Christian Coalition of America Honors the Life of Pro-Family Champion, Senator Jesse Helms, Who Passed Away on America's Independence Day

On July 4, 2008,pro-family champion, Senator Jesse Helms, Republican from North Carolina, passed away at the age of 86. Christian Coalition of America honors the life of this great legislator and conservative leader.

Senator Helms was a five-term Senator and was almost single-handedly responsible for reigniting the career of Ronald Reagan when the latter ran for president against President Gerald Ford in 1976. Reagan lost by a small number of votes to Ford in the Republican Convention; 4 years before Reagan swept to the presidency in a landslide and was reelected in a landslide in 1984. Senator Jesse Helms helped President Reagan succeed in many legislative areas and to defeat the "Evil Empire" of the Soviet Union.

Senator Sam Brownback said on July 4th: "Jesse Helms was a gentle man yet doggedly determined. He almost single-handedly helped launch Reagan era conservatism and in international affairs in particular, he articulated and put into action a determined, clear U.S. foreign policy stand that has served our country well to this day."

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY said: "Today, we lost a Senator whose stature in Congress has few equals. Senator Jesse Helms was a leading voice and courageous champion for the causes he believed in."

Radical Homosexual Lobby Succeeds in Forcing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the House Armed Services Committee to Hold Hearings on July 23rd on the 1993 Law Preventing Homosexuals From Serving in the U.S. Military

After succeeding in getting 4 radical left-wing judges on the California Supreme Court to allow homosexual "marriages" in California in a 4-3 decision, overturning 61% of the California voters who said NO to such an abomination, the powerful homosexual lobby has now persuaded Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee (HASC) to hold a hearing on July 23rd at 2 p.m. on the 1993 Law passed by the previous Democrat Congress preventing homosexuals from serving in the United States military.

Bill Clinton actually interpreted that law to mean "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" which of course is illegal. The 1993 law is the law of the land. The specific HASC subcommittee holding a hearing on July 23rd is left-wing Democrat Chairman Susan Davis's House Personnel Subcommittee. The 1993 law was passed by Congress with bipartisan, veto-proof majorities in the House and Senate, and has been upheld as constitutional several times, and it enjoys widespread support amongst the American people.

The Democrat-controlled Congress should not waste it's time on unnecessary hearings such as this in these times of $4.11 per gallon gasoline (average nation-wide) and high food prices. The President of the Center for Military Readiness (CMR), Elaine Donnelly, who was one of the key leaders in preventing Bill Clinton in 1993 from allowing homosexuals to serve in the military. Her group has a petition for Americans to sign at: http://www.americansforthemilitary.com/

In a related manner, Mrs. Donnelly, on May 23rd issued a press release predicting that -- if the U.S. Department of Justice directly appeals a May 21st decision by the frequently-overturned liberal United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco, which reinstated a lower court lawsuit challenging the 1993 law preventing homosexuals from serving in the military -- the United States Supreme Court will overturn, once again, the 9th Circuit Court's decision.

CMR President Elaine Donnelly described the decision of the Ninth Circuit—the most-frequently overruled U.S. Court of Appeals in the country—as another egregious example of “extreme judicial activism. Once again, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has proven that federal judges are not competent to run the military.”

The Ninth Circuit’s order did not invalidate the law, Section 654, Title 10, which was passed by Congress in 1993 with overwhelming bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress. Rather, a three-judge panel reinstated the lawsuit of Major Margaret Witt, a former Air Force nurse and reservist, which had been dismissed by a U.S. District Court. Maj. Witt sued when her career was put on hold due to a homosexual relationship. According to the Air Force Times, she and a civilian lesbian woman had been living outside of McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma, Washington, for about six years.

Mrs. Donnelly criticized the court’s judicial activism. “Historically the Supreme Court has respected the principle of “deference” to Congress and Executive Branch authorities who have the constitutional responsibility to make policy for the military. This principle should be defended by the Department of Justice and reinforced by the Supreme Court. The military is an institution that protects individual rights, but it must be governed by different rules.”

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Senate Republicans to Hold Forum On Monday "Protecting American Justice: Ensuring Confirmation of Qualified Judicial Nominees" - Democrat Senate Has Confirmed Only a Net Pick-up of 8 Conservative Appeals Judges Compared to the 15 Clinton Liberal Judges Confirmed by Republican Senate in 1999 and 2000

On Monday, July 14th, at 2 p.m., a number of Senate leaders, including Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, will hold a forum entitled: "Protecting American Justice: Ensuring Confirmation of Qualified Judicial Nominees" in Russell Senate Office Building, Room 385. They will discuss the importance of removing politics from the judicial confirmation process to ensure the confirmation of qualified judicial nominees in a timely manner. The forum will be chaired by Senator Arlen Specter, R-PA.

Thus far, the Democrat-controlled Senate has been dragging its feet for almost 2 years, and has confirmed only 9 conservative and one liberal (Helene White, a relative of Senator Carl Levin, D-MI) to the United States Court of Appeals, a pick-up of only 8 of President Bush's conservative nominees. This compares with 15 very liberal nominees appointed by Bill Clinton confirmed by a Republican Senate in Clinton's last 2 years in office. In other words, the Democrat-controlled Senate is 7 nominees behind the pace which the Republican Senate confirmed Clinton's liberal judges.

Other Senators participating in Monday's forum besides Senators McConnell and Specter, are Republican Whip Jon Kyl, R-AZ; Senate Republican Conference Chairman, Lamar Alexander, R-TN; Senate Judiciary Committee Member Chuck Grassley, R-IA; and Senators John Warner, R-VA; Wayne Allard, R-CO; and Elizabeth Dole, R-NC. Witnesses include: Professor John McGinnis, Northwestern Law School; Mr. David Bohm, North Carolina Bar Association; Mr. Roscoe Howard, former U.S. Attorney, District of Columbia; and Mr. Steve Rutkus, from the Congressional Research Service.

ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!

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Republican Pro-life Congressman Chris Smith, Democrat Pro-life Congressman Bart Stupak, and Congresswoman Michelle Bachman Lead a One Hour Special Order on the Floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday Championing the Unborn and Criticizing Abominable Groups such as Planned Parenthood

In a bipartisan effort on the floor of the United States House of Representatives on Wednesday, Members of Congress argued for defunding the abominable group, Planned Parenthood, founded by racist Margaret Sanger near the beginning of the 20th century. Planned Parenthood -- which has received (and still does) countless billions of dollars from American taxpayers -- has fueled the killing of millions of innocent unborn children. Republican pro-life Congressman Chris Smith (NJ) was joined by Democrat pro-life Democrat Bart Stupak, and other Members of the House of Representatives in arguing for the unborn and against Planned Parenthood.

Congresswoman Michelle Bachman, Republican from Minnesota, helped organize the special order speeches on Wednesday night. In her testimony on the House floor, Congresswoman Bachmann in her speech told about Planned Parenthood targeting more affluent young women in her Minnesota congressional district. This ties in with a recent "Wall Street Journal" article entitled: "Planned Parenthood Hits Suburbia; Expansion Goes Upscale." The article says: "Even has the total number of abortions in the U.S. has dropped, the number performed by Planned Parenthood has grown steadily, to nearly 290,000 a year." Indeed this cruel organization now kills 20% of the innocent unborn babies in America!
Congresswoman Bachman said in her speech on the House floor: "They are big business. They are the Wal-Mart of big abortion. They are the big box retailer. It’s time to end their tax exempt status. It’s a fraud. It is time to stop the public financing of Planned Parenthood -- it is the right thing to do."
LifeNews.com reported that the other members participating in the special order speeches besides Congressman Chris Smith, Stupak, and Bachman, included Reps. Joe Pitts (R-Pennsylvania), Paul Broun, MD (R-Georgia), Trent Franks (R-Arizona), Jeb Hensarling (R-Arizona), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado), Mike Pence (R-Indiana), Bill Sali (R-Idaho) and Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio). Christian Coalition of America commends this bipartisan group of Congressmen for their concern for the unborn.

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Republican Senator Sam Brownback Applauds the Senate Appropriations Committee for Funding D.C. Marriage and Scholarship Programs

Today, Senator Sam Brownback, R-KS, issued a statement praising the Senate Appropriations Committee for funding yesterday the Marriage Development Accounts and the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program to benefit the residents in the District of Columbia.

Senator Brownback said today: "The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program provides better educational options and true school choice to families who otherwise could not afford an alternative to public schools. Since its inception, the Opportunity Scholarship program has served more than 2,600 students, and 90 percent of parents whose children participate in the program are satisfied with their children’s education and safety. Without this funding, 86 percent of OSP kids would have been sent back to failing D.C. public schools."

Opportunity Scholarships provide up to $7,500 per student per year to fund tuition, fees and transportation expenses for Kindergarten through Grade 12 education for low-income families. The average household income of participating families is $22,736 for a family of four. This program has received rave reviews from these families and they do not want to see this program discontinued. Christian Coalition of America urges Members of Congress to continue this vital program.

Senator Brownback also said: I am also pleased that the Appropriations Committee voted to fund the Marriage Development Accounts. In the District of Columbia, 57 percent of all babies are born to single mothers. MDAs have the potential to help couples get married and avoid the disincentives built into the welfare system. Many single parents valiantly raise wonderful children, but we want to ensure that wherever possible, the tax code and the welfare system encourage, and not discourage, a mother and father to get married.”

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Christian Coalition Activists Need to Encourage 110th Congress to Pass Both "Net Neutrality" and "Multicast-Equal Access" Legislation to Prevent Discrimination Against Religious Broadcasters - Democrat-controlled Congress Expected to Pass "Net Neutrality"

"Multicast/Equal Access" (formerly called "Multicast/Must-carry") will go a long way to preventing discrimination against religious broadcasters. Without a "Multicast/Equal Access" law, the cable and satellite companies would probably not add new Christian channels and the influence of current Christian channels will be diluted.

ACTION ITEM: Please all your Congressman at 202-225-3121 or you can go to http://www.cc.org/contactcongress.cfm and email them and urge them to co-sponsor the Net Neutrality legislation introduced by Republican Congressman Charles "Chip" Pickering and Democrat Congressman Edward Markey called the "Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008," H.R. 5353.

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Join the Christian Coalition’s Judicial Task Force, which is dedicated to ending the obstruction of the President's judicial nominees and ensuring that they ALL receive a fair "up or down" vote by the full Senate

Please sign our petition and join the Judicial Task Force at: http://www.cc.org/taskforce.cfm

Encourage your family, friends and church friends to also sign the petition at our website and to join the Christian Coalition’s Judicial Task Force, which is dedicated to ending the obstruction of the President's judicial nominees and ensuring that they ALL receive a fair "up or down" vote by the full Senate.

There are a number of President Bush's Circuit Court of Appeals' nominees who have not yet received a Senate floor vote. The challenge to confirm President Bush's nominees in a Democrat-controlled Senate will be very difficult and we need your help in doing just that. You will become part of a team of individuals who are committed to being ready on a moment’s notice to take action when obstruction occurs.

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Please keep the above issues in prayer. Through prayer and action great and mighty things can be accomplished.

Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…”

Please be sure to forward this message on to as many people as possible!