Another School Shooting, Prison Reform Summit, Fighting For Life

Friday, May 18, 2018

Another School Shooting

 
I was at the White House this morning for a meeting on prison reform when news broke about another school shooting. 
 
According to the latest reports, at least eight people were killed at Santa Fe High School, in Santa Fe, Texas, a small town located between Houston and Galveston.  Law enforcement officials report that the suspect is in custody and a second person is also being detained.  Explosive devices have reportedly been found at the school and at another location.
 
Without knowing additional details, I hope conservatives and liberals can at least agree that we need armed guards at our schools.  We guard banks.  We guard museums.  We guard government buildings, and public schools are government buildings. 
 
An armed guard made a big difference earlier this week, and I do not understand why anyone would oppose have trained security guards at schools.
 
Please join Carol and me in praying for the families of the victims, the students of Santa Fe High School and the first responders.  Our nation is in desperate need of prayer, a restoration of faith and respect for the sanctity of life. 
 
 
 
Prison Reform Summit
 
Today's White House summit on prison reform was an amazing event.  There are many individuals there representing faith-based organizations because we believe one of the best ways to help prisoners avoid recidivism is to help them find God.  This, of course, was the great passion of my late friend Chuck Colson.
 
There were liberals there, like Van Jones who moderated a panel discussion at the event, along with conservatives like Secretary Rick Perry, Kellyanne Conway and myself.  Vice President Mike Pence and President Trump addressed the summit.
 
There are many competing ideas when it comes to prison reform, and this is only the beginning.  We will have to see what policies come out of today's summit.  But this is an important issue.  As the president noted in his remarks:
 
"More than one-third of former federal prison inmates and more than three-quarters of state prisoners will be rearrested again within five years.  Nobody wins when former prisoners fail to adjust to life outside, or worse, end up back behind bars.  We want former inmates to find a path to success so they can support their families and support their communities."
 
 
 
Fighting For Life
 
Donald Trump ran for president as a pro-life candidate, and he is keeping a promise to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not funding abortion providers. 
 
The White House announced today that it is issuing new regulations, modeled after a Reagan era policy, that require "a bright line of physical as well as financial separation" in programs and facilities that receive Title X federal funding for family planning services. 
 
If family planning clinics accepts taxpayer dollars, they cannot perform abortions or refer clients for abortions.  Abortion is not family planning, and Donald Trump is ensuring that your tax dollars are not paying for the destruction of innocent lives.
 
The policy does not by itself defund Planned Parenthood.  It could still receive public funding IF its clinics do not perform or promote abortions.  If Planned Parenthood clinics are not willing to meet that standard, they won't qualify for Title X funding.
 
There will be legal challenges, but the Supreme Court has already ruled on this issue and found the regulation constitutional
 
This is great news, my friends.  But, here's the real news:  This president and vice president don't give up. 
 
They tried to defund Planned Parenthood through legislation, but it failed in the Senate because Republicans have such a slim majority.  That didn't stop them.  They went back to the drawing board.  Now they are putting forward an executive order that keeps us moving the ball down the field toward our goal.
 
 
 
Tax Cuts Work
 
Here's more evidence that the Trump tax cuts are working to grow the economy.  The National Association of Manufacturers released a survey this week.  It found that:
 

  • 72% of manufacturers were boosting workers' pay and benefits as a result of the tax cuts.
  • 77% were hiring more workers.
  • 86% were investing in new equipment and facilities.
  • 93% expressed optimism in the economy.

 

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