Family Research Council Endorses Free Speech Fairness Act

September 28, 2016

WASHINGTON, DC - -- This afternoon at a Capitol Hill news conference, Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins endorsed the newly introduced Free Speech Fairness Act (HR 6195) sponsored by House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and U.S. Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.).

The Free Speech Fairness Act would address the shortcomings of the Johnson Amendment which in 1954 was inserted into the tax code by Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson, (D-Texas) without floor or Committee debate. The Johnson amendment prohibits churches and non-profits from engaging in any activity that might be interpreted as participating in, or intervening in a campaign on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate for public office, including a simple oral or written statement. The legislation reflects the newly adopted Republican Party platform language which criticizes the Johnson Amendment for restricting the "First Amendment freedoms of all nonprofit organizations by prohibiting political speech."

On Sunday October 2nd, pastors across the country will participate in "Pulpit Freedom Sunday," a day in which pastors declare to their congregations that what they say behind the pulpit should be accountable to God alone, not the IRS. Pulpit Freedom Sunday events over the past years have involved thousands of pastors speaking on political matters, and the goal was to elicit a court challenge. The IRS has not directly responded to these sermons, which means restoring these free speech rights requires a legislative rather than a legal strategy.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins made the following comments endorsing the measure:

"Since the birth of our nation, pastors and churches have been at the forefront of shaping public debate and our choice of public servants. What would America look like today had the Rev. Lyman Beecher, a leading abolitionist, or the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. been muzzled by the IRS?

"Dr. King once wrote, 'The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool.' The church should not have to gain its authority or approval to speak from the government because doing so reduces it to a servant of the state.

"From the IRS's abuse of power in recent years to the subpoenas of sermons in Houston, it's clearly time to rein in government intimidation of free speech. Pastors should be held to accountable to God alone for what they say behind the pulpit, not the IRS.

"Family Research Council endorses the Free Speech Fairness Act and urges Congress to move forward with eliminating these IRS rules that infringe on the free speech rights of churches and non-profit organizations," concluded Perkins.

Go to http://watchmenpastors.org/pulpit/ for more information on "Pulpit Freedom Sunday."

Family Research Council Statement on ACC Championship Re-Locating to Orlando

September 27, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) announced it will move the ACC championship football game to Orlando, Florida. The game was originally scheduled to be hosted in Charlotte, North Carolina, but the ACC moved the game out of Charlotte in protest over passage of North Carolina's House Bill 2. The law says that while businesses can do what they want, the government cannot punish businesses for having showers, locker rooms, and bathrooms designated for men only and women only.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement:

"The ACC is placing the Obama political agenda above the hard working people and businesses of Charlotte. While siding with Hollywood and a handful of entertainers, the ACC is ignoring the privacy and safety concerns of parents and children.

"I commend North Carolina Governor McCrory for his courage and moral clarity in not caving in to the ACC's threats to move the championship game. After weathering the storm -- and picking up millions of allies -- North Carolina isn't about to flinch just because sports leagues like the ACC and the NCAA are beholden to the Left's cultural bullies.

"What could be more inclusive than letting businesses and private organizations set their own policies on bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms? That's what H.B. 2 does: respects the opinions of everyone, instead of using the government to punish non-conformers.

"The American people are tired of political correctness and political agendas being placed above everything else. It's time the ACC and its leaders, like Georgia Tech President Bud Peterson, get back to focusing on sports, not redefining what it means to be male or female," concluded Perkins.

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

If you cannot watch, tape it for future viewing..and let your friends and family know too!

EWTN has an hour program on a figure who has had a great influence on some of our politicians today (Pres. Obama and Hilary Clinton, for example).  This is a look at the life and works of 1960's community activist Saul Alinsky, with a Catholic perspective.  It is being rerun on Sat., Sept 24th at 6 pm.  It should be very worthwhile to watch!

FRC's Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin Commends VA for Upholding the Inclusion of the Bible in 'Missing Man' Table Display

September 22, 2016

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Department of Veterans Affairs recently released a memorandum updating its policy guidance on religious expression and display of religious items. The policy guidance states that the VA "must remain neutral" regarding the "use of any religious or secular items in the display" offered by outside groups and individuals.The memorandum was released following a string of incidents in which Bibles had been removed from POW/MIA displays.

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin, former U.S. Army Delta Force commander and current Family Research Council executive vice president, made the following comments:

"I am grateful that the VA finally made the right decision to allow religious items -- including the Bible -- in displays that honor the sacrifice of those who have suffered through captivity in wartime as well as those who have never been recovered and returned and are still missing as a result of combat while serving in the U.S. military.

"The VA rightly concluded that honoring our service members through table displays that include religious items does not violate the U.S. Constitution or any other law.

"This guidance is long overdue because, unfortunately, various VA officials have been misled by militant secularist groups that have shown contempt for this display tradition and disregarded the families of the MIAs and the POWs themselves.

"While we are encouraged that the VA has finally done the right thing, it should not require tens of thousands of petitions to pressure the VA to come down on the side of the very freedoms that our service members are fighting to defend," conclude Boykin.

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

 

Monday, September 19, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Staff members from Congressman Robert Hurt's (R-Virginia) office will hold Local Office Hours in Bedford County on Friday, September 23^rd  to meet with constituents who need assistance with federal agencies. For more information, please visit our Local Office Hours Interactive Map. 

Friday, September 23, 2016

9:00 am to 11:00 am

Town of Bedford Municipal Office, Conference Room

215 East Main Street

Bedford, VA

 

September 24th: Brew Republic Grand Opening

News for your entertainment -

We're opening a brewery in Woodbridge. Brew Republic isn't just any brewery -- it's a new nation of beer -- where the right to drink great beer shall not be infringed!

Anyway, we're having our Grand Opening on Saturday, September 24th from 11am to 11pm, and I wanted to invite you to join us. It will be a family-friendly day with beer (of course), food, brewery tours, live music, and much more.  Click here for more info.

Hope to see you on the 24th. To the Republic!

-Jeffrey M. Frederick

---

Jeffrey M. Frederick

Post Office Box 58 | Woodbridge, Virginia 22194 | USA

jeff@starboard.us

http://starboard.us

Facebook | Twitter

 

 

 

 

 

 

Update Preferences/Email Address | Unsubscribe

 

Sept. 22: Invitation: JATP September Dinner Meeting

JATP September Dinner Meeting 375 Greenbrier Drive Join like-minded freedom lovers for a meal and lively discussion of current events.   September 2016 6 - 7:30 pm 22 Sign up today! Sign Up Copyright © 2016 Jefferson Area Tea Party, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our site or requested it at a meeting. Our mailing address is: Jefferson Area Tea Party 1213 Hazel Street Charlottesville, VA 22902 Add us to your address book

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Robert Hurt’s Bipartisan Jobs Bill Passes House

Friday, September 9, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House passed HR 5424, the Investment Advisers Modernization Act of 2016, in a bipartisan 261-145 vote.  First introduced by Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia), along with Congressman Juan Vargas (D-California), Congressman Bill Foster (D-Illinois), and Congressman Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) in June, this bill would update outdated portions of the Investment Advisers Act (IAA), a 76 year-old law, by removing duplicative and burdensome regulations that impose an unnecessary burden on small business' access to capital.  

"I was pleased to see the Investment Advisers Modernization Act of 2016 pass the House today with bipartisan support in an effort to relieve burdens placed on our Main Street businesses.  At a time when economic uncertainty and federal over-regulation are hindering job creation, it is critical that we look for bipartisan solutions to create jobs in our local communities and get our economy back on track.  As I travel through Virginia's Fifth District, the negative effects of federal over-regulation and government mandates contained in the Dodd-Frank law can be clearly seen among our small businesses.

"One such Dodd-Frank mandate requires private investment funds to register with the SEC, including advisers to private equity funds, despite the fact that such firms pose no systemic risk to the financial system.  This burdensome regulatory requirement has forced firms to dedicate substantial time and resources to compliance, hindering their ability to invest in small businesses across the country.  While this remains bad policy, our efforts to repeal the registration regime have not come to fruition.  This new legislation – H.R. 5424 – represents a new effort to minimize regulatory burdens that are stifling economic investment.

"Small businesses are the backbone of our economy – and the ability for these entities to access private capital is imperative for their success and the success of our local and national economies. In order for our economy to grow and for our small business owners to be able to create the jobs that we need, we must remove unnecessary regulations that tie up private capital and create economic uncertainty and put in place policies that encourage investment, innovation, and the entrepreneurial spirit that makes America the beacon of economic opportunity.

"This bipartisan effort to rid the IAA of outdated, cumbersome regulatory schemes would not curtail the Securities and Exchange Commission's ability to carry out its role, but rather, this measure is a much-needed legislative update to an antiquated law that does not reflect the current model of our nation's small businesses and investors. Through updating and reducing the costly regulations being placed on those who are making critical investments in our economy, our small business owners will have the ability to gain access to capital more easily so that more jobs can be created and more jobs can be preserved."

Jeffrey M. Gallagher, CEO of Virginia Bio, said, "I want to thank Representative Hurt for introducing this important legislation, and continuing to work towards the proper balance of the federal government's regulation of the capital industry. There are hundreds of biotech companies in Virginia in continual need of investment to unlock the promise of their innovations for life-saving products and treatments.  Unnecessary bureaucratic red tape impedes investment, and can block or divert capital from the lab and delay or derail promising research.  Representative Hurt's Investment Adviser Modernization Act of 2016 is an important step that will support economic growth and accelerate research and the development in the Fifth District, across the Commonwealth and the country."

 

Background

·         The Investment Advisers Modernization Act of 2016 (HR 5424) would amend the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and direct the Securities and Exchange Commission to amend its rules to modernize certain requirements relating to investment advisers.

·         HR 5424 passed the Financial Services Committee on June 16, 2016 by a vote of 47-12, garnering the support of every Republican in the committee and the majority of the Democratic caucus.

·         In 2013, Congressman Hurt introduced The Small Business Capital Access And Job Preservation Act (HR 1105) which passed the House 254-159. This bill would reduce government mandates and unnecessary regulations on private equity firms implemented by the Dodd-Frank law and thereby promote increased access to capital for small businesses in the Fifth District and across the country.