Chairman’s Desk
By Beverly LaHaye
January/February 2001 Family Voice

Before long, George W. Bush will be inaugurated as our 43rd president, and a new Congress will open the 107th session. Election 2000 was quite eventful, wasn’t it? Few expected one of the closest races in history, or that one man would win the popular vote, but another man would win the presidency with the electoral vote. Election 2000 certainly gained a place in history.

As I thought about the year ahead, and what we hope to accomplish, I kept thinking about the lesson of this presidential election. Think about this: Months of intense campaigning, millions of dollars spent, and numerous debates by commentators, activists and columnists took place. But the decision of the next leader of our nation hinged on a few hundred votes in one state.

I am thrilled it looks like we have a pro-life president in office. I believe President-elect Bush will support us and work with us as we strive to protect the unborn. I am also excited he has pledged to cut taxes, reduce the marriage penalty, and push for school choice and other educational reforms.

But despite Mr. Bush’s pro-family agenda, this new Congress promises to be difficult at best. In the House, Republicans hold a majority—but only by a handful of seats. The Senate is even more difficult: It is split 50-50. As you well know, not all of those in the majority are pro-family on issues of concern to us, and some Democrats and Independents may be. Battles over the sanctity of life, stopping pornography, the protection of marriage, education, religious freedom and others will undoubtedly continue.

Through it all, CWA will be on Capitol Hill laboring for your families. And, in His perfect timing, God has provided a new leader for this effort. Michael Schwartz became our Vice President for Government Relations last month. In this role, he leads our lobbying efforts. He is also passionate about building up our local and national grassroots lobbying.

Mike comes to us from the office of former Rep. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), where he served as administrative director. I have known Mike for more than 15 years, and he is tireless in his efforts to promote family-friendly policies in accord with Scripture.

This is the perfect time for you to participate in CWA at the state level. Why not join one of CWA’s 500 Prayer/Action Chapters, located nationwide? To find one near you, contact your state director.

If you are not a member of CWA, I encourage you to join today. And encourage others to join us. We’ll even be happy to send your family members and friends three trial issues of Family Voice. We need a strong grassroots constituency for the days ahead.

Friends, our culture has misunderstood and misrepresented the beliefs of conservative Christians for so many years. My fear is that few in the new Congress will stand up and fight for your beliefs or your families. Many in Congress will cast us aside as the “religious right,” believing they need to be “moderate.” We must make our voices heard and our actions seen, so our leaders will recognize we represent the desires and beliefs of millions of Americans.

Remember: Your vote does count! And so does your voice. The elections are over. Now we need to ensure the newly elected Congress will strongly support families, just as they campaigned. I hope you will join us and help families across America be counted!

You may hear more from Beverly LaHaye on her daily radio program, “Beverly LaHaye Today.” Find a station in your area.

More from January/February 2001 Family Voice