July 4th may have passed, but we at Eagle Forum will be celebrating America’s 250th throughout the year! We hope the commemorations big and small that occurred over the weekend reminded you that we live in the greatest nation on earth and inspired you to fight for its flourishing. Eagle Forum has the perfect way for you to turn patriotism into action. On September 24-26 in Nashville, Tennessee, we will hold our 54th annual dynamic and empowering leadership conference known as Eagle Council. There, you will join with people across the nation who want to learn more and share ideas to bolster faith, family and freedom in the decades to come. Check out what we have planned!
This year’s Eagle Council will be for adults and students. Our Student Eagles groups have been growing, and Tennessee’s students are pleased to play host to all. Led by Eagle Forum’s National Student Eagles Director Frances Arthur, students ages 14-21 will have the opportunity to mingle with like-minded peers, learn from our fantastic line-up of top-notch speakers, attend student-centered and general Eagle Council sessions, and meet key players in the conservative movement. In addition, they will join all attendees on a visit to the home of President Andrew Jackson — The Hermitage. Students and their parents receive a discounted rate, and scholarships are available.
After our trip to The Hermitage, we will celebrate America’s founding by hearing from conservative radio host and author Eric Metaxas. He is sure to wow us with his views on the beauty of our American heritage and what we must do to defend it for generations to come.
You won’t want to miss the VIP reception Friday night, where you will have the opportunity to meet Mr. Metaxas. The first 100 registrants will receive a free copy of his latest book titled Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World. Copies will also be available for purchase, and Eric Metaxas will sign them after his speech.
In addition to our commemoration of America 250, you will hear from amazing speakers on many important issues our nation is facing: from protecting the unborn and parental rights, AI and Data Centers, and the threats from Sharia law and communist China.
We will also celebrate pro-family victories! Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti who defended the state law prohibiting sex changes on children in the case of United States v. Skrmetti at the Supreme Court, will regale us with the inside story. The success of the Tennessee law will allow other states to act boldly to protect our kids. He will talk more in-depth about that case and ways you can work with the Attorney General from your home state.
We will also hear from children’s rights advocate and author Katy Faust. Katy founded the organization Them Before Us to change hearts, minds, and laws surrounding every child’s right to their biological mother and father. She will speak to us about the growing problem of the buying and selling children through surrogacy and other artificial reproductive technologies.
The topic of defending children of all ages is particularly timely. The Left has used federal and state policies to push forward an agenda harmful to children from womb to adulthood. Fortunately, our Republican leaders and the Supreme Court are turning the tide. Just this week, the House of Representatives also passed the bipartisan KIDS Act (H.R. 7757) which contained a variety of bills protecting children from the dangers of the internet and social media. The Supreme Court also issued a huge win in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox protecting girls and women from being forced to play against biological males in sports.
These wins will help us create healthy and thriving opportunities for our children, but more needs to be done. Abortions are occurring at record numbers due to mail-order abortion pills. “Woke” activists are sneakily finding ways to corrupt young minds and undermine parental rights. Eagle Council will feature even more speakers on protecting babies in the womb and giving parents the tools to advocate for them at home and at school.
Another Eagle Council 54 speaker, Daniel Di Martino, was recently on Fox News with @FaulknerFocus discussing his concerns about the new class of socialist leaders that are being elected this year. You can listen to Daniel here and here. The midterm elections are vitally important to securing more pro-family wins. We promise to energize you to fight, fight, fight for conservative principles.
We will also address the issue of “Big Addiction” by hearing from experts on drugs and gambling. You will hear from speakers who will teach us how to motivate the next generation of young men and women to love our country. You are guaranteed to leave Eagle Council with pages of notes, ideas for improving your local community, new friendships, and increased love of the United States of America and our founding documents.
Register TODAY for EAGLE COUNCIL 54 here. We look forward to seeing you in Nashville in September!
Last week the Senate was out, but we continued to work on the issues of the week. I researched and shared information on the KIDS Act (HR 7757) with Eagle Forum leadership. The bill is a collaborative effort to implement measures to protect minors online. It contains many bills including Representative Mary Miller’s (R-IL) SCREEN Act (H.R. 1623) that requires age verification for pornographic websites, Rep. Erin Houchin’s (R-IN) Safe Bots Act (H.R. 6489) that places restrictions on AI chatbots when talking with minors, and Rep. Gus Bilirakis’s (R-FL) Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) (H.R. 6484). It also gives provisions that instruct reports on the impact of social media on minors’ health and development (Safe Social Media Act), how social media enables minors to access fentanyl (No Fentanyl on Social Media Act), and what is actually working to promote healthy internet use for minors (Assessing Safety Tools for Parents Act). The Act passed the House on the evening of June 29th with a bipartisan vote of 267-117.
Ms. Walter and I attended a Prosperity 250 Summit: Forging the Future of Economic Freedom & Innovation at the Waldorf Astoria, put on by America First Policy Institute (AFPI) and Unleash Prosperity. It opened by looking back at our great country’s past and on whose shoulders we currently stand. Author Jonathan Turley underscored the impact of John Locke’s Enlightened ideas and Adam Smith’s revolutionary economic theory. They traced the significance of the fact that the Declaration of Independence and the Wealth of Nations were published in the same year: 1776. We also heard from AFPI chief economist Mike Faulkender and economist Arthur Laffer on the current economy and taxes. Along with AFPI chairman of the board and broadcaster for Fox, Larry Kudlow, they discussed the importance of work as a purpose giver, driver, and source of happiness. We also got to meet some amazing people, including pro-life activist Alveda King!
The remainder of the week is dedicated to celebrating the greatest country the world has ever known! I am thrilled to honor America’s 250th birthday and all the many gifts God has bestowed upon us through this nation! Happy 250!