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Not long ago, I received a full-color public
document
from my congressman, Doug Lamborn of Colorado
Springs. The front featured a gorgeous scene of rugged
snow-capped peaks above a verdant forest (no beetle kill or
drilling rigs) behind a lake.
If I had to guess the location, I'd go for the view of
Quail Mountain from Twin Lakes, which is in Lamborn's Fifth
District, but that's not what caught my eye. After all, I
get to admire great peaks every day. What drew my attention
were the words This mailing was prepared, published and
mailed at taxpayer expense,
and that this was a
Family Issues Update.
On the other side of the Family Issues Update
were two color photos. One was of four white children lying
on a lawn, all staring at the camera with their hands under
their chins. At least two of them appeared to be attempting
to smile, but there was no explanation or
identification.
The other photo showed our first-term Congressman
receiving a True Blue Award
for his 100%
scorecard rating for supporting pro-life, pro-family
legislation.
He was flanked by Tom Minnery of Focus
on the Family Action
and Tony Perkins of Family
Resource Council Action.
The text of this Family Issues Update
listed
eight measures in Congress that protect life and
families.
The term update
implies that we're getting fresh
information from our representative in Washington. Of the
eight measures, three were introduced in January of 2007,
one in February of last year and two in May of 2007. The
newest measure dated from last November. There was nothing
from 2008. This is a rehash,
not an
update.
As for some family issues,
Lamborn's stance is
perplexing. He tells us that he supports HR-618, which
provides that The terms 'human person' and 'human being'
include each and every member of the species homo sapiens
at all stages of life, including, but not limited to, the
moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which
an individual member of the human species comes into
being.
Note that it covers human clones. But Lamborn also brags on his support for HR-2564, which would prohibit human cloning. He wants to both outlaw clones and protect them? How does that work?
At least that has something to do with life and
families. Now consider HR-2104, the Public Prayer
Protection Act.
It would deprive federal courts of
jurisdiction in cases involving an entity of the Federal
Government or a State or local government, or an officer or
agent of the Federal Government or a State or local
government, acting in an official capacity, concerning the
expression of public prayer by that entity, officer, or
agent.
In other words, if the mayor insists on starting
every city council meeting with a 20-minute plea to Allah
to smite all the infidels in the room, Doug Lamborn wants
to protect him from lawsuits. This is a family
issue?
Another Lamborn family issue
is HR-699, which
prohibits federal courts from reviewing cases that alter
the Pledge of Allegiance.
Weren't there families --
some of them strong, healthy families -- before 1892, when
the Pledge first emerged? Is there something wrong with the
families of Jehovah's Witnesses, who do not say the Pledge?
If so, can Lamborn tell us what it is?
Maybe in his next tax-funded mailing. Meanwhile, we have
paid for producing and mailing a Family Issues
Update
that is not an update and goes well beyond
family issues.
But on the bright side, Lamborn did assure us of his
support for HR-2084, the Family Budget Protection Act,
which has an entire section devoted to Combatting Waste,
Fraud, and Abuse
in federal spending. And Lamborn has
provided us with an excellent place to start.
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