Tag Archives: U.S. Senate

Parental Rights Amendment Introduced

Posted on June 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

A proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would preserve the longstanding traditional right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children was introduced last week in the U.S. Congress.

Lead sponsor Trent Franks (R-AZ) was joined by 32 cosponsors in introducing House Joint Resolution 110 in the House. The Senate version, Senate Joint Resolution 42, was led by Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) and had 9 cosponsors at its introduction.

“We must protect the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children,” DeMint declared. “Unfortunately, parental rights are under attack, and a safeguard like this amendment is necessary. Neither the federal government nor international law should micromanage how parents are able to raise their children. Parents are best equipped to decide how their children are raised and educated, not bureaucrats from Washington and the United Nations.”

Supporters anticipate a congressional hearing on the measure, given lead sponsor Trent Franks’ position as chairman of the Constitution Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, to which the House version will be assigned.

“In my three decades of public service, I have consistently focused on protecting the right of parents to make decisions for their children,” Congressman Franks says. “Put simply, there are really only two options when it comes to who will determine the substance of a child’s education: it will be either a bureaucrat who doesn’t know the child’s name, or a parent who would pour out their last drop of blood for the child.

“I intend to continue that fight in my role as Chairman of the Constitution Subcommittee, doing everything in my power to help advance the vital Parental Rights Amendment through Congress. Nothing is more important to America’s future than making sure that the education of the hearts and minds of our children is securely in the purview of the parents who love and understand them most.”

This marks the third straight session of Congress in which the PRA has been introduced, and support for the measure is growing. “The PRA had 141 cosponsors in the House during the last session of Congress, but we expect to see even more support this time around,” says Michael Farris, president of ParentalRights.org, which organizes grassroots efforts for the amendment.

“The Supreme Court has accurately said that parental rights are ‘perhaps the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests recognized by [the] Court,’ yet those rights now lack sufficient legal protection under the Constitution,” Farris continues. “Thanks to concerned citizens and engaged leaders in Congress, we look forward to correcting that problem through the adoption of this amendment.”

For more information on the proposed amendment, visit ParentalRights.org online.

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Senate Debates ObamaCare Repeal, Liberal Icon Errs, and Americans Want Autocratic Obamacare Repealed

Posted on February 3, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Mainstream news reports of the U.S. Senate’s debate about repealing Obamacare showcased arguments of the two leaders Democrat Harry Reid and Republican Mitch McConnell. One of Reid’s arguments was that 80 percent of the people favored it.

What Reid didn’t mention was his source.

Was it his constituents back home?

It certainly was not the general U.S. voting population.

Since the Democrat-led Congress passed the mostly unread autocratic healthcare reform bill, all surveys/polls showed a majority of Americans want it repealed. Two main reasons: (1) It will harm the economy, and (2) it will force Americans to buy insurance and penalize those who do not.

If you don’t believe me, check out the following two on-line sources of polls:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/health_care_law
http://www.pollingreport.com/health.htm

Those two polling website provide a history of poll data on the subject.

As you will discover, most Americans are not against making insurance cover people with pre-existing conditions or proving coverage for the poor and their children. They ARE against government telling them what they will purchase and not purchase. What they will consume and not consume.

Congressional Republicans offered health care reform legislation that included what most Americans claim should be included in health care insurance i.e., what was mentioned above. They only left out the core element of Obamacare, which is the sanctioned mandatory purchase of healthcare as defined by the federal government and fines or imprisonment for not doing so.

Senator Reid, it is true most Americans are for health care reform; they are just against your autocratic version. They don’t want to follow your iconic socialistic paternalism. Most American still want their inherent rights like freedom. Yes, they even want the right to consume what ever they choose or refuse.

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Posted in economy, health care, news, politics, taxes

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Senate’s Christmas Gift, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” To Gay Lobby

Posted on December 22, 2010 by | 1 comment

By Col. Bill Spencer

The steady, incessant drumbeat of the homosexual lobby won’t be silenced by the repeal of the so-called “don’t ask, don’t tell” provision. It seems the drums finally got to the American people — 65 of your senators voted to end the ban this weekend. The homosexual activists’ fight for cultural acceptance of a particular behavior will go on. You’ll need some earplugs because the drums will continue.

Since the advent of “don’t ask, don’t tell” in 1993, no idea or position forwarded by homosexuals has been tied to improved mission readiness and effectiveness — none. The media’s sound bite that there would be a loss of skilled personnel if the policy remained was nothing more than a smoke screen. The political reality is that we have a commander in chief who has never served in the military who had promised repeal to a special-interest support group. And Democratic majorities in the House and Senate could make it happen, regardless of the fact that the 111th Congress has fewer veterans than any Congress in history.

What can change this now? Sadly, I think only a future war will have us rethink how we best organize our troops to fight and win wars. At that time, cooler heads will prevail, and we’ll determine who best should be fielded to defend us. The social curiosity that will have been the openly gay service experience will vanish as the nation — at great cost — rediscovers the real purpose for having a military.

But for today, I fear that our military members in the field are left with these thoughts: “Does my country not think of me that much? Does the country think it should hobble its forces in the field with these distractions during time of war? Does the country require us to deal with this, as well? Am I indeed a patriot without a country? What moral madness awaits us next? When bullets are flying at me, and everyone back home is apparently just thinking about themselves and their own private behaviors, it’s too much to ask of me to sacrifice my life.”

I ask you, fellow citizen, after Saturday’s vote, would you give your life for our Senate? Would you give your life for our president? Or, would you go home to your family? Sadly, you know the answers already. If you never made a phone call or never entered the debate on this issue, it’s too late to care now. You have just received a 2010 Christmas present from the United States Senate. Inside, please find some really good earplugs, for the drumbeat will continue. Whether you choose to put them in your ears is entirely up to you.

Col. Bill Spencer (Ret.) served in the U.S. Air Force for nearly 29 years. He is now a family policy council representative at Focus on the Family.

First published by the title “With ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ It’s Too Late to Care Now” by Focus on the Family, December 20, 2010

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Right To Life Candidate Endorsements

Posted on May 1, 2010 by | Leave a comment

The Ohio Right to Life Pac candidate endorsements mostly align with endorsements by the Ohio Republican Party. This is not surprising since Republicans tend to favor pro-life issues, and Democrats support pro-abortion.

Why is an Ohio RTL Pac endorsement of any importance? The Pac claims because it makes a difference to about half (maybe more) of the voting population. The Pac provides user-friendly access to information about the candidate experience, views and voting record on abortion and pro-life issues. Beyond that, RTL’s endorsement of pro-life candidates assists voters identify those who will likely honor their oath of office by upholding the constitutionally protected right to life.

With that in mind, let’s see who those candidates are.

STATE

Jarrod Martin, who seeks a second term in the 70th Ohio House District, received the Ohio RTL Pac stamp of approval. Tea Partiers seem to like him as well as the Ohio GOP. His campaign website is at www.electjarrod.com

U.S. Representative John Kasich has the Ohio RTL Pac’s 100% pro-life endorsement. He is not only favored by the GOP but also by Tea Party members and many of the who’s who is local and state politics. His campaign website is at www.kasichforohio.com

Jon Husted, Speaker of the Ohio House of Representative and native of Dayton, is running for Secretary of State. He has also received the Ohio RTL Pac 100% pro-life stamp of approval. But, I recently received information from a friend who lives in northern Ohio that casts some doubt about Husted’s support of both pro-life and pro-faith causes, which I will cover later. His campaign website address is www.hustedforohio.com

Mike DeWine is no stranger to local politics. He is local lawyer, previous County Prosecutor, state representative, senator, and U.S. Congressman. He is running for Ohio Attorney General with GOP approval and the Ohio RTL Pac’s 100% pro-life endorsement. His campaign website is at www.mikedewine.com

State Representative Josh Mandel is another dynamic young politician with the Ohio RTL Pac’s 100% pro-life stamp of approval along with the GOP and Tea Party endorsements. His campaign website is at www.joshmandel.com

I’m not 100% certain but I think Ohio only allows one Auditor of State. However, Ohio RTL Pac as well as the Ohio GOP endorses two. They are David Yost and Seth Morgan.

David Yost is among the select few picked by the Ohio GOP. His repertoire includes his current position of Delaware County Prosecutor and the previously held position of county auditor. Posted on his blog is an endorsement by the Darke County Tea Party as well as the most of the big press and entrenched GOP politicians. Yost’s campaign website address is www.davidyost.com

Ohio Representative Seth Morgan is among select few running for accounting position of State Auditor who actually is actually a certified public accountant (CPA), which should be one of the requirements for holding that office. Just ask Mary Taylor. The Huber Heights native currently serves as Secretary of Finance and Appropriations Committee, Finance and Appropriations Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education, Ways and Means Committee, and as Chair of the House Republican Caucus Policy Committee, among others. Every where I look, Morgan is receiving honorable mentions and endorsements from the Associated Builders and Contractors to the Citizens for Community Values, not to mention the Ohio Tea Party. His campaign website is at www.sethmorgan.org

NATIONAL

U.S. Representative Steve Austria is running for the 7th Ohio Congressional District for a second term, He has received the distinction by the Ohio RTL Pac as a 100% pro-life candidate. Austria not only a Beavercreek native but is favored by the GOP as well. The Tea Parties I have attended Austria has not been among the favored representatives or candidates.

Robert Portman is running for U.S. Senate with the endorsement of the Ohio RTL Pac. He has effectively served as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, U.S. Trade Representative, and as U.S. Congressman for 12 years. Although favored by GOP leaders, Portman has not been favorable received by some Ohio Tea Party groups, according to reports. His campaign website address is www.robportman.com

As mentioned earlier, an added benefit of the above candidate list is their GOP endorsements. The Ohio GOP stamp of approval tells us that the Party regards those members as the most qualified, the most charismatic, and/or the most faithful to party policies.

It should be remembered that the Democratic Party also chooses its candidates on the same basis. As pointed out during the last national election by Dennis Kucinich, one of the most important factors to Party endorsement is faithfulness to the pledge. Here, the pledge is not to the Ohio or U.S. Constitutions, dear comrades, but to the Party.

The above-mentioned qualities that are required by both Parties are also the same characteristics of career politicians, which in turn is part of the ever-increasing problem produced by party politics. As evidenced by the current regime of Democrats, progressive regression back to the Revolution era issues of big government social and economic tyranny is a serious problem that came in the name of change. Liberals claim the same thing happened when the GOP was in charge.

That is why the other non-career track candidates are worth considering. Some of them promise to defend the right to life as well as other conservative issues of constitutional importance.

One such candidate is Lt. Col John Michel (Ret.) who is running against incumbent Rep. Steve Austria for Ohio’s 7th Congressional District. Michel is definitely a pro-life candidate. He believes “the Constitution protects human life from conception to natural death.” His position on most other important issues like the economy, health care, immigration, war on terror, and the like reveals a well-reasoned and articulated conservatism, which is another reason to put him into office. His views on the issues can be read by going to his website at www.reformcongress.com

Sandra O’Brien is running against Jon Husted for Secretary of State. She is definitely a consist defender of the right to life and liberty. She is a member of the Ohio Farm Bureau, a veteran schoolteacher, past county auditor, and current adjunct professor at Leland Community College. In 2006, she defeated her pro-abortion opponent in the Republican primary for Auditor of State. Jon Husted supported her pro-abortion opponent, which demonstrates his wavering commitment to the constitutional issue of the right to life. Moreover, my friend from the North also pointed me to letter by Diana Fessler addressed to the Ohio Liberty Council in which tells how Husted lying to the public about his saving prayer in the House. While Speaker of the House, Husted attempted to forbid the mention of Jesus’ name in all prayers offered at the opening session of the Ohio House. It was she who saved prayer with the help of the Alliance Defense Fund litigators. Fessler assures us that Sandra O’Brien is the real conservative candidate for Auditor of State. O’Brien’s campaign website is at ohio.sandraobrien.com

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Posted in election 2010, Greene County, news, Ohio, politics, Xenia

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Abortion Healthcare Bill is Unacceptable and Unconstitutional

Posted on December 22, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Liberty Counsel opposes the current Senate healthcare bill because it still funds abortion. If the bill becomes law, Liberty Counsel is prepared to challenge the constitutionality of the bill since Congress has no authority to require every person to obtain insurance coverage and has no authority to fine employers who do not provide coverage up to the standards required in the bill.

On Saturday, Senate President Harry Reid (D-NV) filed a 383-page so-called “Manager’s Amendment” to his 2,074-page pending bill (H.R. 3590). Amendment 3276 requires that the federal government violate the principles of the Hyde Amendment by funding abortion. The funding goes through a complicated bookkeeping scheme similar to the Camps-Waxman accounting scheme which the House rejected when it adopted the Stupak-Pitts amendment on November 7.

Unfortunately, it appears that Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) succumbed to the Chicago-style politics of “pay-to-play” when he compromised his opposition to abortion funding after negotiating a deal for his home state of Nebraska to receive full federal funding to expand Medicaid insurance for the poor. The other 49 states have to split the costs of Medicaid with the federal government. The Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement on Saturday opposing the bill because of its coverage for abortion and because it does not permit those who oppose abortion to opt-out from the federally subsidized plan.

On Sunday the Congressional Budget Office Director admitted that the prior cost figures on the bill were inaccurate, stating to Sen. Reid: “The imprecision of these calculations reflects the even greater degree of uncertainty that attends to them.”

Mathew Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, released this statement on the Senate bill: “It is unconscionable that Senator Harry Reid would push forward a bill in the middle of the night that no one has had the time to read and that he would force the Senate to work up to the evening hours on Christmas Eve. While the world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, Senator Reid is holding every Senator hostage in order to pressure them into submission so that he can force every American to fund abortion. The spirit of the Roman Emperor Herod who killed every baby boy two years old and under in order to preserve his political dynasty still lives in the halls of Congress. This shameful farce is not about healthcare. It is about politics. It is not about the well-being of the American people. It is about scoring a political victory. In the end, this power-play will be the undoing of every person who votes for the abortion bill.” Staver concluded: “This bill is unconstitutional because Congress lacks the authority to require every person to carry insurance coverage and is without authority to fine employers whose policies do not provide the coverage mandated by the legislation.”

Source: Christian News Wire, December 21, 2009.

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