On Wednesday March 1, NRA President Jeffrey Ziegler; Christian Statesman Editor William Einwechter; NRA Boardmember Phillip Vollman; and Continental Group advisor Gary Humble; reestablished the lobbying arm of the National Reform Association in the nation's capital.
A proclamation stating the purpose of the NRA, along with the books Messiah the Prince and Explicitly Christian Politics, were distributed to key members of the House and Senate along with their respective staff members. Moreover, complementary subscriptions to The Christian Statesman were advanced to each.
Personal appointments were conducted with Rep. Asa Hutchison of Arkansas, Rep. John Hostettler of Indiana, Rep. J.D. Haworth of Arizona, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, and Rep. Steven LaTourette of Ohio. Meetings were also held with staff members of Rep. Helen Chenowith Hage of Idaho, Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, Sen. Don Nickles of Oklahoma, Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, and Sen. Mike DeWine, also of Ohio. Also, materials were distributed to staff members of Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia.
Of special note, House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Delay's office will be crafting a proclamation that calls America back to her Christian foundation. We will be helping with the language of the bill so as to reflect more perfectly the particular goals of the National Reform Association. Moreover, we will be working with Rep. Helen Chenowith Hage on a National Day of Repentance which will cover not only the more obvious of our national sins, but will also address our lack of adherence to, and confession of, the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the civil sphere.
It was especially gratifying to meet with Rep. Asa Hutchison and Rep. John Hostettler. Hutchison was immediately impressed by our organization's Calvinistic and Reformed worldview. Hostettler was heartily encouraged by Explicitly Christian Politics, and his chief of staff is a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Sen. Don Nickles of Oklahoma has sent correspondence in appreciation for our visit and has been quite impressed with Symington's Messiah the Prince. Another encouraging sign was the interest exhibited by the staff members of the various representatives.
The common refrain from all was that the National Reform Association needed a permanent presence on Capitol Hill. This would facilitate constant interaction with our elected officials and help to craft legislation on issues important to our cause. At present, I am approaching financiers and trusts for the monies to open an NRA office in Washington D.C. There are already very positive signs that this could become a reality before the end of the year.
A follow-up trip to Washington is being planned. Keep us all in your prayers.
- Rev. Jeffrey A. Ziegler, President
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