It’s the most wonderful time of the year, especially for Democrats. They are still working through their long wish list of liberal agenda items during the Lame Duck session. The legislation they couldn’t seem to pass before November’s elections are getting a second wind. Even though they present their legislation with a bow, once it’s unwrapped, it’s the gift worse than the proverbial lump of coal.
Despite conservative opposition to the (Dis)Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404), both the House and Senate passed the bill. This measure codifies same-sex marriage with little religious liberty protections. H.R. 8404 passed the Senate by a vote of 61-36 with twelve Republicans voting in favor. The House’s vote of 258-169 included thirty-nine Republicans which was eight less than the House’s original vote on the bill. Eagle Forum scored against both votes and denounced the outcome.
Then, President Biden decided to put a new spin on “holiday greetings and gay happy meetings.” In attendance at Tuesday’s bill signing was a man who identifies as “fem queer nonbinary drag artist” and who performs as a drag queen for children. He is also known for verbally attacking conservatives and the police over Twitter by using strong expletives. In response to this news, the Federalist’s Joy Pullman tweeted:
Republicans like [Todd Young], [Mitt Romney], [Joni Ernst], and [Roy Blunt] voted for this bill. They all knew what the White House says openly: It’s about normalizing strangers showing sex to kids. The so-called exceptions were lies. They should be kicked from the GOP…
Pullman is right. These Republicans were not unaware of the consequences of this bill, nor the games Democrats were playing to get it passed. They certainly are not defending the tenets of their own party. The GOP Platform explicitly states:
…the cornerstone of the family is natural marriage, the union of one man and one woman.
These Senators believe you will forget about this by the time they run for reelection. We must hold them accountable and, in the meantime, encourage good conservatives from these states to challenge them in future elections.
In other news, we are awaiting the language of the omnibus- the bill that will fund the federal government for the rest of Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. Current funding expires on Friday, but lawmakers are planning to extend it for one week. Senate Appropriations Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) says a framework for a deal has been made by appropriators from the Senate (both parties) and House Democrats. Only House Republicans haven’t agreed on the spending level, mainly because potential Speaker-elect Kevin McCarthy is getting pushback from the House Freedom Caucus. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has indicated his preliminary agreement with Senator Schumer and added that defense spending is set at $858 billion. Nondefense spending is now being debated with Democrats wanting topline funds at $813 billion while Republicans want $787 billion. Regardless of the outcome, both parties are, once again, spending an absurd amount of our tax money on unnecessary government programs.
Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) spoke on the Senate floor Tuesday night to encourage his colleagues to vote for a short-term continuing resolution that will avoid a government shutdown during the month of December and allows the new Congress to determine funding levels. He stated:
We’re witnessing a conspicuous, reoccurring trend whereby leaders use the threat of a government shutdown to pressure members into voting for inflated spending provisions without time to read the bill.
Passing a clean CR will ensure we listen to the people’s voices and that the incoming House majority has the opportunity to make decisions in the best interest of the American people.
Republicans should be wary of the Left’s line items that will fund abortion rights, unfettered immigration, and pro-marijuana language. Recently, Eagle Forum drafted a letter asking our Senators to oppose all marijuana efforts in larger bills like the omnibus. Organizations such as Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action, Heritage Action, Family Research Council, and Advancing American Freedom joined the letter in support. Eagle Forum will continue to put pressure on our lawmakers to make the right choices and score against an omnibus that secures long-term funding for liberal agenda items.