When members of Congress flew back to DC yesterday, they had some interesting reading material: A new Obamacare replacement bill. After a seesaw month that saw Republicans write and rewrite the text, the GOP is hinting that it may have the plan voters are waiting for. In the language that ping-ponged over to the House from the Senate Budget Committee Saturday night, conservatives will be happy to know that the plan empties more than $390 million from Planned Parenthood’s federal bank account.

And the savings in human life is only part of the equation. Under this text, the costs passed on to everyday Americans — which was the major sticking point for the House Freedom Caucus — would also come down. No wonder President Trump was tweeting over the weekend. “Obamacare is in serious trouble,” he posted. “The Dems need big money to keep it going — otherwise it dies far sooner than anyone would have thought.” For Republicans, who’ve tried for eight years to undo the law strangling our economy, the compromise language can’t come soon enough. Just shy of Trump’s 100 days in office, the House can kick off debate on a bill that finally ends the forced partnership between taxpayers and Planned Parenthood. Finally, Congress would redirect that money to community health centers, which serve almost 20 million more patients than Cecile Richards’s group — and offer a lot more life-preserving services in the process!

And for the nervous insiders out there who know that the pro-life language has to be ruled germane by the parliamentarian, this text is identical to the provision that complied with the Senate’s Byrd Rule two years ago. What’s more, the American Health Care Act (AHCA) also stamps out the employer and individual mandate fines, which would finally give people the right to stop offering or buying coverage that violates their conscience. As far as the other pro-life provisions go, there are abortion restrictions on tax credits, the Patient and State Stability Fund, and the Federal Invisible Risk Sharing Program. All in all, it’s a slam dunk for protecting human life. Even better, we’re confident that these funding bans are budgetary, which would help them survive any challenge under the Byrd Rule. If, by some change, the Senate parliamentarian rules that they don’t qualify under the Byrd test, we won’t support the bill.

For now, though, we applaud the conservative members who have been working around the clock to ensure that the replace portions of the repeal bill are not only pro-life but pro-family. The liberal media thinks GOP leaders don’t have the time or the stomach to tackle Obamacare this week. But if there’s one thing this president relishes, it’s proving his critics wrong. Help conservatives push this eight-year goal across the finish line and give the country a victory almost a decade in the making! Click here to contact your member of Congress and urge them to back the AHCA!

Originally published here.

100 Days of Our Lives…

The Left may not like the job President Trump is doing, but the people who hired him for it are sure happy! Despite all the hype about Trump’s unpopularity, even the latest Washington Post/ABC poll shows what a convenient soundbite that is. The reality is, the White House’s new occupant couldn’t be more popular with the people who voted for him — sporting a 94 percent approval rating heading into his first big milestone: 100 days in office.

To his base, President Trump hasn’t just met expectations — he’s exceeded them. Pro-lifers, in particular, have a lot to cheer after two terms of the most ruthless abortion ally in history. From reinstating the ban on overseas abortion promotion and funding to giving states the right to sever ties with Planned Parenthood, President Trump is keeping faith with his base — not just with his commitment to fulfill his promises, but the incredible speed at which he’s doing it. Mick Mulvaney, who directs the Office of Management and Budget, pushed back on the Left’s criticism. “What I think folks don’t realize is that we’ve signed more legislation into law in the first 100 days than anybody in the last 50 years. We put up more executive orders than any previous administration in the last 50 years.” He’s inked his name on 28 bills (the most since President Roosevelt), 24 executive orders, 22 presidential memorandums, and 20 proclamations.

But, as the president himself pointed out on Twitter, “No matter how much I accomplish during the ridiculous standard of the first 100 days, & it has been a lot (including the Supreme Court), media will kill!” Of course, the best way to judge Trump should be his judge — Neil Gorsuch, a proud originalist who now sits on America’s highest court for life. In that single appointment, President Trump has done more for the country — and constitutional governance — than some presidents will do in their entire term.

But as appreciative as conservatives are for the missile strikes, health care negotiations, and a powerful roll back of Obama’s transgender bathroom and shower mandate, there’s still work to be done. At the top of the list? An executive order protecting what the First Amendment already gave us: religious liberty. Conservative leaders want it. Almost 20 U.S. senators have called for it. And the attack on so many innocent Christians demands it. As we celebrate the accomplishments of the first 100 days, we’ll keep encouraging the administration to push forward on another one: protecting and upholding Americans’ freedom to live according to their faith, and as the Constitution provides.

For more on Trump’s first few months, check out the new column by FRC’s Ken Blackwell, “The First 100 Days to Securing America.”

Originally published here.

A Role Model Gone, but Not Forgotten

The conservative movement lost a feisty, principled, and gracious friend this weekend when Kate O'Beirne lost her quiet struggle with lung cancer. A role model for young women everywhere, Kate was a fixture on the Washington scene from the days of Ronald Reagan. The devout Catholic, who was well known for her time on CNN’s “Capital Gang,” left a deep impression for her work at National Review, Heritage Foundation, and Washington magazine.

Many of us at FRC knew Kate well and admired her outspoken beliefs. We’d have the opportunity to catch up over the Leadership Institute’s weekly lunches, and FRC Action had the privilege of hearing her speak at our first-ever Values Voter Summit. As Jonah Goldberg wrote of his beloved colleague, “She despised modern feminism, but was no demure wallflower. She was what an earlier generation might have called a ‘terrific Dame,’ of the sort one might find in a Frank Capra movie. And she shared, along with her husband Jim, a Capraesque love for her country and its best self. She was a career woman and a devoted mom, a fierce ideological warrior and loving wife…”

But more than that, she poured her wisdom into the next generation of conservatives. “She mentored a generation of young writers, policymakers and politicians — particularly young women who simultaneously believed in ‘traditional values’ but also sought to make a mark in the world in their own right. She modeled that balance in her own life with joy and wisdom and she helped countless others follow in her footsteps.” We send our heartfelt prayers to the O'Beirne family, recognizing that while Kate’s life is over, her legacy is just beginning.

Originally published here.

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