The thousands of Middle East families living in tattered refugee tents barely have food — let alone televisions — but you can bet they were cheering the news of Donald Trump’s election. Driven out of their villages if they were lucky (and hunted if they weren’t), local Christians have been hanging on for survival by a thread. As ISIS marches across the dusty roads of biblical times, believers of our ancient faith are desperate for help from the United States. For seven years, Barack Obama wouldn’t even acknowledge the crisis, let alone do anything about it. But that only meant that Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) worked harder. After seeing the conditions of these camps, he was absolutely determined to get the U.S. government to act.

And three years, nine hearings, and one new president later, he may finally get his wish. Tuesday, after one of the longest paths to passage, New Jersey’s longtime human rights advocate watched as the House passed his Iraq and Syrian Genocide Accountability Act, giving fresh hope to the suffering Christians in filthy, dangerous, and starving camps in the heart of ISIS country. Rep. Smith is hoping to right the wrong of the Obama administration, which intentionally withheld government aid from faith-based aid groups. Powered exclusively by private donations, a lot of these organizations still managed to meet the need of the 12,000 families in Iraq and Syria. But their bank accounts are almost empty — along with the camps’ cupboards. As Rep. Smith told me on Tuesday’s “Washington Watch,” the relief groups are almost completely out of meals because the American government bypassed them for funding.

I’ve [spent so much time on the] issue of genocide and the fact that so many Christians have not gotten assistance. This ensures that they get it. And I went there right before Christmas, and I went to the displaced persons camp, one of them in Erbil, Iraq, and I was shocked to see all of these kids and all of these families and no U.S. assistance. Private charities stepped up to the plate, but we know that church leaders have been triaging the money over the last several years, including right now in terms of food, aid, and medicines because the U.S. government has refused to assist them.

When Rep. Smith landed in Iraq last December, he was shocked to learn that U.S. officials were so disinterested in the plight of these families that they hadn’t made the 10-minute drive to visit the closest camp. Unfortunately, the only thing President Obama seemed passionate about was letting other Syrians stream into the country unchecked, slamming the door in the face of the thousands of Christians desperate for a safe place to start over.

Like us, Congressman Smith is anxious to seize the moment and shrug off the indifference of the last eight years. The bill, he explains, “is a blueprint for how to assist Christians and other genocide survivors and hold perpetrators accountable.” Among other things, it would jumpstart the asylum process for religious minorities — but not in a way that would leave the U.S. vulnerable. “Everyone will have to go through a vetting process,” the congressman reassured people. But in a big departure from the past, the U.S. would cut through the red tape of the UN and actually conduct the first interview for refugees overseas. Not only would H.R. 390 speed up the application process, but it would also prosecute those committing war crimes against Christians and fund relief efforts for survivors of Middle East genocide.

Despite the horrors they’ve seen, Rep. Smith is amazed by their perseverance. “We heard repeatedly from Christians themselves … how their faith is undiminished. They are strong, they’re resilient. They love the Lord. They’ve been traumatized by beheadings and rapes, loss of loved ones. Their churches [have] been firebombed, exploded, even booby trapped if they try to go back and yet their faith like persecuted Christians in the First Century [is] stronger than ever.” Let’s hope the United States Senate puts feet to those prayers and sends a bill to the president that helps who his predecessor would not. Contact your senators here and urge them to move quickly on the Iraq and Syrian Genocide Accountability Act.

Originally published here.

July Fireworks for Privacy Bill

If you thought summer was heating up in Texas, you should see its politics! Tuesday, in a much-cheered development, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) listened to his state and decided to call a special legislative session — aimed, in part, at passing the Texas Privacy Act that the Republican House Speaker Joe Straus had bottled up in committee. “I’m announcing a special session to complete that unfinished business,” he told reporters. “But if I’m going to ask taxpayers to foot the bill for a special session, I intend to make it count.”

Although the “overtime” session could cover as many as 19 issues, none will get more attention than the state’s gender-specific bathroom, locker room, and shower bill. “At a minimum, we need a law that protects the privacy of our children in our public schools,” Abbott told reporters, reiterating his support for a proposal that would give the state full authority over every local bathroom policy. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who has been the voice of reason on the Texas Privacy Act, had been pushing intently for the issue to be resolved. In a statement, he congratulated the governor on his “big and bold special session agenda which solidly reflects the priorities of the people of Texas.”

According to a statewide survey, 80 percent of Republicans and a solid majority of Democrats (54 percent) support the privacy protections that House moderates tried to sabotage. Thank goodness the governor listened to voters instead of hypocritical business leaders, who insisted Texas do what most, if not all, of their offices have not: opened their restroom and changing room doors to anyone, regardless of gender. Without a privacy law, the potential threats will remain — not just from the federal government, but from local governments and school districts in Texas that might adopt policies that put “gender identity” above personal safety.

We applaud Gov. Abbott and the persistence of Lt. Gov. Patrick for taking the concerns of parents and citizens seriously! Let’s hope that the legislators follow suit and give every Texan a right they should never have to earn: the right to privacy.

Originally published here.

How the Western Wall Was Won

Israelis are no stranger to war. And 50 years ago yesterday, they won one of their most significant: establishing control over the Old City after almost 2,000 years. Jerusalem Day, as it’s called, is a celebration of the June day in 1967 when the Jewish people, who were barred from their holiest sites, finally won back their homeland. In what most people, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, call a “miracle,” Israeli paratroopers battled their way to the city without using a bit of artillery.

The Jerusalem Post remembers “Israeli Army Radio broadcast a cry now famous in the annals of Israeli history — ‘Har Habayit Beyadenu, Har Habayit Beyadenu!’ — the Temple Mount is in our hands, the Temple Mount is in our hands! Paratroopers and Israeli army officials streamed into the Old City to pray at the Western Wall, and hung an Israeli flag on the Temple Mount. For the first time in 2,000 years, Jerusalem was reunited under Jewish sovereignty.” “The war brought us back to our homeland, back to the inheritance of our patriarchs, in the heart of which is a united Jerusalem,” said Netanyahu, who joined the army two months after the war.

The U.S. Senate made a point of commemorating the day with a special resolution. “In honor of this significant anniversary for our close ally, many Senators from both sides of the aisle are joining together in a resolution to mark the occasion today,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said. While we know that Israel continues to face a number of threats, bipartisan passage of this resolution will serve as yet another indication of the United States’ commitment to standing by our Israeli friends. In the House, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) hosted a special Capitol event with Ambassador Ron Dermer and Prime Minister Netanyahu (who joined by live video). Watch the event here.

Having worked with members of the IDF during my time in anti-terrorism, the devotion and determination was evident, and now having had the opportunity to spend time in Israel, their vigilance is understood.

Originally published here.

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