Robert Aderholt supports protecting pharmacists’ First Amendment rights regarding prescriptions for elective abortions
Congressman Robert Aderholt announced that he has become a co-sponsor of a bill to protect the First Amendment rights of pharmacists when choosing whether or not to fill prescriptions for elective abortions. The Pharmacist Conscience Protection Act H.R. 8820 was introduced by Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-Georgia), Diana Hashbarger (R-Tennessee), and Blake Moore (R-Utah). Reps. Carter and Harshbarger are both pharmacists. It is co-sponsored by 26 House Republicans. The legislation comes after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued guidance warning pharmacists that they could be in violation of federal civil rights laws if they do not fill such prescriptions. “Pharmacists should not be forced to surrender their First Amendment rights of religious freedom because of radical policies from the Biden Administration,” said Congressman Aderholt. “It’s unfortunate that we need conscience protections like these, but it’s the only way to keep the overbearing Biden Administration from forcing private citizens to violate strongly held convictions.” “Your first amendment rights don’t go away when you put on a white coat,” said Rep. Carter. “This legislation will ensure that pharmacists are able to make the medical decisions that are best for the health of the mother, the life of the child, and the integrity of their practice without threats from non-medically trained bureaucrats. Medical decisions should be made between doctors, pharmacists, and patients – not the federal government.” “I will not stand by and let the Biden administration use an extremist and unlawful agenda of taxpayer-funded abortions through birth to persecute pharmacists who have religious, moral, or conscience objections to the intentional killing of unborn children through abortion,” stated Rep. Harshbarger. “As a licensed pharmacist for more than 30 years, I have always followed the precept of first doing no harm. I will always stand up for the lives of unborn children and will always defend health practitioners who believe the same. Pharmacists and other health professionals should never be punished for their moral beliefs in protecting life, or be threatened or forced to facilitate abortions against such beliefs. I call on the Biden administration to immediately withdraw this outrageous assault on pharmacists’ conscience rights, and to stop treating the Constitution like its own political chew-toy!” “Conscience protections prevent discrimination and ensure Americans in the healthcare sector are not forced to violate their beliefs,” said Rep. Moore. “As the Biden Administration takes steps to undermine the conscience rights of pharmacists, I am proud to join Congressman Buddy Carter and Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger in introducing the Pharmacist Conscience Protection Act which would ensure pharmacists can refuse to provide abortion drugs without repercussion. Pharmacists, along with other medical and healthcare workers, should never be coerced into participating in abortions, and this bill is an important step in supporting medical professionals who have deep convictions about practicing life-affirming medicine.” The text reads in part, “In General.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Federal Government, and any person or entity that receives Federal grants, contracts, or financial assistance, including any State or local government, may not penalize, treat adversely, retaliate against, or otherwise discriminate against a specified health care provider, or take any action that has such effect, on the basis that the specified health care provider does not or declines to store or fill a prescription, or make a referral, for a drug that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to cause an abortion or that the specified health care provider in good faith believes may be used to cause an abortion.” Other co-sponsors are Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), David McKinley (R-WV), Ken Buck (R-CO), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Mary Miller (R-IL), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Bill Posey (R-FL), Greg Steube (R-FL), Troy Balderson (R-OH), Brian Babin (R-TX), Dan Webster (R-FL), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Randy Weber (R-TX), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Don Bacon (R-NE), Robert E. Latta (R-OH), and Andrew Clyde (R-GA). Aderholt is in his thirteenth term representing Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville, congressional delegation urge Joe Biden to address energy supply chain issues
One Alabama senator, along with nearly a dozen others in Congress, have called on the president to address supply chain shortages within the energy sector. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-AL, penned a letter to President Joe Biden to express concerns over the supply of transformers and other raw materials used to manufacture energy components for the Southeastern United States’ energy grid amid rising concerns from local power companies as the hurricane season moves through its peak. “Transformers are a crucial component of electricity delivery at substations and utility poles,” the delegation wrote in the letter to the president. “This equipment is important not only for keeping up with economic growth, but for restoring power after storms and other extreme weather events. In the past months, costs are skyrocketing, and lead times for some manufacturers are up to two years – while others are not taking orders at all.” In the letter, the delegation, according to the release, encouraged the president to issue a temporary suspension of the Department of Energy’s “most recent conservation standards for transformers” as those components require more steel than in past manufacturing processes. The delegation also urged Biden to “engage the Federal Emergency Management Agency to work with suppliers to determine if there is a stockpile of transformers that were bought using federal dollars that can be used in emergency situations.” Tuberville was joined writing the letter by U.S. Sens. Bill Hagerty, R-TN; Roger Wicker, R-MS; Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-MS; and Marco Rubio, R-FL; and U.S. Reps. David Kustoff, R-TN; Diana Harshbarger, R-TN; John Rose, R-TN; Scott DesJarlais, R-TN; Tim Burchett, R-TN; Morgan Griffith, R-VA; and Chuck Fleischmann, R-TN.
Congressman Mike Rogers joins colleauges to voice concern over safety of Olympic athletes in China
Congressman Mike Rogers joined China Task Force Chairman Michael McCaul and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy in sending a letter to Board Chair of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Susanne Lyons. The letter expresses concern and the importance of ensuring U.S. Olympians are educated on how to stay safe during the Olympics. Additionally, they commented on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) gross human rights abuses, including genocide. The letter specifically asks that Olympians are informated on how to keep themselves safe. The Beijing Organizing Committee and the CCP has made clear that they will have an unprecedented level of control over the athletes. The letter also asks that the USOPC prepare athletes with the knowledge they need about their rights while in China and also requests an explanation of what steps have been taken to ensure the safety of athletes who may exercise their freedom of speech. “The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has a responsibility to ensure our athletes are prepared for these unprecedented Olympic games,” the lawmakers wrote. “Congress legislatively empowered the USOPC with the exclusive privilege of representing the United States in the Olympic community. American values are a core part of the USOPC’s Congressional charter, including a duty to ‘promote a safe environment in sports.’ In recent weeks, Congress has acted to further increase the preparedness and safety of American athletes representing the United States in human rights-violating countries, by codifying the American Values and Security in International Athletics Act.” The Republican-led China Task Force aims to help reinforce Congressional efforts to counter current and emerging cross-jurisdictional threats from China. The letter was also signed by China Task Force Members Reps. Andy Barr (R-KY), Liz Cheney (R-WY), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Michael Waltz (R-FL), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Chris Stewart (R-UT), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Mark Green (R-TN), Mike Garcia (R-CA), Austin Scott (R-GA), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), and Young Kim (R-CA). Rogers stated on Twitter, “The abhorrent reality of the Olympics occurring in a genocidal state will leave a permanent stain on the legacy of Beining 2022 and the International Olympic Committee.” The full text of the letter is below: Dear Chair Lyons, The 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing will be the first Olympic games to take place in a country that is conducting an ongoing genocide. Therefore, these games are an unprecedented threat to American values, inalienable human rights, and the spirit of the Olympics. It is vital that our athletes arrive fully informed about the reality of the genocide occurring in China, as well as the broad range of other human rights abuses and malign actions committed by the Chinese government and Communist Party. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has a responsibility to ensure our athletes are prepared for these unprecedented Olympic games. Congress legislatively empowered the USOPC with the exclusive privilege of representing the United States in the Olympic community. American values are a core part of the USOPC’s Congressional charter, including a duty to “promote a safe environment in sports.”1 In recent weeks, Congress has acted to further increase the preparedness and safety of American athletes representing the United States in human rights-violating countries, by codifying the American Values and Security in International Athletics Act2. The abhorrent reality of the Olympics occurring in a genocidal state will leave a permanent stain on the legacy of Beijing 2022 and the International Olympic Committee. The USOPC has a responsibility to ensure our athletes know that Congress and the Administration have designated the Chinese Communist Party’s crimes against Uyghurs as genocide, a term the U.S. government reserves for history’s most grave human rights atrocities. Over one million Uyghurs and members of other religious and ethnic minorities have been forced into concentration camps, been subject to abusive brainwashing and political indoctrination, have had their families forcibly separated, have been put to forced labor, and have been subject to sexual violence and efforts to reduce their population’s birth rate. We also remain seriously concerned that the American delegation to Beijing may be unprepared for personal security risks, particularly for individuals who exercise their freedom of speech. The “closed loop management system” enforced by the Beijing Organizing Committee – allegedly in response to the pandemic – will give the Chinese government an unprecedented level of control over international athletes, while at the same time hindering access by the U.S. State Department. The Department has been forthright that its consular access to athletes in need remains uncertain, and that the entirety of its China Travel Advisory applies to the games, including major threats of arbitrary detention “for sending private electronic messages critical of the PRC government,” a lack of due process, and the use of propaganda campaigns to target U.S. citizens. These risks are very likely to be heightened given the Chinese government’s total control inside the “closed loop” and the pervasive surveillance the CCP demands over events prioritized in its external propaganda efforts. This week, a Beijing Organizing Committee official issued a veiled threat to those who would speak out, saying “Any behavior or speech that is against the Olympic spirit, especially against the Chinese laws and regulations, are also subject to certain punishment.” Public statements from yourself and other USOPC officials acknowledge the danger, but sadly such statements indicate that our athletes are being encouraged to self-censor: “The laws of China are distinct and different… The expectation is we abide by the rules of that country.” Rather than push American athletes to follow the CCP’s party line, the USOPC should empower Team USA with the resources to understand the human rights crisis they face when representing our country in China and take action to ensure their safety. We urge you in the strongest terms to ensure that Team USA is fully informed about the human rights situation in China, including its ongoing genocide, and request that you reply with: An explanation of USOPC’s efforts to educate American participants in Beijing 2022 about the Chinese Communist Party’s malign actions including its
Barry Moore supports Lauren Boebert’s call to censure Joe Biden over border crisis
Rep. Barry Moore has joined other leaders to support Rep. Lauren Boebert’s bill to censure President Joe Biden over the border crisis. According to a press release, Moore joined Boebert and other leaders in a press conference to address the resolution. Moore has visited the southern border twice this year. President Biden has not visited the border yet. Some statistics Moore emphasized in his release include: Under President Trump, there were 1,400 children in HHS custody at the border. At one point in June, there were 22,000. Over 1 million illegal aliens have been encountered by CBP since Biden took office, including a record-breaking 180,000 illegal aliens in May. Since Biden took office, CBP arrested 1,413 alien drug smugglers—up from 386 last year. Since Biden took office, CBP arrested 40 alien murderers—up from 3 last year. Since Biden took office, CBP arrested 353 alien sex offenders—up from 156 last year. Since Biden took office, CBP arrested 1,118 aliens for DUIs—up from 364 last year. In just the first four months of Biden’s term, enough fentanyl to kill every American four times over has been interdicted by Border Patrol. Moore stated, “Ensuring the integrity of our borders is one of the most fundamental duties of a president, yet President Biden has destroyed four years of progress at the border to satisfy far-left activists and cheap labor-loving globalists. His reckless determination to reverse every Trump administration policy regardless of the outcome has put every American family and our economy at risk. We must hold President Biden to account for putting politics over the people he has sworn an oath to protect.” Moore stated on Twitter, “President Biden’s dereliction of duty at our southern border is completely unacceptable. Proud to join @RepBoebert in holding Biden accountable for putting politics over the people he has sworn an oath to protect.” President Biden's dereliction of duty at our southern border is completely unacceptable. Proud to join @RepBoebert in holding Biden accountable for putting politics over the people he has sworn an oath to protect. https://t.co/hXhV1H98uQ — Rep. Barry Moore (@RepBarryMoore) June 24, 2021 The bill is supported by: American Principles Project, Citizens for Renewing America, Eagle Forum, Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), Heritage Action, and NumbersUSA. Along with Moore, 22 additional Members of Congress joined Boebert to introduce her bill including: Reps. Andy Biggs, Dan Bishop, Madison Cawthorn, Jeff Duncan, Pat Fallon, Matt Gaetz, Louie Gohmert, Bob Good, Paul Gosar, Morgan Griffith, Diana Harshbarger, Jody Hice, Ronny Jackson, Thomas Massie, Alex Mooney, Troy Nehls, Ralph Norman, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Bill Posey, Lance Gooden, Chip Roy, and Randy Weber.
