This Week in Washington

By staff - Feb 19, 2007 - comment

Congress has begun its week-long President’s Day recess, meaning many senators and congressmen will be spending much of this time in their home states and districts. This presents a great opportunity for you to share your concerns with them on a more personal level.

House Could Jeopardize Public’s Ability to Stay Informed on Pro-Family Issues

A key victory in the Senate to protect the First Amendment right of organizations and individuals to stay informed and petition Congress could soon face House scrutiny.

The Senate, thanks to your efforts, passed an amendment last month offered by Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT) to strike a provision in its lobbying reform bill, the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007 (S. 1), that would require grassroots organizations to track and submit to Congress detailed reports of all communication with government leaders.

Unfortunately, the House appears poised to take up, as soon as mid-March, legislation that would infringe on grassroots communication.

If you value the right of organizations to keep you informed on pro-family issues without having to report their activities, please tell your congressman to oppose any legislation that places onerous restrictions on grassroots lobbying.

Efforts to Federally Fund Research that Requires Killing Human Embryos are Alive and Well

The Senate plans to follow the House’s lead in the coming weeks, possibly in March, and vote on legislation that would approve federal funds for embryonic stem cell research.

The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 3), which passed in the House on Jan. 11 by a 253-174 vote, could face heated debate in the Senate as some senators argue that embryonic stem cell research—which has produced no successful human treatments—promises to provide cures for dozens of ailments, while opponents champion the sanctity of human life and highlight the 72 ailments that have been treated successfully through non-destructive, adult stem cell research.

Both houses passed the bill in the 109th Congress, but it failed to become law as the House fell short of a two-thirds majority needed to override President Bush’s veto.

If you agree that unborn human lives should not be killed for research purposes, please tell your senators to oppose the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (S. 5).

Further Learning

Learn more about: Life, Stem-Cell Research, Citizenship, Legislation, Science, Bioethics

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