2007 Legislative Outlook

By staff - Feb 6, 2007 -

The 110th Congress finds conservatives in a much different position than previous years. It has been some time since Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, and it is certainly taking some time to adjust. The greatest difference from a public policy perspective is that we find ourselves opposing more legislation than we support. In previous Congresses, it was the exact opposite. Needless to say, it is likely that we will see very little real progress made on many of the family values issues that matter to conservative Christians.

The last two weeks were a perfect example. We saw two very important bills introduced in the Senate that have little chance of gaining the necessary votes to pass. Both the Public Expressions of Religion Act, which would prevent groups like the ACLU from collecting court costs from public institutions when they win challenges against them, and the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, which would ensure that women who seek abortions 20 weeks after fertilization are notified before an abortion that their unborn child will experience pain during an abortion, are crucial bills. Yet it will be an uphill battle to even get them out of committee. In fact, the only chance they have is if everyone writes or calls their senators and insists that these bills be passed. On the other hand, we have seen efforts to do more damage to the social fabric of our nation. A prime example is Rep. Barney Franks’ (D-MA) attachment to the House minimum wage bill that would extend domestic partner benefits to homosexual couples. This amendment must be defeated.

This brief summary should give you a good sense of the need for conservative Christians to engage the political process. Please join us in prayer that God will raise up the godly men and women that are needed to restore godly values in our nation. In addition, we ask you to pray that God will give us the wisdom we need as we carry the salt and light of the gospel into the halls of Congress.

Further Learning

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