The August Recess and You
- Aug 12, 2008 - 5
Other than a few courageous, committed congressmen trying desperately to force Congress to act on the need to drill for the oil within our own borders, your congressman and senators are back in their home states and districts for the August recess. This means that they are within the reach and earshot of the people who keep them in their jobs—you. While they use part of their recess for some much needed rest from the incessant meetings and demands of Washington, DC, they are also back home to meet with their constituents—you.
Perhaps your congressman and senators are holding townhall meetings and various other opportunities to talk to you about the progress they have made on your behalf and to answer questions about matters of concern to you. The next few weeks provide you with an ideal opportunity to engage in some advocacy for the issues that matter to you. In fact, the next few weeks are crucial. When Congress resumes in September, it will be just a matter of weeks before they adjourn the 110th Congress. When this happens, all the legislation that hasn’t passed resets to zero and must go through the entire process again. Even bills that passed one of the chambers must be re-introduced, re-voted on in committee, and passed by both chambers again. Not only is this a terrible waste of time, it jeopardizes the chances of good bills being passed.
Now is the time to ask your congressman and senators about the bills and issues they still have not acted on. While I am sure you have some of your own, I’d like to share some with you that we could certainly use your help on.
Ask your congressman to help pass:
Life: The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, HR. 3442. This bill would require every abortionist to provide, whenever a woman seeks an abortion past 20 weeks after fertilization, information about the capacity of her unborn child to experience pain during the abortion, after which the woman must either accept or refuse (by signing a form) the administration of pain-reducing drugs directly to the unborn child. The bill would apply to all abortions past 20 weeks, regardless of the method used. This bill should even pass in a pro-abortion Congress like what we are dealing with today. Yet, House leadership is refusing to let it move. Its companion bill in the Senate is S. 356. The Senate Democrat leadership also refuses to act on this merciful, humanitarian legislation.
Marriage: The Marriage Protection Amendment, H. J. Res. 89. This constitutional amendment will establish a national definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. With recent developments in California and Massachusetts, it is obvious that our nation is headed for a severe social crisis. Soon homosexual couples will be suing every state for the right to have their so-called “marriages” recognized in their home states. The social havoc that will be caused by the redefinition of marriage is immeasurable. Congress must act. Its Senate companion is S. J. Res. 43. Your senators need to support this amendment as well.
Ask your senators to help pass:
Health: The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, S. 625. This bill will give the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products. Currently, tobacco companies are not required to undergo the rigorous testing of their products and additives that nearly all other consumer products must undergo. This bill passed the House 326 to102. With tobacco responsible for more than 400,000 deaths in this country every year, and more than 4,000 children smoking their first cigarette every day in this country more oversight of tobacco is certainly needed.
Sex Trafficking: The William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Act, HR. 3887. Millions of men, women, and children are forced to work or to engage in sexual activity around the world every year. This bill enables our nation’s efforts to stop this slave trade. It also includes a component that enables the federal government to become more involved in stopping the sex slavery right here in our country by empowering the Justice Department to prosecute pimps and traffickers in the states. Right now, federal law enforcement can only get involved if a pimp is prostituting an underage girl or he brings a woman across state lines for sexual purposes. It is obvious the problem has exceeded the states’ ability to address. Thousands of women and girls are enslaved right here in our own country, and the federal government is powerless to intervene. This must stop. The House passed this bill 405 to 2. The Senate should act on this before the end of this Congress.
Judges: The Senate Judiciary Committee has one of the worst records in the history of the Senate when it comes to confirming the president’s judicial nominees. Many of our federal courts are operating in emergency situations because they don’t have enough judges to hear the cases before them. Since the beginning of the 110th Congress, the Senate has confirmed only 10 circuit court nominees. In the last two years of the past three Administrations, the Senate has confirmed an average of 17 circuit court judges. Right now there are 28 pending federal circuit and district court nominations the Senate could act on.
These bills and issues should be simple to address, even with just a few weeks left in the 110th Congress. Many other good, worthy bills are languishing in Congress. While your elected officials are back home, I hope you will take the time to talk to them about the issues and bills of greatest concern to you, and we would certainly appreciate your mention of these I have listed.
May the Lord bless you as you seek to bring God’s “salt” and “light” into the world.
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comments
1 On Aug 12th, 2008, at 1:52pm, Manny Tomes wrote:
I am probably beginning to sound like a broken record and just keep repeating myself, repeating myself, repeating myself. But it is really frustrating to see an agency of the SBC continually supporting purely partisan issues. This is just another example of the broken record we are getting from the ERLC.
2 On Aug 12th, 2008, at 3:44pm, Donald Goforth wrote:
I do believe that these issues are not partisan at all but moral issues. I do believe that our government doesn’t act because they ignore the ramifications of sin.
3 On Aug 13th, 2008, at 7:04am, Don Bearden wrote:
Dear frustrated,
I appreciate Dr. Land’s unwavering biblical world view on the issues addressed on our behalf through the ERLC. The fact is, the gap between a biblical world view and the views of liberal politicians is getting wider. If we leave our biblical world views out of the fray, both parties will continue to drift left. One party, Democrats represent a more liberal view. Republicans represent more conservative views. Dr. Land does not represent Republicans or Democrats. He represents a biblical world view and for that I am absolutely convinced he represents Southern Baptists well and to the glory of God.
4 On Aug 13th, 2008, at 3:50pm, Jesse Sproat wrote:
This country was founded on Christian biblical principles. This country has moved so far away from these biblical principles, it takes organizations like the SBC ERLC to speak out on issues. As a Christian American and a member of the SBC, I beleive in the separation of church and state, but the church has every right to stand up and voice their concerns and beliefs, just as an other organization.
Thank you Dr. Land for work and your ministry.
5 On Aug 28th, 2008, at 10:48pm, Austin wrote:
I’m with Manny on this one. I help run a non-profit so I get the idea of supporting those who support your organization. But seriously, stop being a stooge for the Republicans, ERLC. The same thing has happened for 8 years while Republicans ran Congress and the Democrats pulled the same argument each year. This conversation is cut and paste from year to year. Get your own material, man.