Columnist.
If you thought your Christmas list was long, you should see Congress's. Clocking in at about 1,000 pages, the House's monster spending package -- $1.014 trillion worth -- will be "one of the last trains leaving the station" from the 113th Congress. Appropriators planned to release the bill text late tonight, which will help write the final chapter of this two-year experiment in partisan gridlock. As usual, both sides are taking the debate right down to the wire -- part of a regularly scheduled drama that seems to re-air every couple of months before the government's funding runs out. But before members can switch off the lights and head home, there's plenty of horse-trading and arm-twisting left to do in the sprint to a possible Friday recess. Even Mrs. "We-have-to-pass-the-bill-to-find-out-what's-in-it" is threatening to actually read this proposal, a shock to anyone who remembers her infamous ObamaCare quote. "Let's look at the whole package," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said without a hint of irony. But, as one Hill expert pointed out, "You have to not just be a speed-reader, but really be a Superman to get through all of it."
Forget ABC's "Wide World of Sports" -- now we have the LGBT's Wild World of Sports. After an intensely emotional debate, the Minnesota athletic league tore down the walls between girls' and boys' sports teams under the guise of "transgender inclusivity." The back-and-forth grabbed plenty of national headlines, as critics pleaded with the State High School League to take a deep breath and consider the consequences for student safety, privacy, and competition. Unfortunately, those concerns fell on deaf ears, and the board voted a whopping 18-1 to bulldoze the gender norms across Minnesota athletics -- for public, private, and home schools. With a written statement from their parent or guardian, kids confused about their sex can petition for a spot on girls' or boys' teams. And any school caught turning down a request without an iron-clad reason could be slapped with a lawsuit, athletic ineligibility, or both. It was a jaw-dropping decision for most parents, who can't imagine their daughter sharing showers and hotel rooms with teenage boys (who may or may not be struggling with their gender). Most high school kids already have anxiety about their bodies. Imagine the discomfort they'd feel surrounded by members of the opposite sex! Apart from the obvious problems with the new rule -- which takes effect next year -- it also gives boys an unfair advantage in leagues that have a level female playing field.
With just a handful of days left of Democratic control, Christmas recess can't come soon enough for most conservatives. But before the movers start clearing out the Senate Majority Leader's office, there's plenty left to do under the scaffolds of the Capitol dome. Priority number one is bankrolling the federal government for the next fiscal year -- a testy process that just became ground zero in the battle over immigration reform. Reaching a consensus on the spending bills is difficult enough, but now that conservatives are willing to play hardball with government funding to make a statement on the President's amnesty order, it's anyone's guess how (or when) the lame duck session will end.
While the President is busy playing Santa to millions of people illegally coming to the United States, Americans want to know how many little helpers his agenda will have. With less than a month to go before Republicans gavel in a new majority, time -- and options -- are running short. Every conservative wants to counter the White House's lawless amnesty order, but not every Republican agrees how. Yesterday, House leaders put all the options on the table, including a plan to put spending bills on two tracks: one for the majority of appropriations bills that the House already slogged through for the remainder of the 2015 fiscal year (an omnibus) and a separate, short-term continuing resolution (a CR) for the funds dealing with immigration. The thinking is that most federal agencies would have the money they need to finish out the year -- while giving the new majority a chance to revoke the authority on immigration that the President never had. But not everyone wants to wait until early next year to dethrone King Obama.
Are you willing to contract HIV to prove how "tolerant" you are? If the FDA repeals its blood bank policy, you may not have a choice. At a meeting of the Food and Drug Administration this morning, liberal activists went for the jugular in their latest push to overturn its ban on blood donations from those who engage in risky sexual behavior. The debate, which seems to resurface every year at the FDA and HHS, refuses to die -- even though people could with radical changes to the government's 30-year-ban. This time around, homosexual groups are more confident than ever that the administration will roll back the prohibition, despite the increased risks it poses to the U.S. population. As FRC's Peter Sprigg testified at today's meeting, "Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men represent approximately 2% of the United States population, yet . . . in 2010, gay and bisexual men accounted for 63% of estimated new HIV infections in the United States and 78% of infections among all newly infected men."
If there's one thing Republicans are anxious to wrap up this Christmas, it's Democratic control. Conservatives were hoping to put a bow on the failed majority of Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in a more relaxed atmosphere, but thanks to a perfect winter storm of executive orders and funding debates, members are bracing for a flurry of activity over the next 10 days. As usual, the two parties put themselves in a holiday jam by kicking the government funding bill to this month, when peace and goodwill are sure to be in short supply. Instead of in-depth conversations on each agency's needs, Sen. Reid has almost never allowed spending measures to come to the floor -- forcing both chambers to pass short-term patches to keep the lights on.
If the President didn't have anything to hide on abortion funding, he's had plenty of time to prove it! Instead, organizations like FRC have been left to deliver the disclosure that the administration won't. For all the cover-ups of this White House (and there are plenty!), the biggest may be the details of the federal health care exchange. After four years of denying the law covers abortion-on-demand, the General Accounting Office (GAO) finally blew the lid off the ObamaCare lie and confirmed what groups like FRC have said all along: that Americans are footing the bill for the largest expansion of taxpayer-funded abortion in history. And making matters worse, the entire administration refuses to admit it. Remember "we have to pass ObamaCare to find out what's in it?" Well, now, "you have to buy it to find out what's in it."
There may not be atheists in foxholes, but there sure are a lot of quiet Christians. With religious freedom under attack in America's military, most troops are scared to even talk about their beliefs. And who can blame them? Under President Obama, the military censors chaplains' sermons, but builds Wiccan fire pits for cadets. It tells commanders to strip God out of an online article, while its missile defense staff spends hours surfing pornography at work. It tears down POW displays for its Bibles, but lets soldiers march in uniform in gay pride parades.
Their business is called UrLoved, but owners Nang and Chris Mai sure didn't feel much love after a brush with same-sex "marriage." The California photographers, a husband-and-wife team from the Bay area, became a popular pick for local couples who appreciated the Mais' artistic eye. Sadly, that talent is off the table for other brides and grooms after a dust-up with two homosexual men. Although Nang and Chris didn't come right out and cite their religion for turning down the ceremony, they did explain that "Photographing a gay wedding is not the best match for us. However," [they said](http://live105.cbslocal.com/2014/11/17/bay-area-photographers-close-shop-after-refusing-to-shoot-local-gay-wedding-urloved/), "we can refer you to a colleague who would make a great match…" The men were so outraged that they launched a Facebook movement to shame UrLoved into submission.
It may be the start of a busy shopping season -- but not for ObamaCare. A year after the technical meltdown of the first launch, HHS took a second crack at opening enrollment for 2015. And while it's impossible to have a worse rollout than the nationwide health care collapse of 2014, the sequel isn't exactly drawing big crowds. Thirteen states launched their insurance portals Saturday, along with the federal exchange that serves the other 37.
People in D.C. are still on a high after Election Day -- but a handful of congressmen are hoping that high isn't permanent. As part of the District's ballot, voters gave the thumbs up to a marijuana proposal that just made the lame-duck session a little more interesting. Under Initiative 71, locals would have the right to both possess pot (two ounces) and grow it at home. Oregon and Alaska passed similar policies last Tuesday, but unlike the states', D.C.'s measure is subject to Congress's approval. And plenty of conservatives aren't likely to give it. Before the District even planted the policy on last week's ballot, Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) was trying to [put the brakes](http://washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/house-republican-vows-to-upend-dc-ballot-measure-legalizing-marijuana/2014/11/05/10304f2c-6508-11e4-9fdc-d43b053ecb4d_story.html) on the push from D.C. Now, with a major funding bill on the docket, Congressman Harris might finally have a way to give the city the oversight it desperately needs.
What's rarer than an honest politician? A lying one who admits it. That's essentially what ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber did in a viral video about the President's strategy for passing his signature policy. In it, he admits what shouldn't be news to anyone: that the legislation was built on a pack of lies and passed because too many Americans couldn't see through them. "Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage," Gruber said at a University of Pennsylvania lecture last year. "And basically, call it the 'stupidity of the American voter' or whatever, but basically that was really, really critical to getting the thing to pass." The bill, he explains, was intentionally written "in a tortured way" -- not just to confuse voters, but the government agencies pricing out the policy. Raising the hackles of voters everywhere, Gruber arrogantly praised the ploy, [saying](http://dailycaller.com/2014/11/11/gruber-now-accusing-gop-of-trying-to-confuse-people-about-obamacare/), "It's a very clever, you know, basic exploitation of the lack of economic understanding of the American voter."
Coming soon to a city near you: Houston Mayor Annise Parker's totalitarian tactics! Pastors and churches beware: leaders in Cleveland, Ohio obviously didn't learn anything from [the controversy in Texas](http://frc.org/washingtonupdate/houstunned-pastors-vow-to-fight-mayors-sermon-grab), or they might have reconsidered their latest "transgender-inclusion bathroom and locker room ordinance." Starting today, the city is kicking off a round of meetings on the special rights measure that, like Houston's and others', would give locals the right to use any facility they want regardless of their biological sex. "We have to get out of the mindset that someone is going into the bathroom to attack," one city leader said in response to very real fears that the rule would be an open invitation to sexual predators.
We were told that same-sex "marriage" was about building homes -- not destroying others'. Unfortunately, that's just another lie from a liberal movement bent on shattering Americans' freedom, their livelihoods, and now, their property. Like dozens of conservative businesses, the owner of Washington State's Arlene's Flowers is finding out exactly how low the Left is willing to sink to demand conformity on marriage. Barronelle Stutzman, who drew the Left's ire when she [politely declined](http://nydailynews.com/news/national/flower-shop-sued-shunning-gay-wedding-article-1.1321259) to make arrangements for a same-sex "wedding," has been bogged down in a legal fight for almost two years just for exercising her First Amendment rights in the marketplace. Now, that fight may cost Barronelle more than customers. According to Alliance Defending Freedom, it could cost Stutzman her home too. In a sick twist to an already outrageous case, long-time customer Robert Ingersoll and his partner are not only suing Arlene's Flowers -- but Barronelle personally.
While the GOP has plenty of victories to celebrate, their stubborn backing of far-Left Republicans isn't one of them. Against the wishes of their base, House leaders threw their support -- and plenty of cash -- at a handful of extreme anti-values candidates -- who, it turns out, no amount of money could make more attractive to conservatives. For all the talk of expanding the GOP tent, the openly homosexual trio of Carl DeMaio (Calif.), Richard Tisei (Mass.), and Dan Innis (N.H.) were just as unpopular with voters as they were unfaithful to key issues. In Oregon, the Republicans' same-sex "marriage" supporters fared just as poorly. Senate candidate Monica Wehby (R), a "social progressive" who made the redefinition of marriage a centerpiece of her campaign, lost handedly to the Democratic incumbent.
What was already a great week for conservatives just turned into an incredible one -- thanks to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Good news hasn't been easy to come by on marriage, but after big wins in the election, voters can finally celebrate one in the courts. After a couple of bright spots for states' rights in an otherwise gloomy year, two judges may have just turned the same-sex "marriage" debate on its head.
Republican voters don't just support natural marriage -- they expect their candidates to! That was abundantly clear Tuesday, when local exit polls starting streaming in. For conservatives, the data was a gold mine on social issues that will help debunk the Left's tall tales about the popularity of same-sex "marriage." In state after state, voters refused to give an inch on marriage -- and instead exposed how exaggerated the cultural shift has been. Despite what the media would have you believe, the public opinion battle has been a bigger one than the Left bargained for -- with most Americans' views barely budging on an institution the courts are so anxious to redefine. A month after a Pew poll showed support for same-sex "marriage" dipping, the issue was front and center in a few key Senate races -- including North Carolina, Iowa, and Arkansas.
President Obama has bailed out a lot of things in six years -- but [Tuesday] night, the Democratic Party wasn't one of them. By night's end, his policy failures accounted for one of the largest Republican waves to hit Capitol Hill since World War II, as the GOP won back control of Congress. With a 12-seat cushion in the House and seven-plus gains in the Senate, conservatives sent more Democrats packing than the city has moving vans. The message from an angry electorate was clear: the experiment in lawlessness has gone on long enough. And while Republicans were the beneficiaries of the country's outrage, Tuesday's victories were not so much an endorsement of the GOP as they were a repudiation of Senator Harry Reid's (D-Nev.).
Trinity Western University was supposed to make history -- instead, it's becoming a casualty of it. Canada's long tradition of pro-homosexual policies took another victim this month when officials in British Columbia refused to recognize graduates of TWU's School of Law because of its Christian roots. Plans to launch the school in 2016 hit a snag with the accreditation process in September once law societies realized the campus would be a religious one. "Trinity Western is open and welcome to all," said TWU spokesperson Guy Saffold. In particular, the provinces object to the school's biblical stance on homosexuality. Critics say TWU's statement of faith includes a line about reserving sexual intimacy for marriage, which they believe is the union of a man and woman. Unless cooler heads prevail, the school is prepared to go to the mat in court against the liberal-leaning Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Alamo may be the site of Texans' most famous stand -- but it wasn't the site of their last. Almost two hundred years later, the proud state is fighting another invasion -- this time, of religious intolerance. [Sunday] night, with thousands of people packing the pews of Grace Community Church -- and tens of thousands more at nearly 800 churches from all 50 states -- Houston sent a message to the nation: "Don't mess with the pulpits of America." For the city, the I Stand Sunday simulcast capped off a four-week roller coaster set in motion by open lesbian and Mayor Annise Parker. It started in May when her office inexplicably trashed more than 30,000 citizen petitions, which would have put her special rights ordinance where it belongs: on the ballot. "For 10 years, I was Governor of Arkansas," Mike Huckabee told the crowd [Sunday] night, "and it never occurred to me I could cancel an election because I thought maybe the results wouldn't be in my favor." When her actions triggered a lawsuit, the Mayor dug in deeper -- subpoenaing 17 forms of communication from area pastors as a tool of intimidation, despite the fact that these five pastors were never part of the lawsuit!
