President Obama may be gone, but his ghost continues to haunt the thousands of rules still governing how the agencies do business. A few days after the Trump White House shipped the school bathroom debate back to states, another transgender holdover from the 44th president cropped up — this time at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In another parting gift to his far-left friends, Obama made sure to tack on another guidance that’s just as dangerous as his Education mandate — maybe more so. Under the agency’s “Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity” policy, the department just opened the doors to gender-free shelters.

Much to the delight of Obama’s camp, the rule became final this month, giving LGBT activists something to cheer in an otherwise depressing week for their agenda. As part of the guidance, the government is ordering all of its properties to comply with “shared sleeping quarters or shared bathing facilities” — giving predators an even bigger foothold to exploit. And as usual, faith-based groups that partner with the federal government will have to comply — no matter what their moral objections may be. Although the policy has already gone into effect, Brian Sullivan of HUD’s Office of Public Affairs says that the agency is taking comments for the next two weeks on a second rule that would “‘require owners and operators of [Office of Community Planning and Development]-funded shelters, housing, buildings and other facilities’ to print and post a notice on bulletin boards or other public spaces where it can be seen by those seeking services,” The Weekly Standard reports.

Of course, the wrinkle in all of this is the confirmation of new HUD Secretary Ben Carson, a staunch conservative who’s expected to pass through the Senate this week. The question on everyone’s minds is not so much if, but when, the new boss will roll back the rules. “As to future regulatory action by HUD, I can’t say,” Sullivan told reporters. “We must digest the comments that would inform our future decisions … so stay tuned.” Obviously, the mop-up operation on Obama’s policies will continue for some time, since there’s no telling how many rules like this one are buried in regulations across the administration.

Fortunately, the Trump team seems determined to end the Obama-era social engineering that threatens our First Freedom. But as this edict from HUD once again reveals, nothing would be more helpful in this mop up process than an executive order protecting religious liberty. In so many ways, the success of Trump’s overall agenda depends on keeping this critical base of support — evangelicals — energized. He doesn’t want to repeat the mistake of George W. Bush, who in 2004 engaged the Christian community on the topic of marriage (even winning 19 percent of the African American vote in the critical swing state of Ohio) only to drop the issue after the election. Instead, he announced that social security reform would be the focus of his second term. And how did that turn out?

Right now, the most enthusiastic supporters of Trump are evangelicals, the same ones who helped deliver one of the most stunning upsets in election history. On Monday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer hinted at the possibility of tackling the issue. “I think we’ve discussed executive orders in the past, and for the most part, we’re not going to get into discussing what may or may not come until we’re ready to announce it,” Spicer said. “So, I’m sure as we move forward we’ll have something.” Fifty-six percent of Americans say Trump is delivering on his promises. Protecting religious liberty should be one of them.

Originally published here.

Stock and Awe: Target Shares Drop 25 Points

Just when you thought the news for Target couldn’t get any worse, it did. Turns out, families aren’t the only ones dumping the retailer — so are shareholders. In a report that’s “rattling Wall Street,” Target’s worst fears for the fourth quarter came true, with a stunning 43 percent decline in earnings. For the LGBT ally, the bleak outlook won’t improve anytime soon. Already, executives are warning of an “awful 2017,” thanks to the unpopular decision to turn fitting rooms and restrooms into a predator’s paradise.

Now that the stores are gender-free, they’re also becoming profit-free! When the numbers hit the wire, the Minneapolis-based company watched stocks take another tumble, dropping 13 percent before yesterday’s opening bell. CEO Brian Cornell, who saw shares freefall from more than $84 to $59 in a matter of months, has tried everything to revive sales — except the most obvious: nixing its unsafe bathroom and changing room policy. As usual, Cornell tried to deflect attention from the boycott and claimed, “Our fourth quarter results reflect the impact of rapidly-changing consumer behavior, which drove very strong digital growth but unexpected softness in our stores.”

That’s interesting, since this “rapidly-changing consumer behavior” hasn’t affected Walmart at all. In fact, sales at the retailer’s biggest competitor are climbing — and fast. Although Target’s team may be in denial about the boycott’s impact (at least publicly), investors agree “it’s at least part of the reason Target’s top line has been dwindling for most of the past few quarters.” And based on the latest polling, it’s no wonder. Americans by a two-to-one margin oppose extremism like Target’s. They overwhelmingly support common-sense bathroom, shower, and locker room policies that put safety and privacy first. Still, groups like the NCAA and NBA continue to thumb their nose at consumers and chase agendas that show just how far outside the mainstream they are. And what has it gotten them? A decline in respect — and more importantly, revenue.

Originally published here.

Brady’s Bunch Tries to Hurry Obamacare

Patience may be a virtue, but not where the health care debate is concerned. Like most Americans, President Trump is tired of waiting and itching to act on his biggest campaign promise: overturning Obamacare. For weeks, Republicans have gone back and forth on the intricacies of the plan to replace the 2010 failure. With touchy issues like Medicaid expansions, subsidies, tax breaks, and abortion coverage to navigate through, progress on the GOP’s alternative has been painfully slow.

But according to the White House, that changes now. It’s time to step on the accelerator, Trump told Congress. “The president today, in our meeting at the White House, asked Dr. Price that question [about the timeline for a replacement plan], and he said he’d have something out in three or four weeks,” Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-VA) told the press Monday. “And the president said, ‘I want to see it in two,’ or something like that.” That will mean more late nights for committee staff like Ways and Means. Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) wants to speed up the process as much as everyone, but says, “It is a little like turning a Rubik’s Cube, but we continue to bring specifications to them, they give us feedback, we make adjustments, they give us feedback. The drafts you’re seeing are pretty outdated in their numbers. It just is part of the routine process when you’re developing major changes to health care.” Getting the country’s governors and insurance companies on board has been a project in itself, leaders say. Trump met with both groups in the past few days, reassuring major players like UnitedHealth Group, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Anthem, Kaiser Permanente that he takes their concerns over Obamacare seriously.

But as crucial as it is to get the alternative right, conservatives should be focused on the biggest priority: repealing the law they’re trying to replace! Time is ticking on the window for budget reconciliation — the strategy Republicans used in 2015 to put a bill gutting Obamacare and cutting of the bulk of taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood on the president’s desk. If congressional leaders aren’t careful, they’ll be too obsessed with the solution to deal with the initial problem: the law in question. Help us nudge members in the right direction. If you haven’t contacted your elected officials about moving the budget reconciliation bill (and even if you have!), now is the time. The clock is running out on the most important decision for a generation: toppling Obamacare and defunding Planned Parenthood. Tell them to move on reconciliation — before it’s too late!

Originally published here.

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