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Jun 30 2020
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Religious Bigotry Law Rejected by Supreme Court, Despite Liberal Justices Objections

By | Blog, Education, LBB, News and Events, Press Releases, Religious Liberty, SCOTUS | No Comments

Washington, D.C.— In a 5-4 decision in Espinoza v. Montana Dept. of Revenue, the United States Supreme Court invalidated a Montana law that targeted religious institutions for discrimination. Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America (CWA), the largest public policy organization for women in the nation, had this to say:

“We applaud the Supreme Court’s majority today for recognizing that Montana’s exclusion of religious schools from the state scholarship program violates the U.S. Constitution. Tax dollars should not be used in such a blatant discriminatory way. The First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause is clear, no law should aim to punish Americans for the free exercise of their faith.

“What is concerning is that all four of the liberal justices of the Court are fully on board with that type of religious discrimination. Shame on them. This should have been a unanimous decision. It is as simple as they come.

“Americans should beware of how close we are to losing our religious liberties in our country. Come election time, CWA member from around the country will make sure people know what is at stake when it comes to the courts.

“We have made progress, but there is much more work to be done.”

Jun 29 2020
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Penny Nance at Protect Women Protect Life rally at Supreme Court

Conservative Women Decry Chief Justice Roberts’ Politically Correct Jurisprudence

By | Blog, Legal, News and Events, Press Releases, SCOTUS, Sexual Exploitation | No Comments

Washington, D.C.— Today, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in June Medical Services v. Russo, invalidating a law meant to protect women by raising the standard of care to an acceptable level in cases of abortion. Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America had this to say:

“What a disappointment Chief Justice John Roberts has turned out to be. June Medical Services v. Russo is about whether the abortion industry in Louisiana should receive special exemption from state regulators or should be held to the same standard of medical care that other outpatient procedures require.  Doctors must have hospital admitting privileges for a colonoscopy, why not for abortion?  Do women deserve the same standard of care for emergencies or not?  The state of Louisiana wants to require that abortion doctors have admitting privileges, but the left sees this as a threat to their unregulated abortion agenda.

“It’s unconscionable that abortion clinics have been given a special carve out shielding them from the responsibility for providing a standard of care that a woman deserves under any circumstance.  CWA does not believe abortion is health care.  But the left is hypocritical when it claims that abortion is health care and then opposes requiring doctors to have the full responsibility of a medical provider as an ‘unconstitutional burden.’

“Conservatives must face the fact that we still face a liberal majority in the most important cases at the Supreme Court. When it matters most, some conservative justices have unfortunately shown themselves to be susceptible to the politically correct mob’s demands.

“The hundreds of thousands of women I represent will not let up. We will redouble our efforts to make sure more courageous justices are appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“What this case ultimately demonstrates is that the fight for life is the fight for women’s rights. We are not discouraged. We are not deterred. We will fight, and we will win. For life. For Women.”

Laura Huber, State Director, Concerned Women for America of Louisiana, had this to say:

“The Supreme Court today failed the women of Louisiana. It was we who demanded these protections from our elected officials. But the Supreme Court, once again, imposes itself over the will of the people and enacts their preferred liberal policies by judicial fiat. Women are not free to decide for themselves in the case of abortion. The Supreme Court will dictate what we can and cannot do with our laws. Shame on these five justices who stood against women today. We are especially disappointed to see the Chief Justice, who acknowledges the decision upon which they decided this case was wrongly decided, still let himself be bullied into the politically correct position. But we are not deterred. We will continue to fight for women. We will continue to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves. We will continue to fight for life.”

Jun 26 2020
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CWA Thanks Secretary of Education

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

Cute Filipina Female Athlete

As we recognize the 48th Anniversary of Title IX this week, Penny Nance sent a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos encouraging decisive action to enforce Title IX’s mandate of equal opportunity and protection on the basis of biological sex, including for female athletes.  She also requested action on CWA’s civil rights complaints against two universities for violating the Title IX rights of female college athletes because they rostered male athletes identifying as women to compete on their women’s teams, winning conference and national championships:

“On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of women supporters of Concerned Women for America (CWA) around the nation, I want to thank you and the Trump Administration for the Department of Education’s (ED) support to protect female student-athletes under Title IX. We also write to urge you to take proactive measures to ensure consistency, equality, and fair play in every athletics department in every educational institution across the country…

“CWA currently has two complaints before ED’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR), where two institutions (Franklin Pierce University and the University of Montana) have engaged in blatant violations of Title IX protections for female student-athletes by allowing biological men to compete on women’s teams in athletic competitions, inflicting irreparable inequity and injury to their college careers…

“The battle to protect the integrity and fairness of women’s sports is ground zero in the fight for women’s rights. As mothers, daughters, granddaughters, sisters all, we urge you to heed our plea to stand firmly for our rights as women and take bold actions to ensure Title IX is protected at every level of education in our country.”

Read the entire letter to Secretary DeVos here.

Jun 24 2020
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Defunding World Health Organization is Necessary; Here’s Why

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

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

Wall Street Journal could not have phrased it any better, “What good is a global health agency that won’t tell the truth about a pandemic?”[1] Yet, controversy still surrounds the recent announcement made by President Trump to defund the World Health Organization (WHO) due to its untimely and China-biased response to COVID-19. Some say the reaction is extreme. Others claim WHO is corrupted beyond repair. The question remains: is this policy worth supporting? Or is the U.S. withdrawing from an organization at the time the world needs it the most?

The World Health Organization is a branch of the United Nations responsible for communicating internationally relevant medical information to its Member States all across the globe. In light of their failure to properly convey information about the Coronavirus, it is no wonder the Trump Administration decided to write it off. On April 15, 2020, the White House released a fact sheet containing specific accusations of misconduct against WHO, criticizing the organization for its slow response to the Coronavirus and calling it to engage in total structural reform to ensure transparency, data sharing, accountability, and impartiality.[2]

On May 29, 2020, President Trump officially announced that the U.S. would terminate its relationship with WHO and redirect U.S. annual funding of $450 million dollars to “other worldwide and deserving, urgent, global public health needs.”[3] Justification for this measure was China’s “total control over World Health Organization,” and consequent action to “[pressure] the World Health Organization to mislead the world when the [Coronavirus] was first discovered by Chinese authorities.” The ensuing weeks resulted in a mixed reaction from both sides of the political aisle. However, this wakeup call toward WHO might not only have been necessary, but inevitable.

The political nature of a global entity makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to make any “neutral” decisions. Even WHO’s objectively “good” goal of “building a better, healthier future for people all over the world,”[4] does not make it a completely neutral entity which promotes what is best for humankind. Why? Each nation represented in WHO comes from a complex socio-cultural background with their own worldview and priorities. These worldviews inevitably clash due to significant variations in what each perceives as real, good, or best.

The World Health Organization is biased on many of its policies and recommendations. For example, a central aspect of WHO’s reproductive health initiative is the promotion and facilitation of abortion services. This objective is cleverly disguised under rhetoric advocating for “women’s rights” on the grounds of “realizing a women’s right to decide the spacing and timing of her children.”[5] Yet, this failure toward neutrality is exposed in its complete disregard for the pro-life argument against abortion on the grounds that it violates the human rights of an unborn child. WHO’s Reproductive Health Strategy explicitly states that “urgent actions are needed … to the extent allowed by law, provision of safe abortion services … [and] providing abortion services at primary health care level.”[6] Again, their progressive healthcare agenda is revealed in the claim that “access to safe, legal abortion is a critical reproductive healthcare service.”[7]

In addition, WHO’s explicitly progressive goal of advancing abortion across the globe demonstrates its profound lack of understanding and respect for national sovereignty. Their one-sided agenda reveals bias against nations who are culturally pro-life, as their publications demonstrate that WHO views such nations as oppressive entities which must provide “safe abortion” services to show that they support women.

For the United States, defunding the World Health Organization and using the funds to help other like-minded entities instead is a good decision. If an organization such as WHO cannot be neutral, there is no sense in funding it, especially since it has become clear that WHO has been acquiescing to the Chinese Communist Party at the expense of the health and well-being of other nations. The United States does, and hopefully always will, stand for democracy, freedom, and national sovereignty. This can be accomplished by withdrawing from WHO and determining as a nation which like-minded organizations we ought to support amid this worldwide pandemic.

[1] The Editorial board, “How WHO Really Feels About China,” Wall Street Journal, June 3, 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-who-really-feels-about-china-11591226923.

[2] “President Donald J. Trump Is Demanding Accountability From the World Health Organization,” Fact Sheets: Healthcare, The White House, April 15, 2020, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-demanding-accountability-world-health-organization/.

[3] “Remarks by President Trump on Actions Against China,” Remarks: National Security & Defense, May 30, 2020, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-actions-china/.

[4] “About WHO,” World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/about.

[5] “Abortion” Overview, World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/health-topics/abortion#tab=tab_1.

[6] World Health Organization, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, “Reproductive health strategy to accelerate progress towards the attainment of international development goals and targets,” May, 2004, https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/68754/WHO_RHR_04.8.pdf.

[7] Bearak, Jonathan Marc, Anna Popinchalk, Gilda Sedgh, et al., “Pregnancies, abortions, and pregnancy intentions: a protocol for modeling and reporting global, regional and country estimates,” Reproductive Health 16, no. 36, (March 2019), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-019-0682-0.

 

Jun 24 2020
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Join Us! CWA Launches Summer Speaker Series

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

Concerned Women for America (CWA) is hosting a series of virtual events this summer that spotlight one of our seven core issues. We are launching the first of the series this Thursday, June 25, with an emphasis on the core issue of sexual exploitation. The topic will be “Saving Women’s Sports.”

Background:
This week marks the 48th Anniversary of Title IX. As a reminder, Title IX is the federal civil rights law that protects women from sex discrimination in educational programs, including sports. CWA is standing for female athletes whose rights are being violated under Title IX when male athletes identifying as girls are taking their place.

We are excited to have as our first guest speaker Beth Stelzer, the founder of  Save Women’s Sports. Beth is an amateur powerlifter, and she will share with us her unique personal story about transgender athlete participation in her sport. Beth stresses that defending women in athletics ought not be a partisan nor religious issue. Beth says, “If we allow males to compete in female sports, there will be men’s sports; there will be co-ed sports, but there will no longer be women’s sports.”  

Here are the details:
Date: Thursday, June 25, 2020
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 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!

Jun 22 2020
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Protecting Fair Play for Women’s College Sports

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

Editor’s Note: This week marks the 48th Anniversary of Title IX being enacted into law. This groundbreaking civil rights law prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. It paved the way for female students to have equal opportunities in school athletics vastly multiplying female opportunity and participation in sports. Join us in our efforts to #SaveGirlsSports.

CWA’s Government Relations Intern shares her personal story as she discusses the importance of requiring a fair playing field for female athletes:

The first time I came face-to-face with the issue of fair play and equal opportunity for women in sports occurred while I was in my junior year of college. I competed on Liberty University’s Taekwondo Sports Team in 2018. The team competed against Ivy League universities around the U.S., such as the Eastern Collegiate Taekwondo Conference and the Atlantic Collegiate Alliance of Taekwondo. During practice one day, our coach pulled the female athletes aside and made us aware of the fact that certain competitions now allowed males who identified themselves as females to compete against females. He went on to explain that if one of us did not feel comfortable fighting against a male, then she was not obligated to do so. I remember thinking how it would be unfair to me and all of my fellow female teammates, who had trained long and hard for months, to end up being paired to spar with a male at one of these competitions. In fact, our coach mentioned how highly competitive teams might take advantage of this policy of permitting biological males to compete against females to achieve greater success and to win the overall team award. A female Taekwondo athlete should not be in a situation that forces her to either forfeit a match or compete in an unfair fight.

Unfairness in women’s sports impacts female college athletes in the U.S. today and is something that continues to spread throughout all educational levels. Colleges and high schools that have allowed males identifying as females to compete in women’s sports have proved to be detrimental to female athletes everywhere. At the college level, Franklin Pierce University, located in Rindge, New Hampshire, was awarded the 2019 NCAA title when a biological male on its women’s team won the 400-meter women’s hurdles. The University of Montana permitted a former male cross-country team winner to transfer to the female cross-country team and win gold in the 2020 Big Sky Conference Championship indoor mile. At the high school level, female athletic students have filed lawsuits, due to unjustifiable losses in women’s sports scholarships. Multiple examples and scientific research confirm that biological differences, levels of testosterone, and puberty gives the biological male the upper hand in athleticism.

As we recognize the anniversary of Title IX, enacted on June 23, 1972, it is imperative that our nation remember and defend the civil rights law’s intention: enable women equal opportunity and fair competition within sports. Now, with attempts to permit male athletes who identify as women  to compete in any and every women’s college sport, social progress seems to be reverting, women’s rights are being threatened, and females are being discriminated against on the basis of sex.

Concerned Women for America has taken a stand to protect women’s rights as athletes in its support of H.R 5702, Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2020, which protects Title IX. This legislation secures women’s and girls’ right to fairly compete in athletics. Under H.R. 5702, it is a federal violation for males, identifying as females, to compete in government funded, sponsored, and facilitated all-female sports. Rep. Greg Steube (R-Florida) sponsored this bill, which to date has only 15 co-sponsors. CWA in partnership with other prominent women’s organizations has sent a coalition letter to the House of Representatives urging support for this legislation.

Please join CWA in this effort. Click here to email or tweet a message asking your U.S. Representative to cosponsor H.R. 5702 to protect and uphold Title IX and women’s sports.

Jun 18 2020
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Heritage Foundation and Concerned Women for America Unite to Reach Young Women

By | Blog, News and Events, Press Releases, YWA | No Comments

Heritage and CWA presidents announce collaboration effort to grow Young Women for America

WASHINGTON—Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James and Concerned Women for America CEO and President Penny Young Nance announced today that the two organizations have launched a combined effort to energize young women to advocate for fundamental American principles—freedom, faith, and strong families and communities—on college campuses across America.

Concerned Women for America began Young Women for America in 2011 in response to a growing need to invest in young women leaders on campus. Young Women for America has grown to 36 chapters across the nation, but the leaders of Concerned Women for America and Heritage don’t think it is enough. The two organizations have joined together to serve as a force multiplier for the conservative movement to reach even more young women.

“We are at a pivotal point in our nation’s history and for the future of freedom in America. The Heritage Foundation has the intellectual firepower and resources for training and developing this new generation of young women,” said James. “Working together, Heritage and Concerned Women for America will empower and activate thousands of women to do the hard but necessary work of keeping our republic.”

A recent survey by Gallup found that 52% of young adults have a favorable view of socialism compared to 47% who have a favorable view of capitalism. This alarming trend is being played out on the national stage with the rise of political leaders who espouse socialist policies. This follows the last 40 or more years during which billions of dollars have been poured into women’s studies programs on campuses.

“The Heritage Foundation is the nation’s premier conservative research and educational institution,” said Nance. “Concerned Women for America is humbled and grateful for the support from Heritage under the leadership of Kay James. With the incredible support of this great institution, our current and future Young Women for America chapters and women will gain invaluable exposure to your scholars and resources that will equip them to be better informed and engaged citizens and leaders throughout their lives. Thank you, Heritage Foundation, for your incredible collaborative support.”

The partnership will help Concerned Women for America expand its reach to bring young women from around the country to Washington, D.C., to give them access to mentors, elected officials, and learn the true history of our great nation. Creating a more robust presence of Young Women for America leaders on America’s campuses will answer the careful and patient cultivation and indoctrination by the political and institutional Left which allows no dissent from radical dogma such as intersectionality.

Young Women for America leaders not only engage in rich and meaningful discussions with fellow students, hold outreach events, and invite top thinkers to campus, but also volunteer in their local communities, hold fundraisers, and build deep friendships.

Click here to learn more about Young Women for America and locate a campus chapter to get involved.

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Jun 18 2020
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Despite Bad Ruling at the Supreme Court, HHS Issues Final Rule Upholding Traditional Definition of Sex

By | Blog, Legislative Updates, News and Events, Sexual Exploitation, Social / Cultural Issues | No Comments

Last year,  President Trump, through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), proposed a rule to overturn an erroneous interpretation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that redefined the word “sex” to include “gender identity” and “termination of pregnancy.” Concerned Women for America supporters mobilized in support of this change, submitting some 2,000 comments in favor of this essential regulatory change to protect life and health.

Last week, HHS announced the final rule to make this fix permanent and in doing so reasserted the rule of law that government regulations must be consistent with laws passed by Congress. The new rule clarifies that Section 1557 of the ACA does not force a recipient of federal funding to include abortion or gender transition treatment as a mandate to comply with anti-discrimination laws based on sex.

CWA called it the Conscience Care Rule because HHS has acted to restore consistency with the First Amendment and the intent and longstanding interpretation of civil rights laws. It also upholds the integrity of pro-life policy, conscience rights, and religious liberty protections in current law.

With the Supreme Court issuing a horrible ruling this week that transgender status must now be interpreted as “sex” under Title VII workplace discrimination laws, the HHS rule change is an essential and timely clarification that the federal definition of sex discrimination under health care programs does not include abortion or gender identity, but aligns with biological sex. For many healthcare providers, performing abortions or providing sex reassignment treatment is a violation of conscience and sound medical practice.

The HHS Conscience Care Rule represents a final roll back of the Obama-era regulation which had been blocked by a federal court that agreed the mandate to redefine sex exceeded its statutory authority. It also lifts many costly regulatory requirements, such as requiring insurance companies to explain benefits in writing in 16 languages. This rule is estimated to save taxpayers $3.6 billion over five years.

We applaud the Trump Administration for holding true to the text of the ACA statute, not an activist interpretation as Obama did. Congress’ sole responsibility to write the law under Article 1 of the Constitution should not be defied by administrative activism in the executive branch or judicial activism in the courts.

Jun 16 2020
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Bostock – Harris Supreme Court Update

By | Blog, Briefs, Legal, News and Events, Religious Liberty, SCOTUS | No Comments

The United States Supreme Court has released its decision in the Title VII cases Harris v. EEOC, Bostock v. Clayton County, and Altitude Express v. Zarda rewriting federal law in a raw act of judicial overreach.

We have seen this movie before. The Supreme Court rewriting federal law to appease political correctness is one of the most destructive developments in American jurisprudence. It always disappoints and brings more, not less, pain to our country. We can expect a similar type of legacy for today’s decision.

As Justice Alito plainly puts it in dissent: “There is only one word for what the Court has done today: legislation.” Which of course is a fundamental violation of the separation of powers set by our Constitution.

The majority betrays the Constitution and, Justice Gorsuch and Chief Justice Roberts betray the textualism they purport to support with this nonsensical decision that hurts women most of all. The protections based on “sex” in federal law were specifically enacted to protect women and strengthen justice, not threaten it because of the beautiful differences between males and females. But today, the Court erases that and envisions a world where fundamental truths can be twisted to mean whatever the “woke” culture of the times dictates.

CWA General Counsel Mario Diaz, Esq. and Doreen Denny, VP of Government Relations, have more on the potential dangers of this disastrous decision.

Jun 15 2020
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Supreme Court Rewrites Law to Appease PC Police, Again

By | Blog, Culture, News and Events, Press Releases, Religious Liberty, SCOTUS, Social / Cultural Issues | No Comments

Washington, D.C. — The United States Supreme Court has released its decision in the Title VII cases Harris v. EEOC, Bostock v. Clayton County, and Altitude Express v. Zarda. Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) made the following comments:

“The majority of the Court has effectively destabilized protections for women in federal law with this ruling. Today they invite federal lawsuits in every other area of federal law where the word ‘sex’ appears. Women will need to redouble their efforts to retain the protections that have cost us so much throughout the years. And that is exactly what we will do.

“The protections based on ‘sex’ in federal law were specifically enacted to protect women and strengthen justice, not threaten it because of the beautiful differences between males and females. But today, the Court erases that and envisions a world where fundamental truths can be twisted to mean whatever the ‘woke’ culture of the times dictates.

“Worse, the Court majority diminishes what it means to be a woman and the status and dignity of being female. This is not a left or right issue. Concerned Women for America rallied in front of the Supreme Court alongside radical feminists who boldly stood to ask the Court to stand strong for women and not deviate from the truthful application of the word ‘sex’ in federal law.”

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Jun 12 2020
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Justice, Not Chaos Needed for a More Perfect Union

By | Blog, Culture, National Sovereignty, News and Events, Politics/National Sovereignty, Social / Cultural Issues | No Comments

CWA has signed onto the below Conservative Action Project’s (CAP) Memo for the Movement entitled “Justice, Not Chaos Needed for a More Perfect Union.”

“Conservatives are confronting a country at unrest. Peaceful demonstrations over the unjustified murder of George Floyd have turned violent, exploited by individuals and organizations using Floyd’s death to pursue their own agenda of social conflict and destruction.
Some of the videos of the unrest all over America during the last ten days clearly show some protesters breaking the law by looting, for their own gain and, apparently, their own great amusement. Are we to condemn all protesters because of the few arsonists and looters?”
Jun 10 2020
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CWALAC Endorses Tina Ramirez for the U.S. House of Representatives for the 7th District of Virginia

By | Blog, News and Events, Politics/National Sovereignty, Press Releases, Virginia | No Comments

Washington, D.C. — Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC), the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization, has endorsed Tina Ramirez for U.S. House of Representatives for the 7th District of Virginia.

Penny Nance, CEO and President of CWALAC, said:

“The 2020 election will be a defining moment in American history at the pinnacle of intense political division.  The choice before voters is clear: support the bedrock freedoms of our Constitution and conservative values that make America great or threaten our future with a bankrupt leftist agenda that undermines religious freedom, denies life, erases female dignity, and embraces government socialism that will lead to economic and social collapse.

“Conservative women will not concede the fundamental values that strengthen families and promote individual flourishing to the left’s destructive agenda.  That is why Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee is proud today to endorse Tina Ramirez for U.S. House of Representatives for the 7th District of Virginia.

“Tina is a champion of the pro-family conservative values that make Virginia and America great.  Tina will bring her passion for religious freedom, the dignity of women, and the sanctity of human life to Congress and fight to preserve American sovereignty at home and abroad.

“Our members are honored to stand with Tina Ramirez in this election, confident that she will stand up for conservative values and American families with courage and integrity.”

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Print Press Release Here. 

Jun 08 2020
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Heritage President Kay James on Race in America after George Floyd

By | Blog, News and Events, Politics/National Sovereignty, Social / Cultural Issues, Tennessee, Use Your Voice, Wisconsin | No Comments

In late May, the nation went from Coronavirus lock-down to racial unrest in a matter of moments. After George Floyd’s tragic death by a white policeman, we watched in horror as day after day peaceful protests turned to violent riots and looting. CWA’s CEO and President Penny Nance speaks to Kay Cole James, the President of Heritage Foundation and an African American woman leader in government, academia and the conservative movement on the senseless killing of George Floyd.

Listen as she delivers a message of healing and hope that is centered in Christ.

Listen to the Podcast with Kay Coles James Here (Episode 25):

Jun 05 2020
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In Defense of Kay Coles James

By | Blog, CEO, Culture, News and Events, Social / Cultural Issues, Tennessee, Wisconsin | No Comments

CWA’s CEO and President Penny Nance teamed up with Susan B. Anthony List’s President Marjorie Dannenfelser on the following opinion article published in Real Clear Politics defending Kay Coles James after her comments were criticized in the media.

“As pro-life women leaders we have particular revulsion at the murder of George Floyd, a precious human life created in the image of God, by a white policeman in Minneapolis. We are also revolted by the senseless violence of criminals using this tragedy for their own selfish purposes.   
Our nation is shaken to its core. In this moment, as the nation looks for leadership, we are grateful for the transparency and vulnerability shown by our friend Kay Coles James, the first African American (and the first woman) to lead the historic Heritage Foundation. We noted that she received criticism recently from Fox News host Tucker Carlson, saying that she “wrote a long screed denouncing America as an irredeemably racist nation” in her response to Floyd’s death.  
We agree with his righteous anger against lawlessness. However, we feel compelled to say this statement is contrary to the woman and leader we know. 
Indeed, Kay deeply believes in American exceptionalism and opposes the rewriting of our nation’s history. In addition, having experienced racism in its malignity herself, she has become a preeminent conservative spokeswoman who can address it while applying its antidote — constitutional principles.   
As a little girl, from her screened porch she listened to civil rights leaders plan in her living room. The fight for human dignity was in the air and flowed in her bloodstream early on. 
This formed her into an ideal advocate for those on the economic margins, the unborn child, all those disenfranchised who were promised to and provided for in our founding documents. It’s no coincidence that, before she became a giant in the conservative moment, she got her formation in pro-life activism. 
In her recent op-ed, Kay wrote thoughtfully about the promise of equality in the Declaration of Independence, and she emphasized how America’s founding principles contain the tools of redemption necessary for every generation to right what is wrong in order to form a more perfect union, and how we must look to those principles to expand human flourishing to all Americans. 
Can we just say, “Amen”? 
The entire history of America is the story of this expansion, from the emancipation of slaves to the enfranchisement of women in the 19th Amendment (which turns 100 this year) and – soon – the restoration of the right to life for the unborn. Every successful human rights movement in our history, rooted in the deep soil of the American founding, has asserted that authentic rights cannot be built on the broken bodies and rights of others.”
Jun 03 2020
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Conservative Leaders Offer Principles to Counter Biased Social Media

By | Blog, Culture, News and Events, Social / Cultural Issues, Tennessee, Wisconsin | No Comments

 

The Free Speech Alliance (FSA), a coalition in which CWA participates, responded to President Donald Trump’s executive order addressing social media platforms’ bias against conservatives by releasing the following statement setting out four principles these platforms need to adopt.

Read the Entire Response and Four Principles Here

May 31 2020
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Recent Dept. of Educ. Ruling: CT Interscholastic Athletic Conference’s (CIAC) Policy Allowing Biological Males to Compete in Women’s Sports Violates Title IX

By | Blog, Connecticut, Education, Feminist / Women's Issues, Legislative Updates, News and Events, Sexual Exploitation | No Comments

CWA’s Vice President of Government Relations appeared on Washington Watch with Tony Perkins to discuss the recent Department of Education ruling that the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference’s (CIAC) policy allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports violates Title IX. She was featured along with Christiana Holcomb, Legal Counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom.

Listen to the Entire Show Here and Hear Doreen Beginning at 36:30:

May 28 2020
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Victory in Women’s Sports Civil Rights Case Carries Warning: Don’t Deny Female Athletes Equal Opportunity

By | Blog, Culture, Feminist / Women's Issues, Legislative Updates, News and Events, Press Releases, Sexual Exploitation, Social / Cultural Issues | No Comments

Washington, D.C. – Concerned Women for America (CWA) applauds the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for taking a significant step in the fight to protect the integrity of women’s sports. The ED Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has correctly ruled that the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) and associated schools are in violation of Title IX regulations prohibiting sex discrimination for denying female student-athletes benefits and opportunities in girls’ track by allowing the participation of male students. Among the findings: “CIAC treated students differently based on sex, by denying opportunities and benefits to female student-athletes that were available to male student-athletes.”

CWA filed a similar civil rights complaint at the college level against Franklin Pierce University for unfairly winning a national NCAA title in the 400-meter women’s hurdles with a biological male athlete.  That case is still under investigation by OCR, and we believe a similar action should follow.

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

“Concerned Women for America supporters from around the country have stood at the forefront of the fight to protect equal opportunity in women’s sports.  We applaud the Office for Civil Rights for finally taking action to recognize that female athletes are being denied their rights and that schools are violating the law.

“From middle school sports to the Olympics, our daughter athletes are being bullied by activists and sidelined by silence. They simply want to compete on a level playing field against athletes of their own sex. That is what Title IX achieved for female athletes over 40 years ago.

“The ruling in this case shows just how twisted and off-track women’s sports has become, and it carries a warning for all schools: don’t deny female athletes equal opportunity. CWA urges swift action on our complaint in college sports where the NCAA and member schools continue to trample the rights of female college athletes.

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

May 28 2020
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A Privilege to Support Judge Walker for the D.C. Circuit

By | Blog, Judicial Nominations, Legal, News and Events | No Comments

President Donald Trump has given us great judicial nominees throughout his presidency. It has indeed been the best group we have ever seen. The vast majority have a proven track record of being Constitutionalists who are committed to upholding the Constitution and laws as written.

But every once in a while, an exceptional talent comes along that stands out as someone with an extraordinary intellect and understanding of our history and ideals. Judge Justin Walker is such a jurist. He is President Trump’s nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where Justice Kavanaugh used to serve. He currently serves as a federal district judge in the Western District of Kentucky.

As the nation wrestles with the constitutional limits of the power grab many mayors around the country are enjoying as the result of the coronavirus, Judge Walker stands out as a judge who understands the importance of our religious liberties as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Going into Easter weekend, many mayors, including Kentucky’s Greg Fischer, wanted to prohibit Easter services, under threat of law.

On Holy Saturday, the day before Easter, the matter came before Judge Walker. A Church called “On Fire Christian Center” sued to enjoin Mayor Fischer from enforcing an executive order that prohibited them from gathering, even if they observe social distancing and also if they stayed in their cars and did a “drive-in church” service.

Judge Walker saw that for what it was, a great offense to the Constitution. He then proceeded to enter a temporary restraining order enjoining Mayor Fischer and the City of Louisville from enforcing compliance with their prohibition on “drive-in churches.” In doing so, he wrote a magnificent memorandum that showed complete command of the issue and highlighted its importance on our constitutional structure. I commend to you the entire document. Judge Walker did not hold back:

On Holy Thursday, an American mayor criminalized the communal celebration of Easter. That sentence is one that this Court never expected to see outside the pages of a dystopian novel, or perhaps the pages of The Onion. But two days ago, citing the need for social distancing during the current pandemic, Louisville’s Mayor Greg Fischer ordered Christians not to attend Sunday services, even if they remained in their cars to worship – and even though it’s Easter. The Mayor’s decision is stunning. And it is, “beyond all reason,” unconstitutional.

Judge Walker traced the history of religious discrimination that made us the great nation that we are. He wrote, “The Pilgrims were heirs to a long line of persecuted Christians, including some punished with prison or worse for the crime of celebrating Easter – and an even longer line of persecuted peoples of more ancient faiths.”

He explained the importance of religious freedom and the importance of Easter for Christians. He even showed great sensibility by noting that churches owed no explanation of their beliefs to the government.

The Christians of On Fire, however, owe no one an explanation for why they will gather together this Easter Sunday to celebrate what they believe to be a miracle and a mystery. True, they can attempt to explain it. True, they can try to teach. But to the nonbeliever, the Passion of Jesus – the betrayals, the torture, the state-sponsored murder of God’s only Son, and the empty tomb on the third day – makes no sense at all. And even to the believer, or at least to some of them, it can be incomprehensible as well. But for the men and women of On Fire, Christ’s sacrifice isn’t about the logic of this world. Nor is their Easter Sunday celebration. The reason they will be there for each other and their Lord is the reason they believe He was and is there for us. For them, for all believers, “it isn’t a matter of reason; finally, it’s a matter of love.”

Writing this way, Judge Walker displays great respect not only for the Constitution but also for religious communities (for Christians), which is unfortunately so rare with so many today.

That is why we should be ecstatic to see Judge Walker elevated to the D.C. Circuit. Let us pray for him and the attacks he will surely get for speaking boldly in favor of religious liberty.

May 26 2020
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CWA socialism lesson

The Truth About Socialism Lesson 1

By | Blog, CWAACP, Education, International, National Sovereignty, News and Events, Socialism | No Comments

 

Do you want to understand what socialism is and how it impacts society? Or, how to respond to socialist promises like – Free Stuff! – healthcare and college? This lessons by Concerned Women for America’s Vice President of International Affairs Dr. Shea Garrison will help you understand why this seemingly benign philosophy has been disastrous wherever it has been implemented. This is part 1 in a series presented by the CWA Academy for Conservative Principles.

Click here for a digital copy of the booklet referenced in the lesson.