The weekly report on US and World public policy
by Edwina Rogers
Secular Policy Institute Holds White House Meeting
On Wednesday, February 25, I met with staff of the Domestic Policy Council to introduce the institute as a resource and ensure our seat at the stakeholder table. A range of matters were covered including the lack of a Humanist Chaplin in the Military and the need for the Humanist designation as religious preference in all branches of the Armed Services. One DPC staff member reported that he had a Humanist wedding. This matter could be solved by Executive Order.
White House Sign On Letter Opportunity
Please let the Center for Reproductive Rights know if your organization would like to sign this letter to the White House strongly opposing special protections for organizations that refuse to provide or even refer for safe abortion services for women who are pregnant as the result of rape or incest, or who face life-endangering pregnancies.
Please let Aram Schvey with the Center for Reproductive Rights know at aschvey@reprorights.org by Friday Feb 26 at 5pm EST if your organization would like to sign the letter.
Oil Pipeline Vetoed
President Barack Obama, exercising his veto power for the first time in five years, rejected a measure green-lighting the Keystone XL pipeline. Obama’s signature denying the Keystone bill kicks off what’s expected to be a flurry of vetoes on measures that Republicans will send to the White House now that they control both chambers of Congress.
Congressional Report
The Senate is in a five-week work period. Most of the week has been focused on HR 240 the DHS Appropriations bill. The Majority Leader announced that he will offer the funding bill without the provisions removing funding for the President’s Executive Order for Immigration in order to prevent Home Land Security shut down.
Looking ahead in the Senate legislative items that are possible during this work period include (not in order):
- Keystone XL Pipeline veto override;
- Authorization for use of force against ISIS;
- CRA re: NRLB ambush elections;
- Human trafficking legislation;
- ESEA reauthorization;
- Iran sanctions;
- Cybersecurity;
- Trade Promotion Authority;
- House-passed Obamacare-related legislation (40-hour workweek, and bills exempting volunteer firefighters and veterans from employer mandates);
- Ayotte GITMO bill;
- SGR/Doc Fix (expires March 31); and
- Budget Resolution (possible the last week of March before the recess)
SPI Congressional Meetings This Week
I met with the offices of Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Rodney David (D-IL) on the House side and Senator Portman on the Senate side. Additionally, I had a very productive meeting with House Judicary Chairman Goodlatte’s committee staff.
Congressional Briefing
As 2015 commences, religious liberty is once again front and center in political debates. On February 24, SPI Staff joined members of the Coalition for Liberty & Justice, a broad alliance of faith-based and secular organizations that works to ensure that public policy protects the religious liberty of individuals of all faiths and no faith and to oppose public policies that impose one religious viewpoint on all. The Congressional Briefing was to highlight recent distortions of religious liberty that are really attacks on reproductive health access, LGBTQ rights and separation of religion and state. The briefing was entitled, Abusing Religious LibertyÔÇöWho Gets Hurt?
Just last week, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops sent a letter to congress in support of the reintroduced refusal bill, HR 940, “the Health Care Conscience Rights Act.”
Plaintiff Opportunities (In God We Trust)
Mike Newdow is searching for plaintiffs willing to join federal challenges to the mandatory inscriptions of “In God We Trust” on the nation’s money. There are seven circuits that have not yet heard such challenges, and Mr. Newdow is planning to file in each. It appears that the Supreme Court’s now unanimity in three of three RFRA cases* should unequivocally lead to a victory here. After all, forcing Atheists to bear on their persons the declaration that “In God We Trust” is surely at least as great a burden on their free exercise as not being able to drink a hallucinogenic tea (O Centro), fearing your tax payments may be used for a contraceptive which may cause the demise of a zygote (Hobby Lobby) or not being allowed to grow a 1/2″ beard (Holt).
Mike needs about ten individuals (some of whom have children) and organizations in each of the given circuits (which are comprised of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin).
* Although Hobby Lobby was a 5-4 decision, every opinion accepted that strict scrutiny is required under RFRA. So did every one in O Centro and Holt.
If you or your organization can assist please contact Mike Newdow at 916-201-6078 (cell), 707-739-6837 (Google voice) or email at FirstAmendmist@gmail.com
International
SPI was invited to join Hummay, International Humanist Support Network.
Hummay was founded in 2004 to provide members of the Uganda Humanist Association with a means to contact humanist/secularist/Human Rights organisation leaders worldwide in case they were in trouble. A Ugandan humanist leader had been warned, after a conference in 2004, that things might be ‘different’ for him after foreign visitors had returned home.
The group has acted on other occasions as an effective early warning system, for example alerting humanists across the globe to the arrest of Leo Igwe founder of the Nigerian Humanist Movement. Action by many members almost certainly contributed to his swift release. Apart from being a warning system Hummay is also intended as a way for humanists/etc. in African countries and in developing world countries to inform leaders of organizations and individuals worldwide of their good and bad news. This membership is by invitation only and SPI looks forward to participating.