The Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia is a historical society dedicated to the study of Lincoln. John Elliff is president.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is charged with caring for American veterans, their families and their survivors. Eric Shinseki has been Secretary 0f Veterans Affairs since January 2009.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the nation’s housing agency, charged with increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities, and creating affordable housing. Shaun Donovan has been the Secretary for HUD since January 2009.

The Abraham Lincoln Institute is an organization based in Washington, D.C., that provides free informational resources about the life and work of Lincoln.

David Dion DeGrazia is a philosophy professor at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He has written about the ethics of animal research and is the author of Animal Rights: A Very Short Introduction.

Frankie Trull is founder and president of the Foundation for Biomedical Research, an organization that promotes the responsible use of animal testing in scientific labs.

Gregory Baylor is director of the Christian Legal Society and said outlawing sacramental tea would be the equivalent of banning the wine served at a Roman Catholic Mass.

Rabbi Harold S. White is Jewish chaplaincy director and senior Jewish chaplain at Georgetown University, where he also teaches in the theology department. He is deeply involved in animal protection issues.

Regis John Armstrong is a professor of historical theology and spirituality at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. A Capuchin Friar Minor, he is an expert on St. Francis of Assisi.