Eagle Council 53’s Dynamic Impact in Washington, D.C.
Eagle Forum leaders from across the nation gathered in Washington, D.C. last week to make their voices heard on issues that protect and sustain the American family. They knocked on the doors of their Republican and Democrat lawmakers after being briefed by experts on current issues. We want to share the highlights with you and encourage you to continue these important pro-family efforts in your local communities.
The attendees met on Monday night for a time of introductions and fellowship. From Washington State to Washington, D.C., first-timers and those who have attended for over 50 years enjoyed getting to know one another. On Tuesday morning, the Eagles gathered in the U.S. Capital to hear from Congressmen, Senators, and experts on a variety of topics. Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) spoke about the dangers of an Article V convention. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) showcased different pieces of legislation to protect children from online dangers. Sen. Lee’s Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (S. 1671) would close the loophole that allows extreme pornography to be presented to children. Sen. Cruz’s Take it Down Act, which is now law, requires platforms to remove pornographic deepfakes and acts of “revenge porn.” Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) encouraged the crowd to stand strong in faith. He summarized his time with us in his constituent newsletter:
On Tuesday, I had the privilege of speaking at the Eagle Forum’s 53rd Annual National Conference, where I discussed the current state of religious liberty in our nation. I will continue to be a stalwart defender of religious freedom in our nation’s capital and the cornerstone ideals that our country was founded upon.
Eagles also heard from two prominent D.C. conservative policy experts. Grant Newman, of the Immigration Accountability Project (IAP), compared two immigration bills: last year’s Secure the Border Act (H.R. 2) and this Congress’s DIGNITY Act (H.R. 4393). Newman contrasted the strong border polices in H.R. 2 to the sweeping amnesty measures in H.R. 4393. CatholicVote’s Tom McClusky briefed us on pro-life legislative priorities in recent legislation, including the One Big, Beautiful Bill. He also provided information on programs that still need to be defunded or eliminated, such as the COVID-era Affordable Care Act subsidies that can be used to subsidize Planned Parenthood.
At the end of the briefing, Eagle Forum presented our prestigious Eagle Award to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). The Speaker humbly accepted and remarked that he was triple-booked, yet wanted to spend time with us Eagles. Eagle Forum President Kris Ullman stated:
Congress elected one of the Godliest men I have ever met in my life. Someone who knows the Lord, who loves the Lord, who is a transparent, open, and honest leader. We are a better nation for it.
After the briefing, Eagles spent the afternoon visiting with their Members of Congress. The day concluded with the Eagle Forum PAC reception, where attendees were able to relax and mingle with our friends in Congress. Dozens of conservative lawmakers attended, including some who Eagle Forum PAC endorsed in previous elections. As we enter the 2026 election cycle, where all House members and a third of all Senators will seek reelection, Eagle Forum PAC needs your help to get support for those who fight for faith, family, and freedom. Donations can be made to the Eagle Forum PAC here.
The excitement continued on Wednesday morning when we all traveled to the White House. White House policy and political staff briefed us in the beautiful and historic Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. A variety of advisors and staff spoke about the President’s Faith agenda, election integrity, the success of Trump’s policy priorities, and the Administration’s efforts to make America healthy again.
Afterward, the Tea Party Patriots invited Eagle Forum to attend their rally in support of “Only Citizens Vote” and passage of the SAVE Act (H.R. 22), which prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections and directs states to remove non-citizens from their voter rolls. Eagle Forum President Kris Ullman spoke to the crowd about the importance of securing elections for every family in America.
After more lobbying on Capitol Hill, the Heritage Foundation co-hosted Eagle Forum at its headquarters. Emma Waters, a Heritage policy expert on Technology and the Human Person, spoke about complex issues surrounding the Infertility industry, including ethical issues involved with in-vitro fertilization and healthier alternatives to help restore fertility. Dr. Jay Richards presented model state legislation to protect children from the dangers of the transgender movement. First Liberty’s Jonathan Alexandre graced us with his beautiful rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner and then updated us on important Supreme Court cases from the previous and upcoming terms.
We concluded Eagle Council on Thursday by sharing concrete ideas to take home to our states. Eagle Forum is an organization of “doers, not hearers only,” and our mission is to empower and equip you to act in your state and local communities as well as on the federal level. Becky Gerritson, Executive Director of Alabama Eagle Forum, highlighted their efforts to promote religious liberty, sharing a video and information on ways to reclaim our religious freedom in the public arena. Utah Eagle Forum’s David Kyle and Smart Approaches to Marijuana’s (SAM) Luke Niforatos uncovered the lies of the marijuana industry. Similarly, Utah Eagle Forum‘s Gayle Ruzicka exposed the harms of vaping on children. To wrap up the morning session, Eleanor Gatean from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation spoke about protecting children from online predators.
We concluded our time together with the Eagle Council luncheon, at which we honored Caroline Aderholt, who recently joined the Eagle Forum Board, with Eagle Forum’s Annual Homemaker Award. This award celebrates the value of the fulltime homemaker and her worthy contributions by providing a stable environment for teaching morals and values to the next generation. Caroline’s husband, Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), gave keynote remarks on the importance of defending our Constitutional rights and how important Eagle Forum is to that effort.
Amidst our conference came the news of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Eagles spent time honoring his memory and discussing how to move forward. As an organization, we extended our condolences through a press release stating in part:
May we find strength in our shared love for free expression and may Charlie Kirk’s passion for debate and discourse inspire a renewed vigor to engage — and never see free speech silenced by violence.
Eagle Council 53 was an impactful success. Not only did we walk the halls of Congress, taking our message directly to Congressional leaders, and hear personally from White House officials on this Administration’s plans and how we can help, but we also equipped our leaders to make changes in their local areas as well. Even if you were unable to attend, you can continue these efforts in your state by staying up-to-date on Eagle Forum’s national and state priorities and connecting with a local chapter. See for yourself the position papers we used during our lobbying efforts here, and contact your Member by phone, letter, or email. We will soon release the videos of many of our speakers on our website and YouTube channel. If you are not a member of Eagle Forum yet, we encourage you to do so or share the gift of membership with others here. We look forward to seeing you at Eagle Council 54 as we celebrate the semiquincentennial (250th Birthday) of America – details to be released soon!
