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Text Reveals Concerns Contained in $50 Billion PEPFAR Agreement
Posted by Jim's Staff 07/10/2008 - 03:07:37 PM
Click here to view the full text of the proposed $50 billion President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) agreement.

One of aspect of the bill of particular concern is the $10 billion for the UN Global Fund. Reports have surfaced this year that the Global Fund has given millions of dollars in grants to programs in China that are responsible for forced abortions:
A study just released by the Gerard Health Foundation provides evidence that Global Fund grants are supporting abortion providers in China, which is a direct violation of the Mexico City Policy... Lest there be any doubt about the intent of these organizations, the grant from China approved by the Global Fund includes country population and family planning services in the list of "responsible implanting agencies." The amount of Global Fund grants awarded to China for HIV/AIDS prevention totals $171 million, which means about $58 million of that amount came from the United States.
Sen. DeMint announced yesterday that he has several amendments that he would like to offer to the bill if permitted, including a prohibition on use of funds for coerced abortions in China.

Below is a list of concerns contained in the agreement, along with the page numbers where they can be found...
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House Members Honor America's Religious History
Posted by Jim's Staff 07/10/2008 - 09:52:31 AM
A few weeks back, in the House of Representatives, a bipartisan group of 23 members of Congress spoke for almost two hours on the floor, taking turns describing our nation’s rich history of faith.

Below are a few quotes from the members' speeches:

House Special Order: June 17, 2008

Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-Va.): “The first act of Congress, 1774, they asked a minister to open with prayer, and they read four chapters of the Bible. And during the Civil War we are told that soldiers on both sides, Union and Confederates, that religion was the greatest sustainer of morale. Of course we know numerous stories of the great faith of men and women as they were in slavery and fought to get out of that horrible institution. In 1815, over 2,000 official government calls to prayer had been made by States in the Federal Government, and thousands more have been made since then. In 1864 Congress added ``In God We Trust'' to the American coinage…”

Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.): ``We have been assured,'' said Franklin, ``in the sacred writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this,'' said Franklin, ``and I also believe that without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.'” What a challenge to us today. What a challenge that that old man, at that time, Franklin, made to all of those young men who were ready to go out and announce what they'd done politically for a new country. But he himself said ``we can only secure these blessings of liberty for ourselves and posterity when we take time too first pray and rely upon the hand of Almighty God.'' And that those 39 men did. Before they walked out of what is today known as Independence Hall to announce that we had a constitution for this new country, they spent time in prayer.”

Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.): “In this country we're beginning to hear people say that if you declare faith publicly, you're infringing on their rights. I simply do not agree or believe in that...
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Sen. Jesse Helms, Founder of the Senate Steering Committee
Posted by Jim's Staff 07/08/2008 - 05:28:06 PM
Today several senators, including Sen. DeMint, attended the funeral of former Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.). Highly regarded as a conservative hero, Helms founded the Senate Steering Committee now chaired by DeMint.

In his memoir, "Here's Where I stand," Helms explains how the formation of the committee came about after hearing of the Roe v. Wade decision after which he and his conservative colleague, Sen. Jim Buckley of New York, agreed to do all they "could to overturn this misguided and tragic decision":
That court decision also led all of the conservatives, regardless of party, to come together to form the Senate Steering Committee. I had noticed the way Ted Kennedy would come to the floor, with several Senators following, prepared to talk all afternoon. They were organized and had a plan. Several of us thought that we needed to formally organize a response, so the Senate Steering Committee was started. Today the Senate Steering Committee is made up of about thirty-five conservative Senators (all Republican right now). They meet for lunch every Wednesday, to talk with each other and to hear from invited speakers who come to present important ideas...

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Comments on Court Ruling on Death Penalty for Child Rapists
Posted by Senator Jim DeMint 06/26/2008 - 02:31:28 PM
It was with dismay and disbelief that I read yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court opinion in Kennedy v. The People of Louisiana. In the majority opinion, which is a perfect description of what the court produced in this case, Justice Kennedy stated: “[B]ased both on consensus and our own independent judgment, our holding is that a death sentence for one who raped but did not kill a child, is unconstitutional under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.”

Under what coherent system of jurisprudence would the justices’ view of consensus and their own “independent judgment” of what is right and wrong form the basis for a decision on an express provision of the written U.S. Constitution?

Did the justices conduct a poll? Did the decision of Louisiana’s elected representatives -- that the brutal rape of a child is worthy of the death penalty -- violate moral and policy preferences of the justices in the majority? Is that a sufficient basis for five liberal activist justices to find something unconstitutional, amending the Constitution with their own opinions?

In his dissent, Justice Samuel Alito wrote: "I have little doubt that, in the eyes of ordinary Americans, the very worst child rapists -- predators who seek out and inflict serious physical and emotional injury on defenseless young children -- are the epitome of moral depravity....
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Tips for Hurricane Season
Posted by Jim's Staff 06/16/2008 - 10:55:03 AM
Hurricane season is now upon us, and as the devastating effects from past hurricanes remind us, it is important to be prepared.

The South Carolina Emergency Management Division has issued a list of recommendations on how to be prepared for hurricane season. They advise that you gather the supplies needed for an emergency kit and talk to your family about a disaster plan, so your family is ready ahead of time.

They have also compiled a guide filled with essential information on hurricane watches and warnings, important phone numbers, shelters and evacuation routes...
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Top 10 Reasons Why Fathers Matter
Posted by Jim's Staff 06/13/2008 - 11:07:59 AM
This list comes from FamilyFacts.org. Head over there for more helpful information and research about the importance of marriage and family. (Also -- to all you fathers out there: Happy Father's Day from the DeMint office):
  1. Children’s well-being. Children living in intact families tend to fare better on cognitive achievement and behavioral outcomes than peers living in families with unmarried biological fathers, stepfathers, and mothers’ cohabiting partners. (Read more here.)

  2. Adolescents’ psychological well-being. Close relationships between adolescents and their fathers are positively associated with adolescents’ psychological well-being. (Read more here.)

  3. Adolescents' behavioral problems. Adolescents of more involved fathers tend to exhibit lower levels of behavioral problems than peers of less involved fathers. (Read more here.)
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DeMint Cosponsors 'Life at Conception Act'
Posted by Jim's Staff 06/11/2008 - 03:44:58 PM
To better protect America's unborn, Sen. DeMint has cosponsored the "Life at Conception Act" (S. 3111), which legislatively declares -- once and for all -- that life begins at conception.

Under the act, the unborn would now be considered "persons" under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. If passed and signed into law, the act would challenge the very core of what abortion activists hold dear: the Roe v. Wade decision.

A press release from Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), who introduced the bill, lays out the argument well:
In its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the Supreme Court refused to resolve the question of when life begins, leaving Congress the opportunity to declare legislatively that life begins at the moment of conception. In the Roe v. Wade decision, the court acknowledged...

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New U.S. Attorney for S.C. Has 'Reputation for Distinguished Service'
Posted by Jim's Staff 06/06/2008 - 01:38:53 PM
Late in the evening on June 4, 2008, the U.S. Senate confirmed Walt Wilkins as U.S. attorney of South Carolina. This prestigious position is of great value to the citizens of South Carolina and Sen. DeMint is confident Walt Wilkins will perform his duties with great distinction.

"Walt Wilkins is a remarkable young man who has the energy and persistence we need as our U.S. attorney," said DeMint in a press release. "He comes from a tremendous family whose reputation for distinguished public service is both extensive and well-earned, and I’m sure he will continue this great service to South Carolina in his new position."

After loyally serving as South Carolina’s assistant U.S. attorney, the 34-year-old Wilkins has a promising career ahead of him. Now one of 93 U.S. attorneys, Mr. Wilkins takes a seat in one of the Justice Department’s highest bodies. U.S. attorneys, also known as federal prosecutors, take on a number of responsibilities in defense of the United States, and it appears that Mr. Wilkins will carry out these duties with the highest character.

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Abstinence Education Enables Educated Decisions
Posted by Senator Jim DeMint 04/28/2008 - 09:19:17 AM
There is another heated debate going on in our nation’s capital. The debate is over sexual education in our public schools. The critical question is how do we, as the stewards of this nation, solve the problem of teen pregnancy. Most recently, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and supporter of comprehensive sex education, called into question the validity of abstinence-based education in a hearing last week.

To me, the answer is glaringly obvious. We must give young people the abstinence education they deserve to make the right choices for their future.

Abstinence-based education provides the foundation for making healthy personal choices. By emphasizing the impact sexual activity has on adolescents and their future goals, these abstinence programs enable them to make educated, safe decisions that lead to happiness in their adult life.

The facts are clear: Those who participate in abstinence programs are more likely to have better grades in school and have more stable lives. A recent assessment of 21 studies of abstinence education by the nonpartisan Heritage Foundation found:
"...abstinent teens report, on average, better psychological well-being and higher academic achievement than those who are sexually active. Delaying the initiation of or reducing early sexual activity among teens can decrease their overall exposure to risks of unwed childbearing, STDs, and psycho-emotional harm."
Meanwhile...
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