By Patrick Trueman, AFA Director of Governmental Affairs
May 1994 – The U.S. Congress recently voted down or gutted three measures which would have had a positive effect on families and good values in America.
HR 6 Amendments
Representative John Doolittle (R-CA), a hero to pro-family groups, proposed an amendment requiring the teaching of abstinence to HR6, a bill providing federal funding for elementary and secondary education. It was gutted by language offered by Representative Jolene Unsoeld (D-WA) and supported by 261 others. Abstinence apparently scares some in the U.S. House.
Another amendment to HR6 would have prohibited tax dollars from being used for programs that encourage or support homosexuality as a positive lifestyle alternative. In support of his amendment, the sponsor, Representative Mel Hancock (R-MO), brought to the House floor a pro-homosexual brochure handed out at a conference sponsored by the New York State Board of Education and attended by 250 children – some as young as 12 – from New York Schools. The material included full nudity and descriptions of the perverted sexual practices of homosexuals. Representative Hancock requested that the material be transcribed into the Congressional Record, which keeps the daily proceedings of Congress, following his comments in support of his amendment. He was turned down by the House Parliamentarian. It was unfit for publication – OK for 12-year-olds, but not for Congressmen. The Hancock Amendment was gutted by an amendment, again sponsored by Representative Unsoeld, and supported by 221 others.
Prayer-in-schools legislation
U. S. Senator Ted Kennedy and 62 Senate allies have succeeded in defeating legislation allowing voluntary prayer in public schools. They have done so despite the fact that overwhelming majorities in both the Senate and House voted for such legislation. Senators Jesse Helm (R-NC) and Trent Lott (R-MS) sponsored an amendment to the so-called “Goals 2000” education bill which would have prohibited federal funds to school systems that prevent participation in “constitutionally protected prayer in public schools by individuals on a voluntary basis.” The Helms-Lott language received the support of 75% of the Senate and a whopping 85% of the House. Even Kennedy’s nephew, Representative Joseph Kennedy II (D-MA), unexpectedly voted for it. But Senator Kennedy killed it in conference committee – that graveyard of much good legislation. (Conference committees are convened when legislation passes both Houses of Congress but differs in its language. Conferees are charged with the task of reconciling these differences. Once this is done, the legislation is returned for a vote in each House.)
Senator Kennedy killed the Helms-Lott language and successfully urged adoption of meaningless substitute language which prohibits schools from use of federal funds to “adopt policies” which would prevent school prayer. Schools don’t use federal funds for such policies.
Kennedy’s legislative legerdemain came without a vote and at a time when Senator Dan Coats (R-IN), prayer-in-schools champion and conference committee member, was out of the conference room. Coats was on the Senate floor on other business. Kennedy’s timing was no accident.
The battle for the prayer-in-school language then switched to the Senate floor where livid Senator Jesse Helms began a filibuster of Goals 2000 with its changed conference committee language. But Senator Helms’ filibuster failed because 62 Senators, including 41 of those who originally supported the Helms-Lott language, voted to end the filibuster. Those 41 didn’t believe the prayer amendment was worth a fight. They can now claim to their constituents that they supported the tough Helms language, but in reality they voted against it when they voted to end Helms’ filibuster. Here are the 41: Akaka (HI), Baucus (MT), Biden (DE), Bingaman (NM), Bond (MO), Boren (OK), Bradley (NJ), Breaux (LA), Bumpers (AR), Byrd (WV), Campbell (CO), Conrad (ND), Dashle (SD), DeConcini (AZ), Dodd (CT), Domenici (NM), Dorgan (ND), Durenberger (MN), Exon (NE), Ford (KY), Gorton (WA), Graham (FL), Heflin (AL), Johnston (LA), Kennedy (MA), Kerrey (NE), Kerry (MA), Kohl (WI), Lautenberg (NJ), Mathews (TN), Mikulski (MD), Mitchell (ME), Moseley-Braun (IL), Nunn (GA), Pryor (AR), Reid (NV), Robb (VA), Rockefeller (WV), Sarbanes (MD), Sasser (TN) and Wofford (PA).
Senator Helms’ prayer language will be before the Senate again soon when the Senate takes up HR6. That is because the House by a vote of 345-64 passed it as an amendment, sponsored by Representatives Sam Johnson (R-TX) and Jimmy Duncan (R-TN). What games will be played by prayer opponents then? Plenty! But Senator Coats claims he learned a good lesson from Senator Kennedy on the last go around and Senators Helms and Lott are busy covering all legislative bases. It will be a battle worth watching. And one worth fighting. The Senate switchboard number is 202-224-3121. 
