Rep. Virginia Foxx, (R-NC)
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) has included a "poison pill" in the Serve America Act (S. 277). which amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and will create two new service-learning programs.
The House-passed version of the bill, the GIVE Act (H.R. 1388), includes a the amendment sponsored by Foxx (R-NC) would have far-reaching, negative consequences for nonprofit advocacy. The amendment contains language that restricts National Service fund recipients from using private funds for lobbying; endorsing or supporting events that endorse or oppose legislation; engaging in selected nonpartisan voter engagement activities; organizing or engaging in petitions, protests, boycotts, or strikes; providing or promoting abortions or referrals; or influencing union organizing.
Additionally, an organization cannot receive National Service funds under the Foxx amendment if it "co-locates" with an organization that engages in most of the listed activities. There is no definition of "co-located on the same premises," and this vagueness could ensnare organizations located in the same office building as the offending group, even if the organizations are not related or connected in any other way.
It seems that the Republicans did not learn a lesson when they lost both Houses of Congress in 2006 and 2008, and that because of GOP's past history, they helped to put Obama in the White House in 2009. There are few things treasured more by American citizens than Freedom of Speech and any indication that either party wants to limit it is putting a political in their coffins.
Thank you to OMB Watch, the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest, and others in the nonprofit sector for raising the issue.
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How do you prevent Non-profit "advocates" from using public funds to push a political agenda? It is virtually impossible when funds are essentially comingled. It only requires simple accounting knkowledge to move the dollars around. We see this in San Francisco, where tenant advocates receive public funds and are among the most influencial political groups in the City, pursuing and ofter forcing a narrow political agenda on the rest of the city.
Leave it to the Republicans to attempt to strip Americans of their constitutional rights and squash freedom of speech.
It was Lyndon Johnson who first created limits on lobbying by charities. The Supreme Court upheld the law under the rationale that tax exemption and deductible contributions are privileges granted by Congress, and therefore Congress can impose conditions. I don't ascribe to that. But here, charities need not accept taxpayer money, and can lobby using purely private money. There are all sorts of restrictions on lobbying for everyone. Taxpayer money always comes with strings attached, limiting freedom of conscience and property rights. We rarely hear the left objecting to those conditions.
I commend Representative Foxx on her ammendment.
This bill if passed, represents the greaes LOSS OF LIBERTY this country has ever seen.
Why was it largely kept from the public eye?
Did Cspan record it?
Can't find it anywhere, would have watched real-time had we know it was happening....
Why was this bill not discussed on say, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX, or any other news station except that it makes 9/11 some sort of
Also, We The People would like to here about DoD 1404.10 on national news.
Tell us all what that's about please.
.....getting back to H.R.1388/s277
What does this part mean?
SEC. 1509. PERMANENT CADRE.
Section 159 (42 U.S.C. 12619) is amended--
9 ‘‘PART I—PROGRAMS FOR ELEMENTARY AND
10 SECONDARY STUDENTS
11 ‘‘SEC. 111. ASSISTANCE TO STATES, TERRITORIES, AND IN12
DIAN TRIBES.
13 ‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—School-based service learning pro14
grams promote service-learning as a strategy to—
17 ‘‘(A) not less than 90 percent of the students
18 participate in service-learning activities as part
19 of the program; or
20 ‘‘(B) service-learning is a
mandatory
part
21 of the curriculum in all of the secondary schools
22 served by the local educational agency.
I suggest you all, read these bills for yourselves.
H. R. 1388
[Report No. 111–37]
To reauthorize and reform the national service laws.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Google H.R.1388
Department of Defense
DIRECTIVE
NUMBER 1404.10
23 January 2009
USD(P&R)
SUBJECT: DoD Civilian Expeditionary Workforce
Google 1404.10
'scuse the typos, forgot to check...
The greatest...Loss of Liberty...
Thank you Rep. Foxx and to Linda on your comments. This bill is laying the groundwork for indoctrination (Section 120) and MANDATORY "volunteerism" (Section 6114, Subsection B6) starting in middle school through college, and eventually perhaps all our lives!! This act co-opts real volunteerism and even excludes religious organizations and scouting! We will fight this to the end.
Keep private and public funds separate. if people want to leach of the system, make them do work that is not politically related.
"contains language that restricts National Service fund recipients from using private funds for lobbying; endorsing or supporting events that endorse or oppose legislation; engaging in selected nonpartisan voter engagement activities; organizing or engaging in petitions, protests, boycotts, or strikes; providing or promoting abortions or referrals; or influencing union organizing."
good for her but id rather see this entire bill fail with flying colors. the last thing we need to do is subsidize more people.
To Portland Progressive Examiner,
You completely missed the point. Rep. Foxx is NOT trying to strip Americans of their rights to free speech. Rather I believe she is trying to stop Congress from stripping ALL Americans of their right to CHOOSE whether and how they decide to volunteer by killing this God-awful bill with a provision she knows will not pass.
STOP H.R. 1388 / S.B. 277 NOW!!!!!!
By making service mandatory this bill tries to strike at the heart of the why and how our country was founded. This service bill needs to die. We are moving quickly towards a very uncompetitive world of socialist programs and a new world currency. This is the opposite of good for everyone. It is like a giant no-person-left-behind-act, similar to the no child left behind act that is wrecking the US schools today. However, this well meaning program is international and wrecking the world.
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