Fighting for our Shared Values on Capitol Hill

• Message from the President
• Our Legislative Director
• Top Issues
• Final Word

God bless you,
Roberta Combs, President

Jim Backlin--Vice President of Legislative Affairs A seasoned professional with 15 years of government service including in the Reagan Administration and on Capitol Hill. Jim manages the legislative staff and directs the coalition's extensive schedule of meetings with Members of Congress and their staffs. Jim formerly served as Chief of Staff to a multi-term congressman.

1. Stopping filibusters on President Bush's judicial nominations including U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judicial nominees Henry Saad, William Myers, Brett Kavanaugh and William Haynes, using the "constitutional option" if necessary to end the first filibuster of one of these nominees. Additionally, Christian Coalition will do whatever is necessary to ensure confirmation of any of President Bush's Supreme Court conservative nominees. Filibusters were conducted against 10 of President George W. Bush's U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals nominees including conservative women Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown, Carolyn Kuhl, and Susan Nielson during the 107th and 108th Congresses (2001-2004). President Bush had only 69% of his Circuit Court of Appeals judicial nominees confirmed. This compares to nearly 100% for President Reagan and to 74% for President Clinton who had a Republican Senate for 6 of his 8 years. After the nomination of the President's nominee, Miguel Estrada, had been filibustered by the Senate for many months, Mr. Estrada asked that his nomination be withdrawn. Two other judicial nominees withdrew their names for consideration: Judge Charles Pickering and Carolyn Kuhl. Between 1789, when the Constitution was ratified, and March 6, 2003, when 44 Senate Democrats blocked "cloture" (ending the debate and filibuster) and thus a final floor vote, on the circuit court nomination of Miguel Estrada, no federal judicial nominee with majority support in the Senate was ever blocked by a filibuster. For the past 4 years, only 41 Senators could stop a judicial nominee from even getting a vote on the Senate floor. With the recent "compromise deal" by 7 Democrat Senators and 7 Republican Senators, only 14 Senators can decide for the other 86 Senators which of President Bush's judicial nominees will get a vote on the Senate floor. The Founding Fathers never intended that only 40 Senators (out of 100) or worse yet, 14 Senators (out of 100,) could determine whether or not a president's judicial nominees could get a vote on the Senate floor. Democrat columnist Mickey Kaus said, "In the post-Warren era, judges...have almost uncheckable anti-democratic power. The Constitution has been durably politicized in a way that the Framers didn't anticipate." The 14 Senators in their "compromise deal" agreed that 3 of the 10 judicial nominees who were filibustered during the first term of President Bush would get an up or down vote on the Senate floor in exchange for the 7 Republicans not voting for the "constitutional option" which the Republican majority was prepared to use to get rid of all judicial filibusters (as opposed to legislative filibusters which would be maintained.) These 3 who would get votes were: Justice Priscilla Owen (5th Circuit, confirmed by the Senate by a 56-43 margin in May 2005), Justice Janice Rogers Brown (DC Circuit) and William Pryor (11th Circuit). Those not guaranteed a vote on the Senate floor are Henry Saad (6th Circuit) and William Myers (9th Circuit). Democrats are expected to also filibuster the nominations of Brett Kavanaugh (DC Circuit) and William Haynes (4th Circuit). It is anticipated that the 14 Senators will "allow" up or down votes on the Senate floor on the following judicial nominees to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals: Richard Griffin (6th Circuit), Susan Neilson (6th Circuit), David McKeague (6th Circuit), Thomas Griffith (DC Circuit), and Terrence Boyle (4th Circuit). Christian Coalition will fight for up or down votes on the Senate floor for ALL of the president's judicial nominees. Christian Coalition will also strongly support President Bush's conservative nominees to the Supreme Court and support efforts (i.e. the "constitutional option") by Majority Leader Bill Frist to return to Senate precedents (of some 215 years) whereby if a judicial nominee has the support of a majority of Senators, that judicial nominee should get a vote on the Senate floor. President Bush has promised to appoint only strict constructionists (who do not legislate from the bench) to the Supreme Court and he used the names of Justice Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas as the type of justice he would nominate to the Supreme Court.

2. Helping pass President Bush's Social Security reform (private accounts for young people). Christian Coalition will support Social Security reform which President Bush strongly supports and possibly the legislation to be introduced by Senator John Sununu and by Congressman Paul Ryan in the U.S. House of Representatives. President Bush wants Social Security reform to include turning President Roosevelt's New Deal-era retirement program into a self-financing private investment accounts system which workers could own and control. Right now those receiving Social Security cannot give the remainder of their benefits at their death to their children. The White House is considering letting workers put up to 4% of their payroll taxes into stock or bond funds. It will be similar to the hugely successful federal employee retirement system that now lets workers invest in several stock, bond, or fixed investment securities. In the beginning of the new Social Security private account system for younger people, there would be limited investment choices: three or more, all fully diversified, low-risk funds. The really big question is how to fund the transition costs to the new system. Keep in mind, those receiving benefits now and those about to receive Social Security funds, will not be affected in any way. They will continue to receive the same amount of benefits as those now receiving benefits. During the transition period, money taken out of the Social Security system will need to be made up through general revenue, loans or taxes. Most conservatives want the transition costs to come out of general revenues by cutting wasteful or low-priority programs. However, Senator Lindsey Graham, wants to raise the current $87,000 income limit to $150,000 to offset the costs, which is a tax increase. Senator Hoover Institute Fellow John Cogan, a member of the president's 2001 Social Security Reform Commission on which Democrat Senator Daniel Moynihan was the most prominent member, has said the program can be started out on a gradual basis, with a long lead time, but that it needs to get started immediately so young people can take advantage of the great power of compound interest. Mr. Cogan has said, "Once people find out how much they can earn (from these accounts) they will DEMAND that they be allowed to put more money into it."

3. Making permanent President Bush's 2001 federal tax cuts, including the marriage penalty tax cut and supporting President Bush's tax reform Christian Coalition will work to insure that the Congress makes permanent President Bush's 2001 tax cuts, including all income tax cuts, the marriage penalty tax cut, child tax credit, etc. now set to expire in 2010. In addition, since the American people waste about $300 billion in tax preparation costs every year because of the hugely complicated Internal Revenue Service code and laws, Christian Coalition will support tax reform which could include abolition of the IRS and the federal income tax and replacing it with a flat tax or a national sales tax with people in lower income tax brackets getting refunds (possibly monthly refunds.)

4. Passing the "Child Custody Protection Act" or the "Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act" in the House and Senate (i.e. protecting parental notification rights for abortions on minors) Senator John Ensign's bill, "Child Custody Protection Act" had 23 co-sponsors in the 108th Congress. Senator Ensign's bill would "prohibit taking minors across state lines in circumvention of laws requiring the involvement of parents on abortion decisions." Congresswoman Illeana Ros-Lehtinen has a bill which is similar to the Senate bill called the "Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act" (CIANA.) Her bill has already passed in the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelming by a margin of 260-161. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen's bill would make it a Federal offense to knowingly transport a minor across State lines to circumvent a State's abortion parental involvement laws. CIANA also requires that, in a State without a parental notification requirement, abortion providers be required to notify a parent. CIANA will prevent minors from being exploited by the abortion industry and will foster respect for State laws. CIANA includes exceptions for cases of abuse or medical emergencies and when a minor receives authorization from a judge in her home state ("judicial bypass.") CIANA incorporates all the provisions previously contained in the "Child Custody Protection Act" which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in1998, 1999 and 2002.

5. Get a vote on Congressman Chris Smith's "Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act" Congressman Chris Smith introduced his "Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act" during the 108th Congress, which has 115 co-sponsors in 2004 and which is similar to Senator Sam Brownback's bill. The bill would require abortion providers to notify women who want an abortion 20 weeks after fertilization that the evidence suggests their unborn child feels pain and they have the option to obtain anesthesia for their unborn child in order to reduce or eliminate pain. Christian Coalition has made this a top priority to pass in the 109th Congress. The "Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act" - amends the Public Health Service Act to require an abortion provider, before beginning any abortion of a pain-capable unborn child (defined as an unborn child who has reached a probable stage of development of 20 weeks after fertilization), to: (1) make a specified statement to the pregnant woman that Congress has determined that there is substantial evidence that the process will cause the unborn child pain, and that the mother has the option of having pain-reducing drugs administered directly to the child; (2) provide to the woman an Unborn Child Pain Awareness Brochure (unless she waives receipt) and an Unborn Child Pain Awareness Decision Form; and (3) obtain on the form the woman's signature and her explicit request for or refusal of the administration of drugs to the child. Congressman Chris Smith's bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop the brochure and form. The bill also makes such provisions inapplicable to a provider in the case of a medical emergency. The bill requires the provider to certify that a medical emergency exists. The bill sets penalties for false statements. Congressman Chris Smith's bill establishes penalties for willfully failing to comply with this Act, including civil penalties, medical license suspension, or both. His bill authorizes: (1) specified officials to bring suit in Federal court; and (2) private rights of action by a parent or guardian of a woman who is an unemancipated minor. The bill requires each State and State medical licensing authority to come up with procedures for the revocation or suspension of a provider's license upon a court finding that the provider has violated this Act. Finally Congressman Smith's bill subjects a State that fails to implement such procedures to loss of Medicaid funding.

6. Get a vote on the Marriage Protection (constitutional) amendment in the United States Senate (which was filibustered by Minority Leader Tom Daschle's left-wing Democrats earlier this year), and then getting a vote in the U.S. House again. Although there was a vote on the "Marriage Protection (constitutional) Amendment (MPA) sponsored by Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave, R-CO, in the U.S. House of Representatives, left-wingers led by now-defeated Minority Leader Tom Daschle, prevented a vote on the MPA on the U.S. Senate floor. Christian Coalition was the only major organization supporting the Musgrave marriage amendment from the beginning when she introduced it in May 2003, and supported a similar constitutional amendment introduced by Senator Wayne Allard in late 2003. Although Congresswoman Musgrave got a 227-186 majority in the United States House of Representatives in 2004, a constitutional amendment needs 290 votes in the House and 67 Senate votes. Christian Coalition will work to grow the votes until it finally passes Congress and is sent to the state legislatures where 38 states are needed to ratify the marriage constitutional amendment allowing it to become the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Thus far, 18 states have passed constitutional amendments outlawing homosexual "marriages" and it is expected that up to 18 more could have such amendments on their state ballots during the next 2 years. One Senator believes that after the huge support for the state constitutional amendments (an average of 71% have supported the 13 state constitutional amendments this year) and the infamous 4-3 Massachusetts Supreme Court decision allowing homosexual "marriages", the federal constitutional marriage amendment could even pass this year. Another tyrannical Clinton-appointed judge struck down the commonsense marriage constitutional amendment recently passed overwhelmingly by the voters in Nebraska.

7. Changing Votes of Members of the U.S. House of Representatives Who Voted for the "Human Embryo Destruction" bill, H.R. 810, Before the House/Senate Compromise Bill reaches House Floor Christian Coalition will fight to change the votes of some of the 50 Republicans who voted with the majority on May 24th in the U.S. House of Representatives in voting for the "Human Embryo Destruction bill, H.R. 810, and seek to change the votes of pro-life Democrats who voted for this thoroughly unethical bill so that when the Senate/House human embryo stem cell bill reaches the House floor again, it could possibly be defeated. Although the "Human Embryo Destruction" bill passed by a margin of 238 to 194 on Tuesday, the margin was some 30 to 40 votes short of what the pro-abortion sponsors expected to receive, and over 50 votes short of what they will need to overturn President George W. Bush's certain veto of this heinous bill. President Bush said at a White House event the day before the House vote, "Every embryo is unique and genetically complete, like every other human being. And each of us started out our life this way. These lives are not raw material to be exploited, but gifts." Human embryo destruction research, advocated by H.R. 810 (with American Taxpayer dollars) has produced zero successes after billions wasted on this unethical research. Five years from now, after tens of billions more wasted (including $6 billion wasted-interest on government bonds included--in California) some medical experts predict far less results (if any) from human embryo destruction research compared to the great successes of adult stem cell and cord-blood stem cell research successes, already exhibited in research labs and medical facilities. President Bush reconfirmed that he will veto legislation approved by the House of Representatives that overturns his policies against using taxpayer funds to back any new embryonic stem cell research. The bill is headed to the United States Senate. President Bush said in remarks at the White House after the passage of the House bill, "I would be vetoing the bill if it were to pass the United States Senate. There must be a balance between science and ethics and I have made my decision. The use of federal dollars to destroy life is something I simply do not support. The issue that involves the federal government is whether or not to use taxpayers' money that would end up destroying that life. I believe that the use of federal monies that end up destroying life is not -- is not positive, it's not good. And so, therefore, I'm against the extension of the research, of using more federal dollars on new embryonic stem cell lines."

8. Passing Congressman Walter Jones' "Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act." Congressman Walter Jones' bill, H.R. 235, got around 175 votes in the House in the 108th Congress. This bill does not affect the 2002 campaign finance law. This bill will liberate clergy from the muzzle imposed by the absolute ban on all speech that may be regarded as "political" and thereby enable them to speak out on all vital and moral and political questions of the day. It will free houses of worship from fear, anxiety, and uncertainty created by the threat that the IRS will impose financial penalties or revoke tax-exempt status altogether says its sponsor. Christian Coalition will fight to get a vote in the 109th Congress. The Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act of 2005 amends the Internal Revenue Code to protect churches from losing their tax-exempt status because of the content, preparation, or presentation of any homily, sermon, teaching, dialectic, or other presentation made during religious services or gatherings. Congressman Jones' bill will permit church leaders to express personal views on political matters or elections during regular religious services without violating campaign finance laws, as long as such views are not disseminated beyond the members and guests assembled at such services.

9. Supporting increases for abstinence-only funding which is now up to about $170 million. Abstinence funding has been increased by the Bush Administration and the Republican-controlled Congress to $170 million with the help of Christian Coalition. These funds will be used to teach young people the benefits of abstaining from sex until marriage. By law, they are not allowed to discuss any benefits of birth control or condoms in preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. For over 40 years in public schools, liberals have promoted sex-education programs which advocated the use of condoms which resulted in much physical and emotional pain for the children forced to participate in these immoral sex-education programs. At the current time, abstinence education groups receive only 1/12th the amount of money which is received by contraception education groups. Contraception education programs have been proven to work. Christian Coalition will continue to seek parity for abstinence education programs. According to Dr. Stuart Brown, acting director of the Division of Public Health in Georgia, preventing teenage pregnancy is critical to the Department of Human Resources "vision of Georgians living safe, healthy and self-reliant lives. Teen pregnancy rates declined by 41% after Georgia adopted a policy mandating abstinence education in Georgia's public schools. According to numbers released earlier this month by the Georgia Department of Human Resources, pregnancy rates among Georgia teens, age 15-17, declined 41% from 1994 to 2003. There is now a debate proceeding in Congress regarding reauthorization of the highly successful welfare reform bill passed by the Republican majority in 1996. Christian Coalition will work to defeat the radical Baucus Amendment (sponsored by Democrat Senator Max Baucus from Montana) which will seek to give abstinence education money to the highly unsuccessful contraception education groups.

10. Passing Congressman Bartlett's First Amendment Restoration Act Congressman Roscoe Bartlett's bill, H.R. 3801, the First Amendment Restoration Act (FARA), campaign reform legislation introduced in the 108th Congress (which had some 75 co-sponsors) will restore First Amendment rights in the 30-60 day period before elections. Congressman Bartlett's bill would repeal an unconstitutional provision in the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill passed by Congress and signed into law by the president in 2002. The McCain-Feingold bill bans non-PAC-funded issue advocacy and other such references to federal candidates in broadcast ads during the 30 and 60 days before primary and general elections. The "First Amendment Restoration Act" amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to repeal: (1) a requirement that persons making disbursements for electioneering communications file reports on such disbursements with the Federal Election Commission; (2) a prohibition against the making of disbursements for electioneering communications by corporations and labor organizations; and (3) a provision treating coordinated communications as contributions.

11. Passing Senator Shelby's/Congressman Aderholt's "Constitutional Restoration Act of 2005" Senator Richard Shelby's (S. 520) and Congressman Roberta Aderholt's (H.R. 1070) "Constitutional Restoration Act of 2004" will restrict the applellate jurisdiction of the U.S. Supreme Court and all lower federal courts to that jurisdiction permitted to them by the U.S. Constitution. The Shelby/Aderholt bill amends the Federal judicial code to prohibit the U.S. Supreme Court and the Federal district courts from exercising jurisdiction over any matter in which relief is sought against an entity of Federal, State, or local government or an officer or agent of such government concerning that entity's, officer's, or agent's acknowledgement of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government. The "Constitutional Restoration Act of 2005" prohibits a court of the United States from relying upon any law, policy, or other action of a foreign state or international organization in interpreting and applying the Constitution, other than English constitutional and common law up to the time of adoption of the U.S. Constitution. The bill also provides that any Federal court decision relating to an issue removed from Federal jurisdiction by this Act is not binding precedent on State courts. Finally, the Shelby/Aderholt bill provides that any Supreme Court justice or Federal Court judge who exceeds the jurisdictional limitations of this Act shall be deemed to have committed an offense for which the justice or judge may be removed, and to have violated the standard of good behavior required of Article III judges by the Constitution.

12. Seek Vote for Congressman Todd Akin's and Senator Jon Kyl's "Pledge Protection Act" bill Congressman Akin's bill, H.R. 2389, introduced on May 17, 2005 with 173 co-sponsors and Senator Jon Kyl's bill, S. 1046, will amend title 28, United States Code, with respect to the jurisdiction of Federal courts inferior to the Supreme Court over certain cases and controversies involving the Pledge of Allegiance. It passed in the U.S. House in 2004. Christian Coalition will seek to also get a vote in the U.S. Senate during the 109th Congress. To amend title 38, United States Code, with respect to the jurisdiction of Federal courts over certain cases and controversies involving the Pledge of Allegiance.

13. Passing Senator Sam Brownback's and Congressman Dave Weldon's anti-cloning bill in the U.S. Senate. Christian Coalition will seek a vote on Sen. Brownback's anti-cloning bill in the U.S. Senate, S. 658 with 31 Senators as co-sponsors. The House passed the bipartisan bill sponsored by Congressmen Dave Weldon and Bart Stupak on February 27, 2003 by a margin of 241-155. This year, Congressman Weldon's and Stupak's bill, H.R. 1357, has 119 co-sponsors so far. Senator Orin Hatch has joined forces with Senator Diane Feinstein to come up with their own much-watered down anti-cloning bill. Left-wingers in the U.S. Senate have prevented an up or down vote, with no substitute bills, on the Brownback anti-cloning bill. The Brownback/Weldon/Stupak "Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2005" amends the Public health Service Act to prohibit any person or entity, in or affecting interstate commerce, from knowingly: (1) performing or attempting to perform human cloning; (2) participating in such an attempt; or (3) shipping or receiving an embryo produced by human cloning or any product derived from such an embryo. Their bill also prohibits knowingly importing such an embryo and sets forth criminal and civil penalties. The Brownback/Weldon/Stupak bill provides that nothing in this Act restricts areas of scientific research not specifically prohibited, including research in the use of nuclear transfer or other cloning techniques to produce molecules, DNA, cells other than human embryos, tissues, organs, plants, or animals other than humans. Finally, the bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess the need to amend such prohibition, including through: (1) a discussion of new developments, the need for somatic cell transfer to produce medical advances, current public attitudes and prevailing ethical views concerning its use, and potential legal implications of somatic cell transfer research; and (2) a review of any technological developments that may require technical changes to such prohibition.

14. Helping to pass "Holly's Law" to take the abortion pill - RU486--off market until there is an investigation. Congressman Roscoe Bartlett's and Senator Jim DeMint introduced their bill called "Holly's Law" named after 18-year-old Holly Patterson died after taking the abortion pill, RU 486 has bipartisan support. At least 2 other women have died after taking the abortion pill. Senator DeMint's bill is S.51 and has 10 co-sponsors whereas Congressman Bartlett's bill, H.R. 1079, has 65 co-sponsors. The "RU-486 Suspension and Review Act of 2005" ("Holly's Law") - pronounces the approved application for the drug mifepristone (marketed as Mifeprex, commonly known as RU-486, and used for the chemically induced termination of intrauterine pregnancy) to have been withdrawn and pronounces the dug misoprostol to be misbranded under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) if it bears labeling providing that the drug may be used for the medical termination of intrauterine pregnancy. "Holly's Law" directs the Comptroller General to review and report on the process by which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mifepristone. Finally, the Bartlett/DeMint bill provides for the reinstatement of the approved application for such drug if the report determines the approval to have been in accordance with FFDCA.

15. Passing the "Reaffirmation of American Independence Resolution", Congressmen Tom Feeney, R-FL, and Bob Goodlatte, R-VA, introduced their bill, "Reaffirmation of American Independence Resolution," H. Res. 97. It expresses the sense of the House of Representatives "that judicial determinations regarding the meaning of the Constitution of the United States should not be based on judgments, laws or pronouncements of foreign institutions unless such foreign judgments, laws, or pronouncements inform an understanding of the original meaning of the Constitution of the United State."