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Thanksgiving, the anthem of our nation

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Thanksgiving is deeply embedded in the historical framework of this great nation. While the first Thanksgivings were celebrated by both Virginia and Massachusetts settlers in the New World, November 26, 1789, was the first official Thanksgiving Day. President George Washington set that day apart for the nation to give thanks, and the presidents to follow continued the tradition.

However, it was President Abraham Lincoln who issued the Thanksgiving Day proclamation which prompted the holiday we know and love today.

“It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea, and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.”

It was a proclamation made on October 3, 1863 — almost exactly in the middle of the Civil War. In a period of time when our nation was most deeply divided and the American spirit of unity was in tatters, our leader asked us to give thanks. As brother fought against brother, our president asked us to set aside a day to recognize the Lord’s deliverance and blessings. It was in the midst of that darkness that President Lincoln implored the nation to come together in prayer for peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.

It’s striking to me that we hold elections in the same month as we celebrate Thanksgiving. Was it purposeful, the timing of those two events? Elections, whether they should be or not, can be so deeply divisive. But we have a built-in reminder, just three weeks later, to put it all aside and give thanks.

So this month, as we move past an election cycle and on to Thanksgiving, choose unity, prayer, and thankfulness. Set aside time to thank God for His deliverances and blessings. Bow with humble penitence for our national disobedience. Commend to our Father in Heaven every American who has become a widow, orphan, mourner, or sufferer this year. Implore our Savior to heal the wounds of our nation and restore peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.

 

August 13 – National Prayer Call

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Join CWA this Thursday evening, August 13, as we gather with friends in Georgia for a roundtable discussion about the election and spend time praying for our nation, the election, and for the Church to be a light during this time of seemingly increasing darkness.

There are two ways to participate: Facebook Live or by conference call number: Dial-in number: (712) 770-4921, Participant Code: 704998. This prayer event will take place at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time.

What is at stake in this election year?  Your vote may make the difference.

Pro-LifeNOT Abortion Extremism

Pro-Family NOT Government Socialism

Pro-WomanNOT Erasing Female Status

Pro-Religious FreedomNOT Judicial Activism

 

 

CWALAC Endorses Focus on Protecting Children and Taxpayers from the Destructive Cost of Gender Reassignment

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Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee’s (CWALAC) impact on policy was on display as several members of Congress, led by Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-California), introduced legislation responding to the alarming acceleration of “gender reassignment” interventions causing irreversible harm to children and violating the conscience rights of federal taxpayers. The “Protecting Children from Experimentation Act” and the” End Taxpayer Funding of Gender Experimentation Act” aim to shield children and taxpayers from the deceptive push to “normalize” gender reassignment and promote destructive transgender medical practices using drugs and surgeries.

At the national and state levels, CWALAC has been working to educate lawmakers on the radical, irreversible medical treatments being exploited by an activist medical community, including unethical research supported by the National Institutes of Health to deal with the psychological condition of gender dysphoria.

In announcing the bills, Rep. LaMalfa said, “Our society has quickly ‘normalized’ gender experimentation under the guise of an ‘accepting’ political ideology rather than biological reality. Even more troubling, children are undergoing experimental treatments, like being injected with puberty-blocking hormones and cross-sex hormones, which have irreversible consequences, such as permanent sterility.”

Doreen Denny, CWALAC Vice President of Government Relations, offered this statement of support:

“Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) agrees children who struggle with identity should be protected from harmful ‘gender reassignment’ medical practices causing serious health risks, irreversible damage, and increasingly, regret. Minors are incapable of giving informed consent to destructive medical interventions degrading their development and sterilizing their bodies. Unfortunately, the Big Gender market is more interested in profit than ethical practice.  CWALAC applauds Rep LaMalfa’s proposals standing against the medical mutilation of minors in the name of ‘gender confirmation,’ and the use of federal tax dollars to finance radical gender reassignment interventions.”

To read the full press release announcing the legislation and its original sponsors, click here.

CWA Supports Female Athletes Urging NCAA to Back Off Activism

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2020
Contact:
Doreen Denny, Vice President of Government Relations, (202)420-1491, [email protected]

Washington, D.C. – Today, Concerned Women for America (CWA) joined partners in the fight to Save Women’s Sports supporting a letter to the NCAA Board of Governors signed by over 300 current and former NCAA and professional female athletes, including Olympians, urging them not to bow to activism requesting retaliatory action against Idaho for protecting fair play in women’s sports for female athletes.   Idaho enacted the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which is being defended in federal court by two female college track athletes who were forced to compete against a biological male athlete in the women’s category.

Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America, had this to say:

“It’s time for the NCAA to stand up for female athletes, not sideline their dreams.  NCAA’s black eye in women’s sports will only get darker if it retaliates against Idaho for protecting the innate status of female athletes.  Sex discrimination against women and girls has no place on fair and level playing fields.

 “Female NCAA, professional, and Olympic athletes who signed this letter speak for all women and girls across America who simply want to compete against other female athletes. This is what Title IX achieved over 40 years ago.  The NCAA has no business overturning that victory by promoting inequity in women’s athletics.

“This is not a left or right issue.  Women and girls, regardless of political affiliation, deserve to have the laws that protect us respected and followed, ensuring equal opportunities and benefits in sports for all female athletes.”

Concerned Women for America has stood at the forefront of the fight to protect equal opportunity for female athletes in women’s sports.  CWA has filed two civil rights complaints with the U.S. Department of Education at the college level against Franklin Pierce University (for winning a national NCAA title in the 400-meter women’s hurdles in 2019) and the University of Montana (for winning the NCAA Big Sky Conference indoor mile in women’s track in 2020).  Both victories involved biological male athletes who had previously competed on the men’s teams.

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Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) is the legislation and advocacy arm of Concerned Women for America, the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization with a rich 40-year history of helping our members across the country bring Biblical principles into all levels of public policy.

Penny Nance urges FDA to remove abortion pill from U.S. market

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Today, Penny Nance joined leading medical and prolife groups urging the FDA to remove the abortion pill, mifepristone, immediately from the U.S. market for its imminent danger to women after a federal judge ruled to circumvent the drug’s critical safety requirements to provide easy access during the coronavirus pandemic.

In their letter to Commission Hahn,  the leaders warn:

“This rogue judicial activism is a gross breach of the separation of powers, undermining the FDA’s statutory authority to regulate drug safety, while recklessly endangering American women and preborn children. The FDA must fight back.”

Full text of the letter can be found here.

Meet CWA’s Ronald Reagan Memorial Internship Summer Interns

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Hello! I am Natalie Panettiere, and I have the pleasure of being the Communications and Field Operations intern this summer with Concerned Women for America (CWA).

My faith in the Lord is the most important aspect of my life. I am so thankful for parents who have led and guided me in the way of the Lord and raised me with a Biblical foundation. My upbringing and Christian faith have made all the difference in leading me to where I am today.

In May I graduated from Lee University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. This past fall, the Lord opened my eyes to all that is going on in the world today and showed me how far we have strayed from the truth. The very things that God warns us about in Scripture are being paraded, praised, and endorsed by many. As a college student at the time, I was unsure of the impact I could have on the world at large, or how I could take a stand for what I believed. Interning at CWA has allowed me to engage with like-minded individuals who are constantly fighting for the truth and upholding Biblical principles in all that they say and do. It has been such an honor and privilege to intern at an organization that is constantly seeking the Lord through prayer, as well as taking action on issues that are affecting our nation today.

Interning in the Communications and Field Operations Department has allowed me to see all the networking that goes into running a successful organization. Looking at the state of the world today, it can be discouraging to see all that is going on around us. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of CWA, who is not only working on the big issues that are facing the United States today but is also engaged at the grassroots level in each state.

Looking ahead, I would love to attend graduate school to pursue a degree in neuropsychology. My Dad is a retired U.S. Navy Captain and has served as a neurologist for the military for over 30 years. His days consist of taking care of servicemen and women who were on the frontlines in the war. Growing up, I became aware of the toll that military service has not only on individuals but also on their families. As a result, my passion lies in helping others, especially those who have served in the military. The field of neuropsychology would allow me the opportunity to help individuals returning from the war with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

It has been such a blessing to spend my summer interning with an organization that stands by the Word of God and the principles that He lays out in the Bible. I have learned so much during my time at Concerned Women for America, and I could not be more thankful for the opportunity to be one of their interns this summer.

“Do not be afraid.”

By | Blog, Minnesota, News and Events, She Prays She Votes 2020 | No Comments

“Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.” Nehemiah 4:14

 We have chosen Nehemiah 4:14 as the foundational Scripture for our She Prays, She Votes 2020 project. Let me remind you of the context of this verse. Nehemiah has come to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon. His task is to lead the remnant of Israel in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. A number of attempts have been made by their enemies to keep them from rebuilding. At this point, the threat had become physical. “All of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.” Nehemiah 4:8. 

 In verse 14, Nehemiah tells the workers, “Do not be afraid of them.” These are such good words for us today. With all of the uncertainty in our world both physical and political, it is easy to be afraid. Fear is a very human emotion. We read “Do not fear” many times in Scripture.  But sometimes our humanness wins that battle.  But we cannot let the fear incapacitate us. It is like the fireman as he faces the burning building; he knows the fire, and he fears the fire, but his fear does not keep him from running into that building. It is his job and his sworn duty to run into that building. I believe it is also our duty as Christians to face the fear of the unknown in which we live – to remember the Lord who is great and awesome. 

 As we enter this uncertain election time, we must not let fear incapacitate us. We must move into this time seeking the Lord and praying daily for the election process and all of those who are running.  Just as Nehemiah’s workers held a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other, we must continue to be salt and light by holding up God’s Word and doing the work to which He has called us. 

 We are asking you to join us as we beseech the Father for His blessing and favor on our nation. Look for our information and registration packets next week for She Prays, She Votes 2020. 

DOJ Backs Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act

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By Lindsey Hudson, Intern for Concerned Women for America’s Government Relations Department

Idaho is spearheading the fight to protect and maintain equal opportunity and fair competition for female athletes in sports. The state saw a problem with women’s rights, safety, scholarships, and opportunities being stripped away and decided to be the first to do something about it.

Idaho enacted House Bill 500, the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act (Fairness Act) to prevent male students identifying as females from participating on female sports teams. This bill explains males have biological differences: denser, stronger bones, greater lung capacity, higher levels of testosterone. These scientific, biological differences give males an unfair advantage in athleticism when compared to female athletes. The Fairness Act signed into law on March 30, 2020, will be put into effect next month. State lawmakers in 14 additional states are in agreement with Idaho’s Fairness Act and have acted by proposing similar legislation. Through their legislators, citizens across the U.S. are seeking to preserve fair competition in women’s sports. Yet, certain organizations continue to actively oppose this form of equal opportunity.

The state’s brave actions towards protecting women’s rights are facing unjustifiable pushback from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The progressive, leftist organization immediately filed a lawsuit contesting Idaho’s Fairness Act. The ACLU also sent a letter to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), pressuring the sports association to boycott Idaho from holding any NCAA sporting events.

Despite these threats to the Fairness Act, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has rightly spoken up to back the constitutionality of the bill. DOJ’s Attorney General William P. Barr states this on the action: “Allowing biological males to compete in all-female sports is fundamentally unfair to female athletes. Under the Constitution, the Equal Protection Clause allows Idaho to recognize the physiological differences between the biological sexes in athletics.”

DOJ’s involvement in the federal lawsuit gives needed lift in protecting female athletes’ rights, especially those facing the problem on the front lines. Mary Kate Marshall and Madison Kenyon, two Idaho college track athletes who have faced this unjust competition in the Big Sky Conference, have joined the state of Idaho in defense of the Fairness Act, opposing the ACLU’s lawsuit. Victory in this case would ensure female athletes continued equal opportunity in championships, scholarships, and fairly competing at their best.

The track and cross-country athlete, Madison Kenyon, had this to say: “Sex separation in sports helps ensure that males and females each enjoy opportunities for fair competition and victory. It helps ensure that if women like me work hard, that hard work pays off, and we have a shot at winning.”

This summer marked the 48th anniversary of Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits students participating in any education program or activity from being discriminated against on the basis of sex. Title IX established a way for female student-athletes to have equal opportunity and fair competition within women’s sports. According to The Women’s Sports Foundation, only one in 27 girls participated in school sports before Title IX, but since the creation of Title IX, two in five girls now participate in school sports. We must now realize that by allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports, female student-athletes will be hindered in participating and fairly competing in the long run.

The Trump Justice Department’s support, state lawmakers’ proposed legislation, and citizens speaking up for fairness and equity in women’s sports competition are big wins for conserving female athletes’ rights. The conflict has not been won, however, due to intense activist opposition. Concerned Women for America urges you to use your voice to support an equal playing field for all female student-athletes.

ACT NOW:  It’s time for the NCAA to defend, not undermine, female athletes. If you are a current or former NCAA or professional female athlete who cares about fairness in women’s sports, please sign this letter to the NCAA! The deadline to sign is July 24.

House Democrats Just Set Up a Shutdown

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CWA’s Vice President of Government Relations Doreen Denny published the following op-ed in Townhall:

“House Democrats unveiled their fiscal year 2021 spending bills, and they are nothing short of a dare. The bills challenge any notion of moderation, laying down the gauntlet for a budget showdown that will lead nowhere but a government shutdown.

One would think the combination of a worldwide pandemic, weeks-long protests, and only a month’s worth of days left on the legislative calendar before the new fiscal year begins would be a recipe for restraint. Instead, Democrat appropriators act emboldened by intense polarization and prevailing poll numbers – as if pushing poison pill policy riders will score additional points to secure their cause.

Last July, anticipating the inevitable heat rising in an election-year, a two-year bipartisan agreement was forged to avert such recklessness. Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader Schumer joined their Republican counterparts and the White House in penning a noteworthy bipartisan budget agreement: “The 2019 Bipartisan Budget Agreement for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (“Agreement”) is agreed to by the bipartisan leadership of Congress and the administration of Donald J. Trump … relative to the FY 2019 regular appropriations Acts, there will be no poison pills, additional new riders, additional CHIMPS, or other changes in policy or conventions that allow for higher spending levels, or any non-appropriations measures unless agreed to on a bipartisan basis by the four leaders with the approval of the President.” (emphasis added)

Read Doreen’s entire op-ed here.

Register! CWA’s Summer Series: Election Fraud – What You Need to Know

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The right to vote in a free and fair election is the most basic civil right, one on which many of the other rights of the American people depend. As we approach the November 3, 2020, election, Concerned Women for America (CWA) wants you to be fully informed on the risks of election fraud due to the increase in the number of states using mail-in ballots during this COVID-19 era.

The Heritage Foundation’s Hans von Spakovsky will join us on Wednesday, July 22, to discuss using a mail-in ballot system in the 2020 presidential elections which could endanger the integrity of the election and leave voters vulnerable to fraud, coercion, and the loss of their franchise due to the failures of the postal system. Hans will discuss the differences between mail-in and absentee ballots and the threats posed to the Electoral College.

The speaker’s bio is below the signature line.

Here are the details:
Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST
Registration:
Registration is free but required for this Zoom event.
Click here to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We hope you will join us for this educational and timely event. Be sure to invite your friends and family. Space is limited, so be sure to register today!

Tanya Ditty
Vice President of Field Operations


Hans von Spakovsky is an authority on a wide range of issues – including civil rights, civil justice, the First Amendment, immigration, the rule of law, and government reform — as a senior legal fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies.

As manager of the think tank’s Election Law Reform Initiative, von Spakovsky also studies and writes about campaign finance restrictions, voter fraud and voter ID, enforcement of federal voting rights laws, administration of elections, and voting equipment standards.

Heritage’s election reform project examines not only how to protect the integrity of campaigns and elections but to achieve greater fairness and security.  “In an era of razor-thin election margins, these issues are vital to the preservation of our republican form of government and the rule of law,” von Spakovsky says.
He is the co-author with John Fund of the book “Who’s Counting?: How Fraudsters and Bureaucrats Put Your Vote at Risk” (Encounter Books, 2012) and “Obama’s Enforcer: Eric Holder’s Justice Department” (HarperCollins/Broadside June 2014).

President Donald Trump appointed von Spakovsky to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity in 2017.
Before joining Heritage in 2008, von Spakovsky served two years as a member of the Federal Election Commission, the authority charged with enforcing campaign finance laws for congressional and presidential elections, including public funding.
Previously, von Spakovsky worked at the Justice Department as counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights, providing expertise in enforcing the Voting Rights Act and the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

He has served on the Board of Advisors of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and on the Fulton County (Georgia) Board of Registrations and Elections. He is a former vice chairman of the Fairfax County (Virginia) Electoral Board and a former member of the Virginia Advisory Board to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He currently serves on the Policy Board of the American Civil Rights Union.

His analysis and commentary have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, The Hill, and USA Today, as well as such outlets as National Review Online and Fox News. His series for PJ Media, “Every Single One,” was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel and on other national and regional TV and radio news outlets.
He has testified before state and congressional committees and made presentations to, among other organizations, the National Association of Secretaries of State, the Federalist Society, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the American Legislative Exchange Council. He also has taught as an adjunct professor at the George Mason University School of Law.
A 1984 graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Law, von Spakovsky received a bachelor’s degree in 1981 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He currently resides in Vienna, Virginia.

Read full bio.

Introducing She Prays, She Votes 2020

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Introducing She Prays, She Votes 2020

The main goal of She Prays, She Votes 2020 will be prayer.  Now more than ever, Christians need to be on their knees before God to pray for our nation, for our leaders, and for this election.

We will be hosting ten prayer calls between now and Election Day in November. These calls will happen on each Thursday of the week from August 6 up until the last week in October. In each call, we will be focusing on a state where the election results are critical, but the main focus of these calls will be to seek God first and beseech Him for our nation. Every week we will be sending out details for the call that week and the one for the next week – when, how to connect and who will be joining us on the call to pray.

The secondary goal of this project is to get people out to vote. We will be working on making sure people are registered to vote and that they know where to go to do that. We will be providing information to help people walk through that process and, hopefully, inspire them to action. We are putting together packets of information that you will be able to download and share with your family and friends.

Please join us as we make a difference in Election 2020!

Meet CWA’s Ronald Reagan Memorial Internship Summer Interns

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Over the next several weeks, we will introduce you to our three wonderful summer interns. Today, we introduce you to Lindsey Hudson.


Hi! I’m Lindsey Hudson, and I am the Government Relations Intern with Concerned Women for America (CWA) this summer. My faith, family, country, standing up for what I believe in, and fighting for justice are the most important things in my life.  In CWA I have found the perfect avenue for expressing and acting on those passions.  I love CWA’s mission, which is to pray and then act. With seeing all that is going on in the world today, I feel compelled to do my part in using my voice to uphold Biblical truths while encouraging others to do the same.

Ideally, I would love to continue pursuing my passion for justice by working in intelligence, such as the Central Intelligence Agency or the Federal Bureau of Investigations. My greatest desire though is to place as paramount God’s plan and guidance for my life over my own desires and wishes.

During this season, God has been revealing to me that justice can be fought for and advocated for through a variety of channels. For instance, I have learned, while working in the Government Relations Department, that lobbying for legislation and the power of the pen can produce significant results in advocating for what is right. Ultimately, I believe that a life of impact involves striving to put others’ needs above one’s own, working hard to bring glory to God, and loving God with one’s whole heart.

I have one summer class left before graduating from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a focus in criminal psychology. I am excited to see where God will lead and direct me in this next season of life, while I continue to put my faith and trust in Him.

Read Lindsey’s published article.

U.S. Relationship with World Health Organization will be Determined by This Year’s Presidential Election

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Figure 1: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) provides Coronavirus updates at the WHO daily press conference on June 7, 2020


By Jaelyn Morgan, Intern for Concerned Women for America’s Department of International Affairs

On Tuesday, spokesman Stéphane Dujarric confirmed the United States has officially notified U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres of its intended withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) effective July 6, 2021.

Rumors of withdrawal began in April, continuing up to President Donald Trump’s announcement for termination of the U.S. relationship with WHO on May 29, 2020. The withdrawal process will take about one year, making this November’s 2020 presidential election the determining factor for whether the U.S completes withdrawal or rejoins the WHO as an active Member State. In fact, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden tweeted that he would have the U.S. rejoin WHO on his first day as President.

As explained in a previous CWALAC article, the decision to defund WHO and terminate the bilateral relationship it shares with the U.S. is wholly justified under the principles of national sovereignty. Despite all its resources, WHO has not succeeded in preventing or slowing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and has acquiesced to China at the expense of other nations.

The recent interim report released by the Foreign Affairs Committee on the Origins of the COVID-19 Pandemic revealed the Chinese Communist Party deliberately covered up the Coronavirus. CWA’s Vice President of International Affairs, Dr. Shea Garrison, pointed out in April in the Daily Caller that the “Chinese government’s initial denial, secretly quashing warnings from Chinese medical personnel, and silencing whistleblowers, contributed to at least a 5-week delay in addressing the coronavirus.” In addition, she noted  “if the Chinese government had acted 3-weeks earlier, the number of early cases world-wide could have been reduced by 95%.”

WHO accommodated China’s faulty reports, directly violating International Health Regulations and obligations toward its Member States. The U.S. has the sovereign right to end its relationship with the WHO in light of their failure to do their job, especially since their shortcomings have directly resulted in an unchecked pandemic that continues to take American lives.

Despite this, Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-New York), Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, remains strongly against withdrawing from the WHO, stating, “Deflecting blame onto the WHO won’t reverse the administration’s mistakes or undo the suffering our country has endured.” Moreover, the U.S. continues to be a Member State of the WHO, though technically “inactive,” and continues to collaborate with the organization on multiple fronts for scientific, technical, and medical advances.

Both Democrat and Republican politicians have voiced dissent for U.S. withdrawal. In the New York Times, Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) wrote, “International coalitions are essential to fighting global challenges; we should be strengthening our alliances, not dismantling them.” This cautious approach was echoed by conservative leaders such as Brett D. Shaefer of the Heritage Foundation, who stated, “If the WHO does not reform, the U.S. may have no choice but to withdraw and seek to establish an alternative organization to address global pandemics…[but] Far better to try to rally support for reforming the World Health Organization first, even if it takes longer than 30 days.”

Additionally, PEW Research Center discovered that Americans were split along party lines in their perception of the WHO’s handling of the Coronavirus. Fifty-one percent of Republican or Republican leaning citizens rated WHO’s handling of the virus as “only fair/poor,” with 28% calling it “Good/excellent.” In contrast, Democrat or Democratic learning citizens rated WHO with 36% “only fair/poor” and 62% “good/excellent.”

Debates concerning the legal viability of a withdrawal have been highly contested, and rightly so. According to the 1948 act of Congress, the U.S. needs to give a one-year notice before officially withdrawing from the WHO and must fulfill any financial obligations for “the Organization’s current fiscal year.” However, Congress did not specifically appropriate funds to WHO in their Further Consolidated Appropriations Act (2020), causing some to argue that there is leeway for the President’s discretion on how to spend appropriations toward international organizations. Yet, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations just released an appropriation of $200 million for WHO for the upcoming 2021 fiscal year. This conflicting legislation demonstrates America’s internal division over the issue of withdrawing from WHO.

There are also legitimate concerns that withdrawing from WHO will be harmful for global health aid, vaccine research, and the sharing of international medical information. However, the U.S. continues to “lead the Global Response to COVID-19,”  and, as of June 26, the U.S. has pledged international COVID-19 relief aid upwards of $1 billion. For the U.S., continuing to provide personalized aid to developing nations will not be hindered by this withdrawal.

In regard to the other objections, a proposition to create a pandemic prevention organization based in the United States is already underway. On May 21, Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho) introduced S. 3829, a bill known as the Global Health Security and Diplomacy Act of 2020 (GHSDA). This bill had its first senate hearing on June 18 and continues to progress through the legislative process this year. Among numerous provisions, GHSDA will “advance global health security and diplomacy objectives” and empower countries to respond to infectious diseases before they become pandemics. The bill enables the United States to develop a comprehensive, inter-agency strategy toward these objectives, establishes a method of membership for other nations, and creates a Trust Fund for Global Health Security to finance international aid, research, and development.

Effective withdrawal from the World Health Organization will take time. Creating an alternative organization to the WHO will also take time. However, great work is being done to accomplish both objectives. The U.S continues to set the standard for international COVID-19 relief. Moreover, the U.S. adheres to International Health Regulations and respects the national sovereignty of other nations, items the WHO has demonstrably disregarded for the sake of its political agenda. As Elyssa Koren from Alliance Defending Freedom International stated in Newsweek, “Why go through the WHO, when the U.S. can award assistance itself, thereby increasing its sphere of influence?”

The 2020 U.S. presidential election is critical in determining the future course of this action. Who we vote for matters. Although, multiple considerations contribute toward deciding for whom one will vote, funding and participating with the World Health Organization should be a key consideration. Will we continue to work with the corrupted, politicized World Health Organization, or will we invest in an alternative solution that values transparency, efficacy, and national sovereignty?

May we vote wisely, never losing sight of American values and never compromising such values to cooperate with international bodies who disregard them.

CWA Launches She Prays, She Votes 2020 Project

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“Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.” Nehemiah 4:14

Remember the Lord Who is great and awesome … This is the Lord Who moves the hearts of the king like rivers of water. He is the One in absolute control. There is nothing better that we can do for this nation than to pray. When we pray, God’s Spirit moves across the land.

And fight … What does the “fight” look like?

  • The fight is you studying the candidates and then going to vote for the ones who reflect your values.
  • The fight is you driving an elderly friend or neighbor to the polls to vote.
  • The fight is you taking care of your young friends’ children, so they can go vote.
  • The fight is you volunteering to make phone calls on behalf of that candidate who shares your values.
  • The fight is you on your knees before the God Who places all people in positions of authority.
  • The fight is you beseeching God for our nation and our nation’s leaders.

In the time between now and Election Day, Concerned Women for America is going to provide you with resources to help you engage in the fight. Over the next few weeks, we will be providing you with information that will be helpful in getting yourself and others registered to vote.

We will also be doing weekly prayer calls to reach out to the One who tells us that if we will call out to Him and repent, He will heal our land. We will be asking Him for mercy for our nation and for forgiveness for our complacency and apathy. Our first prayer call will be on Thursday, August 13.

We encourage you to read each of our emails for She Votes, She Prays 2020. They will share details for the calls and new information about how you can remember “the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.” Nehemiah 4:14

Little Sisters of the Poor Win, Again, at the High Court

By | Blog, CEO, Legal, News and Events, Press Releases, Religious Liberty, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Washington, D.C.The U.S. Supreme Court released its opinion in Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania. Once again, the Court sides (7-2) with protecting their religious liberties from government intrusion. Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America had this to say:

“The hundreds of thousands of women I represent at Concerned Women for America (CWA) are thrilled to see the United States Supreme Court upholding the religious liberty rights of the Little Sisters of the Poor. We have been standing with them from the beginning and will continue to fight against government intrusion into matters of faith and conscience.

 “It is truly unbelievable that they continue to have to go to court to defend their constitutional rights and that the possibility still exists that they may be dragged into court once again. The Court says today that the Trump Administration has the authority under the Affordable Care Act to promulgate this religious liberty exception, leaving the door open for another more hostile administration to undo it.

“This is why Americans must continue to be fully engaged in the political process. It is why CWA is investing considerable resources urging Christians to pray and work to get out the vote this November. Our religious liberties are at risk. We must elect those who exhibit a clear track record of upholding religious liberty.

 “Today, CWA supporters celebrate this decision. Tomorrow, we are back at work to protect our freedoms.”

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Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) is the legislation and advocacy arm of Concerned Women for America. Concerned Women for America is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization with a rich 40-year history of helping our members across the country bring Biblical principles into all levels of public policy.

 

CWA Celebrates Independence Day

By | Blog, CEO, National Sovereignty, News and Events | No Comments

On July 4, 1776, 244 years ago, after Congress voted for a complete separation from Great Britain, our Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence declaring these beautiful self-evident truths: “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.”

Today, we continue to be the longest on-going Constitutional Republic in the history of the world.

And that is no accident.  John Adams said it best as he meditated on what they had done.  He said this day “ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to Almighty God.”

From Penny Nance and the staff at Concerned Women for America, we wish you a Happy Independence Day!

SCOTUS

Political Justice Strikes Again—June Medical v. Russo

By | Blog, Briefs, Legal, News and Events, Sanctity of Life, SCOTUS | No Comments

If there was any doubt about what the U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts’ era at the Supreme Court was all about, they were erased this week as the Court delivered its opinion in June Medical L.L.C v. Russo. Chief Justice Roberts represents the era of political justice, and it is as ugly as it sounds. Constitutional principles and law are not paramount. The Court’s perception before the radical left is what matters.

In June Medical, the Chief Justice declared a law unconstitutional, not because he thought it was unconstitutional, but because he believes to be consistent is more important than being right. He wrote, “I joined the dissent in Whole Woman’s Health and continue to believe that the case was wrongly decided. The question today however is not whether Whole Woman’s Health was right or wrong, but whether to adhere to it in deciding the present case.”

To be consistently wrong is a virtue in the Roberts’ era of political justice since it appeases the mob if only for a moment. Remember, this is a case dealing with abortion, a politically charged topic, and, as the Chief demonstrated in the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) cases, he will consider much more than the law to save the Court’s reputation.

In the context of abortion, the liberals in the Court, along with the Chief Justice, will abandon impartiality and twist the law to fit the outcome they want. Justice Anthony Kennedy (the former justice who “wrote the book” on political justice) actually admitted as much in Gonzales v. Carhart, the Partial Birth Abortion case, where he confessed:

It is true this longstanding maxim of statutory interpretation has, in the past, fallen by the wayside when the Court confronted a statute regulating abortion. The Court at times employed an antagonistic ‘canon of construction under which in cases involving abortion, a permissible reading of a statute [was] to be avoided at all costs.’

Roberts perpetuates the shameful legacy with this decision, upholding an erroneous precedent for the sake of appeasing the insatiable abortion mob.

The left has his number. They know he is susceptible to the slightest criticism of the Court. So you cannot blame them for making sure the threats are forceful and consistent. Just recently, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse submitted a reprehensible brief making all kinds of threats of “restructuring” the Court if they do not do as the left wants in controversial cases—gun control in that instance. He wrote, “The Supreme Court is not well. And the people know it. Perhaps the Court can heal itself before the public demands it be ‘restructured in order to reduce the influence of politics.’”

Guess what happened in that case and in several others involving gun laws? You guessed it; the Court shied away from delving into the topic. “Don’t want to appear political,” you see? So goes the political justice chorus on every controversial case where they face the mob.

Need another recent example? See the Bostock/Harris Debacle.

Chief Justice Roberts joined the liberal bloc of the Court to say this case was just like the one they heard four years ago “Whole Woman’s Health.” But as the dissenters pointed out, this is merely a copout. The Court did not even give proper consideration to the third-party standing issue, where the Court’s unusual approval of abortionist asserting a constitutional right they do not have has been allowed to go forth. The conclusory claim of stare decisis (precedent) solves all in the plurality’s view.

As Justice Clarence Thomas pointed out, ultimately, “those decisions created the right to abortion out of whole cloth, without a shred of support from the Constitution’s text.” Precedent didn’t really matter then.

Justice Thomas concluded, “The Constitution does not constrain the States’ ability to regulate or even prohibit abortion. This Court created the right to abortion based on an amorphous, unwritten right to privacy, which it grounded in the ‘legal fiction’ of substantive due process … As the origins of this jurisprudence readily demonstrate, the putative right to abortion is a creation that should be undone.”

Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh also wrote to highlight the plurality’s distortion of the facts and the law to reach their preferred policy position. “Today’s decision doesn’t just overlook one of these rules. It overlooks one after another,” wrote Justice Gorsuch in dissent. “To arrive at today’s result, rules must be brushed aside and shortcuts taken.”

Political justice strikes again, leaving many victims on its way. Not the least of which is true justice itself.

Transgenderism’s War On Women Betrays Left’s Claims To Champion Our Rights

By | Blog, CEO, News and Events, Sexual Exploitation | No Comments

While our two organizations, Concerned Women for America and the Women’s Liberation Front, could hardly be farther apart on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, we share a growing concern over much of the political left’s recent policy agenda for women.

A flurry of lawsuits is pressuring the Department of Defense to allow service members to identify into being recognized as a member of the opposite sex. This endorses the misguided notion that it would be safe to allow frontline combat troops to have inaccurate medical information stamped onto their dog tags, and completely disregards the physical privacy and dignity of female service members who would be required to share sleep and shower facilities with male colleagues.

The serious ramifications of forcing the military to falsify official records of sex doesn’t only open all branches of the service to civil rights liability, it creates immediate risks for the brave women who volunteer to serve our country.

For civilians, global news stories about the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders were quickly followed by stories from every part of the world about an increase in family and intimate partner violence against women. Yet the left continues to press for a version of the Violence Against Women Act that would make federal funding for women’s shelters and prisons contingent on allowing men to identify into being allowed to stay with women, instead of other men, on the basis of gender identity.

Both of our organizations include women who’ve survived domestic violence, as well as members deeply committed to women’s crisis shelters. We are appalled that this still-inadequate measure to ensure the safety of the most desperate, at-risk women is being derided as “exclusionary,” when approximately three women a day are murdered by current or former partners. Not even this means of preventing a leading cause of women’s deaths can now be for us.

Click here to continue reading this important op-ed as featured on The Federalist.

CWA CEO and President Penny Nance speaking at Protect Women Protect Life rally at the Supreme Court

Supreme Court Circumvents Louisiana’s State’s Rights

By | Blog, Legal, News and Events, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Concerned Women for America (CWA) ­­is dismayed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision this week in June Medical Services v. Russo. The decision is not a ruling involving the constitutionality of abortion, but rather about upholding protective health codes and guidelines for women receiving medical procedures involving abortion. Unfortunately, in this case, the highest Court again turned its back on protecting life and protecting women.

In 2014, Louisiana State Senator Katrina Jackson, a Democrat, took a stand to protect women’s health relating to abortion procedures by sponsoring Louisiana Law 620, the Unsafe Abortion Protection Act. The state law ensured safety for women receiving abortions by requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles. The law safeguards women during medical procedures in case of emergencies, as well as aligns with medical protocol required for the rest of the state. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court’s ruling declared the law “unconstitutional” as an “undue burden” on abortion and failed the citizens of Louisiana who believe in the importance of guarding women’s health and safety.

State Senator Jackson vowed to protect against “shoddy medical care … There is no dispute in the medical community about the known complications of abortion, such as hemorrhage, uterine perforation and incomplete abortion … Every complication can become serious and have the potential to change the course of a woman’s life by endangering her reproductive health.”

She went on to state, “While abortion is legally protected, abortion facilities should have the same health standards as the rest of the medical profession. Why should we settle for lower standards for women, especially when women are often coerced or abandoned to the trauma of abortion? I am pro-woman and pro-life.”

U.S. Congressman Dr. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) had this to say:

“I am frustrated and angered by today’s Supreme Court ruling. As an OB/GYN of 25 years, I have personally cared for women in emergency situations after they were driving home from a botched abortion … It is necessary to require abortion clinics to comply with basic regulations protecting these women. Beyond the obvious tragedy of abortion, today’s ruling will put the lives and direct health of women at risk. A shameful and wrong decision.”

Louisiana’s abortion clinics, including June Medical Services, have been flagged on multiple occasions with violating safety codes and guidelines. Violations documented in Statements of Deficiencies by the Louisiana Department of Health include failure to ensure all patients completed and signed consent forms for the abortion procedure, failure to ensure an abortion patient was medically stable upon discharge, failure to ensure that the physician performed and documented a physical examination on each abortion patient, failure to ensure medical supplies utilized were sanitary, unexpired, and properly stored, and more.

Instead of affirming a state’s right to regulate against such egregious violations, the Court majority chose instead to fail women by refusing to allow states like Louisiana to regulate abortion in the same way it regulates other medical procedures. This ruling extends the bad Supreme Court precedent that only guarantees future court fights over state laws.  Rest assured that CWA will be there rallying for the pro-woman, pro-life cause, and against the misguided abortion “carve-outs” that continue to be perpetuated by the Court.

Lindsey Hudson is a CWA 2020 Intern for our Government Relations Dept.