Category

News and Events

Aug 12 2020
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August 13 – National Prayer Call

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

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

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

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

Pro-Life – NOT Abortion Extremism

Pro-Family – NOT Government Socialism

Pro-Woman – NOT Erasing Female Status

Pro-Religious Freedom – NOT Judicial Activism

 

 

Aug 11 2020
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CWALAC Endorses Focus on Protecting Children and Taxpayers from the Destructive Cost of Gender Reassignment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aug 11 2020
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Nance on Harris VP Pick

By | News and Events, Press Releases | No Comments

Penny Nance, President and CEO of Concerned Women for America LAC, issued the following statement on Joe Biden selecting Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate:

“As we’ve seen in past elections, a woman on the ticket does not assure the women’s vote. If Joe Biden truly believes in diversity and inclusion, he would have chosen a pro-life Democrat or a radical feminist who believes in basic biology.

“Kamala Harris’ track record on abortion is nothing short of extreme.While serving as the Attorney General of California, Harris sued pro-life activist David Daleiden who released videos of Planned Parenthood officials involved in the sale of baby body parts. In Congress, she supported radical legislation supporting unrestricted taxpayer funding of abortions. In addition, she has a 100% approval rating from NARAL for her pro-choice voting record and the endorsement of Emily’s List. Selecting Biden/Harris would be a horrific blow to the pro-life movement and the progress we have made these past four years on behalf of the intrinsic value of every human.”

Aug 07 2020
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Key Update on the NCAA & Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act

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

Important Update: NCAA’s Board of Governors did not take action against Idaho for enacting the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act at their meeting on August 4. That is good news!! But the fight is not over!

A sportswriter in Idaho reported this statement: “The NCAA is working with national and international groups as it reviews its current transgender athlete policy. Inclusion and fairness are the objectives in addressing the complex set of issues. The NCAA Board of Governors will hear an update regarding the policy review at its October meeting as it considers future championship host sites. The NCAA is monitoring the lawsuit involving Idaho Bill 500 and will review the court’s decision when it is made.”

Activists are going even further in pressing the NCAA to change its policy to remove any requirement for hormone treatment for a male to compete in women’s sports. Instead, they want any male identifying as a woman to be eligible to compete in women’s sports against female athletes.

We must continue to act to protect the status of females and the integrity of women’s sports for female athletes. You can help in two ways:

  1. Over 300 female athletes signed the letter to the NCAA! We continue to gather signatures for the letter petitioning the NCAA to back off any boycott of Idaho. Please help us reach out to current or former NCAA or professional female athletes and have them Sign Here.
  2. Stand with us to protect female athletes by signing our petition to the International Olympic Committee requesting suspension of the 2015 guidelines allowing biological males to compete in women’s Olympic events. To date, Save Women’s Sports has collected over 15,000 signatures from 30 countries! Sign Here.

Thank you for joining Concerned Women for America to Save Women’s Sports!

P.S. Doreen Denny, Vice President of Government Relations, joined Washington Watch recently to discuss CWA’s effort to protect the rights of female athletes under Title IX. Listen here.

Aug 04 2020
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Voting Is Every Citizen’s Duty

By | News and Events, She Prays She Votes 2020 | No Comments
The right to vote has been important in the history of our nation. Battles were fought and waged for many years across this country to provide EVERYONE the right to vote.
From the U.S. Constitution:
  • Constitution of the United States, Fifteenth Amendment, Section 1 – 1870: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged … on the account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”
  • Constitution of the United States, Nineteenth Amendment, Section 1 – 1920: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged … on the account of sex.

Listen to some voices from the past:

  • Civil Rights slogan: 
    “One man, one vote”
  • Susan B. Anthony, social reformer and women’s rights activist, speech before her trial for voting – 1873
    “Here, in the first paragraph of the Declaration [of Independence], is the assertion of the natural right of all to the ballot, for how can ‘the consent of the governed” be given, if the right to vote be denied?”
  • Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, Speech at Bloomington, Illinois – 1856
    “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.”
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States
    “Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.”

CWA has prepared resources to help you be a part of getting people registered to vote (add link).  Download these resources and use them in your church and community. CWA is also partnering with iVoterGuide to help you vote knowledgeably. You can check to see how the candidates in your state are rated based on information gathered from a number of resources.

Aug 04 2020
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Whether or Not Schools Reopen, Families Need Choices

By | Education, Legislative Updates, News and Events | No Comments

Back to School is here, and it seems we are back to where we ended – struggling to adapt to continued uncertainty without the luxury of time on our side.  Students can ill afford to lose another semester, let alone another year.

Among the important developments of the coronavirus pandemic is the growing realization of why choice in education really matters. Now is the time to make the shift to a lasting environment of school choice that gives parents the capacity to opt into or opt out of the school setting that works for their children and their circumstances and the means to make it work.

The primacy of student well-being and effective learning dictates that in-person education cannot be a luxury for most.  Families are getting creative in how to make education possible if the schools are not going to open, and they deserve greater access and control over the money we pour into education from the local to the federal levels.

Information from the President’s team underscores the importance of the real issues that parents need to consider:

“Failure to offer in-person classes could harm students’ development, especially those in disadvantaged communities.  Nationwide, nearly 30 million American students rely on schools for free or reduced meals.   More than 70% of children receiving mental health services do so at school, and nearly all therapies for children with intellectual or physical disabilities are performed at school.”

The Trump Administration is also aware that families need the flexibility to weigh decisions before them:

“It is vital that parents be allowed to weigh both the benefits and risks of sending their child back to school, including the level of community spread and the makeup of their household, especially for multi-generational households.”

That is why President Trump’s emphasis on encouraging schools to reopen safely coupled with proposals to expand the educational choices of families need action now.  Specifically, President Trump is calling for legislation to ensure that schools have the funding and incentives they need to safely reopen this fall and empower families with school choice.

“To encourage schools to make in-person classes available this fall, the President is requesting $105 billion in education funding as part of the next coronavirus relief bill—$70 billion of which will directly support K-12 education. Approximately $35 billion of the $70 billion will be reserved for schools that reopen.  If schools do not reopen, funding should follow students so parents can send their child to the private, charter, religious, or home school of their choice.”

The School Choice Now Act, introduced by Sens. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee), provides a mechanism for giving scholarships to students for use at the school setting of their choice, including home-based schooling, and includes robust protections for schools and families to operate free of government intrusion that could compromise their mission or beliefs.

Families are being faced with unprecedented obligations to assume primary responsibility for keeping their children engaged and learning.  The fragility of the public-school system, including how teacher unions can hold it hostage, is being exposed.  The shortcomings of traditional ways of delivering education in a technological age that intensifies the divide between have and have-nots is more obvious than ever.   We cannot afford limping along for another year in the same way we saw last year limp to a close.

In a pandemic age, education must be adaptable.  If teacher unions are going to prevent public schools from reopening, then now is the time to allow greater access and investment in our private, faith-centered, and home-based schools.   President Trump’s focus is on target:  giving parents the means to consider better options and the choice to take them.

Aug 03 2020
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CWA Still Committed to the Principles of our Founding

By | Briefs, Defense of Family, Feminist / Women's Issues, LBB, News and Events | No Comments

Precisely forty-two years ago, in 1978, Beverly LaHaye held the first Concerned Women for America (CWA) meeting in San Diego, California, to educate women about the threats presented by the so-called Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). More than 1,200 attended. It was the beginning of what would become the largest public policy organization for women in the nation.

CWA went on to have a resounding victory against the ERA both in the culture and the courtroom. But, believe it or not, some radical feminists never got over that resounding loss. They are still trying to revive the old, putrefied ERA corpse to this day.

CWA continues to stand in their way.

Just last week, we filed a brief in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia standing against illegal efforts to bypass precedent and keep the effort to pass the ERA alive. The brief, filed by Michael Farris, who was legal counsel for CWA back when we defeated the ERA the first time, and who is now the CEO and General Counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, explains to the court why the efforts to revive this effort violates the constitutional process.

Simply put, the ERA’s ratification deadline has come and gone. The effort is legally dead. The U.S. Congress gave the states seven years to ratify it, and they failed in that effort decades ago. To pass the ERA, they would need to start the process all over again.

Even the radically liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has acknowledged as much, saying at a Georgetown Law School event that the effort to revive it comes “long after the deadline passed” and needs to start over. “I would like to see a new beginning,” she told the moderator Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge M. Margaret McKeown, “I’d like it to start over.”

In our brief, we argue ERA activists themselves have acknowledged that their time has expired in numerous public statements. But now they seek to circumvent the constitutional process and revive the effort. Even their efforts to “remove the deadline,” acknowledge as much:

The Alice Paul Institute admits that “the ERA did not succeed in getting [sufficient] ratifications before the deadline.” The Feminist Majority Foundation explains that Congress must either “rescind the arbitrary timeline on ERA ratification … [or] pass the ERA again.” Likewise, the League of Women Voters of the United States currently urges its followers to “Tell Congress to remove the deadline so the ERA can cross the finish line!” … On its website, Equality Now tells supporters they “now must urge Senators to pass S.J. Res. 6, another joint resolution to eliminate the deadline. It is more important than ever to urge Senators to eliminate the original deadline!”

The ERA was bad policy then and is still bad policy today. It is why the American people rejected it. Feminists seek to use it to force their radical pro-abortion policies on the country, like finally getting our tax dollars to pay for abortions up to the moment of birth. Big abortion businesses like NARAL and Planned Parenthood have long argued that ERAs at the state level guarantee a right to taxpayer-funded abortions.

The president of the National Organization for Women argued, “The ERA would codify reproductive rights in the Constitution and greatly support low-income women who are the first to lose access to affordable birth control when family planning services are reduced.”

And today we know the ERA would be even worse for women, given the monumental fight in which we are engaged in an effort to protect women sports. Proponents of the ERA want to redefined the word “sex” in federal law opening the door for men who identify as women to hijack women’s rights, safety, and protections.

CWA is currently fighting in courts and legislatures around the country for the right of women in women’s shelter to prevent males from coming into their spaces, a development that could further aggravate the emotional and psychological pain of women who have suffered domestic abuse, rape, and even trafficking in some cases.

The bottom line is that the ERA continues to be a disaster for women and CWA is, once again, leading the fight against it to preserve the intrinsic and unique value of every woman. We won back then. And we will do so again.

Jul 29 2020
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CWA Supports Female Athletes Urging NCAA to Back Off Activism

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jul 28 2020
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Penny Nance urges FDA to remove abortion pill from U.S. market

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

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

In their letter to Commission Hahn,  the leaders warn:

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

Full text of the letter can be found here.

Jul 23 2020
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prison

International Community Condemns China’s Violations of Uyghur Human Rights

By | International, News and Events, Religious Liberty | No Comments

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

In the face of China’s gross violations against the Uyghur people and other minorities, the United States is speaking out. So is Concerned Women for America.

The U.S. State Department has accumulated mounting evidence on China’s systemic human rights violations against over one million Uyghur and other ethnic and religious minorities, particularly in the Xinjiang province. Violations include “forced disappearance, political indoctrination, torture, psychological and physical and psychological abuse, including forced sterilization and sexual abuse, forced labor, and prolonged detention without trial.” Most victims are Muslim. A significant number are Christian.

On June 17, 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 to hold the individuals and entities responsible for the “gross violations of human rights” against the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. On July 1, 2020, Concerned Women for America (CWA) released a statement in support of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s stance, stating, “A program of mass sterilization and forced abortion in ethnic and religious minority communities is particularly dehumanizing, and the global community cannot stay silent.”

China first denied, but has since acknowledged, the existence of “re-education” camps in Xinjiang which they claim are necessary for combatting “extremism” and “terrorism.” In 2013 and 2014, Chinese authorities labeled the Uyghurs as responsible for terrorist attacks in Tiananmen Square and Kunming, respectively. Currently, China severely restricts religious expression and interferes in the daily habits, education, weddings, funerals, and “family planning” of any person deemed a “religious extremist.”  Women undergo forced sterilizations and abortions. Individuals “disappear.” Families are arrested for having “too many children.” Parents are coerced into confessing that their personal choices show they are “lawless” and “uncivilized.”

By 2017, reports of the issue became public knowledge. On July 8, 2019, 22 Western nations formally requested for the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to address the matter. By the UN’s own guidelines, China’s actions to prevent births within the Uyghur group constitutes “genocide.” Ironically, China was on the HRC at that time and holds itself up as a leader in human rights while being a human rights violator. As Dr. Shea Garrison, CWA’s Vice President of International Affairs, stated in The Washington Times, “as in the case of China, confusion about fundamental rights offers cover to authoritarian and totalitarian governments that provide benefits to citizens as a demonstration of ‘human rights,’ all the while censoring the press, oppressing religious freedom or imprisoning political dissidents.” Indeed, only four days later, 37 countries sent a letter of refutation to the HRC, defending China’s actions in Xinjiang and praising them for “remarkable achievements in the field of human rights.”

Currently, more progress is being made toward holding China accountable for its unjust actions. Following the release of the U.S. Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, 50 independent UN experts sent a letter urging the HRC “to act collectively and decisively to ensure China respects human rights and abides by its international obligations.” On June 29, 2020, the Interparliamentary Alliance in China (IPAC), composed of parliaments from 15 nations, sent a statement to the UN General Assembly, calling on them to swiftly investigate the matter and determine whether  genocide is taking place.

The international community must uphold its own standards. What is taking place in China against certain minority groups is discriminatory, abusive, and wrong. Nations, including the U.S., must continue to put pressure on China and international human rights courts to bring accountability to those responsible for these horrific violations of human rights.

Jul 23 2020
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Meet CWA’s Ronald Reagan Memorial Internship Summer Interns

By | Interns, News and Events | No Comments

Hello! My name is Jaelyn Morgan, and I am currently interning with Concerned Women for America (CWA) in the International Affairs Department.

I am absolutely thrilled to be working with this faith-based, conservative organization. I am similarly convicted about CWA’s seven core issues and love how they combine prayer with action, living out the Biblical worldview by pushing for policies that adhere to Biblical principles. Working with CWA has been a refreshing experience. It has shown me there are many Christians locally and nationwide who still believe in Biblical principles and see their practical connection to conservative policy. I have been rejuvenated seeing CWA leaders and supporters voting, supporting, and raising awareness about issues that can steer our country in a direction that honors God and honors people, made in His Image.

Throughout this internship, I have been learning a lot about current international affairs and U.S. foreign policy. I have learned the reasoning for our nation’s current stance toward other countries, such as China, Iran, and Israel and have also been exposed to issues of which I had never heard.

Perhaps the most eye-opening issue I have researched is the persecution of the Uyghurs in China. I was shocked to learn that the government is not only trying to wipe out this minority’s faith and identity through re-education camps but is also forcing medical sterilization and abortions on their women to shrink the Uyghur population over time. God has really humbled me before Him by exposing to me the vastness of injustice in the world and the immense human rights violations that go on everywhere, every day. I am so thankful to serve a God who cares deeply for us and who continuously raises up individuals who fear Him to fight for the dignity of each human being in these situations. Without hope in God’s justice, these situations seem overwhelming. But with a worldview grounded in Him, we are strong enough to learn more about these issues and stand up for these people in prayer paired with action. God has definitely used CWA to expose me to these issues and to learn how to respond and work within them as well.

Next spring, I plan to graduate from Liberty University with a Bachelor’s in Christian Theology and Apologetics. After that, I am prayerfully considering law school with a concentration in K-12 education policy or obtaining a master’s degree in policy administration. My dream job is to work in developing and implementing a research-based K-12 curriculum on critical thinking. Long term, I would love to work in implementing this curriculum at the grassroots level, helping local districts incorporate it into their schools in a practical way and conducting follow-up research to make improvements in the future.

I am so thankful to CWA for increasing my awareness of conservatism and showing me the value of a grassroots approach! This internship has changed my life and enabled me to live out my faith in new and improved ways. I am so grateful to work under the amazing national staff that composes CWA, and for the lovely friendships I have made with my fellow interns, Lindsey and Natalie.

Here are a few of the articles that Jaelyn write for CWA during her summer internship:

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

Defunding World Health Organization is Necessary; Here’s Why

Jul 23 2020
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Huge Win for CWA: Planned Parenthood Affiliate Finally Admits its Racists Roots

By | LBB, News and Events, Planned Parenthood, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Concerned Women for America (CWA) has been fighting for years to expose Planned Parenthood’s (PP) legacy of death which has its roots in the racist eugenics movement. As PP celebrated 100 years a few years back, CWA launched a campaign called “100 No More,” exposing the organization’s racists founding through eugenicist Margaret Sanger. CWA also noted the disparate impact of PP’s policies on minority communities to this day.

Though African Americans are only 12.6% of the U.S. population, they make up 35.4% of all abortions, over 1 in 3. And census data shows that 79% of PP’s surgical abortion facilities are within walking distance of minority neighborhoods. Here is a shocking clip of Margaret Sanger in her own words]:

But PP and liberals have stood by Margaret Sanger’s side for decades. They defended her. They would even give out the infamous Margaret Sanger Award, which they called their “highest honor.” Proud recipients included Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and Secretary Hillary Clinton.

 

The same liberals who prop themselves up as champions of minorities would fight us every time we would shed light on PP’s racist roots. They were proud when the Smithsonian put a bust of Margaret Sanger in the National Portrait Gallery. CWA fought them hard on it and called on them to remove it, yet they emphatically refused and were elated to have the pro-abortion display, ignoring the explicit racism attached to it.

But time has caught up to their lying, hypocritical schemes, and now they’ve been forced to acknowledge their racist legacy. The news just broke this week that Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) is being forced to remove the Margaret Sanger name from its abortion clinic as “a necessary and overdue step to reckon with our legacy and acknowledge Planned Parenthood’s contributions to historical reproductive harm within communities of color.”

The change does not come out of self-reflection, but out of pressure from its base. As The Washington Times reported, in a June 18 open letter, 350 current and former staff members and about 800 members wrote, “We know that Planned Parenthood has a history and a present steeped in white supremacy, and we, the staff, are motivated to do the difficult work needed to improve.”

In today’s climate, PP’s racism is no longer able to hide behind their friends in the media and the politicians they support. So, PPGNY has announced the removal of Sanger’s name, and perhaps we are seeing the beginning of the truth coming out. It is definitely an excellent development for truth and life.

The fact that it is the New York Planned Parenthood facility is significant. CWA has also talked about the deep abortion extremism in NYC, where more African American babies were killed by abortion (31,328) than born (24,758) in 2012. We can only hope that the city wakes up to this racial genocide and turns against the inherent racism within the pro-abortion movement.

To be sure, PP is only changing a name, while changing none of its racist policies, like opposing bills that have tried to ban abortions based on race. They have announced no willingness to change their shameful policy on taking money for abortions based on race.

CWA will continue to fight for justice for women. There is much work to be done to protect the inherent value of every human life. But perhaps this development shows us that Americans are starting to wake up to the abortion con and will demand change.

It is definitely something CWA had been hoping to see, and we give thanks to God for this small crack in Big Abortion’s stranglehold on our nation.

Jul 22 2020
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House Republican Appropriators Seek to Restore Pro-Life Protections

By | Legislative Updates, Minnesota, News and Events, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

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

Last week, the Democrat majority of the House Committee on Appropriations advanced several fiscal year (FY) 2021 spending bills brimming with anti-life provisions. To Republicans’ dismay, appropriators rejected amendments to four major spending bills to restore these measures, and the bills were passed out of committee along party lines.

The Democrat FY2021 State Foreign Operations (SFOPS) bill which funds international programs eliminated President Trump’s Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) policy. It weakened language of the Kemp-Kasten Amendment, which in turn would allow the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to receive more U.S. financial aid. Both are especially critical to preserve. Here’s why:

The Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance Policy prohibits foreign nongovernmental organizations from performing or promoting abortions to ensure that given U.S. funds are not being channeled towards overseas abortions. The Kemp-Kasten Amendment prevents funds going to entities that actively support or participate in coercive abortions. Moreover, it is a means through which the President is able to divert funding away from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) which engaged in the Chinese population control program.

Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Alabama), warned the Committee of the consequence of attacking pro-life policy:

“President Trump has made his intention very clear. [In his 2019 letter to Speaker Pelosi, the President wrote], ‘I will veto any legislation that weakens current pro-life Federal policies and laws …’”

SFOPS Subcommittee Ranking Member, Hal Rodgers (R-Kentucky) offered an amendment to restore the pro-life policies and remove the problematic language of the bill. Despite Republican efforts, the Rodgers’ amendment was shot down by a vote of 21-29.

Pro-life policy attacks also succeeded in the Democrat’s FY2021 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) which passed by a vote of 30 to 22.  It eradicates the Trump administration’s regulations guarding against taxpayer funding of abortion, including changes to Section 1557 of Obamacare, the Title X Protect Life Rule, and the Conscience Protection Rule.  These crucial regulations were put in place to shield human life, as well as safeguard religious liberty.

Section 1557 ensures that health care providers under Obamacare are not required to provide and pay for abortions. Title X’s Protect Life Rule redirects tax dollars away from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood, only allowing funds for family planning that does not include abortion.  The Conscience Protection Rule ensures security for health care organizations that do not wish to participate in abortions, sterilizations, or assisted suicides.

An effort by Rep. Tom Cole’s (R-Oklahoma) to restore these measures was rejected on a party-line vote.

The Democrat’s anti-life agenda was pushed further in the FY2021 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill. While the bill retains certain pro-life measures in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, the D.C. Hyde Amendment is altered to permit local funds towards abortions in the District of Columbia. Once again, Rep. Aderholt sought to reinstate the longstanding D.C. Hyde Amendment, but it was voted down by Democrats on a voice vote.

Lastly, the FY2021 Defense Appropriations bill was passed, again on a party-line vote of 30 to 22.  Rep. Andy Harris (R-Maryland) made a noble attempt to apply the protections of the Born Alive Abortions Survivors Protection Act to the TRICARE program which provides health care to military service members and their families. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Washington) made a strong appeal to the Democrat side of the aisle:

“When a baby has left a mother’s womb, it is not part of her body … This baby is already here … You’re not throwing your belief about being pro-choice out the window by saying, ‘Once a baby is here, we’re going to protect it.’”

Rep. Harris’s amendment to block TRICARE funding for any health care provider failing to administer life-saving care to babies born alive from attempted abortions gained the support of two committee Democrats but failed by a vote of 24 to 28.

The Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee should be applauded for standing firm, speaking up, and being consistent on their pro-life position. Longstanding pro-life language was maintained within the appropriations bills’ text, including the Hyde Amendment and the Helms Abortion Funding Ban. Unfortunately, the road ahead on the House floor does not look promising as the Democrat majority appears determined to undo the progress the Trump Administration has worked hard to advance to protect life.

Jul 16 2020
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Meet CWA’s Ronald Reagan Memorial Internship Summer Interns

By | Blog, Interns, News and Events | No Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jul 16 2020
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“Do not be afraid.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jul 16 2020
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DOJ Backs Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jul 16 2020
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House Democrats Just Set Up a Shutdown

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

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

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

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

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

Read Doreen’s entire op-ed here.

Jul 15 2020
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Register! CWA’s Summer Series: Election Fraud – What You Need to Know

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

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

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

The speaker’s bio is below the signature line.

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

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

Tanya Ditty
Vice President of Field Operations

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read full bio.

Jul 14 2020
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Introducing She Prays, She Votes 2020

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

Introducing She Prays, She Votes 2020

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

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

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

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