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PITTS:  Hello, I’m Congressman Joe Pitts from Pennsylvania.  And welcome to this week’s Values Action Report. 

As Congress heads into its month long August recess, it’s important to step back and take stock of what we’ve accomplished.

Thanks to your support, we have scored a number of significant victories this year.

Both chambers of Congress passed a ban on the terrible procedure known as partial birth abortion.  The ban imposes a fine and, in some cases imprisonment, for those who violate it. 

The House passed a bill barring Internet gambling sites access to the U.S. financial services system by preventing the use of credit cards, wire transfers, or any other bank instrument to fund illegal Internet gaming transactions.

The House version of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act - HR 1950 – retains Kemp-Kasten human rights protections.  Kemp-Kasten protects women around the world from being forced to have an abortion. 

The House version of the All American Tax Relief Act eliminates the Marriage Penalty in the child tax credit.

The President signed a Global AIDS bill that included hundreds of millions of dollars to promote abstinence as a means of HIV prevention.

And that is just to name a few.

Many of these are issues we have discussed right here on the Values Action Report.

But it’s important to stay involved.  Make sure you know how your representatives in Washington are voting on the issues you care about.

And we still need you help.

Pitts: Partial Birth Abortion is a terrible procedure that ends the life of a child within inches of breathing on its own. 

On March 13, the Senate passed a ban on this terrible practice.  And on June 4, the House passed the same bill with one minor difference.

Both bills passed with broad bipartisan support.

Now, seven weeks later, our bipartisan plan to end partial birth abortion is being obstructed by a couple of Senators.

They are using an unusual delay tactic to prevent the bill from going to conference.  What they’re doing is essentially filibustering a piece of legislation that has already gone through the legislative process.

Filibustering judicial nominees is one thing, but blocking a bill that has already passed is just wrong. 

Especially when we’re talking about the lives of children.

These tactics have prevented us from saving these children.  And are threatening how Congress functions. 

We need to get this bill to conference.  And then onto the President to honor the commitment Congress has made to the American people – to end this terrible practice for good.

Contact your Senators. Urge them to send the bill to ban partial birth abortion to conference.  And then onto the President.

PITTS: Peer-to-peer file trading software – or P2P – has become extremely popular with teenagers and other minors who use it to share files with each other over the Internet.

But P2P software has become a tool used to harm children and other Internet users.

Programs like KaZaA or Morpheus are used for the distribution of pornographic images and videos, including child pornography. 

Pornographers use innocent sounding names for their obscene files to target P2P users. 

This puts minors at significant risk of inadvertent exposure to pornography who search for otherwise harmless material. 

To deal with these issues, I introduced the Protecting Children from Peer-to-Peer Pornography Act this week. 

My bill gives parents the tools they need to protect children from pornography and threats to privacy posed by peer-to-peer file trading networks.

It requires distributors of P2P software to give notice of threats posed by P2P software.  And allows them to distribute their software to a minor only with a parent’s consent, and not when parents have used a “do not install” beacon to avoid P2P software.

The bill also requires P2P companies to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act when collecting information from children under age 13 and ensure that the software can be readily uninstalled.

This issue is still picking up momentum.  And we need your help to protect our children on the Internet.  Contact your elected representatives.  Urge them to co-sponsor and call for hearings on the Protecting Children from Peer-to-Peer Pornography Act.

Pitts: Parents from diverse backgrounds have decided that the best way to educate their children is at home.

Many homeschoolers, however, find that they don’t have access to the same opportunities as their peers in public and private schools.

For example, because they do not receive a diploma, there is confusion over how they apply and qualify for federal financial aid for college.

To remedy this and other problems facing homeschoolers, Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave introduced the Home School Non-Discrimination Act, or HONDA.  It’s bill number H.R. 2732 in the House.

The changes this bill makes to the Higher Education Act would ensure that homeschool students – and the colleges, trade schools, and universities that enroll them – are eligible to receive federal financial aid. 

HONDA also allows home educators in every state to utilize Coverdell Education Savings Accounts.  And it expands eligibility for prestigious Byrd college scholarships to homeschool families.

H.R. 2732 also respects the unique schedule that homeschooling demands.  It allows homeschoolers to work during school hours.  This will improve their ability to save for college and gain valuable life experience.

HONDA also protects the privacy of homeschool student records.  And it clarifies that the Individuals with Disabilities Act does not require homeschoolers to be evaluated for government services they have not requested, or do not need. 

These protections are long overdue.  And as more parents choose to educate their children at home, these issues have to be resolved.

That’s why we need your help.  Contact your Representative.  Urge them to co-sponsor H.R. 2732.  And ask them to contact their leadership to request a vote on this important legislation.

PITTS: Thank you for joining us.  We hope you find our weekly Values Action Report helpful in keeping you updated on the issues you care about.

Please take action and contact your elected officials about your concerns.  Thank you for your prayerful support.