By Patrick Trueman, AFA Director of Governmental Affairs
March 1998 – The scandals involving President Clinton could determine the extent of success the pro-family movement has for the last half of the 105th Congress. Though opinions widely differ, I believe that if the President thinks impeachment or forced resignation is possible, he will move to firm up his standing among Capitol Hill Democrats. That means catering to an even more radical left-wing agenda and fewer pro-family victories. Here’s a look at some of the major legislative initiatives of the pro-family movement this year:
ABORTION
At the top of the agenda of all major national pro-family groups is an override of the President’s veto of the partial-birth abortion ban. The override vote will win overwhelmingly in the House, but at least three more votes are needed in the Senate from Democrats. All but four Senate Republicans support the ban on this grisly procedure. Targeted Senators who have refused to support the ban previously include Cleland (D-GA), Feingold (D-WI), Murray (D-WA), Dodd (D-CT), Graham (D-FL), and Mosely-Braun (D-IL).
The National Right to Life Committee is urging Congress to pass a bill called the Child Custody Protection Act which would make it a federal offense to transport a minor across a state line to obtain an abortion to avoid a state’s parental consent law.
FAMILY PLANNING
A strong effort will be made to eliminate the Title X family planning program that gives contraceptives and abortifacients to children. For years the pro-life movement has battled for restrictions on this program to make it more family friendly by requiring, for example, parental consent before children are given services. Now, however the movement is making an attempt to eliminate Title X because it is a massive federal subsidy of the pro-abortion movement.
CLONING
A ban on cloning human beings will likely pass, though much groundwork is yet to be done. President Clinton made headlines earlier this year calling for a ban on this unethical practice. Yet, the specific “ban” he supports would allow cloning so long as the human embryos created would be destroyed prior to birth. On life issues the pro-family movement cannot count on this President to lead.
SCHOOL PRAYER
The Istook Religious Freedom Constitutional Amendment which will return prayer to the public schools has strong support, but is well shy of the two-thirds vote needed in both houses of Congress. Nearly 80% of the public supports school prayer, so the amendment demonstrates that Congress is still out of step with the majority of Americans.
FUNDING PORNOGRAPHY
The National Endowment for the Arts, which annually funds pornography, should have been eliminated last year if Congressional Republican leaders had kept their word. Instead, Congress reduced its budget by a scant $1.5 million and thus the agency still has nearly $100 million to spend annually. The pro-family movement has not forgiven Republican leaders and has a goal this year to significantly reduce NEA funding.
HOMOSEXUALITY
The homosexual movement will again push for passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). This bill would prohibit employers from discriminating in hiring based on sexual orientation. If passed, ENDA would prohibit day care centers from discriminating against pedophiles. Yet, it fell just one vote short in the Senate two years ago.
EDUCATION
President Clinton will make another attempt to pass a law requiring standardized national testing of 4th and 8th grade students by the U.S. Department of Education. Conservatives fear this is a federal attempt to weaken control of local schools by parents. They fear that once federal exams are in place, teachers and schools will alter curricula in order to “teach the test” in order to get higher scores.
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
An attempt will be made to amend the federal child pornography law to prohibit possession of even a single item of child pornography by any individual. President Reagan proposed such a law to Congress in his second term but liberal Democrats, including Delaware Senator Joseph Biden amended Reagan’s proposal to make it a crime to possess three or more items of child pornography.
CHILD ABUSE
Representative Bob Franks (R-NJ) has introduced the Child Abuse Notification Act to require that Internet service providers report any suspected child abuse on their services to law enforcement authorities. Many pedophiles lurk in so-called “chat rooms” to carry on conversations with children, hoping to lure them to locations where they can be physically abused.
TAXES
It is a major accomplishment of the pro-family movement that whenever Congress discusses tax reform, members talk about making the tax code more family friendly. The elimination of the so-called “marriage tax” will likely pass. Elimination of tax on the first several hundred dollars of interest or dividend income is also gaining support. Replacing the tax code altogether won't happen this year. 
