CV NEWS FEED // Ahead of the “Christmas rush” on Capitol Hill, CatholicVote Director of Government Affairs Tom McClusky is warning Catholics to watch out for a spate of bad legislation that Congress could push through if constituents don’t make their voices heard.
In particular, McClusky warned that Catholic voters should watch out for the SAFER Banking Act, the Equality Act, and the possibility of Congress putting a legal stamp of approval on illegal actions that the Biden administration has been taking to advance abortion in the military and veterans’ hospitals.
SAFER Banking Act Spells Drug Trafficking
“The SAFER Banking Act sounds totally harmless, but what it will do if things don’t change drastically is legalize marijuana across the country,” McClusky explained:
We’ve only had legal pot in the U.S. for eleven years, and already the track record is clear – it’s devastating, especially to children and young adults. This is not the stuff boomers grew up with. It’s so much more potent and the effects can be irreversible.
McClusky encouraged Catholics to use a portal CatholicVote created to express their opposition to elected officials. A Senate committee advanced the bill in a 14-9 vote last month, and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will likely bring it to the floor during the holiday season.
“This bill needs 60 votes, and if enough people speak out, they won’t get there,” McClusky said. “These senators, especially the Republican co-sponsors, need to hear from us now.”
Equality Act Promises to Force Doctors to Perform Abortions, Other Evils
The House passed the Equality Act in 2021 over strenuous objections from religious and pro-life leaders, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The legislation would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as protected classes under anti-discrimination law.
The Equality Act would also knock out the Religious Freedom Restoration Act’s longstanding protections for religious freedom, which is why the U.S. Bishops warn that if passed the bill would be used to “punish” Americans who oppose gender ideology.
The legislation also contains a clause that singles out people who engage in “pregnancy discrimination.” When pro-life leaders confronted the Biden administration with the accusation that it intends to force Catholic and other pro-life healthcare workers to perform abortions, the White House refused to deny it.
Expanding Taxpayer Funding for Abortion in Military
Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, the Biden administration has ignored decades of statutes that prohibit abortions in veterans’ hospitals or the use of the military to aid and abet abortions. “The administration has been brazenly pushing abortions by circumventing the law in pro-life states, giving transportation to abortion-friendly blue states, and using taxpayer-funded military resources to train abortionists,” McClusky explained:
And while a divided Congress hasn’t been able to counteract these questionable legal moves, even worse would be if they took advantage of the end-of-year rush to codify the Biden administration’s actions, turning our veterans’ hospitals and military into Abortion Central.
Again, McClusky called on Catholics to make sure their senators know “our eyes are on them.”
A Season to Be Vigilant
McClusky warned that the strong desire by lawmakers not to ruin their Christmas time with their family can often lead to terrible lawmaking, as horrible proposals get quickly stuffed into so-called “must pass” appropriations bills to keep the government running.
“Last year it was the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act [PWFA],” said McClusky, “and in the past there have been plenty of other examples, including the overthrow of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and, more recently, the ‘Disrespect’ for Marriage Act – a full assault on religious freedom and the family.”
Laws and policies that contradict Catholic beliefs often get through during the time of year when American Catholics are busy with their local church communities and their families, McClusky said.
Concerned Catholics must focus their attention on these things, McClusky said. “But also and for the same reasons – our faith and our family values – Catholic voters should not let politicians take advantage of us and push through bad policies unawares.”