James Dobson announces new public policy center

Dr. James Dobson

James Dobson, the Christian psychologist who heads Family Talk radio, announced on Friday the creation of a new public policy center and the appointment of Jenna Ellis, a constitutional law attorney, as its director.

Dobson is an outspoken conservative Christian who has advised numerous presidents, written dozens of books and guided Christian families across America in negotiating the intricate pathways of fatherhood and motherhood for decades.

Dobson made the announcement along with his James Dobson Family Institute of the expansion of the organization's day-to-day public advocacy efforts during a "time of critical importance and unprecedented opportunity for the future of America."

JDFI Executive Director Tim Clinton joined in the announcement.

"I am pleased that Jenna Ellis has joined the JDFI as the director of our Public Policy Center," said Dobson. "She brings with her a deep knowledge of the Constitution balanced with a passion for Christ. Her experience and talents are playing a valuable role as we expand our work advocating on behalf of the preservation of the family in America."

Clinton added: "Jenna’s talents are obvious to anyone who has met her in person or seen her on television providing excellent policy and legal analysis. She speaks to the next, most critical generation of Americans, those raising families and building our future. She;s already proven to be a passionate advocate for traditional biblical values and we are excited to add her formidable legal mind to the JDFI’s growing team."

Dobson has consulted with five U.S. presidents and serves today on President Trump's Faith Advisory Board.

He been called by the New York Times "the most influential evangelical leader in the country."

He also co-founded the Alliance Defending Freedom and the Family Research Council, two of the organizations with the highest profiles in the battles for religious rights and America's Christian heritage.

"Our Founding Fathers knew well that virtue and faith among the people and its elected leaders were the requisite bedrock of our institutions and laws," said Ellis. "Virtue and faith have been under siege for decades, and Dr. Dobson was one of the first to sound the alarm and put his concern and voice into organized public action. For more than 40 years he has been fighting to preserve the family and the moral character of the nation in the public sphere, and I am honored to join him and Dr. Clinton in that mission."

Since joining JDFI, Ellis has contributed pieces to Washington Examiner, the Daily Wire, National Review and appeared on "Cavuto Live" and Fox Business News.

Dobson is not known for concealing the biblical truths that he believes the world needs to understand, warning last summer that Iceland was heading toward Nazi-era eugenics by eliminating Down syndrome babies through abortion.

Dobson, who was an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine for 14 years, warned that a child born with a chromosome defect is no less made in the image of God than anyone.

He was joined at the time by actress Patricia Heaton in condemning the practice.

"Iceland isn’t actually eliminating Down syndrome. They're just killing everybody that has it. Big difference," Heaton said.

He also warned against the Obama administration's gay activism within the U.S. military and called for civil disobedience when California tried to force crisis pregnancy centers to advertise abortion.

That effort recently was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

"If California attempts to enforce this law then do not comply," he said at the time. "Make them put you in jail."

Further, he warned when the U.S. Supreme Court was figuring a strategy to create same-sex marriage for the nation that "sin" was about to become a "constitutional right." He also told Obama to "come and get me" when the president was demanding organizations like his Christian foundation pay for abortions for employees.