Editing Jesse Helms (section)

===New Senate term===
On January 3, 1979, the first day of [[96th United States Congress|the new Congress]], Helms introduced a constitutional amendment outlawing abortion,<ref>{{cite news |first=Karen |last=De Witt |title=Abortion Foes March in Capital on Anniversary of Legalization |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 23, 1979 |page=C10 }}</ref> on which he led the conservative senators.<ref name="New Right Causes Pressed">{{cite news |first=Steven V. |last=Robert |author-link=Steven V. Roberts |title='New Right' Causes Pressed in Senate |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 1, 1979 |page=B12 }}</ref> Senator Helms was one of several Republican senators who in 1981 called into the White House to express his discontent over the nomination of [[Sandra Day O'Connor]] to the US Supreme Court; their opposition hinged over the issue of O'Connor's presumed unwillingness to overturn the ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' ruling.<ref>Greenburg, Jan Crawford. ''Supreme Conflict: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Control of the United States Supreme Court.'' 2007. Penguin Books. Page 222.</ref> Helms was also the Senate conservatives' leader on [[school prayer]].<ref name="New Right Causes Pressed" /> An amendment proposed by Helms allowing voluntary prayer was passed by the Senate,<ref>{{cite news |first=Seth S. |last=King |title=Senate Again Approves Prayer Bill But Ties It to a Different Measure |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 10, 1979 |page=14 }}</ref> but died in the House committee.<ref>{{cite news |first=Stuart Jr. |last=Taylor |title=The Congress Vs. the Courts |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 16, 1981 |page=16 }}</ref> To that act, Helms also proposed an amendment banning [[sex education]] without written parental consent.<ref>{{cite news |first=Marjorie |last=Hunter |title=Education Department is Backed by Senate in a Victory for Carter |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 1, 1979 |page=B12 }}</ref> In 1979, Helms and Democrat [[Patrick Leahy]] supported a federal [[Taxpayer Bill of Rights]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Steven V. |last=Roberts |author-link=Steven V. Roberts |title=Democratic Senators Showing Fear on '80 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 22, 1979 |page=26 }}</ref>

He joined the [[United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Senate Foreign Relations Committee]], being one of four men critical of Carter who were new to the committee.<ref>{{cite news |first=James |last=Reston |author-link=James Reston |title=A Strange Arms Debate |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 21, 1979 |page=E21 }}</ref> Leader of the pro-[[Taiwan]] congressional lobby,<ref>{{cite news |first=Nicholas |last=Ashford |title=Haig ready to discuss arms sales on Peking visit |work=[[The Times]] |page=9 |date=June 12, 1981 }}</ref> Helms demanded that the People's Republic of China reject the use of force against the [[Republic of China]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Bernard |last=Gwertzman|title=Teng, on Capitol Hill, Says Peking Must Keep Taiwan Options Open |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 31, 1979 |page=1 }}</ref> but, much to his shock, the Carter administration did not ask them to rule it out.<ref>{{cite news |first=Hedrick |last=Smith |author-link=Hedrick Smith |title=Carter's Leadership: Questions in Congress |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 17, 1979 |page=3 }}</ref>

Helms also criticized the government over [[Zimbabwe Rhodesia]], leading support for the [[Internal Settlement]] government<ref>{{cite news |title=Carter policy at stake in two Senate votes |work=[[The Times]] |page=7 |date=July 25, 1978 }}</ref> under [[Abel Muzorewa]], and campaigned along with [[Samuel Hayakawa]] for the immediate lifting of sanctions on Muzorewa's government.<ref>{{cite news |first=John F. |last=Burns |author-link=John F. Burns |title=New Battle in Rhodesia is for the Votes of the Blacks |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 21, 1979 |page=2 }}</ref> Helms complained that it was inconsistent to lift sanctions on [[Uganda]] immediately after [[Idi Amin]]'s departure, but not Zimbabwe Rhodesia after [[Ian Smith]]'s.<ref>{{cite news |title=Senate, Acting on Amin Ouster, Votes to Resume Uganda Trade |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 8, 1979 |page=6 }}</ref> Helms hosted Muzorewa when he visited Washington and met with Carter in July 1979.<ref>{{cite news |title=Carter Tells Muzorewa That U.S. Will Not Lift Rhodesian Sanctions |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 12, 1979 |page=8 }}</ref> He sent two aides to the [[Lancaster House Agreement|Lancaster House Conference]] because he did not "trust the State Department on this issue",<ref name=Reston1979>{{cite news |first=James |last=Reston |author-link=James Reston |title=The Chaos in Foreign Affairs |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 21, 1979 |page=27 }}</ref> thereby provoking British diplomatic complaints.<ref name="British Accuse Senate Aide">{{cite news |first=R. W. Jr. |last=Apple |title=British Accuse Senate Aide on Rhodesia |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 20, 1979 |page=3 }}</ref> His aide [[John Carbaugh]] was accused of encouraging Smith to "hang on" and take a harder line, implying that there was enough support in the US Senate to lift sanctions without a settlement.<ref name=Reston1979 /><ref name="British Accuse Senate Aide" /> Helms introduced legislation that demanded immediate lifting of the sanctions;<ref>{{cite news |first=Graham |last=Hovey |title=Carter Promises to Stop Sanctions After Rhodesia Political Settlement |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 4, 1979 |page=20 }}</ref> as negotiations progressed, Helms complied more with the administration's line, although Senator [[Ted Kennedy]] accused Carter of conceding the construction of a new aircraft carrier in return for Helms's acquiescence on Zimbabwe Rhodesia, which both parties denied.<ref>{{cite news |first=Steven V. |last=Roberts |author-link=Steven V. Roberts |title=Kennedy Sees 'Deal' in Carter Reversal |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 15, 1979 |page=11 }}</ref> Helms's support for lifting sanctions on Zimbabwe Rhodesia may have been grounded in North Carolina's tobacco traders, who would have been the main group benefiting from unilaterally lifting sanctions on tobacco-exporting Zimbabwe Rhodesia.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ann |last=Crittenden |title=Sanction End Held Affecting U.S. Little |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 16, 1979 |page=36 }}</ref>