Donald Trump Presidential Transition Presents 'Grave Dangers, Crucial Opportunities,' Says ACLJ
The American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative law group that has strongly opposed outgoing President Barack Obama's domestic and foreign policies, has outlined its hopes for President-elect Donald Trump, noting there are "crucial opportunities" that should not be missed.
"The American people have spoken. They have demanded change. They have rejected the failed policies of the last four years. They have demanded accountability from our leaders and an adherence to our Constitution," ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow wrote on Wednesday.
"As President-elect Donald J. Trump prepares to assume office, the American Center for Law and Justice believes that this transition presents the United States with grave dangers and crucial opportunities," he added.
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The group warned of the dangers of "lawless Executive overreach" in the final weeks of Obama's presidency, and presented an extensive list of areas where it will seek to oppose his administration.
The ACLJ vowed to oppose Obama's "hostility toward Israel;" to oppose all of his nominations to the federal courts; and to urge protection for Christians and other religious minorities facing genocide at the hands of the Islamic State terror group.
"Since ISIS (the Islamic State) has carried out one unthinkable atrocity after another, this genocide demands an immediate response by the Obama administration. Therefore we will continue to challenge the Obama administration's inaction and we will continue to demand action consistent with our plan to combat genocide," Sekulow wrote.
As for Trump's incoming administration, the ACLJ said that the new president must focus on repealing and replacing Obamacare with a "patient-centered, consumer-driven program." It also called on Trump to defund Planned Parenthood and put an end to the $500 million in taxpayer dollars that are given to the nation's largest abortion provider every year.
Additionally, the law group said Trump should repeal the Johnson Amendment, which prevents pastors from endorsing political candidates, and urged for an expansion to U.S. military, aimed at tackling the threats "emerging from the unholy alliance of Russia, Iran, Syria and radical Islamic terror."
The list also called on federal education funding to be redirected in a way that allows parents the right to send their children "to the public, charter, magnet, religious, or home school of their choice."
The ACLJ's full agenda list can be found on its website.
There have been various different voices expressing their hopes and expectations for Trump's presidency when he assumes office in January, with some groups, such as the Assyrian Universal Alliance, reminding the Republican businessman of the ongoing genocide Christians are facing at the hands of IS.
Carlo Kooktapeh Ganjeh of the American chapter of the Alliance wrote in a letter to Trump last week that the world needs "clear direction from the United States for achieving long-lasting peace and security, especially in the Middle East."
The letter called for Trump's support in allowing the Assyrian people to return to their ancestral lands and remain a 'viable segment of the fabric of the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria.'
"We need your support to equip and train the Assyrians in Northern Iraq to defend themselves and their homes on their ancestral lands in the Nineveh Plains in a self-governed Assyrian province," the Christians petitioned.
"We need your support to establish a special zone in the Nineveh Plains for the indigenous people, which should include the areas currently under the control of the Iraqi government army and the Kurdish Peshmerga forces."
