If you thought shoppers were putting a lot on their credit cards this Christmas, it’s nothing compared to what the U.S. government is charging. Based on the 1,603-page CRomnibus, the only thing more loaded with goodies than Santa’s sleigh might be this spending bill. And with barely a day and a half to read it, there’s no telling how much will go unnoticed in the race to make a deal. Most members were up late combing through the text, trying to decide if they’ll hold their nose and vote for the deal, which could be on the floor early as tomorrow.

As usual, the spending bonanza is the byproduct of hasty and irresponsible governing – a trend the new Congress pledges to stop. For now, writes John Hayward, the bill will probably be “good enough for the permanent Beltway culture, which will be riding… down streets coated with a fresh blizzard of taxpayer dollars, jingling all the way.” From upping the limit of political contributions to saving the rhinos (or is it RINOs?), the package is exhibit A (B, C, D, E…) why we need new leadership in Washington that stops cheating Americans and starts fighting for them. As we mentioned yesterday, the bill does put a freeze on Homeland Security funding after February 27, giving the Republican majority a chance to beat back the President’s lawless order on amnesty.

And while the CRomnibus is chock-full of gifts most taxpayers don’t want, the news isn’t all bad. Thanks in part to FRC, whose government affairs team works year-round to hold the line on appropriations bills, all of the existing pro-life language was protected. Unfortunately, conservatives did fall short on one of the biggest priorities of the year: ANDA, the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act. Although the measure didn’t make it in the final proposal, leaders did include what’s called “reporting language,” which puts HHS on notice that it needs to respond to claims about conscience violations (like the abortion mandate in California). Our friends also slipped in a warning to insurance companies that they need to provide more transparency on the abortion coverage in their health care policies – a nod to Rep. Chris Smith’s (R-N.J.) Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act.

In a move that took some people by surprise, the bill does block the city of D.C. from legalizing recreational marijuana – undoing a voter referendum that passed easily on Election Day. To the cheers of conservatives everywhere, the House bill also slashes $345 million from the IRS budget – exacting a steep price for its years of corruption and conservative targeting. Most parents would agree that taxpayers’ money would be better spent teaching children a value that Congress still hasn’t learned: self-control. Six years after President Obama zeroed out abstinence education, Congress is giving state programs a boost. Although it’s still pennies compared to the Left’s radical sex-ed machine, the CRomnibus gives abstinence supporters some much-needed help.

For now, the biggest guessing game isn’t how long the deal will take, but how many members will back it. Nothing is certain on a Hill where conservatives are digging in and threatening to vote against the long-term bill in favor of a shorter measure that would let them take up a new budget in the New Year.

Razorbacks Roll Back LGBT Ordinance

Arkansas voters got an early Christmas present late yesterday, when Fayetteville put the city council on notice that it wouldn’t tolerate a Houston-type ordinance. In an incredible victory, voters turned out in droves – even in an ultra-liberal college town – to roll back a measure that would have given locals the “right” to use either gender’s bathroom, shower, locker room, or any other public facility of their choosing.

After collecting more than 5,000 petitions, the issue was put to a public vote yesterday – and despite the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) sending activists and $200,000 to protect the anti-religious freedom ordinance, it was soundly rejected by 52% of locals. Like us, they see right through this “non-discrimination” ploy to the real goal: strong-arming and silencing men and women who hold natural views of sexuality. Under Ordinance 119, the city would have actually invented a special position dedicated to investigating complains of LGBT prejudice.

Thanks to our friends on the ground and the FRC Action and Church Ministries teams, there was a groundswell of opposition to the measure, which would have created a dangerous precedent by which Christian businessmen, wedding vendors, and other believers could have been punished simply for living out their faith. Let’s hope last night’s message is heard loud and clear by the forces of political correctness who are moving stealthily through city councils near you. You can fight city hall – and win!

Ranger Danger! Army Chaplain Fights Censorship

His name is David Fivecoat, but the Army Colonel may as well be a turncoat to religious liberty. The Commander of the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade at Fort Benning is quickly becoming the face of the military censorship problem, as a shocking new story breaks about his treatment of a Georgia base chaplain.

At a training session on suicide prevention, Chaplain Joseph Lawhorn told soldiers about his own struggles with depression and how faith helped him through. At one point, he even offered the attendees a two-sided handout that included resources for struggling service members – some religious, some not. Apparently, that was enough to land the Chaplain in his Commander’s office on Thanksgiving Day, where he was personally handed a “Letter of Concern” accusing him of unlawfully proselyting.

Lawhorn was speechless. In the letter, Col. Fivecoat claims it was unacceptable for the Chaplain to list “Army resources on one side and a biblical approach to handling depression on the other side.” “This made it impossible,” he argued, “for those in attendance to receive the information without also receiving the biblical information.”

The controversy was so outrageous that it caught Rep. Doug Collins’s (R-Ga.) attention. “I find it counterintuitive to have someone lead a suicide prevention course but prohibit them from providing their personal testimony,” the Congressman, who is also a reserve military chaplain and represents the district that includes Fort Benning, wrote.

At a time when the military is dealing with a crisis of confidence, morale, sexual assault, and suicide, deemphasizing faith – and the peace and comfort it offers – is not only ridiculous, but dangerous. More of our brave men and women in the military today are committing suicide than dying in combat. That means our greatest enemy is no longer war but anger and depression. And what better way to fight that enemy than encouraging spiritual and emotional wellness?

Unfortunately, a growing number of military officials under the Obama administration no longer see it that way and mistake religious expression as the threat – not a solution. For now, Chaplain Lawhorn has no choice but to fight the letter, hiring our good friends at Liberty Institute to bring the constitutional clarity this commander sorely needs. “Not only is it lawful for a chaplain to talk about matters of faith and spirituality and religion in a suicide prevention training class – but the Army policy encourages discussion of matters of faith and spirituality,” Michael Berry explained. “The fact that one person in the class was offended changes nothing.”

This is a publication of the Family Research Council. Mr. Perkins is president of FRC.