REINS Act

Many Americans agree that the administrative state is out of control. But what concrete steps can be taken to reign in the bureaucracy and return power to the people?

We believe the REINS Act is a necessary first step in returning power to Congress away from the administrative state. The REINS Act would require Congress to vote on any regulation that has more than $100 million in economic impact. This would severely limit the ability of overzealous federal agencies, like the EPA or OSHA, to overregulate and curtail the rights of ordinary Americans.

The REINS Act would also force Congress to take more responsibility for problematic government action. Currently, most Members of Congress are happy to delegate that power to the administrative state, throwing up their arms and lamenting, “nothing we can do!” when asked by constituents why federal agencies are allowed to overstep their bounds. The REINS Act would change that culture dramatically and empower the legislative branch, which is where the people wield the most influence.

Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act (H.R. 1881)

Faith-based providers play a critical role in our nation’s child welfare system by placing thousands of children in loving homes each year. Eighty-four percent of children in the system seeking families qualify as “hard-to-place”, i.e. kids who are older, have special needs, or come from troubled backgrounds. Those placements are where these faith-based providers specialize and excel: 45 percent of adoptions placed by Catholic Charities, and 32 percent of adoptions placed by Bethany Christian Services, are “hard-to-place” children.

What these faith-based providers do for women, children, and for our communities is irreplaceable. And yet, state and local governments across the country are discriminating against these faith-based adoption agencies and foster care providers — and in some cases shutting them down — because they offer birth mothers the choice of placing their children in homes with both a mother and a father.

As attacks on religious freedom become more blatant and mainstream, the need to protect these faith-based child welfare providers from discrimination becomes even more immediate. The Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act, introduced in the House by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pennsylvania) and in the Senate by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming), would prevent this discrimination, safeguard the choice of birth mothers to place their children in homes with both a mother and a father, and help place thousands of children in their forever homes with their forever families.

First Amendment Defense Act (FADA)

As the Left wages war on religious freedom, innocent people are finding themselves being forced to choose between their faith and their livelihood. The examples are numerous: Jack Phillips in Colorado, Baronelle Stutzman in Washington, Kelvin Cochran in Georgia, etc. The First Amendment protects the freedom of religion, but out-of-control government ideologues are seeking to thwart it at every turn and punish those who dare conscientiously object to even the most radical elements of the LGBT agenda.

Clearly, a legislative answer is needed to protect people of faith. The First Amendment Defense Act is that answer, prohibiting the federal government from discriminating against persons based on their belief in the traditional definition of marriage.

During the 2016 GOP primaries, APP successfully persuaded a majority of Republican presidential candidates, including eventual nominee Donald Trump, to sign a pledge supporting the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA). Trump gave FADA his full-throated support, promising to sign it into law if it reached his desk as president. APP is calling on Congress to send it to the President’s desk as soon as possible.