Dear John,

Just two years ago, the longest running circus in U.S. history called it quits. No longer do the Ringling Brothers transport massive tents, trotting out brightly painted clowns and large animals to entertain audiences. It was the end of an era.

This year, another "circus" -- one featuring its own black-robed judges acting like clowns, who have for decades trampled American liberties -- looks like its run might also be ending.

For good reason, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals earned a nickname of the "ninth circus." In 2002, this influential federal court ruled that teachers leading the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools was unconstitutional -- because the Pledge contains the words "under God."

Thankfully, the Supreme Court reversed that ruling as a matter of procedural law, but the decision showed how radical the Ninth Circuit court has become. But perhaps the days of a left-leaning "circus" are numbered.

In August, observers were stunned when this court located in San Francisco upheld a Trump administration regulation that resulted in Planned Parenthood losing over $16 million in annual Title X federal family planning grants when they chose not to comply with the administrations Protect Life Rule.

Make no mistake, this is a huge victory for life. The ruling stopped taxpayers' dollars from going to family planning clinics that either perform abortions or provide abortion referrals.

FRC has been advocating this policy change for years. It's only through your support that we can continue being a persistent voice for pro-life advances!

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Unsurprisingly, Planned Parenthood announced its clinics would not stop performing abortions or referring patients for abortion -- proving once again that the very profitable "nonprofit" group's priority is not women's health, but rather ending innocent lives in the womb.

So, what happened to shift the "ninth circus"?

As of July, President Trump has nominated -- and the Senate confirmed -- seven conservative judges to that infamously liberal court. Three more vacancies are currently in process. This means the balance of power is shifting back towards the Constitution.

While we are closely monitoring the lower courts, we must be prepared for what will likely be the most contentious judicial battle of our lifetimes: the next vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.

When the day comes that one of the nine justices retires, FRC will be ready to examine any nominee's record and speak truth -- to the media and Capitol Hill leaders.

FRC's Policy and Government Affairs team conducts thorough research on court nominees, parsing through their writings to discern how they approach the law. We seek to answer: "Are their past opinions based on political agendas, or grounded in the Constitution?"

Even if the current Supreme Court justices remain for some time, FRC has plenty of work to do. By the end of his first term, President Trump is on-track to nominate enough judges to replace fully 30 percent of the entire federal bench.

Judges will shape court decisions for a generation, long after the president leaves the White House. That's why we must remain engaged -- monitoring and praying -- throughout the year.

Will you keep FRC fully resourced and ready to respond regarding judges?

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Through relationships with members of Congress, we remind them to assess nominees to the courts based on their adherence to the Constitution, and to give them a fair up-or-down vote.

When what we learn needs to be broadcast nationwide to turn up the heat, FRC is ready then, too. Our national radio show, Washington Watch, far-reaching social media presence, daily email update, and more inform Americans on nominees and the cases before the courts. From our state-of-the-art TV studio, I am often invited on cable news programs to offer analysis.

All of these communication channels require funding so we can advance our message and amplify your voice.

Whether you gave last month or last year, thank you for fueling our mission -- and I appeal to you to help us in this hour.

Your contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.