January 6 1997

ARTICLE TOOLS

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House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) has promised fellow lawmakers that "if the last Congress was the 'Confrontation Congress,' this Congress will be the 'Implementation Congress.'" Religious activists say there is indeed a great deal of legislation they would like to see implemented, much of it unfinished business from the 104th Congress.

While the Republican revolution of November 1994 resulted in a turn to the right in fiscal matters, conservatives hoping for action on social issues were by and large disappointed. Religious groups in the 105th Congress have numerous priorities, but with little net change in the make-up of lawmakers' ideologies, achievement remains uncertain.

—Family tax relief: The cornerstone bill is a $500-per-child tax credit, a long-time favorite of conservative pro-family groups. The 104th Congress passed this tax credit twice as part of budget packages ultimately vetoed by President Clinton. This time around, conservative groups will be pushing for "stand alone" legislation.

—Partial-birth abortion ban: Pro-life groups promise once again to attempt to pass a ban on this controversial late-term procedure. Last year, the House voted to override a presidential veto, but the override narrowly failed in the Senate. Pro-lifers admit that despite a more conservative bent in this Senate, chances of overriding another veto remain slim.

—Restricting federal abortion funds: Last year, conservative groups successfully helped to pass several bans on federally financed abortions. The first battle this year likely will occur in March over U.S. funds for International Planned Parenthood.

—Religious equality/school prayer: At the opening of the 104th Congress, Gingrich promised a bill on school ...