Legislative Update

There's much legislative activity underway on Capitol Hill - issues that affect you and your family.  We want to update you on a number of important issues including stem cell research, grassroots lobbying reform, hate crime legislation, and the troubling Fairness Doctrine.

Stem Cell

The fight to protect the sanctity of life continues in the halls of Congress.  Last week, the United States Senate chose politics over policy and passed legislation allowing taxpayer funding of research that destroys human embryos.    Fortunately, 34 Senators vote for life and against this destructive legislation.  This number is important, because it is the number needed to sustain a Presidential veto in the U.S. Senate.  However, it also leaves us no margin for error.

The House, having already passed very similar language, is expected to adopt the Senate language within the next few days.  Once this occurs, it will go to the President for his consideration.  We are encouraging the President to veto the bill as he has promised to do and our Government Relations office is working to protect the veto-proof margin in both chambers of Congress.

Hate Crimes

The House also this week began debate on legislation that to allow prosecution for crimes based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of such person.  As you might know, this sounds rather innocent until you consider that what is being proposed is no more than special rights for certain segments of the population.    As a result, many Americans would be left with lesser protection.

Further, the focus here is not on new crimes -- merely new means of prosecution for existing crimes.  We believe people should be prosecuted based on the crime.  Also, there is growing concern that this may simply be the first step in the direction of requiring hiring quotas for religious organizations and the like.

Lobbying Reform

We continue to advocate on behalf of your right to petition the government, as well as the rights of your pastor to speak freely from the pulpit.  At any time, the House is expected to move forward on grassroots lobbying language that would infringe on these rights.  We continue to express the constitutional problems with such a proposal to members on both sides of the aisle, and asking them to join with us to defeat the language.

Fairness Doctrine

In the wake of the unfortunate on-air incidents of the last couple weeks, momentum is again building behind the dangerous effort to bring back the unconstitutional Fairness Doctrine.  This doctrine would mandate that broadcasters who air shows that discuss controversial topics also air the opposing viewpoint.  This would mean that in order to discuss issues that are important to you like the sanctity of life and marriage broadcasters would also have to air the opposing viewpoints.  Even beyond the constitutional concerns, the net result of this policy would be the stifling of speech.

Our Washington team is engaged on this issue.  Ironically, it will take the very thing that is being attacked your right to a voice to beat back this effort.

We will continue to keep you posted on these and other key developments.  Check out the web page on a regular basis and listen daily to Jay Sekulow Live!