AFA Indiana: Call to Action for US Senator Todd Young to Change Vote on DIS-Respect for Marriage Act

 Urgent Alert:  

Sen. Todd Young Gives Joe Biden a Big Win!

         One week after Indiana Senator Todd Young (R) overwhelmingly won his bid for reelection, he immediately sided with President Joe Biden, Senators Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders, Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, and the radical left to attack religious Hoosiers and faith-based institutions.

         Senator Young was among a dozen liberal Republicans who voted for the unnecessary and misnamed, Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA).   The bill should be called the disrespect for marriage act because it does not respect the First Amendment freedoms that make America great.

         This legislation is a reward to the LGBTQ activists who are trying to undermine traditional values and indoctrinate children in all aspects of our culture.   The Respect for Marriage Act codifies same-sex marriage even though the US Supreme Court ruled on this, years ago.  People are free to live as they choose, but this bill uses the power of the federal government to take sides in cultural and moral debates.  It could punish those who understand that men and women are uniquely different, and both offer important aspects to the family.  Whatever two men may be, they are not a mom and a dad.  Children do best with a married mother and father.

         This bill is not about who can marry.  It is about who can peaceably live out their faith without fear of our government.

         The Respect for Marriage Act is undeniably dangerous.  An amendment was added that admits this.  It pretends to protect the rights of conscience and religious freedom.  This was an admission of the problems this bill can cause, but it is little more than window dressing on bad policy.

         Senator Young has ignored concerns from legal experts in this field such as Alliance Defending Freedom, the Liberty Counsel, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Coalition for Jewish Values, and numerous policy experts like the Heritage Foundation, the Family Research Council, the Ethics and Policy Center,  the Religious Freedom Institute, Focus on the Family and many more.  
    (I have over a dozen legal reviews and policy papers detailing the dangers of this bill and the inadequacies of the faux religious freedom section.  Links to items from the groups I've listed here are attached. Simply click on the organization's name in blue.)   

         Incidentally, Senator Young supported the Respect for Marriage Act even before the religious freedom section was added.  If you contacted his office when we began warning of this legislation months ago, his official response made this obvious.   He now claims that this amendment “fixed” the bill he supported when it was broken.   

         It is still broken.  

         Here is just one example. As written, this legislation could remove the tax status of or punish a private school that holds to religious teachings as a condition of employment. (Remember those 87,000 new IRS agents?)   It could also allow a state or a judge looking at the RFMA to punish a religious charity for similar reasons.

         The RFMA will pour gasoline on the fire of “woke-ism” and transgender indoctrination in schools that has so many Hoosier parents outraged.

         As the Vice President of Domestic Policy for the Heritage Foundation warned: “This bill provides no benefit or protection that same-sex couples don’t already have. All this bill does is target people of faith who don’t support woke ideology.”

         Senator Young made sure that millions of Hoosiers knew he was a Marine in his many campaign ads.   People assume that a Marine will fight for freedom and defend the constitution.  This is not what he is doing now with this legislation.  He is betraying hundreds of thousands of Hoosier voters who assumed that he would protect their rights of speech, association, conscience, and faith when they voted for him two weeks ago.

Call to Action:

         The RFMA will be voted on again very soon.  Please contact Senator Young and ask him to defend freedom by voting against the RFMA.

         Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who is a legal expert in his own right, has an amendment that does protect religious freedom and rights of conscience, but will Senator Young support it?    At the very least, if Senator Young is so adamant to side with the DC swamp again, he could support the Lee amendment.

1)    Call Senator Young’s office and ask him to change his support for this bill.

      317-226-6700  - Indianapolis

      812-542-4820 – New Albany

      202-224-5623  - Washington, DC

2)    Email Senator Young’s office too.

      https://www.young.senate.gov/contact/email-todd

3)   Pray that Senator Young will have a change of heart on this unnecessary and dangerous legislation.  Pray that the 1st Amendment will be respected and the RFMA will fail.

The Fight is Not Over: STOP the DIS-Respect for Marriage Act

The fight to stop False Marriage is far from over at this point.

Yes, there was a procedural vote, but then there will be a floor vote.

A number of amendments have been added to this bill, as well, and we need to urge a larger floor fight for more amendments until this legislation can be bogged down entirely.

The US Senate will take a vote on the DIS-Respect for Marriage Act on November 28th, 2022--after the Thanksgiving Break.

What happened earlier?

There was a procedural vote to advance the bill in the US Senate a few days ago, but we need to marshall our reasons to target these US Senators after the Thanksgiving Break

Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)

Susan Collins (R-ME): (202) 224-2523

Joni Ernst (R-IA): (202) 224-3254

Cynthia Lummis (R-WY): 202) 224-3424

Mitt Romney (R-UT): (202) 224-5251

Dan Sullivan (R-AK): (202) 224-3004

Thom Tillis (R-NC): (202) 224-6342

Todd Young (R-IN): 202-224-5623

These US Senators The legislation will fail if they do not muster 60 votes.

These US Senators are facing Re-election at some point, and we need to make their lives miserable for voting against their constituents once already.

You can find their contact information on the blogpost that I shared earlier this year.

http://aschaper1.blogspot.com/2022/07/call-us-senate-and-tell-them-to-reject.html

American Family Association: Partial Victory on DIS-Respect for Marriage Act

 

Dear Arthur, Great news! Because of your prayers, hard work, and your support, God has given us a victory in the U.S. Senate. If you’ve been keeping up with our action alerts, you know that the so-called Respect for Marriage Act is a Democrat priority. The bill would provide federal protection to same-sex marriage, undermining the ability of any state to ever challenge the 2015 Obergefell decision, which forced gay marriage on the states. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) had planned to put the Respect for Marriage Act on the Senate calendar for a vote this past September. Instead, after hearing from you, he lost the razor thin vote he needed to pass the bill. We have been working hard to encourage Republicans to stick together to defend marriage. The Democrats need 10 Republicans to join them to avoid a filibuster on the bill. Because of your emails and calls, the tide changed. We won! Praise God! However, as you know, this issue is not going away. The sponsors of the Respect for Marriage Act have let it be known that they are going to force a vote on the bill in late November or early December – AFTER the November Congressional elections. Some Republicans – Susan Collins of Maine, for instance – are building a narrative that Republicans are going to vote for this bill, but just don’t want to do it before the midterm elections. “It takes a lot of the political sting out of it,” confessed Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman. Part of the delay is because of disagreements over religious liberty protections. On one side, Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and others are working on language that is little more than window dressing for their conservative base. On the other, Senator Mike Lee (also of Utah) is reportedly working on an amendment that would provide specific protections for Christian schools and nonprofit organizations. As we reported in August, the Respect for Marriage Act could be used to eliminate the nonprofit status of Christian K-12 schools, universities, and nonprofits (even AFA). This is a very dangerous bill and is a sign of the trials ahead. That’s why we are going to keep monitoring this situation – and we are going to keep asking you to tell your U.S. senators to stand against the Respect for Marriage Act. No amendment is going to make this bill better. The entire bill is based on a lie – the false premise that two people of the same sex can actually marry one another. Marriage is meant to be a lifelong union between one man and one woman. Same-sex marriage is not marriage, and we will never, ever support any legislation seeking to codify this lie. The most recent Republican Party Platform states: Foremost among those institutions is the American family. It is the foundation of civil society, and the cornerstone of the family is natural marriage, the union of one man and one woman. Its daily lessons — cooperation, patience, mutual respect, responsibility, self-reliance — are fundamental to the order and progress of our Republic. Same-sex marriage is not settled law. It will never be settled law. Same-sex marriage is deeply offensive to God and is absolutely contrary to the principles of ordered liberty upon which our country was founded. That’s why AFA is committed to defending one-man, one-woman marriage, no matter the odds. God is bigger than the U.S. Senate. And God, just as He always does, in His own way and in His own timing, came through for us. So, let’s give Him all the glory and the praise, even as we keep fighting and watching. We’re going to keep the pressure up, reminding Republicans of the party platform and of the truth about marriage. Stay tuned for our next action alert on this. We need Republican senators to go on record about where they stand on this bill. And let us all continue to “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16). With your prayers and support, we are committed to winning this battle. Sincerely, Tim Wildmon, President American Family Association P.S. If our mission resonates with you, please consider supporting our work financially with a tax-deductible donation. The easiest way to do that is through online giving. It is easy to use, and most of all, it is secure.

Liberty Counsel: Stop the Perverse US Senate Effort to Redefine Marriage

Liberty Counsel is sounding the alarm on the DIS-Respect for Marriage Act.

Here's their latest eblast summoning everyone to sound out their US Senators on their opposition

I have some important news to share below, but first, the U.S. Senate is poised to vote on HR 8404, the oxymoronically named “Respect for Marriage Act” that serves to undermine marriage, religious freedom and states’ rights. This matter is urgent. If passed, this bill will impose any radical (and wrong) definition of marriage on every state if just one state or territory recognizes it. While erasing states’ rights, the bill also forces all states to accept even polyamory, polygamy, child bride “marriages” and any other perverted corruption of marriage you can imagine. This bill will not just repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). It will also codify the Supreme Court’s 2015 unconstitutional 5-4 opinion regarding same-sex marriage (SSM) in Obergefell v. Hodges. But this bill goes much further. Already, five Republican senators have expressed support for HR 8404. About 15 more Republicans are undecided or considering voting in favor. If just five more Republicans cave, HR 8404 will pass. The Senate Republican leadership does not appear to be whipping votes against this bill. It is up to you to contact senators and let them know that we strongly oppose HR 8404, a bill that will deconstruct marriage, assault religious freedom and override states’ rights. Rush your urgent faxes to the Senate to block this attack on our nation, on our freedom and on marriage. — Mat

Arthur,

Justice Clarence Thomas is right. The Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage opinion is on the same shaky legal ground as abortion was—as a made-up “right” pulled out of thin air. Those pushing the LGBTQ agenda are in a tailspin about this fact.

Misnamed the Respect for Marriage Act, this bill undermines marriage in several ways:

First, when Obergefell is overruled, HR 8404 will continue same-sex marriage.

Second, HR 8404 goes far beyond same-sex marriage because it empowers one state to set national marriage policy—including incestuous marriage (father-daughter or mother-son) and more.

Third, while it currently applies to “a marriage between 2 individuals,” the bill would open the door to polygamy and polyamory by simply striking “2” before or after the bill is passed.

Note, the bill does not say that marriage is only for two individuals, but that the bill requires a state to recognize “a marriage between 2 individuals.” The deconstruction of marriage is the stated goal of some LGBTQ advocates.

The bill could allow one person to enter more than one marriage between two people all at the same time, thus authorizing polygamy. Every House Republican member from Utah supported this bill.

That is one of the many perversions of marriage allowed by this bill. It has no limits on the age of the individuals, no limits on family relationships and no requirements of the marital status of someone who wants to marry.

The Senate is very close to passing HR 8404. The senators must hear from you. STOP HR 8404 with your urgent faxes to the Senate.

When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges, some Justices warned that the decision could have a damaging and serious impact on people of faith. Chief Justice John Roberts took the unusual step of reading his dissent from the bench. He referred to the five Justices as “lawyers” who imposed “an act of will, not legal judgment.” He also said, “Just who do they think we are?”

I have been on the front lines of defending people of faith and the warning in Obergefell has come true. The Kentucky clerk, Kim Davis, was the first person to face persecution and even jail.

Business owners are being bankrupted and shut down if they do not accept and promote same-sex marriage. Even schools are worried about their accreditation status, and organizations are worried about their tax-exempt status if they do not comply.

Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a later opinion that “Since Obergefell, parties have continually attempted to label people of good will as bigots merely for refusing to alter their religious beliefs in the wake of prevailing orthodoxy.” Regarding Kim Davis he wrote, “those with sincerely held religious beliefs will find it increasingly difficult to participate in society without running afoul of Obergefell.”

Thus far, this level of persecution is happening under a Court ruling, but under a federal law, the ability to target and attack people of faith will increase!

We have a short window. Tell as many senators as you can to stop this bill! Click the button below to send your faxes now and keep reading to get a chilling glimpse into what we are fighting against.

Now that this bill is in the Senate, we are anticipating Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will try several different strategies to get this on Joe Biden’s desk. Schumer said, “This legislation is so important. I’m working with Senator [Tammy] Baldwin, one of our Senate leaders on this bill, to get the necessary Republican support to pass it in the Senate.”

Every minute of every day we need one conservative senator on the floor to object to a voice vote. This will force a full vote.

The Senate vote on this bill will be very close. We need every senator we can get to stop this bill. YOU can make the difference.

Working together, we can stop HR 8404 from passing! Everyone must speak up NOW by sending a fax and signing the petition!

BIG LEGAL NEWS! Last week, Liberty Counsel settled the nation’s first class wide lawsuit for health care workers over a COVID shot mandate for more than 10.3 million dollars. The class action settlement against NorthShore University HealthSystem is on behalf of more than 500 current and former health care workers who were unlawfully discriminated against.

This is a historic, first-of-its-kind class action settlement against a private employer that unlawfully denied religious exemption requests to COVID-19 shots. I will share more about this groundbreaking case next week.

Without you, NONE of our work is possible. Please prayerfully consider making an automatic recurring monthly donation to fund our legal work. Thanks to generous supporters, our Challenge Grant will effectively DOUBLE YOUR DONATION. PLEASE, be a part of the blessing today by selecting here or the button below.

As always, I appreciate your prayers for our nation and for our team!

Mat Staver
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel
 

P.S. Our Challenge Grant will DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT today. P.P.S. FAX THE SENATE NOW—SAY NO TO HR 8404! Prefer a petition instead of a fax? Select here.

Sources:

“Obergefell v. Hodges.” Legal Information Institute. Cornell Law School. Accessed July 25, 2022. Law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/14-556#writing-14-556_DISSENT_4.

“(Order List: 592 U.S.) October 5, 2020 CERTIORARI -- SUMMARY DISPOSITIONS,” 2020. Supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/100520zor_3204.pdf.

Schumer, Chuck. “Last night, the House. . .” Twitter account: @SenSchumer. July 20, 2022. Twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1549792216788467713.

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We need as many people as possible contacting their US Senators. We cannot allow the falsification of marriage, meaning that more than two people can marry, or that two people of the same sex can marry. Where do people get this ridiculous idea that this stuff is acceptable?