Federal 2017 Policy Top Priorities: Right to life and freedom of faith, conscience and speech

Christian Medical Association / Freedom2Care

Federal Policy Top Priorities - 2017

The Washington office of the Christian Medical Association (which hosts Freedom2Care) focuses on the fundamental issues of the right to life and freedom of faith, conscience and speech, which serve as the foundation for all other rights and freedoms. Following are some of the top priorities for the new year:

Freedom of faith and conscience 

1.      Protect conscience rights in healthcare by restoring the conscience protection regulation for healthcare professionals and institutions, along with its educational outreach program.

2.      Prevent government coercion related to abortion by passing conscience-protecting legislation (e.g., Conscience Protection Act - S 2927, H.R.4828; Healthcare Conscience Rights Act - S 1919; Abortion Non-Discrimination Act - S 50).

3.      Overturn  "transgender mandate" regulation, which disallows medical judgment and redefines Congress' biological definition of sex to include LGBT issues, by winning our lawsuit vs. US Dept. of HHS.

4.      Sweep away radical federal regulations by empowering Congress (e.g., through the  Midnight Rules Relief Act - S.3483, HR 5982) to disapprove of federal agency regulations that fall within 60 legislative days of a president's final term.

Right to life

1.      Ban abortions of developing babies at the stage in which they can feel pain (e.g., Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act - S.1670; HR 36-passed).

2.      Redirect tax dollars from abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood to federally qualified health centers (e.g., Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act - S 51, HR 217).

3.      Save lives of babies born in an abortion (e.g., Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act - S2066; HR 3504 passed).

Personnel

Promote and support pro-life, pro-religious freedom individuals for key positions including:

·         Supreme Court: new justices

·         Health and Human Services: Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Assistant Secretary for Health, Surgeon General, Assistant Secretary For Children And Families, Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Director of National Institutes of Health, Director of faith-based office, Office of Civil Rights, Office of Global Health Affairs.

·         White House - Domestic Policy Advisor, director of faith-based office

·         Department of State – AIDS Ambassador (PEPFAR), Office of International Religious Freedom, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, faith-based office, Office of Religion and Global Affairs.

·         US Agency for International Development – Administrator, Asst. Admin. - Bureau of Global Health, faith-based office.

Three steps to landing a job in the new administration

1.    Learn about the opportunities and the process.

• Transition website: www.greatagain.com (President Elect Donald Trump’s website) - https://www.greatagain.gov/serve-america.html)
• Help Wanted: 4,000 Political Employee release: https://www.greatagain.gov/news/help-wanted-4000-presidential-appointees.html
• Presidential appointments listing - “Plum Book” – http://tinyurl.com/plum16 - research specific positions for each agency. Google job titles to find out more about the specifics of each position. Determine which of the different types of positions (e.g., senate-confirmed, non-career senior executive, etc.—see Types of Appointments list* below) in which you are interested.

o   Top Senate-confirmed appointments position descriptions: (http://presidentialtransition.org/publications/viewcontentdetails.php?id=1352).

o   Guide for employees applying for positions and rights (Office of Personnel Management) (https://www.opm.gov/about-us/our-people-organization/support-functions/executive-secretariat/presidential-transition-guide-2016.pdf).

• Partnership for Public Service website: www.presidentialtransition.org 

2.    Apply.

o   Administration application web page: https://apply.ptt.gov/ - submit your CV, brief essay and cover letter and indicate in what areas (i.e., agencies, job functions, policies) you'd like to work.

3.    Submit your information to candidate referrers.

Freedom2Care (exclusively for health professionals):

·         Send your CV (Word or .pdf format), along with 3-5 bullet points summarizing your qualifications, and a list of positions in which you are interested, to washington@cmda.org.

·         Federal Interest Survey: https://s.zoomerang.com/r/Freedom2Care - indicate your experience, interests and values.

·         Federal registry on LinkedIn -  keep your CV and get updates on opportunities for federal service. On the www.LinkedIn.com website (sign in or join for free), go to the search box, click the left arrow and select Groups. Type in Freedom2Care. (If you have problems, just email washington@cmda.org and ask to be added to the group.) How to import your CV to LinkedIn (http://tinyurl.com/h5q5yhk). Visibility options: http://tinyurl.com/hg28oj5

Heritage Foundation (for all candidates):

·         Restore America Candidate Form: http://tinyurl.com/jxpqo4p  – use to note your own availability. After completing this step, health professionals can email washington@cmda.org to request an endorsement (see below).

·         Restore America Recommendation Form: http://tinyurl.com/jtykn7o  – use to endorse/recommend a colleague.

*Types of Appointments:

• Presidential Appointments with Senate Confirmation (PAS): 1,212 senior leaders, including Cabinet secretaries and deputies, heads of most independent agencies and ambassadors, who must be confirmed by the Senate. These positions first require a Senate hearing in addition to background checks and other vetting.
• Presidential Appointments without Senate Confirmation (PA): 353 PA positions, mostly White House staff plus some in smaller federal agencies
• Non-career Senior Executive Service (NA): 680 key positions just below top presidential appointees, bridging gap between political leaders and civil service throughout the federal government. Most SES members are career officials, but up to 10 percent of the SES can be political appointees. (see https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service).
• Schedule C Appointments (SC): 1,403 Schedule C appointees who serve in a confidential or policy role, ranging from schedulers and confidential assistants to policy experts.