:

 

"I am pleased by the news that China will once again accept Virginia poultry exports, as my Virginia colleagues and I have long worked to resolve this impasse.  Agriculture represents the largest sector of the Commonwealth's economy in large part due to international demand for the high quality products our growers and producers can export.  It is vitally important that we foster good trade relationships so our farmers have access to foreign markets, generating more economic activity and jobs in the Fifth District.  I look forward to continuing our work to advance our agriculture industry and help Virginia's family farmers succeed within the global market."

 

Congressman Randy Forbes: Court’s Decision in Galloway a victory for prayer


Washington, D.C. - Today, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld our Nation's longstanding tradition of legislative prayer case of Town of Greece v. Galloway.  The town of Greece, New York, has a policy allowing anyone who wishes to offer a prayer before their meetings to request to do so. Despite the town's highly inclusive prayer policy, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit departed from Supreme Court precedent and declared the prayer practice unconstitutional. The Court has overturned the decision of the Second Circuit.

Congressman J. Randy Forbes issued the following statement:

The Court's decision in Town of Greece v. Galloway is a victory for the practice of legislative prayer.  The Court not only reinforced in detail the deep historical significance of legislative prayer in our Nation, but also affirmed how a practice of legislative prayer that is open to all religious creeds acknowledges and celebrates our diversity.  One need not agree with every theological implication of a proffered prayer to unite behind the symbolic importance of a ceremonial prayer.  Today's decision affirms our tradition of prayer for generations to come."

In an opinion authored by Justice Kennedy, the Court highlighted our Nation's long tradition of legislative prayer, stating, "That the First Congress provided for the appointment of chaplains only days after approving language for the First Amendment demonstrates that the Framers considered legislative prayer a benign acknowledgment of religion's role in society. . . . As a practice that has long endured, legislative prayer has become part of our heritage and tradition, part of our expressive idiom, similar to the Pledge of Allegiance, inaugural prayer, or the recitation of "God save the United States and this honorable Court" at the opening of this Court's sessions."

The Court's decision also addresses the way in which prayer unites us as a people: "These ceremonial prayers strive for the idea that people of many faiths may be united in a community of tolerance and devotion. Even those who disagree as to religious doctrine may find common ground in the desire to show respect for the divine in all aspects of their lives and being. Our tradition assumes that adult citizens, firm in their own beliefs, can tolerate and perhaps appreciate a ceremonial prayer delivered by a person of a different faith."

Congressman Forbes, along with Congressman Steve Scalise, led eighty-five Members of Congress in an amicus curiae brief in support of the town's legislative prayer practice. Congressman Forbes is the Founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, a bipartisan group of 100 Members of Congress who are committed to defending America's heritage of religious freedom.


Congressman Robert Hurt's Round-Up: Working to Put Forth Pro-Growth Policies That Will Stimulate Our Fragile Economy


May 6, 2014

Since being elected to Congress, my top priority has always been adopting policies that will lead to the creation of private sector jobs for the hardworking individuals and families of Virginia's Fifth District. With the unemployment rate in many Central and Southside Virginia localities still exceeding the national rate, government-created obstacles to economic growth are unacceptable. My colleagues in the House and I have passed numerous pieces of legislation as a part of our agenda to improve the environment for job creation; however, our bills remain stuck in the U.S. Senate, awaiting action.

While I am encouraged that Friday's monthly jobs report found that our economy added jobs last month, we also saw a number of discouraging economic indicators last week. The jobs report shows that over 800,000 people dropped out of our labor force in April, reducing the labor force participation rate to a 35-year low of 62.8%. We learned that our GDP grew by a sluggish 0.1% in the first quarter of 2014, and a new study came out finding that China is poised to overtake the United States as the world's largest economy, a position the U.S. has held since 1872.

The bottom line is that our rate of recovery from the economic downturn is well below where it should be, and Fifth District families are suffering as a consequence of our lackluster economy. As I travel across the Fifth District, I hear from family farmers, community bankers, and business leaders that the excessive government red tape and overregulation coming out of Washington are hurting them and stifling their ability to grow. We need to free our Main Street businesses from the burdens of unnecessary government regulations so they can succeed and generate the jobs we need to uplift our struggling economy. We need pro-growth policies that entrust our private sector businesses to be the drivers of our economy, and not the federal government. This continues to be our priority in the House, but in order to see the action we so desperately need, the Senate and the Administration must also work with us. We in the House have sent 238 pro-growth bills, including two bills that I authored, to the Senate that would help kick-start our economy, but the Senate must act in order to turn our economic fate around.

I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in this effort so that we may pave the way for our small businesses and family farms to create much-needed jobs and stimulate economic growth.

If you need any additional information, please visit my website at hurt.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-4711, Charlottesville office: (434) 973-9631, Danville office: (434) 791-2596, or Farmville office: (434) 395-0120.


Congressman Forbes Joins Chairman Goodlatte in Announcing Markup of Bipartisan Bill to Ban Bulk Collection


Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) today announced that on Wednesday, May 7 at 1:00 p.m., the House Judiciary Committee will markup the USA FREEDOM Act (H.R. 3361), legislation introduced by Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.) to reform our nation's intelligence-gathering programs operated under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). 

At the markup, an amendment in the nature of a substitute will be offered by Crime Subcommittee Chairman Sensenbrenner on behalf of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.), Crime Subcommittee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), and Congressman Randy Forbes (R-Va.). This bipartisan substitute amendment protects Americans' civil liberties while maintaining a workable framework for intelligence officials to keep us safe from foreign enemies who wish us harm.  Among its many provisions, the substitute amendment prohibits bulk collection under Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act (Section 501 of FISA), prohibits bulk collection under the FISA Pen Register/Trap and Trace statute (Section 402 of FISA) and National Security Letter statutes, authorizes the government to acquire telephone records stored by telephone providers but only with prior approval from the FISA Court on a case-by-case basis, increases privacy protections at the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), and clarifies privacy protections for Americans under Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking Member Conyers, Crime Subcommittee Chairman Sensenbrenner, Crime Subcommittee Ranking Member Scott, Congressman Nadler, and Congressman Forbes issued the statement below in anticipation of Wednesday's markup.                    

"As the Committee of primary jurisdiction, we have conducted robust oversight of the intelligence-gathering programs operated under FISA and have come to the conclusion that these programs are in need of reform to protect our privacy, including prohibiting bulk collection under Section 215.  Over the past several months, we have worked together across party lines and with the Administration and have reached a bipartisan solution that includes real protections for Americans' civil liberties, robust oversight, and additional transparency, while preserving our ability to protect America's national security.  We look forward to taking up this legislation on Wednesday and continuing to work with House leaders to reform these programs."

Background: Over the past year, the House Judiciary Committee has conducted aggressive oversight of our nation's intelligence-gathering programs operated under FISA.  In July 2013, the Committee held a public hearing to examine the statutory authorities that govern certain surveillance programs operated under FISA, in which the Committee heard from officials from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the National Security Agency (NSA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and from civil liberties groups. In September 2013, the Committee also held a classified hearing where members of the House Judiciary Committee were afforded the opportunity to further probe government officials from the DOJ, the ODNI, the NSA, and the FBI about our nation's surveillance programs. And in February 2014, the Committee held a comprehensive hearing to examine the various recommendations to reform or end these programs made by President Obama, the President's Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies, and the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Staff Members from Robert Hurt's Office to Hold Local Office Hours in Mecklenburg County

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Staff members from Congressman Robert Hurt's (R-Virginia) office will hold Local Office Hours in Mecklenburg County on Friday, May 9 to meet with constituents who need assistance with federal agencies. For more information, please visit our Local Office Hours Interactive Map.

 

Friday, May 9, 2014

 

9:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Local Office Hours in Mecklenburg

Mecklenburg Administration Building

Conference Room

350 Washington St.

Boydton, VA 


Left-wing Elite Plots In Chicago


Gary L. Bauer
Campaign for Working Families

Uber-wealthy elites of the American political left met in Chicago last week to discuss ways to solidify their control over the political process. Their most immediate concern is maintaining control of the Senate, but there was a special emphasis on expanding the left's influence at the state and local level.

To be a "partner" in this so-called "Democracy Alliance," you are required to contribute at least $200,000 to the groups they identify. But here's what jumped out at me in some of the coverage of this event: Attending last week's left-wing soiree were Valerie Jarrett from the White House, Richard Trumpka of the AFL-CIO and Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood.

There, my friends, is the modern leftist movement in all its glory -- big government, big unions and big abortion.



Working to Put Forth Pro-Growth Policies That Will Stimulate Our Fragile Economy


Congressman Robert Hurt

 Weekly Column 5/05/14

 

Since being elected to Congress, my top priority has always been adopting policies that will lead to the creation of private sector jobs for the hardworking individuals and families of Virginia’s Fifth District.  With the unemployment rate in many Central and Southside Virginia localities still exceeding the national rate, government-created obstacles to economic growth are unacceptable.   My colleagues in the House and I have passed numerous pieces of legislation as a part of our agenda to improve the environment for job creation; however, our bills remain stuck in the U.S. Senate, awaiting action.  

 

While I am encouraged that Friday’s monthly jobs report found that our economy added jobs last month, we also saw a number of discouraging economic indicators last week.  The jobs report shows that over 800,000 people dropped out of our labor force in April, reducing the labor force participation rate to a 35-year low of 62.8%.  We learned that our GDP grew by a sluggish 0.1% in the first quarter of 2014, and a new study came out finding that China is poised to overtake the United States as the world’s largest economy, a position the U.S. has held since 1872.  

 

The bottom line is that our rate of recovery from the economic downturn is well below where it should be, and Fifth District families are suffering as a consequence of our lackluster economy.  As I travel across the Fifth District, I hear from family farmers, community bankers, and business leaders that the excessive government red tape and overregulation coming out of Washington are hurting them and stifling their ability to grow.  We need to free our Main Street businesses from the burdens of unnecessary government regulations so they can succeed and generate the jobs we need to uplift our struggling economy.  We need pro-growth policies that entrust our private sector businesses to be the drivers of our economy, and not the federal government.  This continues to be our priority in the House, but in order to see the action we so desperately need, the Senate and the Administration must also work with us.  We in the House have sent 238 pro-growth bills, including two bills that I authored, to the Senate that would help kick-start our economy, but the Senate must act in order to turn our economic fate around. 

 

I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in this effort so that we may pave the way for our small businesses and family farms to create much-needed jobs and stimulate economic growth. 

 

If you need any additional information, please visit my website at hurt.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-4711, Charlottesville office: (434) 973-9631, Danville office: (434) 791-2596, or Farmville office: (434) 395-0120.


U.S. Supreme Court Prayer Ruling Momentous Victory for Religious Liberty


May 5, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Family Research Council (FRC) applauded the U.S. Supreme Court for its decision today in Town of Greece v. Galloway upholding the constitutionality of legislative prayer and affirming the long-held right of Americans to pray in the public square. Family Research Council submitted an amicus brief on behalf of 49 Members of Congress supporting Alliance Defending Freedom's petition in this case.

"The court today has upheld our first and most fundamental freedom," said FRC President Tony Perkins. "The court has rejected the idea that as citizens we must check our faith at the entrance to the public square. We applaud the majority on the court for getting that right. This is an historic victory for all Americans of faith and for the common-sense reading of the Constitution itself. The Court's affirmation of the right of Americans to practice their faith in public life and the public square is a major win for the religious liberty we have always cherished.

"If the lower court ruling were correct, then Congress would have been violating the Constitution for more than two centuries. The Supreme Court majority recognized the absurdity of a ruling that would have even found the Constitution's authors in violation of their own document. This welcome decision is very helpful in putting the brakes on the efforts of militant secularists to rid the public square of any religious expression," concluded Perkins.

Travis Weber, FRC's director for the Center for Religious Liberty, added the following comments:

"It is heartening to see the Supreme Court affirm the principle that religious exercise must not be removed from one's life just because one is acting in public view by reciting a prayer for a government body. Religious expression is part of what makes us human, and to force people to suppress that element of their lives just because they are in the public eye would be very wrong. We are glad to see the Supreme Court decide this case in a way that protects religious liberty for all," concluded Weber.

To read the House Member's amicus brief in Town of Greece v. Galloway, and to see a list of the Members who signed it, click here: http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF13A26.pdf


Congressman Robert Hurt's Statement Following Tour of New Foreign Affairs Security Training Center at Fort Pickett


Monday, May 5, 2014


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) today toured the future site of the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) at Fort Pickett with Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia).  On April 17th, the State Department announced that Fort Pickett, Virginia will be the location for the new FASTC to train U.S. diplomatic and government personnel assigned to high-threat posts around the world.  After an extensive search for the best site, the State Department determined that Fort Pickett is the top location to meet the needs of this new facility, which will utilize the close proximity to the its Foreign Service Institute and intelligence agencies in Washington, D.C.

 

Following today's tour, Congressman Hurt said, "I was impressed with the facilities we saw today at Fort Pickett.  The resources available at Fort Pickett will undoubtedly provide an ideal locale for the new Foreign Affairs Security Training Center, and I am pleased the Administration has decided to move forward with these plans, which will potentially lead to new jobs and new economic activity in Southside Virginia.  I appreciate Senator Kaine's and Congressman Forbes' leadership on this issue, and I look forward to continuing to work with them as the training center progresses."


Senator Kaine added, "I appreciate our State Department, General Services Administration and Virginia Guard colleagues for helping with this project.  Today was a great opportunity to get a feel for what the State Department's operation will be. Though we need to work through some budgetary issues, I was able to get a strong sense of what needs to be done and why Fort Pickett is the ideal location to provide the training that our embassy personnel and their families deserve."

 

Saturday, May 3, 2014

CA Notice: May 20th- Al Aitken to speak at Madison

Al Aitken, past Culpeper County Republican Committee Chairman, will be the Guest Speaker at the May 20th meeting of the Madison County Republican Women. The topic is “Between Church and State.” The meeting will be held 6:30-8:30 PM, at the Madison Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 1236 Fishback Road, Rt. 722, at the north traffic light.

Everyone is invited to attend this informative meeting. The evening's menu features ham, sides and desserts. Dinner: $8.