If you thought the “Impeachment Express” was derailed by Robert Mueller’s bizarre performance Wednesday, you had better think again.

A short time ago, Speaker Nancy Pelosi held her Friday press briefing. She made it absolutely clear that she favors impeaching President Trump. Pelosi indicated that she “will proceed when we have what we need.”

She also said that the clamoring of progressives for impeachment “only gives me leverage,” adding, “I have no complaint with what they are doing.” (By the way, earlier today Pelosi met with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.)

The media narrative that Pelosi was holding the line against a small fraction of her caucus has just been exposed as false. Polling shows that nearly 70% of self-identified Democrats want the president impeached … for the “crime” of having been elected.

The battle continues, and we must be ready to fight the radical left.

Securing Our Unalienable Rights

It was an honor Thursday for me, Pastor John Hagee and his daughter, Sandy Hagee Parker, to visit with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. We discussed many issues related to human rights and religious liberty that I know all of you care about.

The secretary of state is juggling many balls that make headlines, but he has also found time, as we have previously reported, to form a commission charged with producing a report on unalienable rights and why they are so important. Of course, this is a reference to, in my view, the most important section of the Declaration of Independence, which says:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…

From my time as under secretary of education to my presidential campaign to today, I have been deeply disturbed by the fact that our educational establishment no longer teaches these words – America’s mission statement – to our children. They don’t because they don’t believe those words.

You can’t get more than three words into the paragraph before you hit a fundamental roadblock – “truths.” Sadly, truth is under constant assault from the left.

Yet, those words are the foundation of all human rights. We have these rights because they come from God, not any government.

So Secretary Pompeo has done something very important in announcing this commission. But this is Washington, D.C., and no good deed goes unpunished. He is being attacked by every leftwing group imaginable. Democrats in Congress are threatening to withhold funding for the commission.

The reaction to this idea is a stark reminder of the culture war we are in and that the division in our country was not caused by Donald Trump. A big part of the progressive movement no longer believes in our founding values, let alone the founding fathers.

Barr Demands Justice

Attorney General William Barr has ordered the federal government to resume executions of prisoners convicted under federal death penalty charges. Enforcement of the federal death penalty has been suspended since 2003. In a statement, Barr declared:

Congress has expressly authorized the death penalty through legislation adopted by the people’s representatives in both houses of Congress and signed by the president. Under Administrations of both parties, the Department of Justice has sought the death penalty against the worst criminals…

The Justice Department upholds the rule of law and we owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system.

Five convicted murders in federal custody are scheduled to be executed in December and January. Their crimes are truly horrific. They were found guilty of murdering at least 13 people, including six children. The youngest victim was just two years old.

Incredibly, but predictably, a number of the 2020 presidential wannabes condemned Barr’s decision and the death penalty as “cruel,” “immoral” and “racist.” Progressive Squad member Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) immediately introduced legislation to repeal the federal death penalty. Left-wing groups, including the ACLU, are vowing to fight Barr’s order.

On this issue, like so many others, the American people overwhelmingly side with Attorney General Barr and the Trump Administration. A November 2018 Rasmussen poll found that 61% of Americans support capital punishment, while just 23% oppose it.

Values Voter Summit

Join me in our nation’s capital, October 11th - 13th, for the 2019 Values Voter Summit.

Vice President Mike Pence said, “The Values Voter Summit [is] the greatest gathering of conservative pro-family Americans in the nation.” And he is absolutely right!

That’s why American Values, my non-profit public policy organization, has been a proud sponsor of the Summit every year.

As always, this year’s Summit will feature an incredible lineup of top government officials, opinion makers and faith leaders. There will be educational and informative breakout sessions, as well as events honoring those who have made significant contributions to the conservative movement.

American Values will be hosting a special luncheon Saturday, October 12th.

Register now at valuesvotersummit.org.

I look forward to seeing you there.