“A wrong is done when government imposes upon its people, by force or fear or other means, the profession or repudiation of any religion, or when it hinders men from joining or leaving a religious community,” says the Second Vatican Council Declaration on Religious Freedom (Dignitatis Humanae). America was founded on the fundamental principle of … Read more
The left is taking umbrage at suggestions that Senate Democrats are imposing a de facto religious litmus test on the confirmation of Alabama Attorney General William Pryor, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl, and other well-qualified federal judicial nominees of President George W. Bush stalled in the Senate—a test prohibited by Article 6 of … Read more
Are you ready to defend marriage as the union of one man and one woman? We need you to promote the institution of marriage in the public square. This debate is urgent, winnable, and well worth the effort. The stakes are high—defending the good of children and future generations, the health of society. The challenge … Read more
Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a March 19 statement regarding U.S. plans to attack Iraq, “While we have warned of the potential moral dangers of embarking on this war, we have also been clear that there are no easy answers.” He added, “War has serious consequences, so … Read more
The Charity Aid, Recovery and Empowerment (care) act recently passed in the Senate. This is a victory for President George W. Bush’s armies of compassion. The bill owes much of its success to the joint cooperation and hard work of both Democrats and Republicans. It has been cosponsored by 23 senators and endorsed by more … Read more
Friedrich Nietzsche once famously pronounced that “God is dead.” The eminent scholar Philip Johnson added that Darwin provided the murder weapon. Until the time of Darwin, it was held that nature gave powerful evidence of design—it was something that was made, not a random occurrence. In our schools today, science textbooks present Darwin’s theory of … Read more
Both as a U.S. Senator and as a Catholic layman, I share the frustration of pro-life Americans of all faiths whose government doesn’t uphold the sanctity of life. Even so, the Born Alive Infants Act was passed in the 107th Congress, giving pro-lifers some hope. This act ensures that babies who survive abortion have legal … Read more
While American society rewards ambition and hard work, it also loves a scandal. The media coverage of Enron, Martha Stewart, and WorldCom has been as rampant as the hype over celebrity marriages and breakups and high-profile criminal cases. What is different about the recent financial scandals, however, is the very real and serious effect that … Read more
Congress recently passed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which legally recognizes the basic rights of all children born alive, regardless of their stage of development. The legislation, which I cosponsored with Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), developed as the result of a long congressional debate that began in 1995 over the procedure known as partial-birth abortion. … Read more
The Debt Relief Enhancement Act is victory for President George W. Bush’s compassionate conservative agenda. Although debt relief has been primarily embraced by Democrats, more and more conservatives are seeing its value. Third World countries that carry large amounts of debt are unable to fight poverty and build an infrastructure for a healthy and prosperous … Read more
President Bush’s welfare reform initiative is trying to put an end to one of the greatest social tragedies of the past 30 years: the collapse of marriage. As a result of the soaring rates of divorce and illegitimacy, the percentage of children growing up without a father nearly tripled between 1960 and the early 1990s. … Read more
Is it possible to craft social legislation that is effective, but at the same time accommodates the obligations of human dignity? I believe it is and would like to discuss my efforts, through welfare reform and other targeted social, charitable, and educational reforms, to do so. In 1996, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation … Read more
President Clinton’s veto of the Partial-Birth Abortion ban act last April cracked open the facade of principle and consensus that our national leadership had presented to the country. The ideological gulf that exists between the president and the electorate, if ever in doubt, is now irrefutable. When the 105th Congress opened session in January, the … Read more