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by Jeffrey Ziegler

NATIONAL REFORM ASSOCIATION
Washington Update July 2000

On Thursday July 13, "Team NRA" returned to Capitol Hill to reestablish our organization's presence in the nation's capitol. Our books "Explicitly Christian Politics" and "Messiah the Prince," along with back issues of The Christian Statesman, were distributed to members of both the House and the Senate. This trip marked the second phase in our beachhead operation to raise our name recognition, and to identify potential allies for the future when we are actually sponsoring and moving legislation.

Special thanks are in order to Rep. Steve LaTourette (R) Ohio, who offered use of his office and assisted in setting up appointments for our team. In addition to LaTourette, the House team met in person with Rep. James "Beam me up" Trafficant (D) Ohio, Rep. Steve Chabot (R) Ohio, and Rep. Steve Buyer (R) Indiana. Meetings were also held with the offices of Rep. Tom DeLay (TX), Rep. Tom Coburn (OK), Rep. Henry Hyde (IL), Rep. Dana Rorabacher (CA), Rep. Jim Rogan (CA), Rep. J.C. Watts (OK), Rep. Steve Largent (OK), Rep. Rob Portman (OH), Rep. Dick Armey (TX), and Rep. Chris Smith.

NRA Vice President Bill Einwechter concentrated his efforts on the Senate (See his report below). Appointments were held with the offices of Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (CO), Sen. Orrin Hatch (UT), Sen. Strom Thurmond (SC), Sen. Tim Hutchison (AR), Sen. Bob Smith (NH), Sen. Trent Lott (MO), Sen. John Ashcroft (MO), Sen. Chuck Hagel (NE), Sen. Spencer Abraham (MI), Sen. James Inhofe (OK), Sen. Rick Santorum (PA), Sen. Phil Graham (TX), and Sen. Jesse Helms (NC).

As a result of this and our previous trip, we will be concentrating our efforts on holding a biblical worldview seminar on the Hill. We will be working with the offices of Rep. Tom DeLay, Rep. J.C. Watts and the Senators outlined in Einwechter's narrative to accomplish this task.

While it is certain that these high-profile missions are not of themselves "culture altering,"they are essential first steps to revitalizing our long-dormant activist element. After familiarizing key elected officials with the NRA, then establishing biblical worldview seminars for both representatives and their staff, we will finally secure a permanent office in the nation's capital; this will poise us in the formation of an official lobbying arm for our organization. These efforts will then be replicated through the embryonic NRA state chapters with concentration on respective state legislatures.

These "Capitol missions" are also piquing the interest of new and potentially major financial sponsors for the NRA. Now, it has been argued that the NRA should be chiefly concerned with research, scholarship, and the development of what is essentially a Christian think-tank. However, it is quite difficult to support such an agenda financially without a proven method of delivering our scholarly work into the field. Our Washington trips serve not only as a prototype to bring our ideas into the light of day, but are also a visible catalyst to rally activists, disseminate our message, and to attract the necessary financial resources for more publishing and media production.

The strategic vision of the National Reform Association revolves around our proclamation of Christian principles in civil government. This is an inherent and inescapable political arena. The Christian Statesman, books, and still to be produced position papers and instructional media serve as the "weapons systems" which secure our strategic aims. Tactically, we define the battlefields among elected officials both at the federal and state levels. Granted, culture is a larger nomenclature than politics. However, the National Reform Association, since its inception, has been overtly political in its aims, and it is my assertion that producing cogent and thought-provoking work is of little value unless such ideals can be delivered to the point of the conflict.

Therefore, our current efforts in Washington D.C. are but part of a total revitalization of the National Reform Association. When combined with state chapters, additional publications, media production, and the eventual inauguration of a legal lobbying arm, the NRA will once again become the driving force for an explicitly Christian vision of government.

Rev. Jeffrey A. Ziegler
President National Reform Association

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