Family Research Council Action to hold Virtual Values Voter Summit to Rally Freedom Loving Americans to Pray, Vote, and Stand

Washington, D.C. - September 19, 2020 - The Ponder News -- On Tuesday evening at 8:00 p.m. ET, the 15th annual Values Voter Summit will kick off. Instead of attending in person, this year values voters will join the all-virtual event from their own homes and churches.

Confirmed speakers include President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, Dr. Ben Carson, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Pastor Jack Hibbs, Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), Michele Bachmann, Gary Bauer, Abby Johnson, Bishop Vincent Mathews, Eric Metaxas, Dr. Albert Mohler, Tim Wildmon, Benjamin Watson, Andrew Wommack, Melissa Ohden, Virginia Prodan, Scott Rasmussen, Abigail Shrier, Dr. Carol Swain, Larry Taunton, and Scott Turner, the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, among others.

This year’s summit will also feature a brand-new episode format. These episodes will feature roundtable discussion and interviews and will stream live September 22-25 from 8:00 - 9:30 p.m. Eastern. Additionally, due to the online format, registration is offered at no charge, providing free access to the nightly episodes, as well as the activist training session, which will stream on September 26 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern.

Family Research Council Action President Tony Perkins issued the following statement:

“This year’s virtual Values Voter Summit will serve as the convention of social conservatives. For each of the last 14 years, thousands have traveled to our nation’s capital to give voice to faith, family, and freedom and hear from our nation’s leaders as they make commitments based on those issues. While values voters won’t be attending in person, they can join the summit virtually and receive the tools they need to engage in what I believe is the most consequential election in our Republic’s history.

“The November election will be a critical test for America. The party platforms offer a stark contrast; the Democratic platform has grown increasingly radical as the far Left expands its influence, while the Republican platform preserves a robust defense of religious liberty, biblical marriage, and pro-life principles. Nothing less than the future of faith, family, and freedom in America is on the ballot this year.

“All freedom loving Americans must register and then get out and vote. It’s time to pray, vote, and stand,” concluded Perkins.

To attend the virtual event, register here: www.valuesvotersummit.org.

Values Voter Summit 2020 sponsors also include AFA Action, American Values, Truth & Liberty Coalition, and Family Research Council. Bott Radio Network is the radio sponsor, and The Christian Post is the first-time media sponsor.

Family Research Council Praises the Pro-Family Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

By Family Research Council

Washington, D.C. - December 21, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- The Congress took a major step forward in reforming America’s tax code as both chambers passed the final conference version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1). This legislation is the first major overhaul of the country's tax code in over thirty years. The bill now goes to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law. Family Research Council (FRC) commends Republican legislators in the House and Senate for advancing tax relief to millions of hardworking families.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement:

“While the final product is missing components that would have made H.R. 1 an outstanding bill, Congress has finally accomplished something big for the American people: the largest overhaul of the U.S. tax code since Ronald Reagan.

“The doubling of the child tax credit to $2,000 will provide immediate relief for parents and will bolster the economy further as these children become taxpayers one day. Strong families are the cornerstone of our society and providing relief for families with children is a major win for working low-income and middle-class families.

“The bill alleviates many marriage penalties in the tax code, which should never have been added to the tax code in the first place. We have long advocated for our government to foster the best environment for children and penalizing marriage has made no sense. With this bill, many families will save thousands of dollars in their taxes next year simply due to the elimination of marriage penalties from nearly all of the income tax brackets.

“The bill also helps families by allowing parents to save for their children’s K-12 education at private and religious schools using tax-advantaged 529 education savings accounts.

“We are disappointed that Senate budget rules prevented this historic legislation from gutting the Johnson Amendment which has been used to stifle the free speech of non-profits and religious leaders on political matters and will continue to work with Congress to achieve this important goal. We are also disappointed the budget rules prevented recognition of unborn children as children in the tax code, and for excluding homeschooling families from benefiting from the expansion of 529 education savings accounts. One additional concern is that the increased standard deduction will create a disincentive for charitable giving.

“However, while not perfect, repealing the Obamacare individual mandate, expanding the child tax credit, removing most marriage penalties, expanding 529 plans for K-12 private schooling, lowering personal income tax rates, and lowering the tax burden on employers are a real benefit to the American family,” concluded Perkins.


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Federal Judge Usurps Role of Commander-In-Chief in Blocking Transgender Military Policy says Family Research Council

Source: Family Research Council

Washington, D.C. - November 1, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Family Research Council criticized the injunction by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly that blocks enforcement of parts of President Trump’s transgender military policy.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, a Marine veteran, released the following statement:

“This is where judicial activism is leading us. The courts have moved beyond legislating on the invented rights of abortion and same-sex marriage to clearly usurping the constitutional authority of the executive branch. The president has the primary task of protecting Americans but we see the courts weakening his immigration policies designed to protect America from threats and now telling the commander-in-chief how to run the military,” concluded Perkins.



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FRC Praises Trump Administration's Plan to Directly Address Needs of Christians in Middle East

Source: Family Research Council

Washington, D.C. - October 30, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- The Trump administration announced this week that it would address the needs of the Middle East’s Christian community by providing assistance directly, bypassing UN aid programs which have been largely ineffective in helping displaced Christians affected by ISIS.

The announcement came as Vice President Pence spoke to a gathering addressing persecution of Christians:

“Our fellow Christians and all who are persecuted in the Middle East should not have to rely on multinational institutions when America can help them directly. And tonight, it is my privilege to announce that President Trump has ordered the State Department to stop funding ineffective relief efforts at the United Nations. And from this day forward, America will provide support directly to persecuted communities through USAID.”

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins remarked:

“The Trump administration announcement is welcomed news to families and individuals in the Middle East who have lost their homes, their jobs and even friends and family at the hands of ISIS. I commend the president for following through on his promise to protect religious freedom by ensuring that the vulnerable among us are not targeted because of their religion, and are able to rebuild their lives and freely live out their faith in their ancestral homelands. I look forward to seeing the needs of these communities met on the ground, and stand ready to assist the president in making this happen. In the Middle East and elsewhere, America must do more to ensure that the human right of freedom of religion is cherished the world over,” noted Perkins.

Travis Weber, Family Research Council’s Director of the Center for Religious Liberty, also commented on the Trump administration’s plan:

“While our attention has been riveted by stories of ISIS’s defeat, the Christian communities left devastated in its wake will still need to rebuild and attempt to move on with their lives. For too long, the persecuted Christians of the Middle East—lacking political power and overlooked in the eyes of the world—have not received proper assistance in returning to their ancestral lands, the same lands the first Christians walked nearly 2,000 years ago. Meanwhile, Iran and other power players are trying to come in and ply their influence in the vacuum created by ISIS’s defeat. It is in these situations that protecting the freedom of religion—and inculcating society with a true understanding of this right—is most critical,” observed Weber.

FRC: President Trump to Address 12th Annual Values Voter Summit

Source: Family Research Council

Washington, D.C. - October 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- On Friday, October 13, President Donald Trump will address the 12th annual Values Voter Summit taking place at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. President Trump will be the first sitting president to address the Values Voter Summit. This will be Donald Trump's third trip to the Summit, including last year when he attended VVS as the Republican presidential nominee.

"Values voters have waited eight years for a leader who puts America's mission first and respects the values that made America into a great nation," said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins.

"Values voters are coming to our nation's capital thankful to hear from a president who is fulfilling the promises that he campaigned on. Since the early days of the campaign, President Trump allied himself with values voters, promising to put an end to the 8 years of relentless assault on the First Amendment," added Perkins.

"President Trump's executive order on religious liberty and the follow up actions last week by HHS and DOJ, demonstrate that he is committed to undoing the anti-faith policies of the previous administration and restoring true religious freedom," concluded Perkins.

Thousands of grassroots activists from around the country will gather in the nation's capital to hear from President Trump and other confirmed speakers which include House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), Reps. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), RSC Chairman Mark Walker (R-N.C.), Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Dr. Bill Bennett, Laura Ingraham, Dana Loesch, "Duck Dynasty's" Phil Robertson, Todd Starnes, Steve Bannon, Judge Roy Moore, Sebastian Gorka, Lt. Col. Oliver North, and more.

FRC Action's Values Voter Summit is co-sponsored by AFA Action, American Values, Christian Healthcare Ministries, Association of Mature American Citizens, The D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship, The Heritage Foundation, United in Purpose, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, and Family Research Council. An exhibit hall, book signings, radio row, media row, and much more will be packed into this three-day conference.

For a schedule and more information on this year's Values Voter Summit, please click HERE

FRC Applauds DOJ Guidance Protecting Religious Freedom, Exempting from Oppressive HHS Mandate

Source: Family Research Council

Washington, D.C. - October 7, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Family Research Council applauded two major actions by the Trump administration that safeguard religious freedom. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is directing federal agencies to respect religious freedom while the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is exempting religious entities from the oppressive Obama contraceptive mandate.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement:

“After eight years of the federal government’s relentless assault on the First Amendment, the Trump administration has taken concrete steps today that will once again erect a bulwark of protection around American’s First Freedom – religious freedom.

“President Trump is demonstrating his commitment to undoing the anti-faith policies of the previous administration and restoring true religious freedom. Last May, the president ordered the federal government to vigorously promote and protect religious liberty –and now the DOJ and HHS are moving to make that order a reality.

“Under the Obama administration, agencies lost the understanding that religious freedoms extend to the public square, not just one’s place of worship. As a result, our own government began threatening hardworking, patriotic Americans with crushing fines for simply seeking to live their lives according to their faith.

“President Trump and the Department of Justice are putting federal government agencies on notice: you will not only respect the freedom of every American to believe but live according to those beliefs. This is a freedom that has been a fundamental part of our society since the beginning of our nation.

“To aid the Trump administration’s efforts in vigorously promoting and protecting religious liberty, Family Research Council today is launching a web hotline for those who believe that they have suffered discrimination at the hands of federal agencies based on their religious beliefs or practices. The ‘Free to Believe’ hotline will help ensure that no federal employee, contractor or citizen will be forced to choose between their faith and equal treatment by the federal government.

"As President Trump continues to follow through on his promises on these core issues, he will continue to have the support of social conservatives on his policy initiatives,” concluded Perkins.

Conservative Movement Releases Open Letter to the News Media: Beware of the Southern Poverty Law Center

Source: Family Research Council

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Washington, D.C. - September 7, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Family Research Council (FRC) today joined a coalition of 47 conservative leaders and organizations in releasing an open letter to news organizations, calling on the media to stop using data from the discredited Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

The SPLC has recklessly labeled dozens of mainstream conservative organizations as "hate groups." SPLC's labeling of FRC as a "hate group" was connected in federal court to an act of domestic terrorism committed five years ago at FRC's Washington headquarters by Floyd Corkins. Corkins confessed to the FBI that he used SPLC's "hate map" to choose FRC as a target for violence. More recently, James Hodgkinson, the attempted political assassin of House Majority Whip, Rep. Steve Scalise and many other Republican members of the U.S. House and Senate, was discovered to have "liked" the SPLC on Facebook.

The letter reads in part:

"We are writing to you as individuals or as representatives of organizations who are deeply troubled by several recent examples of the media's use of data from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The SPLC is a discredited, left-wing, political activist organization that seeks to silence its political opponents with a 'hate group' label of its own invention and application that is not only false and defamatory, but that also endangers the lives of those targeted with it.

"The fifth anniversary has just passed of the terrorist event for which the SPLC's hate map and website were used to target its victims for political assassination. The following facts were established in the record of a federal court case. On August 15, 2012, Floyd Lee Corkins II entered the Family Research Council offices in Washington, D.C. and shot and badly wounded its building manager, Leo Johnson, who stopped his intended killing spree. According to his own statements to the FBI, Corkins intended to kill everyone in the building, and then go on to terrorize additional organizations.

"We believe the media outlets that have cited the SPLC in recent days have not intended to target mainstream political groups for violent attack, but by recklessly linking the Charlottesville melee to the mainstream groups named on the SPLC website -- those that advocate in the courts, the halls of Congress, and the press for the protection of conventional, Judeo-Christian values -- we are left to wonder if another Floyd Lee Corkins will soon be incited to violence by this incendiary information.

"That day, Corkins carried both the means to carry out this act of terrorism and a list of additional targets. The U.S. Attorney stated in federal court that Corkins targeted FRC and the additional targets by using the SPLC website's 'Hate Map.' On February 6, 2013, Corkins pleaded guilty to three felonies, and became the first person convicted of violating the District of Columbia's Anti-Terrorism Act of 2002.

"To associate public interest law firms and think tanks with neo-Nazis and the KKK is unconscionable, and it represents the height of irresponsible journalism to do so. All reputable news organizations should immediately stop using the SPLC descriptions of in individuals and organizations based on the SPLC's obvious political prejudices."

To read the full letter, click here