House Republicans promise votes on their "American Values Agenda"

WASHINGTON — House Republicans intend to hold votes this summer and fall touching on abortion, guns, religion and other priority issues for social conservatives, part of an attempt to improve the party's prospects in November's midterm elections.

The "American Values Agenda" also includes a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage — which has failed in the Senate — a prohibition on human cloning and possibly votes on several popular tax cuts.

"Radical courts have attempted to gut our religious freedom and redefine the value system on which America was built. We hope to restore some of those basic values through passing this legislative agenda and renewing our country's commitment to faith, freedom and life," Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said Tuesday.

The priorities are part of competing attempts by the two parties to appeal to target voters in the fall campaign, with control of the House and Senate at stake. Political strategists say that by bringing such issues to a vote, one party can broadly emphasize differences with the other on an issue such as abortion and increase the determination of its supporters to go to the polls. Several GOP aides, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Republicans were hoping to increase voter intensity among conservatives.

House Republicans got a head start on their agenda Tuesday, winning approval of legislation designed to guarantee members of condominium associations or similar groups the right to display the U.S. flag. The measure cleared with no dissent.

"Family, faith, patriotism and hard work bind us together as Americans. Our laws should reflect those priorities, and House Republicans are committed to the American Values Agenda, policies that stress the core values on which our nation was built," said Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri, third-ranking member of the leadership.

Other measures are certain to ignite controversy. One would strip the Supreme Court and other federal courts of jurisdiction over cases challenging the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Another would block the payment of attorney fees in challenges to the display of the Ten Commandments in public areas and other, similar church-state lawsuits.

An abortion-related proposal would require that some women seeking to end their pregnancies be informed the procedure "will cause the unborn child pain" and they have the option of receiving drugs to reduce or eliminate it.