One of the "19 Kids and Counting" joins forces with Priests for Life

Joshua Duggar Stands with Priests for Life

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: May 4, 2014
Contact: Leslie Palma
347-286-7277
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Joshua Duggar, Executive Director of FRC Action, is standing with Priests for Life in its challenge against the Affordable Care Act’s HHS mandate and will speak at a rally for religious freedom on May 8 in front of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Mr. Duggar, who is well-known as the oldest of the “19 Kids and Counting” reality TV show, said “Americans understand it’s not right for the government to come in and force people to violate their religious belief. They’re telling people what they have to think, basically.”
Mr. Duggar said push-back against the mandate is crucial because the government might continue to overreach, if not challenged.
“The government continues to interpret laws in ways that give them more control and more power,” he said. “There’s a very clear pattern of targeting conservative groups, people who stand for family values and protecting the unborn, the most vulnerable among us. It’s very clear what their goals are: Their agenda, their will, their way.”
Oral arguments will be heard May 8 in Priests for Life’s lawsuit against the mandate. Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, will be in court for the arguments and also will address the rally planned for 9 to 11 a.m. that day at 333 Constitution Ave. NW.
Also planning to address the crowd is Dr. Alveda King, Director of African-American Outreach for Priests for Life and a named plaintiff in the suit, along with Father Pavone and Janet Morana, executive director of Priests for Life.
Lawmakers and national pro-life leaders who support the Priests for Life cause also will address the crowd during the rally.
“We are so grateful for the support of Josh Duggar and the others who are standing with Priests for Life,” Father Pavone said. “We cannot allow the government to tell us what we can believe and how we should act on those beliefs. We will not sit by and watch our Constitution dismantled.”
A lineup of political and pro-life power hitters will speak at the rally on Thursday, including Rep. Diane Black of Tennessee; Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas; Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona; Gary Bauer of American Values; Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee; Lila Rose, President of Live Action; Jeanne Monahan, President of the March for Life; Charmaine Yoest, President and CEO, Americans United for Life; Tim Goeglein, vice president for external relations for Focus on the Family; Day Gardner, President of National Black Pro-Life Union; Jimmy Nolan, President of Crossroads; Paul Rondeau, Executive Director of American Life League; Sam Casey, Managing Director and General Counsel of the Law of Life Project; Sarah Torre of the Heritage Foundation; Tina Whittington, Assistant Director, Students for Life of America; Rev. Rob Schenk, President of Faith and Action in the Nation’s Capital; Rev. Patrick Mahoney, President of Christian Defense Coalition, and Cathy Ruse, Senior Fellow, Family Research Council.
Father Pavone also will address the gathering, along with several Priests for Life pastoral team members, including: Dr. Alveda King, a named plaintiff in the lawsuit; Youth Director Bryan Kemper; Hispanic Outreach Director Father Victor Salomon. Robert Muise of the American Freedom Law Center, counsel for Priests for Life, also will make remarks during the rally.
For up-to-date information on the rally and the lawsuit, go to IStandWithPFL.com
Priests for Life is the nation’s largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.