Falwell Confidential
Date: July 15, 2004
From: Jerry Falwell
MARRIAGE DEBATE IS FAR FROM OVER
On Tuesday, a majority of Senate members voted against the proposed Federal
Marriage Amendment (FMA) to the U.S. Constitution, the amendment that would
prevent activist judges from redefining marriage, long recognized by civil
societies as an act between one man and one woman. The Republican
leadership could gain only 48 votes (48-50) on a motion to invoke cloture,
12 short of the 60 votes needed.
Here's the important news on this vote: the issue is far from over!
In the days leading up to this vote, we saw multitudes of concerned
Americans rise up and take to their phones and computers in order to urge
their senators to vote in favor of the FMA. Despite this deluge of calls
and e-mails favoring the legislation, 50 senators turned their backs on
their constituencies. But I can guarantee that they have been taken aback
by the grassroots uprising that literally tied up Capitol Hill switchboards
and filled their staffers' computers with pleas to support the FMA.
We must ensure that we maintain our focus and energy on this issue. Most
importantly, I believe we will ultimately prevail.
I want to express my deep appreciation to my friends and supporters who
participated in this grassroots effort. You will be needed again. In
addition, I want to recognize the thousands of pastors who boldly stood in
their pulpits on Protect Marriage Sunday (last Sunday) to urge their members
to join in the effort to protect marriage. From small flocks to mega-church
congregations, I can tell you that we propelled a lightning bolt of activism
through Washington this week.
It won't be the last one, either.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, (R-Tenn.) made the most pertinent
observation after Tuesday's vote. His admonition should be etched in the
hearts of every American who understands the importance of the battle to
protect the American family.
Mr. Frist said, "The question is no longer whether the Constitution will be
amended. The only question is who will amend it and how it will be amended.
Will activist judges - not elected by the American people - destroy the
institution of marriage? Or will the people protect marriage as the best
way to raise children? My vote is with the people and, thus, as majority
leader, I felt and continue to feel that it's important that the debate go
on the floor of the United States Senate, which does represent the American
people. Americans understand that children need mothers and fathers. We'd
be foolish to permit a vast, untested social experiment on families and
children - the bedrock of our society."
Those are serious words. As we continue to work to preserve the sanctity of
marriage, we must remember that there is a vast minority of powerful people
in our nation who want to demolish our moral foundations. They hide behind
pretty words and innocent-sounding phrases, but they are pressing to create
an America our Founders would not recognize. They believe there are no
moral absolutes that should define society.
Here is the fact of the matter: if we do not continue to press for a
constitutional amendment to protect marriage as an act between one man and
one woman, there is literally no telling what the future holds. We will be
a nation destroyed by our immoral sexual pursuits that we allowed to sway
our political and social policies. That's a recipe for rapid destruction.
I am committed to continuing the fight to preserve the biblical blueprint
for marriage and I am praying that the revolution that was initiated this
week was just an opening salvo as moral-minded Americans continue to press
forward in the imperative battle to safeguard marriage in America.
Finally, a list of our 100 senators and how they voted on the FMA is printed
below. I am asking readers to do either one of the following things during
the next 48 hours regarding these senators' votes:
1. If your senator/senators voted for ("yea") the Federal Marriage
Amendment, please call him/her to thank them for supporting the sanctity of
marriage.
2. If your senators/senators voted against ("nay") the FMA, please call
him/her to considerately express your disappointment that they voted against
the sanctity of marriage.
The Capitol Switchboard number is: 202-224-3121. Or you can visit Gary
Bauer's Campaign for Working Families website ( http://www.cwfpac.com ) and
click on Congressional Directory to find the direct numbers and e-mail
addresses for your senators. I again urge pastors to have their
congregations participate in this effort.
Alabama:
Sessions (R-AL), Yea
Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Alaska:
Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Arizona:
Kyl (R-AZ), Yea
McCain (R-AZ), Nay
Arkansas:
Lincoln (D-AR), Nay
Pryor (D-AR), Nay
California:
Boxer (D-CA), Nay
Feinstein (D-CA), Nay
Colorado:
Allard (R-CO), Yea
Campbell (R-CO), Nay
Connecticut:
Dodd (D-CT), Nay
Lieberman (D-CT), Nay
Delaware:
Biden (D-DE), Nay
Carper (D-DE), Nay
Florida:
Graham (D-FL), Nay
Nelson (D-FL), Nay
Georgia:
Chambliss (R-GA), Yea
Miller (D-GA), Yea
Hawaii:
Akaka (D-HI), Nay
Inouye (D-HI), Nay
Idaho:
Craig (R-ID), Yea
Crapo (R-ID), Yea
Illinois:
Durbin (D-IL), Nay
Fitzgerald (R-IL), Yea
Indiana:
Bayh (D-IN), Nay
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Iowa:
Grassley (R-IA), Yea
Harkin (D-IA), Nay
Kansas:
Brownback (R-KS), Yea
Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Kentucky:
Bunning (R-KY), Yea
McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Louisiana:
Breaux (D-LA), Nay
Landrieu (D-LA), Nay
Maine:
Collins (R-ME), Nay
Snowe (R-ME), Nay
Maryland:
Mikulski (D-MD), Nay
Sarbanes (D-MD), Nay
Massachusetts:
Kennedy (D-MA), Nay
Kerry (D-MA), Did Not Vote
Michigan:
Levin (D-MI), Nay
Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Minnesota:
Coleman (R-MN), Yea
Dayton (D-MN), Nay
Mississippi:
Cochran (R-MS), Yea
Lott (R-MS), Yea
Missouri:
Bond (R-MO), Yea
Talent (R-MO), Yea
Montana:
Baucus (D-MT), Nay
Burns (R-MT), Yea
Nebraska:
Hagel (R-NE), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Nevada:
Ensign (R-NV), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Nay
New Hampshire:
Gregg (R-NH), Yea
Sununu (R-NH), Nay
New Jersey:
Corzine (D-NJ), Nay
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay
New Mexico:
Bingaman (D-NM), Nay
Domenici (R-NM), Yea
New York:
Clinton (D-NY), Nay
Schumer (D-NY), Nay
North Carolina:
Dole (R-NC), Yea
Edwards (D-NC), Did Not Vote
North Dakota:
Conrad (D-ND), Nay
Dorgan (D-ND), Nay
Ohio:
DeWine (R-OH), Yea
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Oklahoma:
Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
Nickles (R-OK), Yea
Oregon:
Smith (R-OR), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Nay
Pennsylvania:
Santorum (R-PA), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Rhode Island:
Chafee (R-RI), Nay
Reed (D-RI), Nay
South Carolina:
Graham (R-SC), Yea
Hollings (D-SC), Nay
South Dakota:
Daschle (D-SD), Nay
Johnson (D-SD), Nay
Tennessee:
Alexander (R-TN), Yea
Frist (R-TN), Yea
Texas:
Cornyn (R-TX), Yea
Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Utah:
Bennett (R-UT), Yea
Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Vermont:
Jeffords (I-VT), Nay
Leahy (D-VT), Nay
Virginia:
Allen (R-VA), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Yea
Washington:
Cantwell (D-WA), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Nay
West Virginia:
Byrd (D-WV), Yea
Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay
Wisconsin:
Feingold (D-WI), Nay
Kohl (D-WI), Nay
Wyoming:
Enzi (R-WY), Yea
Thomas (R-WY), Yea