The coffee was hot — and the debate was even hotter at the unofficial slumber party of the U.S. House: the annual mark-up of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). While the rest of the city slept, more than 60 members of the House Armed Services Committee slogged through hundreds of amendments until the wee hours, hoping to keep one of Congress’s longest streaks alive. For more than 50 years, the House has managed to pass the military’s appropriations bill — even when other spending bills stalled or fell through the cracks. [Wednesday] night, the House’s graveyard shifters did their part to keep the record intact, working an exhausting 16-hour day until finally — at 2:34 a.m. — the committee gaveled out.

Short on sleep but high on support, the bleary-eyed members managed to send the $610 billion measure out of committee and on to the floor by a 60-2 vote. But not every aspect of the bill was as popular as the final tally suggests. A series of fiery debates lasted until early Thursday morning, as members duked it out over the political hot potatoes of immigration and the space race to confederate flags and everything in between. Once again, conservatives beat back the attack on pro-life laws, sending Rep. Jackie Speier’s (D-Calif.) amendment to let the people protecting our lives choose death for their unborn children — at the military’s expense. By a 25-37 vote, Republicans held the line on abortions at military installations, keeping the ban in place despite the Left’s yearly barrage.

Rep. Steve Russell (R-Okla.) did the First Amendment a favor by introducing a measure that gives military contractors the same religious liberty as the rest of America. Under an amendment that passed 33-29, businesses that partner with the government will have the same conscience rights as everyone else. But perhaps the biggest showdown of the night came at the request of Iraq veteran Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), who tried to smoke out any Democrats willing to force America’s daughters into harm’s way as part of the draft. Could they really stomach the idea of putting women in a “real war,” as he called it, where they’d be put in the infantry with the mission to “rip the enemies’ throats out?” But what started as a discussion-starter ended up as a passed amendment (32-30) — which was hardly, Hunter pointed out, his intent. Obviously, he said, he only introduced the language to see if Democrats were really willing to go down this dangerous road with our daughters.

Never underestimate the extremism of the Left, it turns out, because they (and six Republicans) did. “While you may be offering this as a ‘gotcha’ amendment, I would suggest there is great merit,” Rep. Speier argued, saying later that she would be “delighted” to draft women against their will. But not every liberal shared her enthusiasm. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) voted with her party but admitted, “I would much rather have someone who I know wants to be there, someone who is trained, who is highly capable, and who is a professional warrior, to have my back.” Most of us would agree that it’s one thing to let our daughters choose the military life — and quite another to force them into front line combat.

As disappointing as the Democrats’ position is, it’s hardly surprising. After all, this is the party that wants to eliminate every gender distinction. The same liberals who want to put our daughters in harm’s way in battle want to put them in harm’s way in public bathrooms! This is the natural consequence of a nation idolizing equality with no thought to the practical or social outcomes. This provides one of the clearest contrast between the political Left and Right. We can still value women and respect their differences, of which there are many. Liberals, on the other hand, believe that if they’re equal in value then they can be equal in construct too. But in matters of life and death, we don’t do our daughters any favors by pretending that their bodies and emotions are the same as men.

That’s a dangerous view, which, Marine Commandant Robert Neller pointed out, could cost all of our troops dearly in the end. “I’ve talked to coffeehouse liberals in San Francisco and conservative families who pray three times a day,” Hunter said during the mark-up. “And neither of those groups want their daughter to be drafted. This should not be a unilateral decision made by the commander in chief. This should be our decisions after speaking to our families.”

Fortunately, the matter is far from settled. The committee’s amendment will face stiffer odds on the House floor, where most conservatives won’t fall into the Left’s politically correct trap like Republicans Joe Heck (Nev.), Walter Jones (N.C.), Chris Gibson (N.Y.), Martha McSally (Ariz.), Sam Graves (Mo.), and Steve Knight (Calif.). Sparing our daughters from the horrors of combat is not some rigid and oppressive attempt to stifle women; it’s an informed, compassionate position based on volumes of research and centuries of fighting. In a party obsessed with “choice,” it’s amazing that Democrats don’t think women should have one on whether or not to serve in the military.

Originally published here.

A Tennessee Titan on Conscience

Julea Ward was just a few credits away from her counseling degree when Eastern Michigan University expelled her. As part of her final practicum, the school assigned Julea to a homosexual case study. As a Christian, Julea didn’t think that she could see the student — not because she didn’t want to help, but because she didn’t want to affirm his lifestyle. After consulting her supervisor, Julea referred the student to another counselor — which is, as her attorneys pointed out, “a common, professional practice.” Now in Tennessee, it’s also a legal one. Thanks to Governor Bill Haslam (R-Tenn.), no therapist will have to suffer like Julea did.

Under the bill he just signed into law, counselors don’t have to make the choice between their practice and their principles. H.B. 1840 is just one in a long line of state defenses to the sexual bullying of the Left. Although Tennessee’s bill is the first of its kind, the ongoing battle between religious liberty and LGBT activists guarantee it won’t be the last. After the American Counseling Association stripped counselors’ rights to act according to their beliefs, Tennessee leaders stepped in to give them the protection they deserve. As part of H.B. 1840, no private practice therapist can be forced to take on a client who has “goals, outcomes, or behaviors that conflict with [the counselor’s] sincerely-held principles.”

That used to be common sense. Not anymore! Americans are being punished at an alarming rate for daring to live out their beliefs in the workplace. And Christian counselors are one of the growing targets. “As a professional,” Governor Haslam argued, “I should have the right to decide if my clients’ end goals don’t match with my beliefs — I should have the right to say somebody else can better serve them. Lawyers can do that. Doctors can do that. Why would we take this one class of professionals and say you can’t?”

Unfortunately, that’s exactly the kind of ideological coercion the Left is trying to make official U.S. policy. In their intolerance, liberals are demanding a new system of involuntary servitude — and they want the state to enforce it. Tolerance isn’t a one-way street — and laws like Tennessee’s make sure of it. Our thanks to Governor Haslam for doing the right thing — not just for counselors, but for liberty.

Originally published here.

Congress Comes to FRC!

Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-Nebr.) joined us [yesterday] for a Family Policy Lecture on the genocide taking place in the Middle East. Along with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), last fall the Congressman introduced H.Con.Res. 75, which unanimously passed the House and ultimately led to Secretary of State Kerry’s March 17th Genocide Declaration. During his remarks, Congressman Fortenberry thanked FRC and our partner organizations for helping to create the political climate that made these events possible.

Among other things, he described the “scandal of silence” which has long surrounded ISIS’s systematic extermination of Christians, Yazidis, and other minority groups in Iraq and Syria, allowing evil to flourish. Pivoting to discuss next steps, he made it clear that the genocide resolution is not an end, but rather a beginning, serving not only to expose and define ISIS’s actions over the last several years, but also to lay a groundwork for future plans of what should be in the Middle East. Congressman Fortenberry outlined a strategy to restore the rich tapestry of religious diversity which has long characterized and stabilized the Middle East; a long-term plan to restore the region and make possible the return of those who wish to once again live in their homeland. Congressman Fortenberry’s hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska has the largest population of Yazidis who have fled ISIS and settled in the United States. He has been privileged to spend time with these new Americans, and he spoke movingly of their humanity, their desire for peace, and the hope they and their families in the Middle East feel because of Congress’s recent recognition of their plight. In closing, the Congressman spoke candidly about the long road ahead, but his energy and resolve to continue working on behalf of ISIS’s victims was evident.

Speaking of religious liberty, FRC’s Travis Weber is attending a conference at the U.N. hosted by the Holy See and several NGOs to draw attention to the plight of Christians around the world. Much of the discussion is focused on the genocide against Christians, Yazidis, and others in the Middle East, and what steps to take next. There have been powerful testimonies, including an encouraging one from a missionary in Syria regarding Christians in Aleppo returning to God and actually now walking closer with God due to ISIS’s actions.

Originally published here.