Virginia: Call Now to Further Parental Rights Amendment
I need your help today to advance the Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in Congress. Could you take a moment to call or even line up a visit with your congressman to urge his or her support?
The Parental Rights Amendment is currently introduced in Congress by Debbie Lesko (AZ) as House Joint Resolution 38 (H.J. Res. 38). Because of the stark partisan divisions in Congress, we don’t necessarily expect the Amendment to pass this session. But that doesn’t mean we can’t further the discussion and better pave the way for its future passage.
And to do that, we need your congressman’s support.
You see, Governor Glenn Younkin’s election in 2021 on the issue of parental rights has sent a strong political message: the issue of parental rights resonates with Virginia voters.
The Parental Rights Foundation is a non-partisan organization; we’re not endorsing one party over another. I’m simply acknowledging the political reality that parental rights has especially resonated with voters in Virginia—and it’s one your member of Congress will recognize, as well.
That’s why I’m asking you to reach out and ask your U.S. Representative to sign onto H.J.Res. 38 as a cosponsor.
The plan is simple: the more cosponsors the Amendment gets, the easier it is to gain more. And once we get enough, we can ask for a subcommittee hearing on the resolution, which will further the discussion on constitutional parental rights. And that will help pave the way for future passage.
The challenge is that, with only eight current cosponsors, it’s not so easy to gain more. That’s why the political reality I mentioned above is so important: of all the members of Congress who could sign on, your Virginia representative should be among those most ready to do so.
What’s more, Congress is on recess throughout the month of August to allow your congressman to be right there in your district.
Take Action Today!
So here’s the action item, and there are two options:
Option 1: Please take a moment right now to call your congressman’s district office (see numbers below) and ask that your congressman sign on as a cosponsor of H.J.Res. 38, the Parental Rights Amendment. Explain that our goal is to get enough cosponsors for a subcommittee hearing so that we can further the discussion of parental rights, and remind them that if Glenn Younkin’s election tells us anything, it is that Virginia legislators can safely back parental rights.
Be polite and courteous when you call and ask if they could send you an email response to your request.
Option 2: Because your lawmaker is in the district office, you can stop in and see them! Call the district office first to make an appointment (numbers below).
Then, try to take a friend or two with you. A large group can seem overwhelming or even threatening, but a group of two or three is enough to communicate that you are not alone in your interest in this cause.
Dress professionally and be sure to arrive on time, or even a couple of minutes early.
When you are there, simply make the same ask outlined in Option 1 above: that you want them to cosponsor H.J.Res. 38, that our goal is to gain enough cosponsors for a hearing to further the discussion of parental rights, and that Glenn Younkin’s election makes it clear that this is a safe and even a strong issue for legislators in Virginia to support.
You can also print out a couple of copies of this one-pager (front and back) to take with you and leave with them.
Be polite and courteous and ask them if they could email you a response when they’ve made their decision.
Virginia Congressmen:
District 1: Rob Wittman Tappahannock (804) 443-0668
Glen Allen (804) 401-4120
Yorktown (757) 527-6270
District 2: Jen Kiggans Virginia Beach (757) 364-7650
Onley (757) 666-6020
Suffolk (757) 942-6050
District 5: Bob Good Lynchburg (434) 791-2596
District 9: Morgan Griffith Abingdon (276) 525-1405
Christiansburg (540) 381-5671
If you’re not sure which district you are in, click here and enter your zip code.
Thank you for taking the time to stand with us to promote parental rights in Congress!
Sincerely,
Michael Ramey
President