AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
July 27, 2016
Issue
Trying to Pull the Wool Over Our Eyes?
Details
The First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) was introduced in June 2015. In the US House HR 2802 was introduced by Raul Labrador (R-ID) and in the US Senate Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced S 1598.
The purpose of FADA was to guarantee federal bureaucrats will never have the authority to require those who believe in the traditional definition of marriage to choose between their living in accordance with those beliefs and maintaining their occupation, their tax status, or their eligibility to receive grants, licenses or contracts.
In light of the comments from Solicitor General Donald Verrilli during oral arguments in the Obergefell case, it became quite clear that the Obama Administration would be okay with the IRS revoking the tax-exempt status of religious institutions (including schools) that believe marriage should be only between a man and a woman. The need for a First Amendment Defense Act is great.
The original House version of FADA reads as follows:
“The Federal Government shall not take any discriminatory action against a person, wholly or partially on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or that sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.”
However, shortly before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing on July 12, Representative Labrador, the primary sponsor of HR 2802, released a revised version to include same-sex marriage as a protected standard. Here’s what it now says:
” The Federal Government shall not take any discriminatory action against a person, wholly or partially on the basis that such person believes, speaks, or acts in accordance with a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of two individuals of the opposite sex; or two individuals of the same sex; or extramarital relations are improper.”
If this version passes, the federal government will for the first time formerly recognize and condone same-sex marriage on par with natural marriage!
Action Steps
1.) Contact Representative Labrador and ask him to withdraw his amendment to HR 2802. Phone: (202) 225 – 6611
2.) Six US Representatives representing Pennsylvania have signed on as co-sponsors of the First Amendment Defense Act: Keith Rothfus (12th), Joseph Pitts (16th), Mike Kelly (3rd), Tim Murphy (18th), Scott Perry (4th) and Tom Marino (10th). If any of these is your Congressman, please contact him, advise him of the change in language and ask him to remove his sponsorship .
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