It’s coming down to the wire. We have a short window to stop the (Dis)Respect for Marriage Act in the U.S. House. On Monday, HR 8404 will be brought up in the Rules Committee, which is good, as I will explain below. Pelosi plans on holding a vote next week.

Liberty Counsel Action staff have been meeting with members of the House. Our goal has been to frame the debate around this bill and build the groundwork to stop HR 8404. Your faxes are critical in this overall effort. 

Because much of this debate happened in the U.S. Senate, our staff was the only one I know of, who was educating and informing House members on all the terrible consequences of this bill—including polygamy and pedophile child bride marriages. 

Our message was specifically noted on the Senate floor. And we are hearing from members in the House that our warnings are working. Rush your urgent faxes to the House to block this attack on our nation, on our freedom and on marriage. —Mat

Because of your faxes and our personal contact, there are many members of the House who are hearing our arguments against HR 8404 for the first time. But our arguments need your voice.

This week, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced an amendment to close the child bride and polygamy loopholes in HR 8404. The polygamy amendment passed, but the child bride amendment failed. LC Action was the only organization warning of the dangers of child brides and polygamy.

It is shocking that senators would vote against protecting child brides who often suffer terrible sexual abuse.

But now that HR 8404 is back in the House, the child bride issue is resurfacing and will become part of the debate on this bad bill.

HR 8404 will target religious institutions and people of faith.

It authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute anyone who is accused of not honoring, accepting or participating in the “unions” outlined in this bill. It states:

“ENFORCEMENT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL — The Attorney General may bring a civil action. … ”

But this bill does not just leave it up to the limitless pockets of our federal government to harass and sue people of faith. It also throws open the door for any person to file private lawsuits as well.

“PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION — Any person who is harmed by a violation of subsection (a) may bring a civil action. … ”

It is obvious that this bill disdains people of faith. The Senate rejected three separate religious liberty amendments in favor of one that provides virtually no protection unless you are part of an institution whose primary role is the study of the Bible.

Yesterday, I spoke with the largest coalition of evangelical Hispanic pastors who express grave concern about HR 8404. I assured them that the fight is far from over. We still have an opportunity to stop HR 8404. I also said that what some intend to inflict harm, God can turn around for good.

We will not quit. We will not be bullied. We will not be dismayed. 

Now it’s your turn to make your voice heard. Join us in blocking this radical bill with your rushed faxes now.

Our staff was encouraged by the amendment from Sen. Cruz fighting against child brides. We don’t know of any other organization that was exposing the child-bride problem in this bill. 

Now that this bill has moved back to the U.S. House, our team is working to get this amendment’s language into the hands of as many U.S. representatives as possible to educate them on the need for these protections to be added. And even if these protections are added, we stand firmly against this bill and what it will unleash on the religious community. 

There are many examples of the importance of YOUR faxes. On an earlier legislative issue regarding abortion, one Democrat in the House asked several times for us to stop faxing because his office could not get anything done and he agreed with us on the issue.

We said we would stop faxing when he agreed to co-sponsor a born alive bill. He then switched parties, and the first thing he did as a Republican was to co-sponsor the bill! We then stopped faxing his office. Your faxes work!

Our children, our families and our freedom are all under assault. And our team is busier than ever working to preserve life and freedom. At this end of year, your gift will effectively be DOUBLED by a generous Challenge Grant. Select here.

Mat Staver, Chairman
Liberty Counsel Action

Source:

“H.R. 8404—Respect for Marriage Act.” 2022. House of Representatives Committee on Rules. July 18, 2022. Rules.house.gov/bill/117/hr-8404.