Penny Nance and Jenna Ellis joined Ryan Helfenbeinon on Real America’s Voice to talk about Concerned Women for America’s She Prays She Votes bus tour and midterm elections.
Watch the video below.
Concerned Women for America’s CEO and President, Penny Nance, and Young Women for America National Director, Annabelle Rutledge, talked with C-Span about issues important to women in the 2022 midterm elections.
Watch the video below.
The Concerned Women for America (CWA) She Prays She Votes (SPSV) bus tour has just completed days six, seven, and eight in Georgia. We started our time in Georgia with a prayer stop at Level Grove Baptist Church. Our goal is to start the tour in each of the target states with a prayer stop to cover the state and the election with prayer. We had a wonderful group of ladies who gathered to pray. Their concern for their state was apparent, and they know that the solution begins with prayer.
We did three “meet and greet” stops. Annabelle Rutledge, CWA’s Young for America (YWA) National Director, led the program and was joined by Toni McFadden, pro-life activist; Chloe Satterfield, YWA Chapter President at Georgia Tech, and Suzi Voyles, Georgia Eagle Forum. The purpose of the “Meet and Greet” is to encourage people to vote, to talk with their family and friends about voting, to urge them to get involved in the political process as a poll worker or a poll watcher, and to do what they can to help others get to the polls.
The bus made a stop at the First Care Women’s Clinic in Marietta. What a blessing to see the ministry that God has established there. We were inspired by the work that they do. We hope that our time of prayer with them was an encouragement to them.
Young Women for America has chapters at Georgia Tech and at Kennesaw State University. We did a drive-by at those universities and took pictures and prayed over those universities.
Annabelle led a Facebook Live roundtable discussion with Chloe, Toni, and Suzi. They talked about the Georgia LIFE Act, Chloe’s stand on women’s sports, and Toni’s amazing story of redemption. Watch the roundtable discussion on Facebook Live.
Check back in with us for our stops across the South headed to the Southwest!
No matter what state you live in, we invite you to Concerned Women for America’s (CWA) Facebook Live national roundtable prayer events, where we will discuss important issues impacting Americans and then spend time in prayer for the General Election. Each prayer event will be unique, so we invite you to join us for each event.
We will be live from the battleground state of Georgia. We believe that the battle for the soul of America is going to be won on our knees before a sovereign God. Please watch on Facebook and pray with us! Your prayers will make a difference!
Here are the details:
Date: Tuesday, October 25
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern [6:00 p.m. Central; 5:00 p.m. Mountain; 4:00 p.m. Pacific)
Event link: CWA Facebook
Day 4 Bus Tour Recap
We started Day Four at Crossroads Bible Church in Bedford, Pennsylvania. The church is set in a picture postcard setting with rolling hills, beautiful fall trees, a corn field, and a beautiful church campus. Pastor Mark Dillow spoke with great boldness on the position of the church in today’s culture. Penny Nance, CWA’s CEO and President, was joined by Jenna Ellis, attorney, and host of The Jenna Ellis Show on Salem Podcast Network. They discussed the role of the church in policy issues not politics and how important it is that the church be engaged in these issues. Annabelle Rutledge, National Director of Young Women for America, shared about how important our votes are to the younger generations who depend on us to be their voice.
The second stop of the day was a little different from our other stops. We stopped at a small church in Harrisburg, where the pastor had asked us to come and pray over his church and the surrounding neighborhood. He said that there were strongholds that needed to be broken, so we pulled the bus up, and we prayed! CWA’s State Director, Dilonna Coran, and Kurt Weaver from the Family Policy Council joined us for a concentrated time of prayer over this church and its neighborhood.
While in Harrisburg, we could not pass up the opportunity to get a picture of our bus in front of the state capitol.
The last stop of the day was at Berean Bible Church in Pottstown. Vanessa Saylor, CWA’s Prayer/Action Chapter Leader, lead a Q&A session with Penny, Jenna, Dilonna, and Annabelle. It was a wonderful conversation covering topics from election integrity, being women like Esther, and the importance of being engaged in the election process. Watch it on Facebook.
Day 5 Bus Tour Recap
On Day Five of our bus tour, we headed into Philadelphia to Iglesia Christiana Avivamiento where we picked up a group of Hispanic pastors and church members and our Pennsylvania State Director, Dilonna Coran. As the bus drove around the city of Philadelphia, this group of believers prayed for their city and for the moral climate of their communities. It was an amazing time of anointed prayer as these men and women poured out their hearts to the Lord for the salvation of their city. Our bus was filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit as they interceded for their churches, their communities, the city, and the nation as a whole. It was such a blessing to have them as a part of our bus tour.
After we dropped our friends back at the church, the bus headed south towards Atlanta. We took a little detour onto the campus at Liberty University, where we were greeted by an enthusiastic group from Liberty University’s Young Women for America chapter. We took lots of pictures and handed out signs and t-shirts. Britton Miller, our Young Women for America President at Liberty, and Teresa Pregnall, CWA’s Virginia State Director, encouraged the young women and men to be sure they are registered to vote and then be sure that they vote.
Trans Insanity:
Ulta Beauty Is Just The Latest Big Business To See
Dollars Signs In Pushing Gender-Bending On Minors
In this timely article in The Federalist, Doreen Denny, Concerned Women for America’s Senior Advisor reports on the heartbreaking account of a young woman’s realization that “gender affirmation” deception has ruined her life and exposes how teen girls have become prey to the booming medical and retail industries marketing gender ideology.
Today, we drove into snowy Pennsylvania. The first stop was at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. Neither the rain nor the cold dampened the enthusiasm of our Young Women for America (YWA) members as they and their friends gathered next to the pink CWA bus. Anabelle Rutledge, the National Director of YWA, talked about the importance of this generation engaging with the culture and voting their values. Katie Kenlein, our YWA Chapter leader at Grove City College, told her fellow college students that it is their responsibility to speak up and defend our faith and freedoms.
Down the road in Monroeville, we had a great meet and greet at Grace Life Church, with about 40 people gathering. We so appreciate the great hospitality provided by Pastors Buck and Amy Schafer. Pastor Buck shared some thoughts about the state of our nation and how change will come when Christians are engaged in the election process. Among the others sharing with the group was Toni McFadden, pro-life activist from Pennsylvania, who shared her amazing story of God’s redemptive power in her life. CWA’s Pennsylvania State Director, Dilonna Coran, emphasized that voting is important, but voting for those who will uphold righteous values is even more important. Lauren Glickert, YWA Ambassador from Grove City, encouraged the audience to be hopeful. Her generation is stepping up!
Wednesday evening, we held our first roundtable discussion and prayer time. East Liberty Women’s Care Center in Pittsburgh hosted our first roundtable. Penny Nance, CEO and President of CWA, was joined by Tiffany Gilbert, co-founder of the Women’s Care Center, retired Superior Court Judge Cheryl Allen, Toni McFadden, Dilonna Coran, and Lauren Glickert.
Watch their thoughtful discussion and anointed time of prayer.
Tomorrow we will continue to travel east in Pennsylvania.
Day Two of Concerned Women for America’s (CWA) Get Out the Vote bus tour started with a drive through Ohio’s capital, Columbus, to get a picture of our pink bus in front of the capital building.
We then headed northeast to the Akron area of Ohio. We were blessed to be able to visit two wonderful Christian businesses, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM) in Barberton and BBS and Associates in Akron.
On a very cold and blustery fall day, CHM met our SPSV bus with hot cider and a friendly crowd at both of their facilities. CHM President and CEO, Craig Brown, and his wife, Becky, greeted us, and Craig made comments on the critical nature of this election. CWA President and CEO echoed his concerns and challenged the employees to not only vote but help others to vote – babysit for the young mom down the street so she can go vote, offer to pick up your elderly neighbor who no longer drives and take her to the polls, or share what you know about the candidates with your like-minded friends and encourage them to vote.
BBS and Associates has been a partner of CWA’s for many years. It was wonderful to gather with their employees and share our get-out-the-vote message. Penny challenged them to go and early vote and be sure to take three or four people with them.
Penny ended each meet and greet with this quote from President Reagan which bears remembering:
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it, and then hand it to them with the well fought lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same. And if you and I don’t do this, then you and I may well spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it once was like in America when men were free. – 1961
Biden Admin Uses the Department of Veterans Affairs
to Provide Abortion-On-Demand, No Conscience Protections
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is comprised of 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient clinics. It is the largest integrated healthcare network in the world. Sadly, the Biden Administration has used its power to co-opt these facilities under the guise of “medical necessity” for the abortion industry. The action, known as an “interim final rule,” cut procedural corners and effective immediately allowed abortion-on-demand and abortion counseling at VA facilities. There are no clear conscience protections for VA health professionals with objections to abortion.
The rule is a 180-degree reversal in VA policy that only allowed abortions in the tragic cases of rape, incest, and an immediate physical threat to the life of the mother. The rule is also contrary to law. During the opportunity for public comment, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) declared its opposition to the rule. Read CWALAC’s public comment opposing the rule here.
A baby has already been killed under this cruel ploy to violate clear-cut, pro-life protections in law. Not only that, but the Administration wants Americans to pay for it. Taxpayers will be on the hook for over $10 million to provide veterans and their beneficiaries with elective abortions, abortion counseling services, and abortion travel.
The VA asserts that “allowing even one preventable death” is unacceptable. This is tragically ironic. For many Americans, the intentional killing of a baby in the womb, which is what happens in an abortion, is not healthcare and should not be classified as such. All states with laws to protect life include exceptions for the life of the mother.
The right of conscience is an inalienable right given by God and protected from government overreach. At the very least, the rule should have explicitly protected employees with faith- or conscience-based objections to abortion. We cannot count on the Biden Administration to protect their rights. Without clear exemptions, pro-life employees could face a bureaucratic nightmare that can take years before actually obtaining recourse.
Veterans who need help for their service-connected injuries deserve it. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration has done little more than turn veterans and their beneficiaries into a campaign prop for a radical, pro-abortion agenda. This rule is yet another sad example of the Administration’s unrestrained and ruthless quest for abortion-on-demand.
Today, Concerned Women for America (CWA) launched our She Prays She Votes 2022 (SPSV) bus tour. We started our bus tour with a Facebook Live from the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky. Mark Looy, co-founder of the Ark Encounter, and the staff at the Ark Encounter rolled out the red carpet for CWA. Standing in front of the full-sized replica of the ark, CWA CEO and President Penny Nance called on Christian women to vote and volunteer at the polls. She urged them to talk to their like-minded friends and encouraged them to show up at the polls.
As we toured the Ark, we were reminded that the reason God sent the flood was because the world had become Godless and evil prevailed in all things. Penny reminded us that we are at a tipping point in our country, and it is time for Christians to show up and speak up!
Prayer Stop: West Chester, Ohio
As we began the planning for the SPSV bus tour, the decision was made to plan a stop as we entered the state to gather some citizens from that state and pray for the state, for Christian voters in the state, and for the mid-term elections. LifeChurch in West Chester, Ohio, led by pastor Randy Rice, volunteered to join us in that time of prayer for the state of Ohio. We had a great time of prayer on the bus with Pastor Rice and members of his congregation. We were honored to have State Representative Jennifer Gross join us for this time of prayer. We prayed that pastors would be bold in proclaiming the truth of God’s Word in all things and that believers would persist in seeking and speaking the Truth.
No matter what state you live in, we invite you to Concerned Women for America’s (CWA) Facebook Live national roundtable prayer events, where we will discuss important issues impacting Americans and then spend time in prayer for the General Election. Each prayer event will be unique, so we invite you to join us for each event.
Our first two roundtables will be live from the battleground state of Pennsylvania. We believe that the battle for the soul of America is going to be won on our knees before a sovereign God. Please watch on Facebook and pray with us! Your prayers will make a difference!
Thursday, October 20 @ 7:00 p.m. EST [6:00 p.m. CST; 5:00 p.m. MT; 4:00 p.m. PT] – Live from Pottstown, Pennsylvania
Joining Penny Nance will be Constitutional Law Attorney and podcaster, Jenna Ellis, Esq., CWA’s Pennsylvania State Director, Dilonna Coran, and Young Women for America National Director Annabelle Rutledge. Facebook Live
Our prayers do make a difference. Do not give up hope. Join CWA as we lead the nation in prayer.
As we approach Election Day 2022, these words that were written ten years ago still ring true today.
Concerned Women for America (CWA) was founded upon the idea that God’s standards needed to be America’s standards. Mrs. LaHaye was concerned that our nation was drifting away from God’s best and decided to take a stand for truth. CWA has been standing for truth since then. Truth cannot be bent, stretched, or gotten around. It stands alone while all else around it shakes and is destroyed. Our politicians were trying to pass the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) to “help” women, but Mrs. LaHaye saw through the veil of deception and reminded America of God’s intended role for women. In the end, truth prevailed, and this amendment was not passed.
The role of CWA is to remind, educate, and inspire us to call this nation back to Biblical principles. What happens in the public sector (public policy) affects us all. We want our laws to protect the freedoms we have in Jesus Christ. We want our laws to honor God. We want our elected officials to be full of the fear of the Lord because that is where wisdom is found. In every branch of government at every level God’s truth needs to be respected. Where this is not happening, CWA needs to be there to call to account those responsible. That is the work of CWA. We watch what is happening in the public square and strive to be an influence for good, for Godly standards and truth.
It sounds like a tall order, but rest assured you are not alone. The power of God’s Spirit in you will cause you to be gentle, articulate, and kind, as well as assertive, bold, and uncompromising on truth. You will be respected as you engage others on the issues because of the power of the Spirit poured upon you through prayer. Prayer must always precede action, but action must always follow prayer. These are the tools CWA employs to earn the “lady-like,” professional reputation we enjoy as an organization. You are able because our God is able! Now get out there and make a difference.
This article by CWA’s former North Texas Director Kia Mutranowski appeared in the January 2012 CWA of Texas Newsletter
A Note from Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America
As a mom, I can’t help but be concerned about our state and our nation’s future as I watch the massive leadership failures we have witnessed in recent years.
Current radically liberal leadership has failed us and is putting our families at risk. We are not safe.
Our children are not safe in our classrooms. Instead, they are targeted for indoctrination by those pushing radical race and gender-based theories that shame them for the way they were created.
Our economic future is not safe. Radical policies are crushing our bottom line. Everything from gas prices to the cost of meat in the supermarket —not to mention other necessities like healthcare and transportation— is skyrocketing with many red flags on the horizon.
Our streets are not safe. Crime is at an all-time high even as the Left calls for defunding the police.
Children in the womb are certainly not safe. While the Dobbs decision opened the door for states to put restrictions on abortion, some states have moved in the opposite direction and are making an industry of providing abortions.
Our military is becoming a social experiment with a “woke” philosophy guiding military decision-making and leadership. After so many of our veterans and their families made great sacrifices in service to our nation, it is hard to see our military being weakened by these philosophies.
This is why CWA will be traveling around our great nation, engaging our communities in a time of prayer for the upcoming election. We will keep you informed about important election dates and will provide you with information that we pray will be helpful to you and your family and friends as you make your decisions about voting. Watch for our emails and pass them on to others.
Vote knowledgeably,
Penny Nance
For Immediate Release:
October 11, 2022
Contact: [email protected]
(703)282-7320
National “She Prays She Vote” Bus Tour Embarks October 17, Targets 4 Key Ballot States
Washington, D.C. – Today, Concerned Women for America (CWA), the largest public policy women’s organization in the country, announced it is launching a multi-state bus tour called “She Prays She Votes” that will encourage women to engage in their year’s election. Focusing on the key states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona, the bus tour will help energize Christian women to get to the polls November 8 and to work as election day poll workers and poll watchers.
Starting Monday, October 17, at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky and ending in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 7, the bus tour will host get-out-the-vote events, prayer gatherings and roundtable discussions at more than 40 stops in 11 states across the country. The tour will highlight the importance of prayer and electing men and women of good character to lead the nation in public office. Another key theme of the bus tour is assuring election integrity making sure votes are accurately and securely counted and reflect the will of the people.
“We recognize the impact of a woman who prays for her country, her community, and her family. When you combine that with political activism it is a powerful force,” said Penny Nance, CEO and President of CWA. “This year the stakes are high, and CWA is doing everything in its power to motivate and activate Christians across the country to get to the polls and vote for men and women of high moral character.”
The Bible calls on Christians to pray and give thanks for all people, “for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” 1 Timothy 2:2
“Unfortunately, Americans have not had a quiet and peaceable life in the last two years as the policies of the Biden Administration and their amen corner in Congress, have disrupted our economic security, our national security, and the security of our family life,” said Nance.
“Joe Biden and the elites in Washington and the media would rather shut Christians out of the political process, raiding their homes, spying on their activities, and calling them extremists. The only way to stop these attacks on Christians is to vote on election day November 8.”
Since its inception in 1979, CWA has engaged women in every state to get involved and take action. This year’s She Prays She Votes bus tour will be the fourth in CWA’s history.
To schedule an interview with Penny Nance or for more information, please contact [email protected].
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Concerned Women for America is the Nation’s largest public policy organization for women; we are dedicated to promoting Biblical values and Constitutional principles. More information is available at ConcernedWomen.org
The Equal Rights Amendment—Long Gone or Here To Stay?
Answer May Depend on Politicized Justice Department
Recently, the question of ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) emerged once again during Senate confirmation hearings for a new Archivist of the United States, the person in charge of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Colleen Shogan, Ph.D., is President Joe Biden’s pick to lead NARA. She previously worked in the U.S. Senate and the Library of Congress, and she has held various positions on boards and commissions related to American History. She faced rigorous questioning from Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) about her stance on whether NARA could certify the ERA.
What is the ERA, exactly, and why would it be unlawful to certify it? The misnamed resolution purports to ensure that women are equal in the U.S. Constitution. But in reality, the amendment could have a reverse effect on women’s progress. During a 2019 House Judiciary Committee hearing, for instance, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) exposed that—as written—the ERA can be used to enshrine subjective gender identity classifications and abortion protections into the U.S. Constitution.
The ERA also suffers procedural defects. When the ERA passed Congress in 1972, it included a seven-year deadline for ratification. With the deadline fast approaching, CWA’s founder, Beverly LaHaye, held the first CWA meeting in 1978 to share with women in her community the dangers of the ERA and the anti-God, anti-family rhetoric of the ERA’s supporters. Mrs. LaHaye’s goal was to make sure her friends knew how important it was that the ERA stay out of the Constitution. Thanks to her actions and the leadership of others like Phyllis Schlafly, the ERA was three states short of ratification by its 1978 deadline. Congress voted to extend the deadline to 1982. But even by that time, no new states ratified the ERA.
The ERA is dead. There are measures to retroactively “remove” the 1978 ratification deadline on the ERA, like H.J. Res. 17/S.J. Res. 1. But even according to the Washington Post, a news outlet sympathetic to leftist causes, “every time the issue has been litigated in federal court, most recently in 2021, the pro-ERA side has lost, no matter whether the judge was appointed by a Democrat or Republican.” Under the Trump Administration, the U.S. Department of Justice issued an opinion stating “that Congress had the constitutional authority to impose a deadline on the ratification of the ERA and, because that deadline has expired, the ERA Resolution is no longer pending before the States.” A federal trial court with a judge appointed by President Barack Obama upheld the deadline contained in the 1972 resolution and said that Illinois, Nevada, and Virginia’s ratifications—which came after both the original and extended deadlines that Congress attached to the ERA—are not binding for the purposes of the recognizing the ERA.
The Archivist has a unique role in stewarding the rule of law. In addition to preserving the U.S. Constitution and other Founding documents, the Archivist certifies constitutional amendments that states have ratified. The ERA’s procedural defects doom efforts to amend the Constitution using the 1972 resolution. Pro-ERA activists have urged current Archivist David Ferriero to unlawfully certify ratification of the ERA. In response, the Archivist pointed to his “ministerial role” and said that he “defers to [the Justice Department] on this issue and will abide by the [Justice Department] opinion, unless otherwise directed by a final court order.” During her hearing, Dr. Shogan essentially took the same position.
So what is the problem? The approach to defer to the Justice Department is unstable. Principled constitutional lawyers at the U.S. Department of Justice under the previous administration recognized that there was no constitutional basis to ratify the ERA. The Archivist abided by this counsel from the Justice Department, and ERA ratification was put on hold. Unfortunately, with the Biden Justice Department, we are facing a situation where the leftist fox is guarding the constitutional-hen house. This very Justice Department is comfortable recognizing the ability of the Veterans Affairs to provide abortions and abortion counseling to veterans even though federal law explicitly writes out abortion from healthcare benefits for veterans. The ERA analysis from the previous administration’s Justice Department is vulnerable to an activist “reinterpretation” by the attorneys in power under the radical Biden Administration.
Fortunately, there are Members in Congress who are willing to press the matter. Sen. Lankford has already urged Archivist Ferriero to withstand “ridiculous calls to ignore clear guidance from both the court and the Department of Justice and to unilaterally certify the ERA.” Similarly, Sens. Portman, Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) have pressed Archivist Ferriero to stand by the rule of law.
Any pro-ERA attorneys at the Justice Department should heed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s counsel that ERA supporters should start over. Even she did not think that the ERA could be ratified under its 1972 mandate. If the Justice Department were to unlawfully “reinterpret” its understanding of the Constitution in this regard, the Archivist must stand for the rule of law. That is why we must stay engaged on this nomination.
For Immediate Release: October 7, 2022
Contact: [email protected] | (703)282-7320
American Academy of Pediatrics are failing America’s families
Pushing “Gender-affirming Care” Risks Health of Children
Washington, D.C. – As the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) meets this weekend in Anaheim, California for its annual convention, Concerned Women for America (CWA), the nation’s largest women’s public policy organization representing women and families of all ages across every state in America, blasts AAP leadership for pushing radical experimental “gender-affirming” practices.
In a letter sent to the AAP’s President and President-elect, Concerned Women for America CEO and President Penny Nance questions its practices amid controversy over a resolution from member pediatricians demanding the AAP review research standards of treating children questioning their identity.
“Under your leadership, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is failing children, adolescents, parents, and families,” reads the letter. “Your disregard for the mental, emotional, and physical harm of gender ideology being forced on children is evidenced by the alarming trend in so-called ‘gender affirming care.’ Pediatricians are trusted physicians for parents of a newborn child. Like any mother and father, they should know that babies are fully formed male or female humans, not ‘born in the wrong body.’ Any case of an intersex condition or disorder of sexual development is exceedingly rare.
“As doctors sworn to do no harm, it is tragic that you are on the side of defending harm to children. Your organization promotes the use of unapproved puberty-blocking drugs to slow the normal healthy development of a children’s body, bones, and brain for “gender exploration. These drugs have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration who has warned of serious side effects, including swelling of the brain, vision loss, and suicide ideation.
“Pediatricians should know that natural maturation is a critical part of a child’s health and well-being. Doctors who understand normal childhood development should know it is better allow children to grow up with a healthy body intact, not mutilate a child’s body to conform to his or her developing mind – which is not fully developed until after the pediatric years,” the letter reads.
Most alarming, the American Academy of Pediatrics is failing to allow any rigorous challenge to today’s destructive prevailing orthodoxy about so-called “gender affirming care.”
Nance’s letter cites the hypocrisy of AAP President Dr. Moira Szilagyi’s claim in The Wall Street Journal that “It doesn’t push medical treatments or surgery; for the vast majority of children, it recommends the opposite.” A Reuters special report has revealed a skyrocketing rise in use of puberty blockers and hormones, as well as mutilating surgeries. From 2019-21, 776 double mastectomies were performed on 13–17-year-old girls under the banner of “gender affirming care.”
For a full text of Nance’s letter can be found HERE. To schedule an interview with Penny Nance, please contact [email protected].
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Concerned Women for America is the Nation’s largest public policy organization for women; we are dedicated to promoting Biblical values and Constitutional principles. More information is available at ConcernedWomen.org
Concerned Women for America of Pennsylvania is actively representing our Pennsylvania members during the state legislative session. Click here to keep up-to-date on our legislative priorities for the session.
Sometimes, it seems like very few legislators in the U.S. Congress listen to what the American people have to say. This is especially true for legislation related to family values. It sometimes seems like in Washington, D.C., the media and the consulting class are able to drown out the voices outside the beltway. But more often than we sometimes appreciate, voters’ voices break through.
It is in this vein that I want to encourage you with our partial victory over the “Disrespect of Marriage Act” in the U.S. Senate. Thanks to your engagement, the U.S. Senate punted a vote to further undermine the institution of marriage and religious liberty until after the elections. Don’t get me wrong, there is still much work to be done. The word on the Hill is that Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) is pushing for the Senate to take up the Act during the week of November 14, 2022.
But Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) understands that it is your voice that truly matters. When we asked you to share your unique stories with your Senator, you stepped up. In a show of force and might, thousands of you reached out to defend traditional marriage and the people and groups that believe in it. Your engagement made it possible for wins like the delayed vote in the Senate and comments by senators like Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) walking back initial signals that they would support the bill.
Those with the opportunity also fostered greater understanding among those who disagree. Young Women for America’s Andrea Silvera from Charlotte, North Carolina, met with the office of Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) about the Act. Sen. Tillis publicly supports the Disrespect of Marriage Act. Andrea was able to share why a pro-life Catholic pregnancy center licensed by the state health department would no longer be welcome to partner with the government. Andrea shared how the true losers would be the mothers, babies, and young children in need who receive clothing, houseware, and hope that there are people and a God willing to help them even at their most vulnerable. These types of meetings take up time but contribute to the deeper work of changing hearts and minds.
We are in a period of ceasefire, so what now? As it says in Scripture, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV). Our culture and our government pressure us to reject God’s design for marriage. Our task is to defend it.
The consequences of attacks on the family like the Disrespect of Marriage Act flow downstream to the most vulnerable in our society—children. Every child deserves a mother and a father, and both are instrumental to a child’s healthy development. We know it is not always possible, but government should do whatever possible to encourage the most beneficial policies for children, which includes first and foremost, strong families. Children who grow up without a father, for example, are vulnerable to becoming adults with behavioral problems, mental and physical health problems, and challenges forming healthy relationships. Single motherhood and paternal abandonment continue to rise. It is estimated that 13.2 million children, or 1 in 5 children in the U.S., receive child support. Over 400,000 children are in foster care today, the number one reason being neglect and abuse in the home. No child deserves the pain of an absent parent. The Disrespect of Marriage Act not only further decouples marriage from children’s rights, but it totally displaces the conversation about how children today are suffering from parental separation in favor of a conversation about the government validating feelings between “consenting adults.”
Beneath any discussion of marriage is a deeper conversation about the meaning of family. It is overwhelming to imagine making a thorough defense of marriage in what may be a brief interaction. Not to mention the additional responsibility to do so “with gentleness and respect.”1 Peter 3:15 (NIV).
Be assured that “the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say,” Luke 12:12 (NIV), meaning that He will give us the words to say at the moment when we need them. Whether it is a phone call with a Senate office, forwarding an article to a friend, or a Bible study with a Prayer/Action Chapter, our voice can be used to advance God’s will for marriage.
For Immediate Release:
September 29, 2022
Contact:[email protected]
(703)282-7320
Putting Families First
RSC’s Family Policy Agenda Shows True Leadership
Washington, D.C. – Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC), the largest public policy women’s organization in the country, today applauded the Republican Study Committee’s (RSC) “Family Policy Agenda.” The RSC, led by its Chairman Jim Banks (R-Indiana), released the agenda indicating the policy priorities of the next Congress, should Republicans take control.
“Bravo to Chairman Banks and the entire Republican Study Committee for this thorough and comprehensive plan to address the issues American families are facing today,” said CWALAC CEO and President, Penny Nance. “Whether it is protecting our children from radical gender ideologies in school, cyber threats online, and deadly drugs or implementing policies that help single mothers and family-owned businesses, this strategy will put government on a path to help families succeed.
“Leadership is telling the American people what they will do if elected. We applaud the RSC releasing this agenda in advance of the election to show how drastically different the policies of a Republican-led Congress will be compared to the ones we’ve had for the last year and a half.
“Biden and the Democrat-controlled House and Senate have led us to the brink by pushing a radical agenda. Time to put government back where it belongs, at the service of American families, and not at the service of special political, ideological, technological, or financial interests.”
CWALAC will work with the RSC and other members of Congress to implement these policies.
To schedule an interview with Penny Nance, please contact [email protected].
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Concerned Women for America is the Nation’s largest public policy organization for women; we are dedicated to promoting Biblical values and Constitutional principles. More information is available at ConcernedWomen.org
In a demonstration of our strong left-right partnership against the sexual exploitation of women, Concerned Women for America and the Women’s Liberation Front have filed a joint amicus brief to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals asking the court to remove a preliminary injunction against Indiana’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. The CWA/WoLF brief marks the first time our organizations have filed jointly in a landmark case before the court defending the rights of female athletes to fair play in sex-separated sports. Representing perspectives of women from across the political spectrum, the CWA/WoLF brief sends a strong message to the court about the importance of Indiana’s law upholding the truth about the sexes and equality of opportunity for female athletes and sets an important precedent for arguing these cases in federal court.
Read our press release.
Read this article about our brief in Post Millennial.
