In 11 days, Americans could be waking up to a very different country. While no one’s sure what November 6th holds, we do know one thing: the two parties vying for Congress couldn’t have more contrasting views. After two years of slashing taxes, beefing up the military, rolling back radicalism, and putting America first, voters know what to expect from Republicans. But what would 2019 look like with “Speaker” back in front of Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) name? “Collateral damage,” she says. And a lot of it.

The California Democrat never defined what she meant, but her party has dropped plenty of hints. The far-Left is coming for the conservative agenda — and not a single portion won’t feel the effects. In their own words, here are some of the changes in store for America under a Democratic-controlled House or Senate — or both.

IMPEACHMENT

Some Democrats have gone to great lengths to avoid the “I-word,” but it’s not because they aren’t thinking it. On a conference call with House Democrats over the summer, Pelosi told leaders to keep quiet on their intentions until after the midterms. Others are less careful. “I think the president has to realize that the countdown to impeachment has already started,” Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) said bluntly. “He, at some point, will have to choose if he will face impeachment or if he will resign. It will be his choice. The Congress will have no choice but to act.”

INVESTIGATIONS

After two years of “pent-up frustrations,” as Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) called them. “you can bet we’re going to have those hearings.” Under Democratic control, the House would become investigation central. With liberals controlling the calendar, every committee chairmanship, and subpoena power, President Trump and his team would be subject to a two-year inquisition on everything from Trump’s taxes, Russian “collusion,” White House lobbyists, and the list goes on and on. Real work in the House would come to a complete standstill, so that Democrats could exact a pound of flesh in a two-year witch hunt to tee up the party for a successful 2020.

Democratic offices have told CNN that they’ve “started laying out a menu of options. The guiding principle, according to people familiar with the discussions, is to not only just investigate Trump, but to also investigate the ways in which the administration is chipping away at key Democratic priorities… Subpoenas,” reporters were told, “will start flying toward every Cabinet secretary.” In Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva’s words (D-Ariz.), “I think every ranking member, their staffs are looking at this. If there’s a new majority… we can’t waste time. We have to hit the ground running from Day One.”

ABORTION ON DEMAND

“We will have a pro-choice gavel when we win the Congress,” Pelosi told students at Georgetown University, reminding them that she is a “rabid supporter of a woman’s right to choose.” That leaves little question about what would happen to the most important items on the pro-life agenda — nothing. That includes a ban on abortions on unborn infants that can feel pain, a measure to make the Hyde Amendment permanent, conscience rights, and protections for infants born alive after an attempted abortion. Any piece of pro-life legislation would be dead on arrival.

GENDER-FREE BATHROOMS, LOCKER ROOMS, SHOWERS, SPORTS TEAMS

Anyone who thought the bathroom debate was out of control under Barack Obama hasn’t seen anything yet. This past Tuesday at a Harvard University event, Pelosi said that passing Equality Act (or, more accurately, the Inequality Act) would be a top priority for Democrats. “It isn’t in our ‘For the People’ agenda,” she explained, “because it doesn’t get that specific, but there’s one more because it’s personal for me that I really want to do, and it’s called the Equality Act.”

Considered the most radical piece of pro-LGBT legislation ever introduced in Congress, this bill would dramatically alter the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to force Americans’ conformity on everything from sexuality to transgenderism. It would make what’s been unfolding in Target bathrooms look like a Sunday school picnic. Under this bill, anyone who objects to homosexuality on moral grounds would be severely punished. That includes schools, businesses, food banks, adoption agencies, homeless shelters, faith-based ministries, government offices – without exemption. Religious liberty, as we know it, would cease to exist.

LOWER PAYCHECKS

If you like your tax cuts, you can’t keep them, Pelosi says. In a video that went viral, she was asked if Democrats would raise taxes if they won the majority. “That’s accurate,” she replied. It was a surprisingly honest confession on one of the most popular pieces of Trump’s agenda. With 90 percent of American workers enjoying more take-home pay under the tax reforms, you can bet Pelosi’s answer will resonate with a lot of families.

So will a new report from the Heritage Foundation, which shows that “if tax reform were to be repealed or expire, the average American would have $26,906 less in take-home pay over the subsequent 10 years.” Even more astonishing, paychecks “for the average family of four could drop by $45,739 over 10 years.”

OBAMACARE

Republicans didn’t manage to topple Barack Obama’s failure of a health care law, but they did manage to take big bites out of its effectiveness. If Democrats win back the House, Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) — who most people expect to take over the chairmanship of the powerful Ways and Means Committee — says the road to repeal would end. “What they’ve done is try to dismantle [the Affordable Care Act] through the regulatory process,” Neal told reporters. “I think if we were so lucky as to be the majority, I think we would certainly be in the position to stop that.”

A WEAKENED MILITARY

After rebuilding a military that had been decimated by the Obama years, Democrats are ready to put the military back on a shoestring budget. According to the Military Times, “Defense issues barely received a mention in the ‘Better Deal; policy priorities list unveiled by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer last spring.” The article goes on to warn about Democrats like Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) chairing Armed Services – a man who insists he wants the committee “actively engaged” in fighting for special privileges for troops who identify as gay or transgender.

Basically, he wants to deprioritize defense. In recent months, he’s even embraced the picture conservatives are painting of him. “If you read conservative opinions about, 'what if the Democrats take back the House,’ one of the biggest arguments is ‘you can’t let Adam Smith be chairman of the Armed Services committee because he wants to cut the defense budget’ — and they’re right,” he said last week.

ABOLISHING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

“Eliminating ICE would be an important step,” Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) said, but it’s not enough. “This administration is attacking immigrants on a multitude of fronts, and we must resist on all of them. It alone is not enough to halt Donald Trump’s deportation machine.” Velazquez is one of multiple Democratic House members who’ve stated on the record that they want to do away with immigration enforcement. Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, has already promised to “pass legislation to protect ‘Dreamers.’”

GUN CONTROL

Rep. David Cicilline’s (D-R.I.) first order of business if Democrats win the majority? Gun control. “There’s tremendous consensus within the Democratic caucus that we should move forward on a number of common-sense gun safety proposals,” he said. “There are dozens of bills pending in the Congress introduced by Democrats that range from improving the background check system to banning bump stocks to an assault weapons ban, to better measures to prevent people with serious mental illness accessing firearms.”

Several House members agreed, including Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). “There is a new element now after the [Parkland] situation. It is important now to talk about and hopefully pass a ban on weapons of war — on all types of assault weapons. No question that it will be on the agenda,” she added. It’s “ready to go” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) agreed, insisting that gun control would “be a really obvious thing to start with” if Democrats are in charge.

Originally published here.

---

Pastor Brunson’s Thank-You Tour

Pastor Andrew Brunson experienced a lot of emotions flying out of the country he’d called home for more than 20 years. But after two years in a Turkish prison, gratitude was at the top of the list. Even 5,000 miles away from the United States, he knew how hard American officials were working to set him free. When he finally was, there was one thing he wanted to tell them: thank you.

This week, the Brunsons had that chance. After an intense media tour telling his story and a time of reconnecting with his children and adjusting to life outside of house arrest, Andrew and Norine wanted to shake hands with the people who made it possible for him to step foot again on U.S. soil. It was a thank you tour, of sorts. Secretary Mike Pompeo, and those directly involved in his case, held a small reception. It is “an honor,” Pompeo tweeted, “to welcome #PastorBrunson to @StateDept today. Tremendously proud of the hard work and dedication of @USEmbassyTurkey, the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, and @TravelGov to bring him home.”

Later that day, he, Norine, and I went to the West Wing for a private meeting with Vice President Mike Pence, who wasn’t in D.C. when we returned and hadn’t had an opportunity to meet them. As they knew by now, Mike had done a lot to raise the profile of his case over the last several months — in the media and with the foreign officials he and Pompeo communicated with. When they shook hands, the vice president underscored just how committed the Trump administration is to both religious liberty and defending Americans who are wrongfully treated aboard.

That same day, the Brunsons stopped by FRC headquarters and reiterated how grateful they were for our prayers — and yours. Hear just how much from Pastor Andrew in this lengthy interview with me on Wednesday’s “Washington Watch.”

Originally published here.

---

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