Celebrate National School Choice Week!

Some good news from:

Victoria Cobb, President
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
 

This week is National School Choice Week and we're pleased to finally be able to celebrate this week as a state that has school choice! 
 
After the 2012 passage and the 2013 implementation of a school choice bill, tuition scholarship organizations are up and running, donations can be made to these organizations, and scholarships have been distributed to eligible students.  Due to generous donations, low-income students are actualizing their dreams of a quality education and are breaking free from the cycle of poverty.
 
This is an important initiative and as such, it's critical that its opening year be successful.  Would you join in making the goal of school choice a reality in Virginia? 

• Would you be willing to make a tax-credit-eligible donation to one of the many scholarship organizations?
• Maybe your child qualifies as eligible for a tuition scholarship.  Would you partner by signing up your eligible child for scholarship consideration?
• Maybe you are a school and you are able to partner by receiving these students with scholarships.

To take part in any of these opportunities, visit www.vataxcreditscholarship.com for more information.
 
Already the Virginia Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credit is making a difference.  According to the most updated statistics available, more than $1.1 million has been donated to qualifying Virginia scholarship organizations and 275 low-income students have enrolled in 30 different schools using the resulting scholarships averaging $2,456 per scholarship.
 
The program is a win-win for everyone involved - donors receive a tax credit, schools are able to reach students they otherwise would not have been able to reach, and most importantly, students are given an opportunity at receiving a quality education they otherwise could not afford.  If you haven't already done so, visit www.vataxcreditscholarship.com and get involved today.

FRC Submits Brief to Supreme Court in Hobby Lobby, Conestoga Wood Cases

January 29, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Family Research Council (FRC) has submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in the Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood cases opposing U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The cases involve the HHS mandate that requires businesses run by religious owners to pay for abortion-causing drugs, sterilizations and contraception for their employees, regardless of the owners' religious beliefs.

Erik Jaffe wrote the brief on behalf of FRC. Earlier in his career, Jaffe served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He has filed briefs in dozens of cases before the Supreme Court and written law review articles on topics involving the First Amendment and other constitutional issues. He is a current member and past chairman of the Executive Committee of the Free Speech and Election Law Practice Group of the Federalist Society.

In the brief, Jaffe argues:

"Religious exercise is not confined to the home, to church, or to non-profit activities with expressly religious purposes. Rather, it can be present in all aspects of living one's life faithfully, including the commercial aspects of life. The decision of the businesses in this case to adhere to, and affirmatively advance, the religious principles of their owners and themselves in the operation of their businesses reflects long-held religious tenets regarding the interaction between faith and work."

He later added:

"The suggestion that those who elect to honor God through vocation or faithful dealings in all aspects of life rather than through ordained ministry or exclusively charitable activities face less of a burden from identical government commands simply demeans those who would live their religion in all aspects of the world rather than only in some aspects of or apart from the world."

Jaffe examines the Christian concept of vocation and the Jewish Halacha to illustrate this point.

Of the brief, FRC President Tony Perkins said:

"The freedom of religion is the ability to live your life according to the religious teachings of your choice. However, President Obama has repeatedly expressed his support for the freedom of worship, not the freedom of religion. His HHS mandate is a byproduct of his truncated view of religious liberty and the First Amendment.

"It is a long-held American tradition that we respect people's freedom of conscience. We have never forced Americans who stand up for their conscience to choose between paying crippling fines that could shut down their business or dropping the healthcare of all their employees. President Obama's HHS mandate forces individuals and businesses to violate their moral beliefs just to hold a job, own a business, or have health insurance. Mr. President, this is unacceptable," concluded Perkins

To read FRC's brief, click here: http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF14A67.pdf

Rep. Robert Hurt Responds to the President’s State of the Union Address

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) tonight released the following statement after President Obama delivered his State of the Union address:

 

""I appreciate President Obama coming to the United States Capitol to speak to both Congress and the American people about his priorities for our nation.  While I welcome the President's emphasis on economic growth, job creation, and greater opportunity for all Americans in tonight's address, I respectfully disagree with much of his approach for achieving these important goals.  

 

""The President has pursued the same 'government-knows-best' type of policies for five years, and the results speak for themselves.  Far too many Fifth District Virginians and Americans are unemployed, millions more are only working part-time when they wish to work full-time, and the percentage of able-bodied Americans that have given up looking for work is at its highest level in more than 30 years.  We as a nation are facing a debt of over $17 trillion with trillions more in unfunded liabilities.  The health insurance plans of over five million Americans have been canceled due to the President's health care law.

 

""Now the President is calling for a 'year of action' where he will circumvent Congress and act unilaterally to implement more of these types of policies and regulations.  I agree that action is needed; that is why we in the House of Representatives continue to pass legislation that focuses on job creation, economic growth, and reforming government programs to eliminate wasteful spending.  Over the past year, my colleagues in the House and I have put forth dozens of bills aimed at jumpstarting our economy and putting people back to work.

 

""The President missed an opportunity to find common ground where the House, Senate, and Executive can work together to pursue these goals, beginning with any one of the job-creation bills awaiting action in the Senate.  It is my hope that the President will work with us rather than around us to promote policies that will generate greater opportunities for all Americans to succeed."" 

The Criminalization Of Conservatism?

Gary L. Bauer
VISIT AMERICAN VALUES

Is America on the verge of becoming a tyrannical police state? There are many ways in which the state can abuse its power. Among the worst is when law enforcement officials plant evidence to convict innocent people. A more subtle form of tyranny is the selective enforcement of the law in a way that targets political dissent.

Last week conservative author, filmmaker and Obama critic Dinesh D'Souza was indicted for election fraud. The charge is that he convinced people to make political donations and then reimbursed them. That is a violation of the law. He is facing charges that, combined, could send him to jail for seven years.

I know Dinesh D'Souza well -- he worked for me in the Reagan White House. He is an extremely intelligent man and an articulate spokesman for conservatism. I won't defend illegal behavior, but this case seems fishy.

Historically, cases like this have been treated as misdemeanors and handled with fines, at least when the offender was a liberal. Usually it happens in hotly-contested elections where every dollar is critical.

In D'Souza's case, the race was never in doubt. The candidate D'Souza supported had virtually no chance. So why was the FBI targeting this race unless someone decided to go after Dinesh D'Souza?

Gerald Molen, who produced D'Souza's "2016: Obama's America" as well as "Schindler's List," fears the indictment may be political. "I've never had the occasion to think that I had to fear my government," Molen said. "I never had the thought that I had reason to think I had to look over my shoulder until now."

If D'Souza broke the law, he should be held accountable. But given the harassment of conservatives in Hollywood, the treatment of Tea Party groups and Christian ministries and the targeting of James O'Keefe's Project Veritas in New York, it is hard not to question whether justice in America today is indeed still blind.

And add to that list of questionable activities what is beginning to look like a a political purge of top military officers. How is it that the administration did not act when Major Nidal Hasan was engaged in activities that should have set off alarm bells, but somehow it is routinely uncovering the officer who drank too much in Moscow, who used fake poker chips in Iowa or the top general who had an affair?

Virginia Legislators Defend Marriage

Gary L. Bauer
AMERICAN VALUES

The outrageous decision by Virginia's newly-elected Attorney General, Mark Herring, to ignore the will of the people and the commonwealth's constitution by refusing to defend Virginia's marriage amendment has caused a firestorm. We called on legislators in Richmond to respond boldly and they are.

William Howell (R), Speaker of the House of Delegates, blasted Herring's action for "the dangerous precedent it sets with regard to the rule of law." Howell added that Herring had demonstrated "great disregard … for the legislative and democratic processes."

State Senator Richard Black said, "I don't know what the difference between a dictatorship and this is." Something is definitely wrong when 57% of the people can be ignored by a politician who won his office by just 900 votes. Delegate Robert Marshall said, "We appropriate money for people to defend the Constitution, not to attack it. This is a complete dereliction of his duty."

There have been calls for impeachment too, but the votes are not there since Democrats now control the state Senate. Fortunately, several members of the General Assembly are exploring other legal remedies, from defending the law themselves to suing Herring for the misuse of funds.

FRC Responds to Supreme Court Granting Temporary Injunction to Little Sisters of the Poor

January 24, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court issuing a temporary injunction in the case involving the Little Sisters of the Poor against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate.

Of the Supreme Court's action Perkins said:

"We are pleased by the decision of the Supreme Court to protect the Little Sisters of the Poor against the HHS mandate while their case proceeds through the court system. The Little Sisters of the Poor should not be forced to violate their conscience as a condition of continuing their important work with the poor and the elderly. This temporary injunction stops HHS from forcing the Little Sisters of the Poor to violate their religious beliefs, pay massive fines or drop coverage altogether.

"The HHS mandate's safe harbor for religious organizations expired on January 1, and the mandate already applies to businesses run from a faith perspective. These employers must now choose between violating their faith, paying crippling fines of up to $100 per day per employee or dropping healthcare coverage for their employees altogether.

"It is a long-held American tradition that we respect people's freedom of conscience. The HHS mandate threatens charities and non-profit institutions which serve the less fortunate each day. Despite this injunction, the HHS mandate is unfair and should be repealed," concluded Perkins.

FRC: March Madness: Media Bias Snubs Pro-Lifers

Tony Perkins' Washington Update

The media didn't need a sub-zero wind chill to freeze out pro-lifers. Most networks have had a lot of practice perfecting their greatest magic trick: making hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers disappear! If you weren't at yesterday's March for Life and missed the photos from Twitter, you'd probably never know the event took place. As usual, the outlets vied to deliver the least March coverage possible -- with some refusing to acknowledge it at all.

"NBC Nightly News" fared slightly better than CNN and MSNBC (who ignored the March altogether) -- but even its coverage, a whopping 22 seconds' worth, and ABC's (24 seconds) were barely a blip on the media's screen. With the exception of Fox, most networks (the same ones who days covering the Occupy movement) didn't think a few hundred thousand people on the National Mall were worth mentioning. Even the President, who never misses an opportunity to celebrate Roe v. Wade, managed to write an entire statement sidestepping the most important word in his vocabulary -- abortion. "We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to protecting a woman's access to safe, affordable health care and her constitutional right to privacy, including the right to reproductive freedom. And we resolve to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, support maternal and child health, and continue to build safe and healthy communities for all our children. Because this is a country where everyone deserves the same freedom and opportunities to fulfill their dreams." (Everyone, apparently, but the unborn).

While the President might have been shy about using the word "abortion," his party's committee chairman certainly wasn't. Debbie Wasserman Schultz not only embraced the significance of the day, but blasted conservatives for using it to save lives. There "are so many pressing issues facing our country that deserve our attention," she said. "But still, the GOP places blocking women's access to health care at the top of their agenda, insisting we continue to spend... taxpayer dollars, refighting these battles." Of course, she'd rather spend those tax dollars on abortion -- over the objections of the people paying them.

RNC Chair Reince Priebus hit back, calling it "pathetic" that anyone, regardless of their views, would bash Republicans for using the event to highlight the alternatives to abortion -- like adoption. Fox News's Brit Hume took it from there, in an emotional appeal on his "Special Report," taking aim at the Left for using "absurd euphemisms" to describe what they support. "They're not really pro-abortion, they've long said, they're 'pro-choice.' This isn't about killing unborn babies, it's about reproductive health. And the biggest chain of abortion clinics in the country refers to itself as Planned Parenthood. In 2012, this organization says it carried out 'abortion procedures' 329,445 times. Whatever that number represents, it's not parenthood."

Although the March never seems to get the attention it deserves, FRC's ProLifeCon caught the eye of plenty of reporters, including the Washington Post and Slate's David Weigel. Both outlets seemed impressed with the subtle shift in pro-lifers strategy. "Pro-lifers are trading bloody fetus photos for a kindler, gentler message," Weigel wrote. "Will it work?" Judging by the sea of young people at yesterday's March, it already has. As former Senator Rick Santorum pointed out at ProLifeCon, the movement is making a key transition to be more about "love, not judgment." We believe it always has been about love, but we must be ever-mindful of perceptions and tone. And thanks to the influx of young people, Weigel explains, the March for Life "is friendlier and more media-ready than ever." Now, if we could just get the media to take notice.

Virginia Is For Lawlessness?

Gary L. Bauer

Decades ago, Virginia tourism officials adopted the slogan, "Virginia is for lovers." With the newly-elected governor and attorney general seem determined to change the slogan to "Virginia is for lawlessness."

Earlier this week we warned that Attorney General Herring had suggested that he might not defend the popularly enacted state marriage protection amendment. During an interview on National Public Radio this morning, Herring announced his decision:

"As attorney general I cannot and will not defend laws that violate Virginians' rights. That's what I have pledged over and over to do, is to put the law and put Virginians first. … It's about what the law requires here, and we have concluded, I have concluded, that the law here is unconstitutional, and I think the Supreme Court … would find the law unconstitutional."

Incredible. Outrageous. Lawless.

There is no "right" to same-sex marriage anywhere in the laws of Virginia.

Herring is not putting the law or Virginians first. The people of Virginia overwhelmingly voted for the state's marriage amendment. Herring, on the other hand, won his race by just 900 votes out of more than two million cast. Herring is putting his radical left-wing agenda first.

It is not up to Herring to unilaterally decide whether the law is unconstitutional or not. When he was sworn in as attorney general, not as a judge, he took an oath to "support the constitution of the commonwealth of Virginia." Instead, he is ignoring that constitution just as Obama ignores the U.S. Constitution.

Some conservatives and some Christians have argued that our position on same-sex marriage should be a federalist position -- let the people of every state decide. But just as it did with abortion, the left will not permit that.

The radical left is intent on taking the "anything goes" ideology that prevails in New York and San Francisco and imposing it on Middle America. It is using the courts to make law and invalidate the will of the people. The left will force same-sex marriage on every state in the union.

The Virginia General Assembly can trace its roots back to the earliest legislative body in America. The House of Burgesses was in operation in 1619. It hosted leaders, who resisted the lawless tyranny of their day, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Patrick Henry.

But today, Virginia's governor has demanded that Obamacare be expanded or he'll do it by executive decree. Now Virginia's attorney general has decreed that he doesn't care what the law says or what 57% of voters want. Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Henry must be rolling over in their graves.

FRC Cautiously Optimistic on DOD's Instruction on Religious Expression

January 23, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Defense Department's (DOD) new regulations concerning religious expression in the military are an important step forward in the effort to strengthen religious liberty protections in the military, Lt. Gen. (ret.) Jerry Boykin, executive vice-president of the Family Research Council (FRC), said today.

The DOD Instruction requiring protections for service members' expressions of religious belief was issued as part of an update to existing DOD policy on religious accommodation.

Of the new regulations, Boykin said:

"We are cautiously optimistic about this new Instruction. The DOD policy recognizes that the intent of Congress in both the FY 2013 and FY 2014 National Defense Authorization Acts was to protect service members' freedom to practice and express their faith.

"The key thing will be implementation: Does the Pentagon understand that religious liberty is our core freedom and that curtailing its expression in the military is not only unconstitutional but also deeply harmful to morale and unit cohesion?

"In light of that question, we have to ask if commanders at home and abroad will be encouraged to apply the new rules effectively and consistently, such that service personnel will be at liberty to express their most deeply held convictions without fear of reprisal.

"Careful phrasing only goes so far. Unless the new policy is backed by action, it will remain just words on a piece of paper. Family Research Council will be watching closely to see how our military puts the DOD Instruction into practice. During next week's scheduled House Armed Services Committee hearing on religious accommodation, we look forward to hearing from DOD about how the protection of religious expression will be implemented across our military." concluded Boykin.

FRC's comprehensive study of violations of religious liberty in the military, "A Clear and Present Danger: The Threat to Religious Liberty in the Military," can be downloaded at http://frc.org/clearpresentdanger.

Economic Freedom Generates Growth and Prosperity

January 21, 2014

Congressman Robert Hurt

My colleagues in the House and I remain focused on invigorating our stagnant economy, as we have passed numerous measures that seek to improve the environment for private sector job creation. Unfortunately, the President's policies are having the opposite effect as economist Terry Miller outlines in a recent Wall Street Journal piece entitled, “America’s Dwindling Economic Freedom” (Jan. 13, 2014).

Mr. Miller explains the correlation between a country's economic freedom, which gauges a country's fiscal soundness, size and scope of government, and regulatory structure, and that country's economic growth and the wellbeing if its people. While the United States has historically been among the world's most economically free countries, its ranking has fallen in recent years to the point that we are now outside the top ten nations. The consequences of these policy changes are real and problematic, as they lead to fewer jobs, less income mobility, and less growth.

In the article, Mr. Miller analyzes this trend, stating, “It’s not hard to see why the U.S. is losing ground…The Obama Administration continues to shackle entire sectors of the economy with regulation, including health care, finance and energy. This intervention impedes both personal freedom and national prosperity.” Miller goes on to discuss how other countries have adopted policies to expand economic freedom and therefore jobs and prosperity.

In today's global economy, it is critical that we adopt policies to enhance, not degrade, our country's competitiveness so we can continue to be the leading economic force in the world. This requires removing government impediments to job creation, getting our fiscal house in order, and promoting appropriate, commonsense regulatory policies. These principles are exactly what my colleagues in the House and I have been fighting for since day one – policies that encourage our free market system to flourish so that our job creators are not stifled by a heavy-handed government.

As a member of the Financial Services Committee, I have supported policies that enable robust private capital formation so those investments can generate good jobs. This includes a bill that I introduced, the Small Business Capital Access and Job Preservation Act (H.R. 1105), which has passed the House with bipartisan support. Overregulation and government red tape will not move our country toward economic freedom.

I look forward to continuing to work to restore the economic freedom that made the United States the world's most powerful economy so that we may ensure a brighter future for our children and grandchildren.

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.

Rule Of Law Or Rule Of Party?

Gary L. Bauer
Campaign for Working Families

Obama's attack on the rule of law during his five years in office has taught other Democrats how they should govern. The latest example comes from Virginia, where the newly elected Democrat governor, who won by just 56,000 votes in a very close election, is threatening to expand Medicare by executive order if Republicans in state legislature don't bend to his will.

Now the state's newly elected Democrat attorney general, who won his race by just 165 votes out of more than 2.2 million cast, is suggesting that he will not defend the state's marriage amendment. In 2006, 57% of Virginians voted to protect the normal definition of marriage. Clearly the marriage amendment is far more popular than the liberal attorney general, and Republican state legislators are, thankfully, exploring their options to defend the amendment.

But, once again, liberal Democrats think they know better than the people, and those "extreme conservatives" can just be ignored.

It is striking that not one Democrat politician I am aware of has raised a single objection to these extra-constitutional abuses of power. That is not only infuriating, but it represents a real threat to the future of our country.

This is a two party country, and wide swaths of the country will be governed by Democrats. But if one party abandons the rule of law, the alienation of the people and voter cynicism will get much worse and this great experiment in ordered liberty under God will be in greater jeopardy.

The March For Life

Tomorrow thousands of Americans will come to Washington, D.C., to take a stand for the sanctity of human life. America was founded on the principle that everyone is created equal and endowed by our Creator with the inalienable right to life. Yet that promise is tarnished by the reality that more than one million unborn children are destroyed in abortion facilities every year. We are better than that.

We fought a civil war to settle the question of whether some men possessed no rights we were bound to respect. In keeping with our founding principles, we rightly determined that every life has dignity and is worthy of respect.

Roe v. Wade is an injustice based on the same misguided philosophy as Dred Scott -- that some humans are not "people" for the purposes of our Constitution. But I have confidence that this good and decent land will someday once again live up to its image as a "shining city upon a hill," when every child is welcomed into the world and protected under the law.

Meanwhile, GOP politicians who think they can avoid the issue better think again. Democrats have no intention of ignoring values issues. Obama used the so-called "war on women" theme to turn Mitt Romney -- the GOP establishment's model candidate -- into a monster. Virginia Democrats successfully used the same tactic last year against the Republican nominee for governor. By one account, nearly a third of left's ads in Virginia were about abortion and birth control.

Democrats think they have a winning model and they do -- unless our side is willing to fight back and expose their extremism. Can any Democrat running for the Senate next year name one abortion they would oppose? Will they vote to ban abortions based on gender? Will they ban late-term abortions? Will they support commonsense regulations to prevent butchers like Kermit Gosnell?

That's the debate we should be having, and I intend to do everything possible to make sure more GOP candidates have the courage to put Democrats on defense when it comes to the sanctity of life.

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

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Staff members from Congressman Robert Hurt's (R-Virginia) office will hold Local Office Hours in Franklin County on Friday, January 24 to meet with constituents who need assistance with federal agencies. For more information, please visit our Local Office Hours Interactive Map.

 

January 24, 2013

9:00 to 11:00 am

Franklin County

Franklin County Government Center

B-75 Training Room

1255 Franklin Street

Rocky Mount, VA

 

Video Pick of the Day

Tweet of the Day

***Semper Fi*** ‏@stevebricks Jan 13

“@LastGreatStand: pic.twitter.com/hCtEF8FGlp

 

Obamacare Blunders On

Gary L. Bauer

Campaign for Working Families
 

Here are the latest headlines from the ongoing Obamacare blunders.

• The House Science, Space and Technology Committee today heard testimony from cybersecurity experts who warned that Obamacare's website remains vulnerable to hackers. David Kennedy, who testified about the site's weaknesses last year, told members of Congress, "Nothing has really changed since our November 19 testimony. …They did a little bit of work on it and it's still vulnerable today."
  
  
  
  Kevin Mitnick, once the most wanted cyber criminal in America, submitted a letter to the committee in which he wrote, "It's shameful the team that built the Healthcare.gov site implemented minimal, if any, security best practices to mitigate the significant risk of a system compromise."
  
  
  
• Somehow Oregon Democrats managed to do even worse. In fact, Cover Oregon is so bad it has failed to register even one individual. State legislators are suggesting they should pull the plug on the site and direct residents to healthcare.gov. Now that's really bad!
  
  
  
• So what are Democrats doing about Obamacare? Not much. Despite claims that they want to "mend it, not end it," one Senate Democrat admits that fixing Obamacare has never been discussed at their weekly caucus meetings.
  
  
  
  Senate Democrats aren't going to fix Obamacare -- there is no fixing it. But the first step toward getting rid of it is to fix the Senate this year by electing more solid conservatives!

Rep. Robert Hurt Votes to Ensure Transparency in the President’s Healthcare Law

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 3362, the Exchange Information Disclosure Act, which requires the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to produce weekly public reports on the progress and status of Healthcare.gov:

 

"Since its roll out, Healthcare.gov has been laden with glitches, flaws, and cybersecurity risks to the American people.  I was pleased that this legislation passed with bipartisan support, as it will ensure the transparency that should have been in place since day one and will publicly detail the progress of the President's healthcare website. 

 

"Many questions remain, including exactly how many Americans have enrolled in the exchanges and further, how many young Americans are participating.  The failure by the Administration to provide these basic statistics is unacceptable, and it is my hope that the Exchange Information Disclosure Act will rectify this situation immediately. 

 

"I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that all Virginians and Americans are protected from the harmful impacts of the President's healthcare law."

Tony Perkins Commends House Members for Special Order About Roe Anniversary

January 16, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council (FRC), released the following statement after a House of Representatives special order on the marking of 41 years since the infamous ruling of Roe v. Wade and the upcoming March for Life:

"This year we mark the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the infamous U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down abortion laws in all 50 states and erroneously affirmed that a woman has a right to terminate her pregnancy and kill the unborn child at any time, for any reason.

"I am thankful that Members of Congress went down to the House floor last night to mark this anniversary and affirm the continued fight against the inhumane practice of abortion and its harm to women and unborn children. Next week at the annual March for Life we will march to show our continued commitment to fighting to restrict abortion and remembering the over 55 million children who have been lost due to abortion.

"This 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade is a time for us to reflect on how far the pro-life movement has come over the years, with numerous victories on both the state and federal level. These Members who spoke are leading the charge against abortion, and I commend them for their work on this important issue," concluded Perkins.

To watch the special order floor speeches, click here: http://frcblog.com/2014/01/pro-life-speeches-house-representatives/

The following Members of Congress made speeches:

Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.)

Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.)

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.)

Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.)

Rep. Robert Latta (R-Ohio)

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.)

Rep. Michelle Bachman (R-Minn.)

Rep. Bill Huizinga (R-Mich.)

Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.)

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.)

Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.)

Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.)

Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.)

Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.)

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.)

Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas)

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.)

Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-N.C.)

Rep. Dan Benishek (R-Mich.)

Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.)

Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.)

Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.)

On January 22, FRC's will host its annual ProLifeCon, the premier conference for the online pro-life community. For more information about ProLifeCon, visit: http://frc.org/prolifecon

Obama's Three Branches Of Government

Gary L. Bauer
VISIT AMERICAN VALUES

Speaking before reporters yesterday during his first cabinet meeting of the year, President Obama reiterated his intention to exercise his executive authority whenever congressional gridlock gets in the way. "We're not just going to be waiting for legislation in order to make sure that we're providing Americans the kind of help they need," Obama said, adding "I've got a pen and I've got a phone." 

He then listed a number of issues from education to job training that sounded like a full legislative agenda, and he's going to do it all with just his pen and his phone! (Watch him here.)

I can't help but notice that Obama's remarks came just one day after a clear majority of justices on the Supreme Court questioned his authority to decide when the Senate is in session. For more than 200 hundred years, no other president dared to suggest that he knew better than the Senate when the Senate was meeting and when it was not.

Why doesn't Obama just disband Congress and the courts and save taxpayers some money? He is constantly moving the goal posts on Obamacare through executive actions, and he is using EPA regulations to accomplish his climate change agenda.

FRC Praises House Judiciary Committee Passage of 'No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act'

January 15, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today the House Judiciary Committee approved by a 22 to 12 vote H.R. 7, the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act," authored by U.S. Reps. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.). This bipartisan bill would permanently prohibit taxpayer dollars from being used to pay for abortions.

Family Research Council Director for the Center for Human Dignity Arina Grossu responded with the following comments:

"This is a victory for women, their unborn children, and taxpayers who should not be forced by the government to pay for someone else's abortion.

"We applaud the passage of this bi-partisan pro-life legislation to remove abortion funding from Obamacare and apply the long-standing Hyde Amendment across the government. Most Americans, regardless of their view on abortion, oppose government funding for the atrocity of abortion. The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act restores government neutrality on abortion by removing government funding for abortion and yet allows private health insurance to cover abortion.

"We also know that government funding for abortion will increase the number of abortions, a prospect troubling to all but a handful of Americans. With the Obamacare rollout, it has become clear that many health plans being subsidized by the government cover elective abortion. Even more incredible is that Obamacare requires an abortion surcharge, which in most cases is not even revealed to consumers shopping for a health care plan.

"One member at last week's hearing falsely claimed that the Hyde amendment fully prevented government funding of abortion. However, Hyde does not apply to the nation's capital and the provision stopping abortion funding in D.C. was repealed in 2010. As a result, Americans have paid to abort hundreds of unborn children at a total cost of $185,000 in taxpayer funds. Hyde applies to other funding streams, not the District. Although this abortion funding restriction for the District was restored in 2011, these taxpayer-funded abortions demonstrate how the annual funding restrictions on abortion are tenuous. The passage of H.R. 7 would make this abortion-funding restriction permanent along with other government abortion-funding provisions. It's time to permanently remove government funding for abortion," concluded Grossu.

Rep. Robert Hurt Statement on Financial Services Committee Hearing: The Impact of the Volcker Rule on Job Creators, Part I

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement following a House Committee on Financial Services hearing entitled, "The Impact of the Volcker Rule on Job Creators, Part I":

 

"Now that the Volcker Rule is finalized, we are already seeing its detrimental effect on our community banks, not its expressed intended target, and on our capital markets.  Smaller and medium-sized firms seeking to grow their businesses will likely face higher costs of capital, ultimately affecting their ability to hire more employees, because of the regulations behind the Volcker Rule and Dodd-Frank.  These burdensome regulations are sadly emblematic of Washington's current culture of overregulation of our markets and the American people.

 

"After expressing concerns about the Volcker Rule's negative impacts on community banks in Virginia's Fifth District, I was pleased to hear that the regulators released an interim final rule addressing these problems.  Community banks have expressed that the rule's prohibitions would have a significant impact on their communities and customers prior to the fix. 

 

"I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee to bring meaningful reforms to the overregulation by Washington."

·         On January 14, 2014, five federal banking agencies approved an interim final rule to allow banks to invest in certain collateralized debt obligations backed primarily by bank-issued trust preferred securities.

·         Congressman Hurt cosponsored H.R. 3819, the Fairness for Community Job Creators Act, which states that community banks and other financial institutions holding collateralized debt obligations that were issued prior to December 10, 2013 are predominantly backed by trust preferred securities, are not required to divest these investments under the Volcker Rule released last month.  

·         The United States is the only country that has adopted anything close to the Volcker Rule, putting America's financial institutions and capital markets at a competitive disadvantage in our global economy.

 

March For Life

Gary L. Bauer
VISIT AMERICAN VALUES  

The 41st annual March for Life will take place next Wednesday on January 22nd. Hundreds of thousands of Americans will come to Washington, D.C., to demonstrate their commitment to the sanctity of life and to be a voice for the most innocent and voiceless in our society. A lot of hard work goes into making a tremendous event like this possible. Much of it is done by volunteer organizations around the country.

A number of pro-life events will take place in conjunction with the March for Life. I am pleased to report that American Values is co-sponsoring prayer service at Constitution Hall Wednesday morning. Click here for more information and to RSVP.

I hope you'll make every effort to attend the March for Life and the prayer service, especially if you live within driving distance of Washington, D.C. Of course, most folks can't come to Washington, but many churches will observe Sanctity of Life Sunday this weekend. I encourage you to find out what is going on in your community and to be involved in the "good fight" for the right to life!

Staff Members from Robert Hurt's Office to Hold Local Office Hours in Buckingham and Campbell Counties

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Staff members from Congressman Robert Hurt's (R-Virginia) office will hold Local Office Hours in Buckingham County on Thursday, January 16 and Campbell County on Friday, January 17 to meet with constituents who need assistance with federal agencies. For more information, please visit our Local Office Hours Interactive Map.

 

Thursday, January 16

9:00 to 11:00 am

Buckingham County

Buckingham County Administration Building

Conference Room

13360 W. James Anderson Highway

Buckingham, VA

 

Friday, January 17

9:00 to 11:00 am

Campbell County

Campbell County Public Library, Rustburg Branch

Program Room

684 Village Highway

Rustburg, VA

 

Christie In The Crosshairs

Gary L. Bauer
VISIT AMERICAN VALUES

Finally! The media have woken up and are focusing on scandals. What took them so long?

If you think I'm referring to the IRS scandal, sorry. That's not it. Is Benghazi on the front page of the New York Times? No. In fact, as we have reported, the New York Times has devoted its resources to aiding the Benghazi cover-up. Fast and Furious? Nope. Are the extra-constitutional actions by the president getting attention? Not that either.

No, it is the traffic scandal currently threatening to engulf New Jersey Governor Chris Christie that has big media celebrating. The media smell the first, faint scents of a possible conservative scandal so, of course, it's on the front page of the Washington Post and leading major news sites. Welcome to "Bridgegate."

Here's a brief summary of the situation: Starting on Monday, September 9th, the first day of school, a top official at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey closed several lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge, the world's busiest bridge, for a "traffic study." This went on for several days, creating horrendous traffic jams in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

Incensed area commuters, local media and politicians immediately began to ask who ordered the study and why? It quickly became apparent that something wasn't right.

By December, a long-time Christie friend at the Port Authority was forced to resign. Now emails have emerged indicating that top Christie officials intentionally created the huge traffic jams to politically hurt the mayor of Fort Lee who refused to endorse Christie's reelection.


The Media's Double Standard

Liberals hope "Bridgegate" will be the end of the Christie for President boomlet. He was already battling the perception of being a political bully. This story only reinforces it.

Ted Kennedy can drive a woman off a bridge and go on to serve decades in the Senate and be hailed as a courageous leader. But if a conservative shuts down a bridge, the left is ready to breakout the pitchforks.

Having said that, this was a really stupid mistake. Gov. Christie's reelection was never in doubt. Polling showed he was up as many as 30 points. He won by 22. Why be so petty and vindictive? The only thing worse than a sore loser is a sore winner.

Christie's operatives wanted to punish the mayor. But to get at the mayor, they went after hard-working New Jersey commuters. Emails show Christie's staffers were callously dismissive about the fact that many children were late for school. After all, their parents may have voted the wrong way.

Every American has experienced the frustration of traffic gridlock. The idea that any politician would intentionally cause major traffic jams is beyond arrogance.

"Bridgegate" puts a major chink in Christie's armor, making him look like just another big city machine politician. Some have suggested that this is just a minor issue that will blow over quickly. Maybe. But there is now talk of criminal charges. A federal attorney is now investigating.

There were emergencies when these roads were intentionally tied up, and emergency response times doubled as a result of the traffic delays. In one case, an elderly woman lay unconscious waiting for help and later died.

Don't think the left won't blame Christie for her death? Think again! Remember the ad that ran blaming Mitt Romney for a woman's cancer death? The left will use this incident to make it look like Chris Christie was standing in the road, blocking the ambulance himself!


Christie Responds

Governor Christie held a two-hour press conference this morning and profusely apologized to the people of Fort Lee. He admitted he was blindsided by the revelations in the emails from his top staff members. Christie announced that he fired a senior aide for lying to him. He blasted the incident as "stupid" and "deceitful," denied any knowledge of it and took responsibility for falling short of the people's expectations.

Christie also announced that he asked Bill Stepien, one of his closet political advisors, to withdraw his nomination to lead the New Jersey Republican Party as well as his consultancy at the Republican Governors Association, which Christie leads. Later today, the governor will go to Fort Lee to personally apologize to Mayor Mark Sokolich and to the people of that community.

This strong performance may be his best defense. But the liberal killing machine couldn't care less how he handles it. As Christie said today, "Politics ain't bean bag."


Obama vs. Christie

Think about this, friends. Christie is being pummeled today because his aides punished New Jersey commuters in retaliation for a mayor not doing what they wanted. Is that really very different from Barack Obama punishing veterans and tourists during the government shutdown because congressional conservatives wouldn't do what he wanted? There is little doubt that the open air memorials and national parks were closed in the hopes that outraged visitors would blame conservatives in Congress.

And at least Christie is acting like a chief executive by firing the people responsible. Has anyone at the IRS been fired yet? Has anyone at the State Department been fired for Benghazi? Has anyone at the Justice Department been held responsible for Fast and Furious? The answer would be no, no and no.

FRC Endorses State Marriage Defense Act

January 09, 2014

Legislation Addresses Administrative Chaos In Determining Marital Status

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Family Research Council (FRC) today praised U.S. Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) for introducing the "State Marriage Defense Act of 2014," and urged members of the House of Representatives to support it.

The State Marriage Defense Act is a response to the Supreme Court's 2013 decision in United States v. Windsor. The Court struck down as unconstitutional Section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage for all purposes under federal law as the union of one man and one woman. The plaintiff in Windsor had entered into a marriage with a person of the same sex that was recognized as legal by the state in which she lived, so the Court said that the federal government should also recognize the relationship as a marriage.

However, the Court was silent on the status of same-sex couples who may have obtained a civil marriage in one state, but who live in a state that recognizes only marriages of a man and a woman. The Obama administration has implemented guidance for some federal agencies that ignores the marriage laws of states that define marriage between a man and a woman. At the same time, other federal agencies defer to the laws of a person's state of legal residency to determine marital status for federal purposes. The State Marriage Defense Act would address this administrative chaos with a simple rule that tells the federal government to respect state determinations of the marital status of their residents when applying federal law.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins issued the following statement:

"In recent months, we have witnessed the growing serious consequences of redefining marriage. We've seen wedding florists, bakers, photographers who have been hauled into court, fined and even ordered to violate their religious beliefs by participating in same-sex weddings. And last month, a federal judge cited same-sex marriage in his decision striking down Utah's law against polygamy. Another consequence has been the Obama administration's chaotic actions through federal agencies that demonstrate total disregard for the 33 states that have not redefined marriage.

"Family Research Council strongly supported the Defense of Marriage Act, and disagreed with the Court's decision in Windsor. However, if the federal government is required to defer to state determinations of which of their residents are 'married,' it must defer to those determinations in all fifty states - not just those that have redefined marriage.

"The State Marriage Defense Act is consistent with the ruling in Windsor, which reiterated that states have the 'historic and essential authority to define the marital relation.' The current Obama administration policy is doing the very thing which the Court condemned - 'creating two contradictory marriage regimes within the same State.'

"The State Marriage Defense Act serves to protect state definitions of marriage against what the Court called efforts 'to put a thumb on the scales and influence a state's decision as to how to shape its own marriage laws,'" concluded Perkins.

U.S. Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) will join Family Research Council President Tony Perkins today on his daily radio show, Washington Watch, at 5:20 p.m. Eastern. Listen online at tonyperkins.com.