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National Sovereignty

Mar 29 2023
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Congress Considers Election Observers

By | Legislative Updates, National Sovereignty, News and Events, She Prays She Votes | No Comments

The next round of elections is November 2023. Several votes are coming up that some believe will offer a forecast of political fortunes. While a few months away, it is timely to consider opportunities for improvement to election integrity.

 

This past week, the Subcommittee on Elections for the U.S. Committee on House Administration held an oversight hearing on election observer access and “the important role election observers played in the last election cycle in helping to strengthen voter confidence in election processes and outcomes.”

 

Before the hearing, I was able to chat with a colleague of one of the hearing witnesses, Lisa Lyons, county clerk of Kent County, Michigan—“a bellwether county” that was “on the front lines of 2020.” In her role, Ms. Lyons manages all county elections.

 

Much like several Concerned Women for America and Young Women for America leaders who have spoken with Members of Congress, she answered a last-minute call to pack her bags and fly to Washington, D.C. to share her experience!

 

Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Florida), subcommittee chair, asked about the process for Kent County election observer certification. Ms. Lyons explained that there are election observers for both parties and how she routinely approved applications for election observers from groups across the ideological spectrum. In Kent County, every observer is credentialed according to a manual produced by the state, and groups are able to apply to credential observers. Every county clerk must notify the local clerk of credentialing groups, and the local clerks in turn advise precincts. Observers may not approach or speak to a voter or imply the ability to assist a voter. Any verbal interaction with an observer is established with an election inspector designated to converse with the observers themselves.

 

Ms. Lyons emphasized how transparency breeds trust. It is clear from the process in Kent County alone the importance of sound rules and consistent communication between election officials.

 

Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Alabama), subcommittee ranking member, asked how Kent County addresses voter or observer intimidation. Ms. Lyons said this is addressed by proper training for election observers. The county clerk trains election inspectors who administer elections, and approved political parties and organizations train election observers. Knowledge of the laws and rights is a buffer against intimidation.

 

Overall, the hearing served as a refresher on the appropriate role of election observers in the election process.

 

If you want to get involved and are interested in being an election observer, take a look at the “Laws Governing Observers By State” on our She Prays She Votes page.

 

Another way to engage is to be a poll watcher. A poll watcher is a volunteer citizen appointed on behalf of a candidate, political party, or proponents or opponents of a ballot measure to observe the election process and report any problems. Poll watchers may observe:

  • Early voting/election day polling place activities
  • Central counting station
  • Voter being assisted by an election official
  • Inspecting and securing of voting equipment
  • Delivery of election results
  • Canvassing of election results
  • Signature verification committee

 

If you are interested in being a poll watcher, take a look at the “Poll Watcher Qualifications By State” on our She Prays She Votes page.

Mar 08 2023
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Defending National Sovereignty for the Unborn

By | International, National Sovereignty, News and Events, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Pro-abortion groups recently sent a letter calling on United Nations (UN) officials to take action in response to America’s “violation of its obligations under international human rights law” for not having a constitutional right to abortion. Protections for the unborn, according to signatories, are a “human rights crisis.” This letter is a reminder that defense of national sovereignty is vital in a landscape where international bodies are being lobbied and used to push a pro-abortion agenda. No international organization should have authority over our country in any area, much less in mandating policies that destroy lives.

 

Unfortunately, there is already a bias within the UN against protections for the unborn. UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet called the outcome in the U.S. Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which returned the question of abortion policy to the people, “a huge blow to women’s human rights and gender equality.” At that time, the UN women’s rights committee “reiterated its call for States parties to remove punitive measures for women who undergo abortion and to legalize abortion – at least in cases of rape, incest, threats to the life or health of the pregnant woman, and in the case of severe [fetal] impairment.”

 

The UN touts Bachelet and the committee as “rights experts.” Yet the so-called “experts” seem to have their heads in the sand about what both sides are really saying about the abortion debate.

 

There are no punitive measures—certainly not criminal measures—against women who obtain an abortion in the United States. Our President and CEO, Penny Nance, has only spoken with truth and love about women who have suffered abortion, most recently in front of a nationally broadcast audience at the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC). And pro-life groups, including Concerned Women for America, universally call for protections for the unborn who fall outside of the listed exceptions. Those unborn lives are the vast majority of children killed in abortions.

 

On the other hand, as the letter evidences, many on the pro-abortion side want abortion under any circumstance. The dignity and worth of the unborn child is totally irrelevant. Girls and women indisputably suffer from criminal attacks and maladies like post-partum depression. But abortion access is demanded in every circumstance, and the suffering that results from abortion is unacknowledged.

 

One might wonder why the UN takes the positions it does when America foots most of the bill. In 2020, America contributed over 11 billion dollars to the UN. It seems like the UN’s priorities and America’s priorities are so often at odds. Bizarrely, most if not all of the signatories are from America. It seems to boil down to a desire to take the easy route of appealing to an unaccountable international body rather than do the hard work of changing fellow Americans’ hearts and minds. It is a call for policy by fiat and no consent from the governed.

 

Sadly, the U.S. is responsible for its own pressure on foreign governments to support anti-life, anti-family, and anti-woman policies. At a Summit for Democracy, the Biden Administration explicitly linked so-called LGBTQI+ “rights” to democracy, and President Biden called for the elimination of the filibuster in order to pass a law to practically undo the outcome in Dobbs. The U.S. Department of State’s annual human rights report includes sections on sexual orientation/gender identity mandates and abortion access. The U.S. Agency for International Development has recommended training for educators funded to teach in foreign countries “to model the use of inclusive language (i.e., names, pronouns, descriptors)” with information about “diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.” The U.S. State Department awarded one of its “International Women for Courage Awards” to a male.

 

At a panel event this week for International Women’s Day, German Ambassador Emily Haber was asked to speak about differences in pay between men and women of Germany. She was asked if she observed any policies in Germany that America should apply. She explained,

 

“There’s a conversation to be had about [fair pay]. But I wouldn’t give any advice or wouldn’t, as I said before, lecture anyone. We all come from our specific vantage points, experiences, societal and political traditions. Whatever we do will have to fit into it. As we pursue the same objectives . . . we’ll have to have the conversation on how best to do it. There is not one single panacea to move ahead.”

 

This is a refreshing perspective for issues that are debatable, like economic policy. How much more must we forbear on exporting to other countries ideas that undebatably lead to harm and destruction. But as the letter shows, and as we have seen from the Biden Administration, not everyone is on the same page.

 

Aug 09 2022
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Unprecedented Raid-CWA Responds

By | National Sovereignty, News and Events | No Comments

Enough is enough. The unprecedented raid of the personal residence of former President of the United States Donald J. Trump strikes at core foundational principles of liberty. Americans, regardless of political persuasion, must stand against it. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) must be held accountable for these destabilizing and seemingly politically motivated actions against the political opponent of the current Administration.

 

But congressional accountability will not happen without our voices demanding the sort of bold action that this historic moment demands. We need to band together to make our voices heard.

 

This is not a time for the faint of heart. Many may shy away from the big bureaucratic state, with its promise of many more IRS agents in the near future, but with your help, Concerned Women for America (CWA) will not back down. We will fight for your rights and stand up to their abuses, as we have done before.

 

Would you please prayerfully consider supporting our efforts at this crucial time?

 

We have stood up to Big Government before. CWA was audited by the IRS during the Clinton years, coming out of the ordeal stronger than ever. And just last year, when reports of the FBI’s unjust targeting of CWA surfaced, we immediately stood up to their abuses, prompting senators into action.

 

We will not be bullied. And that is why the voice of conservative women standing together is so crucial now that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI seem to be prioritizing their work by political persuasion. We saw it with the targeting of parents at school board meetings as “domestic terrorists,” and we are seeing it now with this abuse of power in what is allegedly a record dispute.

 

If we allow this sort of action to go unaccounted for, there is no question that escalation and manipulation of government agencies for political gain will only increase in the years to come, putting all our liberties at risk.

 

Please, consider giving sacrificially to make sure we can present a robust challenge to these unprecedented attacks. And continue to pray for our nation.

Jul 01 2022
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Liberty Without Religious Freedom is Bondage

By | National Sovereignty, News and Events | No Comments

For many people today, July 4th is a holiday filled with picnics, friends, and fireworks. But it is also a commemoration of America’s Declaration of Independence. The freedom call was not only against a political and economic system, but it was also a cry for independence from the spiritual tyranny of the Anglican Church.

 

 

In 1775, there were 668 congregational churches in America. Seventy-five percent of all Americans, at that time, belonged to churches of Puritan derivation. The religious makeup was 98.4 percent Protestant, 1.4 percent Roman Catholic, and three-twentieths of one percent Jewish. America was a nation deeply concerned with religious freedom.

 

 

Religious freedom today is far from what the original founders intended. What Americans wanted was a government that did not favor one Christian sect over another. The idea was never to erode Christianity through the separation of church and state. John Jay, after the war, described the homogeneity of America in Federalist 2 (*see below).

 

 

Competition between the various churches, early Americans thought, was healthy; it kept them from becoming complacent, comfortable, and arrogant like the nationally endorsed Anglican Church. In 18th century America, men and women adhered to the Protestant conviction that all men and human institutions were fallible. Americans fought hard for seven years during the Revolutionary War to rid themselves of the shackles of imperial England and her state-controlled church.

 

 

The men who called the people of America to independence were men committed to their country and the freedom of her people. They paid a great price for our independence and religious freedom: five signers were captured by the British army and tortured; 12 men’s homes were destroyed; two had sons who died during the Revolutionary War; one had two sons taken prisoner by the British; nine signers of the Declaration died in the war.

 

 

This July 4th, let us remember those courageous men who helped to establish a free nation. Let us thank God for religious freedom won and exercise that freedom by reaching our generation with the Gospel.

 

Liberty without religious freedom is bondage.

*Federalist 2 I have taken notice that Providence has been pleased to give this one connected country to one united people – a people descended from the same ancestors, speaking the same language, professing the same religion, attached to the same principles of government, very similar in their manners and customs, and who … fighting side by side throughout a long and bloody war, have nobly established their general liberty and independence. This country and this people seem to have been made for each other … Similar sentiments have hitherto prevailed among all orders and denominations of men among us. To all general purposes we have uniformly been one people. — John Jay

May 29 2022
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A Proclamation-Prayer for Peace

By | National Sovereignty, News and Events | No Comments

Prayer for Peace, Memorial Day, May 21, 1987

 

By the President of the United States of America

 

A Proclamation

 

Any American who has ever listened to a bugler sound Taps, the last salute, whether on a green and grassy hillside, a muddy field halfway around the world, or a lonely tarmac stateside or anywhere freedom is cherished and defended, knows exactly why we set aside a special day each year to honor those who have died for our country and to pray for permanent peace.

 

We do so for the sons and daughters of our land who have perished in the cause of liberty, country, and peace, the cause that has called Americans from generation to generation. We do so for the Nation that was home to these heroes and heroines, the Nation that gave them their birthright of freedom. We do so for the sacred trust they have left us, to revere, defend, and preserve all that they have revered, defended, and preserved for us.

 

And we pray for our dead; we ask God to bless them and take them to Himself and reward their patriot’s love. We pray for those who gave their lives in the hope of a future of freedom and peace for their countrymen. We pray for peace and for the devotion and strength of soul to build it and to protect it always. We pray and we resolve to keep holy the memory of those who have died for our country and to make their cause inseparably our own. We pray and we promise, so that one day Taps will sound never again for the young and the brave and the good.

 

In recognition of those brave Americans to whom we pay tribute today, the Congress, by joint resolution approved May 11, 1950 (64 Stat. 158), has requested the President to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people of the United States might unite in prayer.

 

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 1987, as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at eleven o’clock in the morning of that day as a time to unite in prayer. I urge the press, radio, television, and all other information media to cooperate in this observance.

 

I also direct all appropriate Federal officials and request the Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff during this Memorial Day on all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States and in all areas under its jurisdiction and control, and I request the people of the United States to display the flag at half-staff from their homes on this day.

 

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eleventh.

 

Ronald Reagan

 

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:16 a.m., May 22, 1987]

Apr 13 2022
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U.S. Senators Request Reform to the United Nations Human Rights Council

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

Sixty-eight U.S. Senators Request the U.S. Government’s Engagement to Reform the United Nations Human Rights Council.

On April 1, the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) closed its 49th session with the adoption of four resolutions condemning Israel. As a result, 68 U.S. Senators requested the U.S. engage with the HRC to ensure that the discriminatory treatment from the UN Human Rights Council towards Israel stops.

The HRC has a long history of disproportionate condemnation of Israel. “The Human Rights Council has attacked Israel with 95 resolutions. Compared to 142 against all other countries combined,” said H.E. Gilad Erdan, the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations.

These resolutions were described as disproportionate because none of them make any reference to the Hamas group or any mention of the attacks in which Israel has been the victim. Obviously, by ignoring this information, they are omitting Israel’s right to self-defense, according to Article 51 of the United Nations Charter[1].

Most importantly, the HRC has created a special commission of inquiry (COI) to investigate Israel, appointing “experts” that had made statements that “pre-assumes Israeli violations of international law rather than presuming innocence as is required.”

One of the main reasons why former President Trump withdrew U.S. membership from the HRC was its continuous condemnation of Israel, and, at the same time, staying silent on the hideous violations of human rights in countries like Venezuela.

“The council ceases to be worthy of its name,” Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN said in explaining the U.S. withdrawal. “Such a council, in fact, damages the cause of human rights.” But this was ignored by the Biden Administration as they renewed U.S. membership in the HRC.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken recognized the HRC’s bias towards Israel but has not taken any actions to change the situation. For this reason, 68 senators sent the letter to request that the U.S. prioritize reversing the HRC’s discriminatory treatment of Israel and end the COI. Two other pieces of legislation were introduced in the House of Representatives, one to require certain actions relating to the United Nations Human Rights Council (United Nations Human Rights Council Reform Act). A second one is to provide for the abolition of certain United Nations groups (COI Elimination Act).

Concerned Women for America applauds the efforts of our lawmakers to stand for Israel and ensure that our taxpayer money will be used to help U.S. allies and not attack them.  

[1] United Nations Charter. Signed on June 26, 1945. Article 51 “Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence [sic] if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence [sic] shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.” https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/chapter-7

Feb 08 2022
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CWALAC Opposition to the Global Respect Act

By | National Sovereignty, News and Events, Religious Liberty | No Comments

Please email, call, or tweet (perhaps all three) your representative through our Action Center HERE and urge him or her to oppose this weapon of intimidation to persecute those holding differing views on biological sex, marriage, and the family. Vote NO on H.R. 3485, the Global Respect Act.

The problem that the current Global Respect Act claims to resolve is already addressed in and covered by the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which imposes robust sanctions on those who engage in human rights abuses. 

The Global Respect Act purports to protect the rights of those who identify themselves as LGBTQI, but in essence, it undermines rights to freedom of conscience and religious belief for those who disagree. The bill could be used to punish individuals for viewpoints on sexual behavior and gender as a “flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty or the security of such persons.”  Moreover, H.R. 3485 threatens countries’ democratic processes and risks peace between nations.

The protection and respect of fundamental freedom are essential for a society to flourish. All human beings are born equal in dignity. To respect, promote, and guarantee fundamental freedom is a role of government, but to do so, governments should use legitimate ways that promote understanding and peace among individuals and nations.

As drafted, the current Global Respect Act does not promote respect. Instead, it creates a method of ideological colonization in which the U.S. government attempts to impose an agenda upon governments and individuals, undermining legitimate freedoms of expression and belief and attacking counties’ national sovereignty. 

People continue to be persecuted for their religious beliefs about marriage–declaring the sacred union between one man and one woman—or the biological reality of being male or female. Priests, pastors, and other individuals are accused of hate speech when they respectfully express their rights of conscience and beliefs. As written, the so-called Global Respect Act provides a weapon, using intimidation as the method to persecute those who maintain historically accepted, Biblically foundational, and scientifically accurate beliefs concerning human sex and sexuality. H.R. 3485 requires the State Department to blacklist individuals whom it accuses of causing “restrictions on the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms in foreign countries based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics.”  

Beyond sanctioning individuals, the language included within the bill could be used as a pretext to pressure countries to legalize same-sex marriage, adoption for same-sex couples, legalization of gender-affirming therapies for minors, and more.

Although this bill has not yet been enacted, we have received information that in the Dominican Republic, lawmakers have been threatened by the U.S. government with taking away their visas for not including sexual orientation and gender identity within their new criminal laws.

Countries worldwide, including the United States, are debating these issues, and they should not be punished because they are acting in respect of legitimate differences of opinion and internal democratic processes. 

International law is based upon the fundamental principles of non-intervention and sovereign equality for all countries. As drafted, the Global Respect Act infringes on these principles.

Just as the U.S. government demands respect for its institutions and representatives and for the self-determination of peoples, we as a nation have an obligation to respect the national sovereignty of other nations.

Jan 27 2022
0

Conflict between Ukraine and Russia

By | National Sovereignty, News and Events | No Comments

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, is threatening to invade Ukraine. He has sent 100,000 troops to prepare for the invasion. Ukraine, which had been a part of the Soviet Union, became an independent country in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Putin has always considered Ukraine a part of Russia and is serious about bringing Ukraine back into the fold.

To Putin’s displeasure, Ukraine seems to be more attracted to the European Union (EU) than to Russia. The only reason why they have not joined the EU is that Russia has gotten in their way.

Russia’s primary demand in this situation is that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) withdraws its offer to Ukraine to become one of its members; that has not happened. NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance between 27 European countries, two North American countries, and one Eurasian country that share common principles and values. The goal of NATO is to secure the Euro-Atlantic area. An attack against one country is considered an attack on all the nations.

During the past few days, the international community has come together to find a solution through diplomatic negotiations, but so far, no solution has been found on which Russia and Ukraine can agree.

The EU and the United States have announced that they are ready to deploy troops to support Ukraine. They have also threatened Russia with economic sanctions. But Russia does not seem to care about the economic sanctions; they know that just like China and other countries, they can survive without relations with the EU and the U.S.

It seems apparent that Vladimir Putin has perceived the weakness of President Biden and his diplomacy. While the U.S. President has made climate change a priority for his national security policy, our enemies are using this as an opportunity to advance their interests.

We need the current administration to show firmness and resolve in this situation. Currently, President Biden is considering deploying troops to Ukraine. Unfortunately, this may be necessary, but it is not a solution. The NATO nations must stand firm in their protection of the sovereignty of each of its member nations.

As we as a nation navigate through these uncertain times, we invite you to join us in prayer. We need to pray for peace and to pray for our leaders and the leaders of the world that God will grant them the wisdom to protect their nations and their people before their own interests.

Jan 14 2022
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CWALAC Holds the Line to Defend Election Integrity

By | Legislative Updates, National Sovereignty, News and Events | No Comments

In the latest attempt to institute a federal takeover of our elections, House Democrats recently hijacked an unrelated bipartisan National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) bill as a vehicle to expedite Senate consideration of so-called voting rights legislation. This was a futile “moon shot” towards Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-New York) goal of passing sweeping reforms by Martin Luther King Day. H.R. 5746, a Frankenstein creation combining elements of the hyper-partisan For the People Act (H.R./S. 1), John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4), and Freedom to Vote Act (S. 2747), passed the House on January 13, 2022, in a party line vote.

All momentum was soon lost as Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) and Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) reiterated their opposition to eliminating the 60-vote threshold of the filibuster—the only means for the Democrat Majority’s voting rights bill to advance without support from Republicans. Even a last-minute Capitol Hill visit from President Biden failed to generate enthusiasm. Leader Schumer soon sent members home for the weekend with the promise that H.R. 5746, renamed the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, would be their first order of business come Tuesday. The bill will not pass without a change in the Senate filibuster rules, so both are on a path to certain defeat.

H.R 5746 forces states to implement online, automatic, and same-day voter registration measures, opening the door for fraud and expands the unchecked power of the U.S. Attorney General to object to legitimate voter integrity efforts among states. The bill also opens the door to publicly funded political campaigns and candidate campaign salaries, meaning Americans’ tax-dollars are at risk of funding career politicians and candidacies with whom they disagree. The list of poisonous policies continues.

Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) is holding the line on election integrity. This week, we continued to underscore our strong objections to the latest version of a federal takeover of state voting laws and have declared our unequivocal opposition to abolishing the filibuster. Do not expect this futile mission to end anytime soon. CWALAC will continue to stand against the Democrat majority’s vain crusade to mandate unconstitutional changes to our election laws.

Dec 07 2021
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CWALAC Celebrates Removal of NDAA Provision Drafting Our Daughters

By | Draft, National Sovereignty, News and Events, Press Releases | No Comments

For Immediate Release
December 7, 2021
Contact: Katie Everett, Press Secretary
[email protected]

CWALAC Celebrates Removal of NDAA Provision Drafting Our Daughters

Washington, D.C. – Last night, harmful language requiring women to register for the Selective Service was removed from the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) and House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Mike Rogers (R-Alabama) were instrumental in opposing this monumental reversal in military policy. Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) is grateful for their steadfast leadership. We also thank Reps. Vicky Hartzler (R-Missouri) and Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), and Mike Lee (R-Utah) –all integral, vocal players in the efforts to defeat this proposal.

Lastly, we want to extend our sincerest gratitude to our leaders in the states and our Young Women for America leaders on college campuses around the country. Your voices were key to ensuring this issue made it to the forefront of debate.

CWALAC will continue to stand for the inherent dignity of women and against the destructive lie that women’s equality means sameness with men. We admire and support the patriotic women who volunteer for military service. Conscripting our daughters and granddaughters to the frontlines of war is entirely different. Assigning priority to “equity” over military necessity would only hinder critical national defense objectives in a wartime crisis.

CWALAC applauds Members for rejecting the shameful fallacy that Congress must rubber stamp the social experimentation of our military to secure critical funding for our troops and national security.

We are thrilled that our leaders have chosen to respect women and their role in serving our nation without sacrificing our daughters on the altar of political correctness. Thank you for eliminating language to draft women.

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Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization with a rich history of over 40 years.

Sep 24 2021
0

America’s Leadership in a Tailspin

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

Just recently, the Biden Administration announced the U.S. strike on Afghanistan killed civilians among those seven children from the same extended family. The same day France announced the recall of their Ambassador to the U.S. This week President Biden appeared in front of the United Nations, claiming the success of the “end of war” in Afghanistan and flaunting U.S. leadership worldwide. A lie that only his Administration believes.

The General Assembly of the United Nations is its central body; this is where the heads of the 193 countries that are part of the UN gather once a year to deliberate on the current problems that the international community faces.

President Biden gave a speech with empty words. His speech was intended to show the world that the U.S. is still the world’s top leader. Unfortunately, his words fell short. He was not even capable of clearly addressing the current threats that America is facing. This lack of clarity makes America’s enemy rejoice.

Just minutes after the President’s speech, the President of Iran, Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, took the stand and openly stated in front of the UN General Assembly that “from the Capitol to Kabul, one clear message was sent to the world: The U.S. does not have credibility inside or outside the country.” He said that the world does not care about “America First” or “America is back” after what happened in Afghanistan.

After our NATO allies were not consulted on Afghanistan, after France recalled its Ambassador from the U.S., and after the E.U. accused Biden of disloyalty, the closest American allies are skeptical of U.S. leadership.  Sadly, the criticism that the Biden Administration is getting from the world does not denote that America is the world’s leader.

Ignoring the criticism, President Biden’s speech emphasized that America is back at the table of the international forums, especially the UN to face the global challenges.

Biden’s strategy towards the international organizations has been as poor as his approach to Afghanistan. One of the first actions from his Administration was to rejoin and restore funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), $893,004,000 to be exact, despite their poor performance in handling the pandemic and the lack of response on China’s responsibility. The U.S. is the top contributor to the WHO, which gives it the possibility of negotiation, but no condition was imposed in exchange for its money.

During his speech, Biden reaffirmed his commitment to retake a seat at the United Nations Human Rights Council, failing to mention its remarkable anti-Israel bias and to address the human rights violations by countries like China[1].

Instead, he did mention that the U.S. “will stand up for their allies and friends, opposing attempts of stronger countries to dominate weaker ones through economic coercion.” This being said while the U.S. is using its money to impose abortion upon developing countries worldwide against people’s will.

Lastly, he said, “I stand here today, for the first time in 20 years, with the United States not at war. We have turned the page.” He indeed turned the page, forgetting about the current crisis that is still happening in Afghanistan, forgetting about hundreds of people who are facing death because they were left behind.

CWA has not turned the page. We are doing everything in our power to rescue those who have been left behind by joining efforts with other private organizations, especially to rescue Christian families that are facing death because of their faith in God.

The lack of clarity, the vagueness, and the ambiguity of President Biden’s speech, showed the world that America leadership is in a tailspin.

[1] Currently China, Cuba, and Venezuela have a seat on the Human Rights council, despite their human rights violations committed against their own people. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/CurrentMembers.aspx

 

Sep 24 2021
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Nance: 135 House Republicans Capitulate to the Left’s Social Agenda for Our Military

By | Draft, Media, National Sovereignty, News and Events | No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2021  

Contact: Jacklyn Washington
[email protected]  

Washington, D.C. — Last night the U.S. House of Representatives voted 316-113, including 135 Republicans, to approve H.R. 4350, the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), that requires young women to register with the Selective Service for a potential military draft.  Democrats blocked House floor consideration of proposals to strike the provision from the bill.  Action moves to the Senate where a similar provision reportedly was adopted by the Democrat-led committee in July.

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

“The House has capitulated to the Democrat’s radical social agenda for our military and forced our daughters to sign up for the draft. Shame on them. There is no justification for reversing established military policy that protects young women from gambling their lives on a Biden-declared national emergency.

“Concerned Women for America rejects the destructive lie that women’s equality means being the same as men and the left’s bankrupt ideology that erases the dignity and status of women entirely.

“We will not accept the ‘go along to get along’ attitude of elected leaders willing to sacrifice common sense and tie the hands of our military with costly mandates for social experiments in our armed forces.

“We will continue to reject cheap calls for ‘equality’ at the expense of young women’s lives and critical national security priorities.

“We call on the Senate to reject this reckless crusade to draft our daughters.”

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Concerned Women for America is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization with a rich history of over 40 years.

Sep 14 2021
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Concerned Women: Biden’s Vaccine Mandate Unwise & Unconstitutional

By | Defense of Family, National Sovereignty, News and Events, Press Releases | No Comments

For Immediate Release
September 14, 2021

Contact: Jacklyn Washington
202-748-3501
[email protected]   

Concerned Women: Biden’s Vaccine Mandate Unwise & Unconstitutional

Washington, D.C. — Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America (CWA), had this to say on the news that President Joe Biden has instructed the Department of Labor to develop emergency regulations giving the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) the authority to enforce a national vaccine mandate for employers with at least 100 employees:

“Disastrous rollouts of seemingly well-intentioned policy has become the defining feature and legacy of the Biden-Harris Administration. One look at the withdrawal from Afghanistan tells you everything you need to know, but the incompetence has been on full display in their handling of the COVID pandemic as well.

“Worse yet, the authoritarian instincts surfacing with the employee vaccine mandate go well beyond incompetence and into outright violation of Americans’ civil liberties. Public health must always be balanced with individual freedom.

“This proposed mandate shows a complete disregard for these freedoms. It reveals to us a President who has lost touch with the people he represents and who now seeks to impose his policy choices by abusing the constitutional powers granted to him by ‘We the People.’

“I chose to be fully vaccinated, but regardless of individual views on taking the vaccine, this unnecessary federal mandate must be met with full-throated opposition from all freedom-loving Americans. It is wrong to force people to choose between feeding their families and following their consciences on this issue. Employees and employers have hard choices ahead, and we support them regardless.

“CWA employs well under 100 women, but should the threshold change, we would not comply. The nanny state needs to back off, and President Biden needs to be reminded that the American people are not the enemy. At a time when the country needs to come together to fight a multitude of threats at home and abroad, this weak and divisive action leaves our nation vulnerable and discouraged.

“We are confident the Biden Administration will lose in court; however, he should reconsider his ways now before he inflicts further damage on the country.”

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Concerned Women for America is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization with a rich history of over 40 years.

Sep 09 2021
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9/11 Twentieth Anniversary: More reasons to mourn.

By | National Sovereignty, News and Events | No Comments

Just a few days shy of the 20th commemoration of September 11, 2001, America is staring down a new tragedy waiting to unfold with the situation in Afghanistan. Our people, fellow American citizens, have been left behind. Their future, along with the future of our nation, are in jeopardy.

Twenty years ago, the world was changed forever by the terrorist attacks of 9/11 perpetrated by Al Qaeda. Two thousand nine hundred and ninety-six Americans were killed in those attacks. In response, the U.S. government led a military operation to oust the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and to destroy Osama Bin Laden’s network. The U.S. armed forces overthrew the Taliban after just two months, but the war continued as terror groups used to use Afghanistan as a terrorist base. Osama Bin Laden was killed in 2011. This served as a small consolation for the families of those killed in the 9/11 attacks, and the American people were proud of the strong U.S. response and its leadership on the global stage.

Today, just a few days before September 11, 2021, Americans mourn and fear again. The world is changed forever because of the decision by President Biden to leave American citizens trapped behind enemy lines and to empower the enemy. For the first time, the Taliban dictated the orders, and they are claiming a victory over the U.S. The Biden administration was incapable of negotiating; they just surrendered to the enemy’s demands.

Today, the Taliban is stronger thanks to the arsenal that the U.S. government has left behind. Around $83 billion worth of equipment that the U.S. spent over two decades was abandoned – rifles, Humvees, machine guns, Black Hawk Helicopters, and more – all seen being exhibited by Taliban fighters in their victory parades claiming victory over the U.S. and sending a message to the world that they are back and fortified than ever.

Meanwhile, President Biden and his officials continue to lie to the American people and claim how successful this mission was. A fact that even the President himself does not believe since in the same breath right after he proclaimed success, he blamed the Afghan security force, the American people who didn’t want to leave, and former President Donald J. Trump.

President Biden plans to deal with the Taliban through diplomatic channels like the United Nations. But even the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned about the imminent humanitarian catastrophe that this situation has unleashed.

The future of our country and the world is uncertain. Our moral credibility is gone; allies around the world have condemned President Biden. The U.S. is seen as a weak nation. “We thought America was back, while in fact, America withdraws,” said French parliamentarian Nathalie Loiseau.

It is reprehensible that on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the American people have more reason to mourn and to fear. Just as reprehensible is the loss of credibility of the U.S. on the world stage because of the weak leadership being displayed.

Now more than ever, it is time to hold our government accountable for their decisions and ensure that they will fight for the lives of the Americans they have left behind.

Aug 31 2021
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Press Release: Don’t Draft Our Daughters

By | Draft, Media, National Sovereignty, News and Events, Press Releases | No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2021 

Contact: Jacklyn Washington
202-748-3501
[email protected]   

Organizations Representing Millions of Americans Send Message to Congress:  Don’t Draft Our Daughters

 Washington, D.C. – As the House Armed Services Committee prepares to mark up the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on September 1, national and state women’s groups, military and pro-family organizations, veterans, faith and medical leaders sent a letter to Members of Congress calling on them to reject any provision amending the Military Selective Service Act to require women to register with the selective service, the mechanism for conscripting America’s 18-25 year-olds in a military draft.

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

“America has just witnessed the horror and heartbreak of the brutal terrorist attack in Afghanistan and the solemn return of thirteen fallen service members, including two female marines who paid the ultimate sacrifice.  Women today are free to serve and proud to serve in the U.S armed forces, but they should not be forced to serve.  We stand united against making our military a social experiment.

“Our daughters should not be forced to register for the draft to prove they are equal, and our military should not be forced to compromise its focus on our national security to placate liberal activists who don’t respect the intrinsic value and dignity of women.  Concerned Women for America supports the courageous women who commit their lives to military service, but a country that requires its daughters to gamble their lives on the lottery of war also risks the foundations that make our country strong.”

The letter, “Special Message to the 117th Congress: Don’t Draft Our Daughters” can be found HERE.

In addition to the leaders listed, numerous concerned citizens from across America heard about this effort and signed on to take a stand, among them a retired firefighter in California, a Nebraska constituent, a father of six girls, mothers of daughters in the U.S. Army, a family physician in New Jersey, and countless others.

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Concerned Women for America is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization with a rich history of over 40 years.

Aug 27 2021
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This is personal for us.

By | National Sovereignty, News and Events | No Comments

Members of our Concerned Women for America staff are deeply impacted by yesterday’s terrorist attack at the Kabul airport that took the lives of 13 U.S. servicemembers. This is the worst loss of American lives in Afghanistan in over a decade.

Today, our Chief Administrative Officer is heartbroken, recalling the times when the service of her husband, an officer in the U.S. Army, kept her waiting anxiously for the phone to ring and know that everything in her world was still okay. She understands how these military families feel today as they wait for the call.  Today, I sit by the phone waiting for news of my nephew, who is a Marine and was deployed to Kabul just days ago. My son and the daughter of CWA’s Vice President of Government Relations are training today to be the Army officers of tomorrow who will be on the frontlines of the war against terrorism.

The U.S. service members who lost their lives or were wounded in action yesterday are American heroes. They may be the latest casualties in the war on terror, but they likely will not be the last. Our mission against Islamic terrorism to redeem their loss is far from over.

Our hearts break for the families of these young men. They will grieve deeply over the next days, weeks, and years; their lives will never be the same again.  We pray for God’s blessings and peace for each of these families; we pray for grace, protection, and provision for our military and for healing for the wounded.

Please join us in those prayers.

Penny Nance
CEO and President

Aug 16 2021
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Biden’s Foreign Policy Plans: Humanitarian Crisis

By | National Sovereignty, News and Events | No Comments

Waking up this morning felt like being trapped in a nightmare or a scene straight out of a Hollywood film. Just short of 20 years after the terror attacks of 9/11, the Taliban, in a matter of days, has taken over the country of Afghanistan.

Videos have emerged showing people jumping on the side of planes taxing down the runway just for the hope of escaping the impending rule of the Taliban.

The Taliban was created in 1994 by Mulla Mohammad Omar gathering a group of students educated in traditional schools. The international community has labeled the Taliban a terrorist group due to their extreme enforcement and misinterpretation of the Islamic religious law.

In 1996, the Taliban ruled Afghanistan. During this time, women were prevented from attending schools or working outside their homes (except those working in healthcare), and it was required to wear a burka to cover a woman’s body and face. Any attempt to break their laws was punished publicly with lashing or by death.

After September 11, the U.S. with the support of the international community, mainly England and Canada, deployed military and civilian personnel to extinguish the disruptive Taliban threat and build up the government of Afghanistan.  In later years, the  allies reached a point where they felt that the Taliban had been neutralized and the Afghan army had been strengthened to the point that the allies could move into an advisory position doing training for both military and civilian personnel. Since then, U.S. troops have stayed in Afghanistan to help local allies fight back against the Taliban regime that has not given up on their efforts to take back the power.

Former President Trump negotiated a deal reaching an agreement with the Taliban, setting some conditions to withdraw U.S. troops, among those to respect the lives of the American people and refrain from committing any terrorist attacks.

Instead of following through with this plan, President Biden rushed to undo everything that his predecessor did, bringing him to a disastrous decision: withdraw troops without making sure to agree to some conditions. His decision has left behind those who risked their lives fighting the Taliban regime alongside the U.S.  Now, our Afghani allies left behind face a grim future – if any future at all.

Among those people, we also find women and girls who, most of the time are forgotten. Women and girls will return to a regime of oppression. They will face brutal violations of their most fundamental rights, such as having access to education, the opportunity to work, the freedom to express their views.

The world is in shock after the videos circulating where men risk their lives to escape the upcoming situation under the Taliban regime. Women and girls do not have that opportunity. They are forbidden to be out.

During this looming humanitarian crisis, CWA will keep alive the voices of those women, girls, and children who are among the most vulnerable.  Voices who are screaming to the world for help, facing death, sex slavery, and other situations will leave a mark in their lives for the rest of their lives.

Aug 11 2021
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Congress Inquires on FBI’s Targeting of CWA

By | FBI, National Sovereignty, News and Events | No Comments

News of FBI Targeting Concerned Women for America Sparks High Profile Congressional Inquiries

Last month we learned that in 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had considered targeting Concerned Women for America (CWA) for an investigation without cause or justification. This revelation, published July 14, 2021, in the Orange County Register, emerged from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from the Cato Institute. CWA had no awareness of the FOIA request or the case, so when this news broke during the dog days of summer, it was news to us, too.

The article sums up Cato’s discovery with an alarming description of the FBI’s action:

“It was a pure FBI domestic surveillance ‘fishing expedition’ for the digital age, with the agent focused on CWA’s alleged ‘two-star rating’ from Charity Navigator, as well as searches of other commercial and government databases (all conveniently redacted by the FBI).”

The predicate for what was classified as an “Assessment” had no foundation, but neither was it required.  “Unlike a normal FBI investigation,” explains the Cato author, “an Assessment requires no criminal basis to be opened – just the broad and nebulous formulation of an ‘authorized purpose.’” He concludes, “At no time was there an allegation of actual fraud or embezzlement – just an FBI agent looking to meet a quota for how many Assessments they had opened during the reporting period.”

The last five years have shown where a lack of transparency and accountability involving powerful government agencies led by faceless government bureaucrats can lead, especially with then-Director James Comey at the helm. CWA was shocked and disappointed by the unjustified actions of the FBI and the reality that any powerless organization could be the subject of such an act of surreptitious and baseless government action at the cost of American taxpayers.

As CEO and President Penny Nance explained in an opinion piece for Fox News, nothing in CWA’s storied history or our respected work as a public policy organization advocating for the values of conservative women and families would ever warrant such scrutiny. Maybe the very fact we are a notable presence in our nation’s capital had something to do with it.

Our allies on Capitol Hill agreed. That is why the two most powerful Republican elected officials on the U.S. Senate and U.S. House Judiciary Committees have written letters to the chiefs of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director Christopher Wray, demanding answers to critical questions about the fishing expedition targeting CWA and a full accounting of other such assessments.

Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) penned a letter to Attorney General Garland and Director Wray on July 20, 2021, asking for details and unredacted information “no later than August 3, 2021”.  We can report that this deadline for responding was not met.

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) followed with a letter dated August 11 demanding more information about the use of FBI charity assessments and a briefing on our case “as soon as possible but not later than 5:00 p.m. on August 24, 2021.”

Will the FBI meet this deadline?  Stay tuned.

Aug 06 2021
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Don’t Force our Daughters to Gamble Their Lives on the Lottery of War

By | Draft, Legislative Updates, National Sovereignty, News and Events, Press Releases | No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 6, 2021

Contact:
Jacklyn Washington
202-748-3501, [email protected]

Don’t Force our Daughters to Gamble Their Lives on the Lottery of War

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced a “Don’t  Draft our Daughters” Resolution (S. Res 340) joined by Sens. Daines (R-Montana), Hawley (R-Missouri), Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Rubio (R-Florida), and Wicker (R-Mississippi) in response to recent Senate Armed Services Committee action that added a reckless amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 requiring all young American women to register for the Selective Service. The Selective Service is the mechanism by which male citizens are conscripted for military service to secure combat replacements during a war, also known as the draft.

Forcing young women into the draft is a complete reversal of established, justified military policy upheld by the Supreme Court that subverts our societal values and national security and carelessly disregards the critical requirement for military readiness during a wartime crisis.

Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC), applauded the introduction of this resolution:

“Concerned Women for America has always stood for the inherent dignity of women and against the wrong-headed and destructive lie that women’s equality means being the same as men. Today, the Left has erased women entirely, declaring any male can claim our status, compete in our sports, and have access to our locker rooms, dorm rooms, shelters, and prisons. Now they want to force our daughters on the frontlines of war. That’s not equality; that’s insanity.

“American women are free to serve and proud to serve, but they shouldn’t be forced to serve. Young women today need to know they are respected for their female status and the many essential roles women embrace in all seasons of life as workers, wives, mothers, and caregivers. Setting women up to be sent to war shouldn’t be one of them.

“The selective service is not a social experiment. Women do not need to be conscripted to fight on the frontlines of war to prove their worth. Nor should we be denied the respect of our intrinsic value based on the inherent physical differences we embody. God-given distinctions between the sexes have everything to do with military readiness in wartime.

“Our military servicewomen volunteer under oath to defend our country and serve with great courage and distinction. They are trained for mission and take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. Our military is stronger because our female soldiers, sailors, airmen, coast guardsmen, and marines serve under the American flag, not the tired symbol of the ERA.

“Supporters say requiring women to register for the selective service simply provides an avenue for using their talents in wartime. That excuse belies the singular purpose of the draft, which has not changed: calling up combat replacements in a time of war. Congress has never justified as a matter of military readiness or national security a reversal in selective service policy that would force our daughters under penalty of law to gamble their lives on the lottery of war.”

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Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization dedicated to impacting the culture for Christ.

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