Tag Archives: FADA

The Deseret News reports: President Donald Trump interviewed Utah Sen. Mike Lee on Monday about the coming vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, the Deseret News has learned. Lee, who is in Utah, confirmed the telephone interview but would not elaborate on the conversation. Trump is expected to reveal his choice to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy next week. Lee, …

Bloomberg reports: President Donald Trump has asked advisers their opinions about nominating Utah Senator Mike Lee to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court, according to three people familiar with the matter. Trump thinks Lee would be easily confirmed by the Senate, but the president has expressed concern about keeping his Senate seat in Republican hands, one person said. …

The Hill reports: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Wednesday touted his Republican colleague Sen. Mike Lee (Utah) as the “best choice” to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement announcement. “I think the single best choice President Trump could make to fill this vacancy is Sen. Mike Lee,” Cruz said on Fox News shortly after Kennedy’s …

He probably wouldn’t even be the worst choice. Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R) said in an interview Wednesday that he “would not say no” if he was asked by President Trump to serve on the Supreme Court as Justice Anthony Kennedy’s replacement. “I started watching Supreme Court arguments for fun when I was 10 years old. So if somebody asked …

The Idaho Statesman reports: Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little won Tuesday’s Republican primary to replace Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter, who is retiring after three terms. Little, 64 and Otter’s handpicked successor, defeated a handful of challengers, most prominently Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) and Boise businessman Tommy Ahlquist. Labrador is the fourth Republican member of Congress to gamble on statewide office …

Via press release from the Liberty Counsel: Senator Mike Lee has revised and hijacked the language of the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), which was originally designed to protect the free exercise of religion. The result is a Trojan horse that will do more harm than good. Liberty Counsel can no longer support FADA. FADA was sponsored and introduced by …

Via press release: Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee for Religious Liberty, and Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, chairman of the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, gave their strong support for the First Amendment Defense Act, which was recently introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) in …

The Hill reports: A group of 22 GOP senators is reintroducing a controversial measure that would protect opponents of same-sex marriage from federal actions intended to curb discrimination. The First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) would bar the federal government from taking any action against individuals who discriminate against same-sex couples or others based on “a sincerely held religious belief.” The …

Just in from activist Matt Baume: “The National Organization for Marriage says that now Donald’s president, they have a plan to undo marriage equality. But can they do that? Is marriage equality really at risk? Well, yes — and in fact, they could weaken or roll back marriage in just three steps.” Watch below.

Dominic Holden reports at Buzzfeed: Sen. Mike Lee of Utah will reintroduce a bill next year to protect people and corporations that hold a religious objection to same-sex marriage, a spokesman for his office told BuzzFeed News, adding that the political climate amid Donald Trump’s presidency will give the legislation a better shot at advancing than it had the past …

An upside-down rainbow flag with shitty lettering. Via the Denver Channel: For the second day in a row, Donald Trump rallied Colorado voters just nine days before the November General Election on Nov. 8. The republican nominee spent Saturday in battleground Jefferson County and held another rally on the UNC campus in Greeley on Sunday. Greeley, which is located in …

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: In one fell swoop, Donald Trump has fortified the anti-LGBT positions he expressed over his campaign and tapped as an adviser former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, a two-time presidential candidate with a notoriously anti-LGBT history. The actions are the result of Trump’s creation of a 35-member Catholic Advisory Council, which includes, in addition …

Two weeks ago the Family Research Council abruptly withdrew its support for the so-called First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) because of new language that also legalizes discrimination against married straight couples on the basis of “religious belief or moral conviction.” Last week the Liberty Counsel did the same. Today the American Family Association becomes the third anti-LGBT hate group to …

In recent weeks both the Family Research Council and the Liberty Counsel have angrily withdrawn their support for the so-called First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) due to recently-inserted language that also would legalize discrimination against straight married couples on the basis of “religious belief or moral conviction.” But not NOM, who have completely hung their hat on FADA since they …

Two weeks ago the Family Research Council abruptly withdrew its support for the so-called First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) because of new language that also legalizes discrimination against married straight couples on the basis of “religious belief or moral conviction.” Today the Liberty Counsel did the same. Via press release: In response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling on …

Yesterday the House Oversight Committee held a five-hour hearing on the so-called First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), which would bar the federal government from acting against businesses or individuals who discriminate against LGBT Americans on the basis of “religious belief or moral conviction.” Among the witnesses were “experts” from several viciously anti-LGBT hate groups including the Heritage Foundation, the Witherspoon …

Bil Browning writes at LGBTQ Nation: One month after the mass shooting in Orlando at a gay nightclub, congressional Republicans are holding a committee hearing to discuss legalizing discrimination against LGBT people. Despite repeated calls from fellow lawmakers, activists, and civil rights organizations, chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) refused to cancel or postpone the hearing. The hearing will focus on the …

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: Tuesday’s congressional hearing on a federal “religious freedom” bill that would enable anti-LGBT discrimination is “disturbing,” a White House spokesperson said Monday. Jeff Tiller, a White House spokesperson, made the remarks in response to an email request from the Washington Blade to comment on the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform’s controversial …

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: A U.S. House committee has scheduled a hearing on July 12 for federal “religious freedom” legislation seen to enable anti-LGBT discrimination, the Washington Blade has learned. The House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform is set to hold a hearing on the First Amendment Defense Act amid pressure from anti-LGBT advocates, including the …

The Family Research Council observed LGBT Pride this morning by tweeting out the above lavender-hued message in support of the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), the bill which would bar the federal government from taking action against individuals or companies that discriminate against LGBT Americans on the basis of “religious belief or moral conviction.” FADA currently has 170 co-sponsors in …