Barry Moore snags conservative Eagle Forum endorsement in AL-02 runoff race
Eagle Forum PAC announced Wednesday that it is endorsing former Alabama State House representative Barry Moore in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District runoff election. Founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972, the Eagle Forum is one of the nation’s premier pro-family conservative groups. Through its Eagle Forum PAC, it supports candidates who are committed to a conservative philosophy of limited government, national sovereignty, and traditional values. ”America needs statesmen who will vote on Constitutional principles to protect the next generation instead of mere politicians whose primary goal is to be re-elected,” said Eagle Forum President Eunie Smith. “We expect Mr. Moore to be such a statesman.” The endorsement went on to highlight Moore’s tenure in the Alabama House, saying ‘his service there rightfully earned him the reputation as the most conservative legislator. We have no doubt that this experience coupled with his determination to address our nation’s challenges at the federal level renders him well qualified.’ “I’m proud and humbled to be endorsed by the Eagle Forum,” Moore said of the news. “We share many of the same values, like respect for family integrity, liberty, personal responsibility, limited government, and private enterprise. Moore is running to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Martha Roby. He will face Dothan businessman Jeff Coleman in the runoff election, which has been rescheduled from March 31 to July 14 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Jeff Sessions picks up key state and national endorsements in US Senate run-off
Jeff Sessions picked up multiple endorsements over the last several days in his bid to win back his old U.S. Senate seat in the run-off between he and Tommy Tuberville. We have included some below. The Alabama Forestry Association: The Alabama Forestry Association, a noted, leading conservative group in Alabama, today announced its endorsement of Jeff Sessions for the United States Senate. “We are proud to endorse former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the United States Senate race. He served the people of Alabama in this seat for 20 years. He represented the people of Alabama’s interest and values then and we feel confident that he will do the same this go around,” said AFA Executive Vice President Chris Isaacson. “I am proud to be endorsed by the Alabama Forestry Association. They have been stalwart partners in the fight to protect and defend Alabama’s conservative values. This is a time of great peril for Alabama and the nation, and we must have a Senator representing us who knows every inch of this state and who can vigorously defend Alabama’s interests,” stated Sessions. In its statement, the Alabama Forestry Association notes that it has been proud to stand with Senator Sessions in conservative battles through the years. Over the past 25 years, the Association has endorsed Senator Sessions for every political office that he has sought. The Association made the decision on Wednesday, March 11th, to endorse Senator Sessions. Please see attached for the Alabama Forestry Association’s letter of endorsement. Eagle Forum PAC: Eagle Forum Founder Phyllis Schlafly repeatedly called Jeff Sessions “our favorite Senator”. Eagle Forum PAC is honored to endorse him in the Alabama run-off election for the U.S. Senate on March 31, 2020. Eagle Forum President Eunie Smith stated, “For twenty years Eagle Forum actively worked with then Sen. Jeff Sessions on issues affecting the family, such as pro-life, immigration, national defense, and religious liberty measures. In every case we watched Sen. Sessions use his legal expertise and his legislative experience in agreement with Eagle Forum’s positions. He was a leader for Constitutionalist judges, against amnesty and for constructive immigration reform.” Mr. Sessions has served the people of Alabama in various roles throughout his lifetime. His career in law significantly prepared him for his role as a U.S. Attorney, Alabama Attorney General, U.S. Senator, and his most recent position as Attorney General of the United States. As Attorney General, Mr. Sessions again welcomed our input. He actively championed Constitutional principles through, for example, task forces and directives upholding religious liberty and confronting human trafficking. At this critical time when America is so divided, we need Jeff Sessions’ reliable voice to champion sound policy for the future of our state and our nation. America needs this proven public servant, this seasoned statesman, who not only knows Alabama as a lifelong resident, but has a working knowledge of conservative issues, the process, and the players in Washington, D.C. so he can hit the ground running.
Conservative group Eagle Forum weighs in on childcare bill
Conservative group Eagle Forum of Alabama is taking a stand for families across Alabama — opposing a bill that would require church day cares to be licensed and regulated by the Alabama Department of Human Resources, which they say encroaches on religious freedom. Currently, faith-based daycares are exempt from state regulations and standards. But HB277, the Child Care Safety Act, endeavors to change that. “HB 277 removes religious liberty protections and requires state regulation of religious institutions,” said Deborah Love, executive director of Eagle Forum of Alabama. “HB 277 will reduce positive options for Alabama’s families who rely on these institutions every day. “HB 277 at its core is government overreach into the most important private institutions in our state.” According to Eagle Forum, licensed exempt day care providers are not exempt from child safety laws and regulations. All child care providers in Alabama are either licensed exempt or licensed. To become licensed exempt the provider must file appropriate paperwork with DHR including immunization records. “Opposition to HB277 is about protecting children by protecting some of the best, safe, and positive child care options for children in Alabama,” said Eagle Forum Alabama. “If hard working Alabamians no longer have high quality and low cost options, it harms children. Many families will no longer have the opportunities and options they rely on for their families.” Under current law, DHR provides the following list of requirements for license exempt facilities: Notice that the child care program is an integral part of a local church Notice that intent to operate a child care program has been given to the appropriate health departments so that facilities will be inspected to meet standards Inspection by fire department at least once a year Inspection by the Alabama Department of Public Health at least twice a year Notice to the department certifying health inspection reports, immunizations, and medical forms for all staff and children. Notice to parents of staff qualifications, pupil-student ratio, discipline policies, type of curriculum, religious teachings, and type of lunch program. Parents required to sign affidavits about licensed-exempt status Church/facility must submit affidavits of notification to DHR Must follow all state and federal laws The bill’s bipartisan sponsors Tuskegee-Democrat Rep. Pebblin Warren and Jacksonville-Republican Rep. K.L. Brown, along with 18 republican and 14 democratic colleagues, think the bill is necessary saying some exempt childcare centers have violated legal standards of care. But Eagle Forum says rather than punishing everyone, the state should focus on punishing bad actors who are breaking current law. “The government has an interest in protecting safety of all Alabamians but that does not mean the government should control private religious institutions,” said Eagle Forum. “Reasonable regulations and criminal laws already punish bad actors. State agencies already retain the ability to regulate and inspect in needed situations.” Alabama is one of only seven states in the nation that has a religious exemption for childcare facilities.
Confusion surrounds Eagle Forum as Alabama’s Eunie Smith joins effort to oust group’s leadership
A dispute over the future direction of Phyllis Schlafly‘s socially conservative Eagle Forum group surfaced this week. Schlafly, 91, who remains the face of the organization she created 44 years ago, took to Facebook Sunday to first raise the red flag of a suspected organizational coup: Dear Friends of Eagle Forum, In recent days, you may have heard about some issues we are having at Eagle Forum. I am grateful for your concern for me and our work. For reasons that are not entirely clear to me, some people have been working to attack me and Eagle Forum. My disappointment is compounded by the fact that these are people with whom I have worked closely in the past. I have asked them to resign from the Board immediately so that we may continue our important work. We have many important fights to win — from opposing abortion to defeating Common Core, stopping misguided efforts to convene a Constitutional Convention, and making sure that the platform of the Republican Party is a sound statement of conservative principles. The Chinese Communists are on the move as Europe falters under its misguided policies of trade and immigration. And we have a vacancy on the Supreme Court that we must not allow Obama to fill. With your help, I’m confident that we can prevail in these critical battles so that our great nation will prosper. Thank you again for your assistance in stopping the hostile takeover of Eagle Forum. Faithfully, Phyllis Schlafly The post was accompanied with a letter asking Eunie Smith of Alabama, Anne Cori of Missouri, Cathie Adams of Texas, Rosina Kovar of Colorado, Shirley Curry of Tennessee, and Carolyn McLarty of Oklahoma to resign immediately from the Eagle Forum board. Although Schlafly feared the board was planning to oust her from the organization for endorsing controversial GOP front-runner Donald Trump in March, according to Cathie Adams, former Texas Eagle Forum president the actual target was the organization’s president, Ed Martin. Adams said it was a question of Martin’s leadership and poor management skills. On Monday, the same six board members Schlafly asked to resign released a statement corroborating Adams statement explaining, “the Board of Eagle Forum voted to remove Mr. Ed Martin as President of the corporation, effective immediately.” Schlafly was none too pleased with the decision. “At 2 pm today, 6 directors of Eagle Forum met in an improper, unprecedented telephone meeting. I objected to the meeting and at 2:11 pm, I was muted from the call,” Schlafy detailed. “The meeting was invalid under the Bylaws but the attendees purported to pass several motions to wrest control of the organization from me. They are attempting to seize access to our bank accounts, to terminate employees, and to install members of their own Gang of 6 to control the bank accounts and all of Eagle Forum.” Schlafly hired Martin in January 2015 to be president of both the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund and the political arm that operates as a 501(c)(4) group. “The board meeting today was called to discuss the future of Eagle Forum,” Adams told WND. “But it is unconscionable to think we’ve called the meeting to replace Phyllis. It was very different when Phyllis was doing everything, including finances, and we all trusted her without question. But now there’s other people involved and it’s only wisdom on the part of the board to hold a meeting and check.”
Jeff Sessions receives first-ever Phyllis Schlafly Award for Excellence in Leadership
Alabama’s junior United States Senator Jeff Sessions Friday night received the inaugural Phyllis Schlafly Award for Excellence in Leadership at the Eagle Forum’s 44th annual Eagle Council training conference “for his courageous defense of truth and moral principle in Congress.” Phyllis Schlafly, president of the Eagle Forum, is arguably one of the most celebrated and heralded conservative intellectual leaders in this and the previous century. She has been complimentary of Sessions’ record for years. “Jeff Sessions has been our hero in Congress on many issues,” Schlafly said. “I am so very glad that we can honor his work in this way, and make him the first recipient of this award. I hope that there will be many legislators and conservative leaders who will follow Senator Sessions’ example in battling the leftist attacks on our families, our culture, and our sovereignty.” Joining the United States Senate in 1997, Sessions has has focused his energies on upholding the rule of law, limiting the role of government and empowering Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money. “I am deeply honored to receive this award from one of America’s greatest patriots, Phyllis Schlafly,” said Senator Sessions. “Without her tireless efforts, the modern conservative movement may never have gotten off the ground. And today, her focus on how powerful forces – economic and political – impact the lives and values of everyday Americans remains almost unique. Indeed , this understanding is once again proving critical to the success of the only movement that can uplift , morally and economically, all our citizens – American conservatism. This award is a true honor.”
As contributions fall, U.S. House GOP rebels blame party leaders
As he began his first re-election run in early 2013, Tea Party Rep. Thomas Massie had no trouble raising money from business interests. Then came 2015. The Kentucky Republican voted against returning Republican John Boehner of Ohio to the speaker’s job and opposed an effort by GOP leaders to avoid a standoff with President Barack Obama over immigration that threatened to shut down the Department of Homeland Security. In the first three months of 2013, Massie reported $46,000 rolling in from tobacco, trucking, health care and other industries. During the first quarter of 2015, Massie has collected just $1,000 from political action committees, which funnel contributions to candidates from business, labor or ideological interests. That money came from the conservative Eagle Forum. Massie and some other conservatives say the reason their business contributions have fallen is simple: GOP leaders are retaliating for their defiance. “Those who don’t go along to get along aren’t going to get as many PAC checks,” Massie said last week, using the acronym for political action committees. None offers concrete proof that top Republicans are behind the contribution falloff. But they say the evidence is clear. “I’m an engineer with a science background. I look at empirical evidence. If you have enough data points, you can prove something,” Massie said. Conservatives point out that leadership has targeted them before, and they cite Boehner’s removal of some rebels from coveted committee assignments. In March, an outside group allied with GOP leaders ran radio and Internet ads accusing some House Republicans who opposed efforts to end the Homeland Security impasse of being “willing to put our security at risk.” GOP leaders deny they have orchestrated an effort to deny business support to recalcitrant conservatives, arguing that they want to protect Republican-held seats. But they acknowledge that votes can have consequences with business groups whose political spending plays major roles in congressional campaigns. “If they agree with what the speaker is trying to accomplish and you don’t support the speaker, why should they support you?” said Oklahoma Republican Rep. Tom Cole, a Boehner ally. Reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show that many GOP rebels are having a harder time raising cash from corporate interests, while others are not. In a public show of disloyalty that party leaders scorn, 25 House Republicans voted against Boehner to be speaker in January, including one who voted “present.” Of the 24 expected to seek re-election next year, 15 saw their contributions from PACs fall between this year’s opening quarter and the same period in 2013. For a few who did not file reports for the first quarter of 2013, this year’s data was compared with the earliest report from their 2014 campaign. None of the 24 has received contributions yet this year from political committees run by Boehner and the other two top GOP leaders, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, according to FEC reports. The three leaders have donated to dozens of other House Republicans, chiefly those facing tight re-elections. All except perhaps three of the 24 mutinous Republicans are in safe GOP districts and should breeze to re-election. In the first quarter of 2015, maverick Tim Huelskamp of Kansas saw his contributions from political committees fall in half from the $35,000 he reported raising during that period in 2013. He says lobbyists have told him of a “do not give list” from top Republicans that names about 35 GOP lawmakers. “Folks understood, ‘Hey, you may not get what you want if you’re helping the folks’” on the list, Huelskamp said. Leading Republicans deny such a list exists. “That is beyond conspiracy theory, because if someone was going to do the list, it would be me,” said California Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, a Boehner friend and frequent critic of his party’s insurgents. Top Republicans say campaign contributions can vary over time for several reasons, including a preference by many donors to help incumbents in tight races or freshmen as well as lawmakers’ own money-raising efforts. They note that the first quarter of a non-election year is early, with plenty of time for donations before the November 2016 election. “You can blame failure on a lot of fathers,” said Oregon Republican Rep. Greg Walden, who leads the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House GOP campaign organization. Not all rebellious Republicans whose business contributions have dropped blame party leaders, and many have found ways to offset the smaller amounts they’ve raised from political committees. Of the 24 House Republicans who opposed Boehner’s re-election, half have raised more this year than they did in early 2013 and 18 have fatter campaign treasuries than they did then. Florida GOP Rep. Daniel Webster, got 12 votes for speaker in January. His political committee contributions plummeted from $38,000 in the first quarter of 2013 to $3,000 this year. But thanks to a huge jump in individuals’ donations, Webster raised $233,000 overall from January through March of 2015, nearly $100,000 more than in early 2013. He says he’s not aware of GOP leaders steering business money away from him. “I would suspect if people like the job I’m doing, they’re going to give to us,” he said. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
