UNDER THE DOME
National Legislation
Judge Overturns Child Online Protection Act
U.S. District Judge Lowell Reed, Jr. used the first amendment free speech argument to overturn the provisions of the Child Online Protection Act (COPA) which became law in 1998. The measure was designed to protect children from pornography on the Internet by criminalizing Web sites that allow children to access material that is “deemed harmful to minors” by community standards. Judge Reed said that parents could use software filters to protect their children from pornography.
The 1998 law has been challenged by the pornography industry claiming that their first amendment rights would be violated. They won temporary injunctions in the past. Judge Reed made the injunction permanent. Pro-family groups including Concerned Women for America (CWA) are determined to continue to press congress for a workable law. Protecting children from pornographic material remains a top priority.
Other legislation that we are tracking:
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (S. 5)
This legislation would appropriate federal funds
(taxpayer money) to support Embryonic Stem Cell
Research, including human cloning. CWA remains
opposed to this bill.
Parents Tax Relief Act
The Parents Tax Relief Act (PTRA) (S. 816 and
H.R. 1421) would provide tax breaks to
parents, make the Child Tax Credit permanent,
eliminate the Marriage Tax Penalty, extend Social
Security benefits to stay-at-home parents and
encourage more family-friendly employment
opportunities. CWA supports this
legislation.
Military Readiness Enhancement Act
Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Massachusetts) has introduced
legislation that would repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
policy in the U.S. military which was put in place by the
Clinton administration. CWA opposes this
legislation.
Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act
H.R. 1063 would prohibit taking minors
across state
lines in circumvention of laws requiring the
involvement of
parents in abortion decisions. CWA supports
this
legislation.
Banning Federal Funding of Mandating the HPV
Vaccine
This bill would prohibit federal funds from being used
to
implement a mandatory vaccine program for the
human
papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease
and a
cause of cervical cancer.
RU-486 Suspension and Review Act of
2007
H.R. 63 asks for a complete review of the
process by
which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approved the
chemical abortion pill known as RU-486. CWA
supports
this legislation.
Pledge Protection Act of 2007
Rep. Todd Akin (R-Missouri) introduced H.R.
699,
which would deny jurisdiction to any federal court to
hear or
decide any question pertaining to the interpretation of
the
Pledge of Allegiance or its validity under the
Constitution.
CWA supports this legislation.
CEDAW
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed the U.N.
Convention
on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination
Against
Women (CEDAW), but the U.S. Senate must ratify it by
a two-
thirds majority for it to be adopted in the United States.
It has
been buried in the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee for 27
years, and CWA is concerned that pressure by
feminist activists
may cause Senators to bring the treaty up for a
committee
vote, followed by a vote on the Senate floor. CWA
opposes this treaty.
Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act
CWA strongly supports the Unborn Child Pain
Awareness Act (S. 356) which would require
abortion
providers to inform women past the 20th week after
fertilization
that their unborn children will undergo severe pain
during an
abortion, and that anesthesia is available upon
request for the
child they are about to abort.
Public Expressions of Religion Act (PERA)
The Public Expressions of Religion Act (S.
415) would
prevent activist groups from using a 1970s-era civil
rights law to
recover attorney’s fees when they sue local cities and
towns in
cases related to public displays of religion and faith.
CWA
supports this legislation.
Grassroots Lobbying (S. 1)
Passed by the Senate, this bill is now in the House of
Representatives. CWA will be monitoring its
progress, and if
the grassroots lobbying restrictions are put into the
House bill,
CWA will mobilize again so that our constitutional
rights are
protected.
Embryonic Stem Cell Research Funding (H.R. 3)
After the House of Representatives passed this bill, it
was sent
to the Senate. If the Senate also passes it, the
President has
promised to veto it as he did last year when it passed.
We will
continue to monitor the progress in the Senate and let
you
know when it will be considered.
“Hate Crimes” (H.R. 254)
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) introduced the
David Ray
Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, (H.R.
254), which
is now awaiting a hearing in the House Judiciary
Committee.
CWA is following this legislation very closely. Expect a
similar
bill to be introduced in the Senate.
Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121, or toll free: 888-
534-6226 or 877-762-8762.
Sen. Sam
Brownback
303 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6521
Fax: (202) 228-1265
Sen. Pat
Roberts
109 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1605
Phone: (202) 224-4774
Fax: (202) 224-3514
Rep.
Jerry Moran
2202 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2715
Fax: (202) 225-5124
Rep. Nancy
Boyda
1711 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6601
Fax: (202) 225-7986
Rep. Dennis
Moore
1727 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2865
Fax: (202) 225-2807
Rep. Todd
Tiahrt
2441 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202.225.6216
Fax: 202.225.3489
CWA’s Web Site
Get up-to-date information on the national issues
that CWA is following. Check CWA's web site
regularly!
You can also find excellent background information
and talking points on many of the issues on CWA’s Legislative Action
Committee web site.
Thank You!
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Concerned Women for America of Kansas
P. O. Box 11233
Shawnee Mission, KS 66207
Phone/Fax: 913-491-1380
Email: director@kansas.cwfa.org
Web site: kansas.cwfa.org
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