Unfortunately for Congress, August wasn’t exactly a slow news month. Long before Hurricane Harvey, leaders were already bracing for a rough re-entry to DC. Now, the Texas crisis is just part of the puzzle both parties will have to solve in the frantic weeks leading up to September 30. With big-ticket items like the debt ceiling, appropriations, and government funding looming, members knew they wouldn’t have the luxury of easing back into their routines.

With the health care debate chewing up most of the August clock, the House and Senate returned to a Capitol that probably has more deadlines than tourists. The Houston disaster is foremost on everyone’s minds and will likely take center stage today when Congress rushes through its $8 billion relief package. And as far as some people are concerned, that bipartisan push may be exactly what the doctor ordered to get both sides working together before a long list of September challenges. “There’s reason to hope that in the wake of the tragedy in Texas … there will be a renewed sense of community and common purpose that can help get things done,” said one Republican.

Well, if there’s one thing the two parties have in common, it’s the enormous chores awaiting them. The term “multi-tasking” won’t begin to describe what needs to happen on Capitol Hill just to keep the lights on. Leaders have 25 days to approve a spending bill before the government runs out of cash — which puts leaders back in the familiar position of either slapping a short-term Band-Aid on the problem (in the form of a continuing resolution) or take the unusual step of finalizing its budgets for the year.

Compared to past congresses, GOP leaders have been surprisingly efficient at the spending process — but eight appropriations bills are still waiting their turn on the floor. Since July, House chairmen have been busy bundling all of them into one “minibus” called the Making America Secure and Prosperous Act (H.R. 3354). For values voters, the package contains a lot of the change voters were hoping for — including pro-life provisions, conscience rights, abortion funding bans, sexual risk avoidance (abstinence) grants, and some deep cuts to Planned Parenthood and UNFPA.

Of course, to find the money to foot these budgets, Congress is going to have to find a way to pay its other bills. This month, those also come due — bringing with it a massive debate over the U.S. debt ceiling and what leaders can do to stop America from defaulting. For years, Republicans have tried to draw a line in the sand on the country’s borrowing. In exchange for raising America’s credit limit, conservatives have pushed for serious and meaningful spending reforms — sometimes successfully, other times not. Hurricane Harvey may complicate those efforts, since the price tag is high — and climbing fast. One thing’s for sure: America can’t continue on this unsustainable path of IOUs. The time to rein in spending is now.

One of the easiest ways to do that, as we’ve said for eight years, is to repeal Obamacare. Even that’s still on the table, at least until September 30, when the Senate parliamentarian has ruled that the window on this reconciliation season will officially close. FRC has been supportive of the Graham-Cassidy bill, but it’s still unclear whether Republicans picked up the 50 votes they need for a measure to be brought back to the Senate floor. And while the media is insisting the sun is setting on health care reform, the reality is that Congress can open the door for a new reconciliation process to start once it moves its FY 2018 budget. We (and that includes you!) need to encourage Congress to defund Planned Parenthood — but if that doesn’t happen on the FY 2017 legislation, then the good news is that it can be added to the coming year’s. But the sooner Republicans act, the better. Who knows how many unborn lives are hanging in the balance, just waiting for leaders to act? Even one is motivation enough.

On top of all that, there’s tax reform, immigration, North Korea, and the National Defense Authorization bill, to name a few. If you thought the summer was hectic on the Hill, buckle up!

Originally published here.

America Prays for Houston

In the seemingly endless stream of heartbreaking photos from Hurricane Harvey, it’s easy to feel helpless in the face of such devastation. But, as President Trump reminded us last weekend, there’s one thing every American can do — regardless of their financial capacity or location. Pray. And this White House led the way, proclaiming Sunday a National Day of Prayer for the millions of victims from August’s storm. It was a deeply meaningful display of this president’s priorities — and his recognition that the challenges America faces are far beyond anything we’re capable of overcoming on our own. As a nation, we need leaders who recognize and understand the true source of our hope and strength. For almost 250 years, that’s what’s set America apart — its acknowledgement that we are a nation under God. We’re profoundly grateful that Donald Trump understands that the Lord alone can bring healing and restoration.

“From the beginning of our Nation, Americans have joined together in prayer during times of great need, to ask for God’s blessings and guidance. This tradition dates to June 12, 1775, when the Continental Congress proclaimed a day of prayer following the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and April 30, 1789, when President George Washington, during the Nation’s first Presidential inauguration, asked Americans to pray for God’s protection and favor,” the proclamation read.

“I urge Americans of all faiths and religious traditions and backgrounds to offer prayers today for all those harmed by Hurricane Harvey, including people who have lost family members or been injured, those who have lost homes or other property, and our first responders, law enforcement officers, military personnel, and medical professionals leading the response and recovery efforts. Each of us, in our own way, may call upon our God for strength and comfort during this difficult time. I call on all Americans and houses of worship throughout the Nation to join in one voice of prayer, as we seek to uplift one another and assist those suffering from the consequences of this terrible storm.”

Elsewhere, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) had a message of his own. At Hyde Park Baptist Church, the governor reminded Texans, “Through the storm, He is Lord — and that is exactly what we have seen in the past week.” From Dallas shelters to waterlogged churches in Houston, people responded — bowing their knee to our “very present help in trouble.” At my own church in Baton Rouge, where people are still recovering from the 2016 flood that ravaged homes and communities, I led the congregation in prayer — asking God to move in the hearts of people to bring about the unity our nation so desperately needs to unite and overcome.

Like President Trump, we’re grateful for so many of you who are not only praying but volunteering or giving generously to the cause. If you want to join other Christians across the country in supporting the faith-based organizations that are working on the ground to meet basic needs of Texas families, we encourage you to donate to Samaritan’s Purse or our friends at Grace Church in Houston who are helping families in their community.

Originally published here.

Rocklin Is Roiling After Trans School Lesson

Most kindergartners can’t even say “transgender,” let alone understand it. That hasn’t mattered to the politically correct administrators at California’s Rocklin Academy, where they believe “education” includes reintroducing boys as girls in front of a class of five-year-olds. Moms and dads were horrified to learn that wasn’t all that happened at the popular charter school, where kids were also brainwashed with gender-confused books and stories without ever notifying parents.

Fortunately, Rocklin officials don’t seem to be getting away with the indoctrination, which has forced the principal to play public defense since the issue was brought to light at the end of the last school year. Parents are pulling their children out of the school — and fast, according to The Washington Times. Already, 11 families have transferred their kids out of Rocklin, and Karen England, the director of the pro-family Capitol Resource Institute, believes that’s just the beginning. “There may be more — I just found out about another one today,” she said. “A lot of parents are just finding out about this, so it’s just the beginning.”

Despite the mass exodus, the school doesn’t appear to be learning its lesson. “For context, there are 1,280 students at Rocklin Academy,” a spokeswoman told the Times. “So [it’s] not a phenomenon,” she insisted (in obvious damage control mode). In Washington, DC, where parents are equally upset at the reading of the kids’ book I Am Jazz, one father was told by the principal, “The book used is one that is a respected text in honoring the diversity of our children. It is a text that explains a real situation that many children face in self-acceptance, acceptance by others, and being true to themselves. We feel the classroom is the appropriate place to share such messages.” But if the book were as respected as he suggests, why not let the parents decide? Or, at the very least, know?

In the weeks and months since the firestorm, Rocklin parents are in such an uproar that the school board is holding a special meeting to discuss the matter September 18. Maybe there, officials will hear reports like this one from the American College of Pediatricians, which calls the school’s gender ideology “child abuse.”

Even if these children manage to escape the propaganda unscathed, liberals in California are trying to ensure that there’s an even bigger hurdle waiting. Under a new bill just introduced in the state senate, locals would actually be punished with jail time for not using the correct pronoun for the gender-confused. Buried in a long-term care measure, State Sen. Scott Weiner is suggesting California put people behind bars for referring to a patient based on their actual gender! “If passed into law,” reporters explain, “the policy would punish nursing home and long-term care workers who refuse to call patients by their preferred pronouns with fines of up to $1,000, or jail time for up to a year, or both.” As if that weren’t radical enough, SB 219 would also mandate that facilities open their restroom doors to people of both genders!

The California Catholic Conference, which is just one of the organizations fighting the idea, points out another major problem with the legislation — which is that it would threaten the faith-based institutions with deep convictions about human sexuality. “Compelled speech is not free speech,” argued the California Family Council’s Greg Burt. “Can the government compel a newspaper to use certain pronouns that aren’t even in the dictionary? Of course not, or is that coming next?”

Remember when the Left promised that same-sex marriage wasn’t going to affect you? Two years removed from the Supreme Court ruling that forced this redefinition on the nation, Americans are finally realizing that it’s not simply about love. If it were, the people who love God would be treated with the same degree of tolerance as everyone else.

Originally published here.

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