HOUSE IN SESSION / SENATE IN SESSION

THE PRESIDENT

IMMIGRATION

On Monday May 15th President George W. Bush addressed the nation on the immigration issue which is fast dividing the nation and the Republican party. During his policy making address he promised to send 6,000 unarmed National Guardsmen to our southern border to help the Border Control with logistics including surveillance, fence repairs and paperwork. The President then backed the Senate version of a new immigration bill that would allow those breaking our laws for the longest periods to receive the greater reward. Those who have violated the law for more than five years would receive a direct path to citizenship, even if they were currently committing felonies such as using false Social Security numbers to work. (What would happen to me if I used a false Social Security number to avoid taxes?) The Senate bill the President backs would allow 193 million aliens to move to the United States legally over the next 20 years. By contrast the current population of the United States is 293 million. (Click here for alien increase story)

OUR TAXES GO DOWN

Earlier this month President George W. Bush won a major victory in Congress with the passage of tax cut extensions including a 15% cap on capital gains. However, the AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax) deferral was extended for only one year. The AMT was devised in the 1960's to stop millionaires from avoiding taxes by way of exemptions; however, with inflation it began to affect middle class Americans. While the tax relief does favor those in the top brackets, virtually all economists believe these cuts will continue to stimulate the economy and create jobs. Conservative leaders of all stripes were invited to the signing of the bill on the South Lawn of the White House including myself, my wife Nancy and our Executive Director, Peggy Birchfield.

THE SENATE

MARRIAGE

The Senate Judiciary Committee headed by somewhat liberal Republican Arlen Specter (R-PA) actually passed the Amendment to our Constitution limiting marriage to be between one man and one woman. The Amendment would thus bar same-sex marriage and polygamy. The hearings broke down into a shouting match as Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) stormed out of the meeting screaming at Senator Specter. As Feingold left the room Specter said "good riddance." Democrats fear a floor vote on this Amendment because the vast majority of the American people believe that marriage should indeed be for John and May rather than John and Ted. I believe Feingold, who plans to run for President, and many other Democrats will boycott the vote when it comes to the floor of the Senate rather than vote against it and face the music for their actions in their home states. (Click here for shouting match story)

IMMIGRATION

Under the leadership of Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) the Senate spent the entire week debating a new immigration bill the provisions of which would reward law breakers and punish those who abide by the rules of law. As stated above, those in the United States illegally the longest, who have "roots," would get a direct path to citizenship. Those who have violated more laws longer will receive greater benefits than those who just arrived. There is no need to elaborate on the "work" done on the Immigration Reform bill this week because it is absolutely dead on arrival on the House side. (See below)

IMMIGRATION AND SOCIAL SECURITY

The Senate voted late in the week to grant full Social Security benefits to illegal aliens. With this provision anyone who is an illegal alien and who was committing a felony by using a false or fraudulently obtained Social Security number cannot be prosecuted but will receive the same Social Security benefits as honest Americans. Citizens, however, are not off the hook. Any American citizen who used a stolen or fraudulently obtained Social Security number to hide assets or employment will still be prosecuted as a felon and sent to jail. (Click here for full story)

THIS IS THE SENATE MESSAGE TO YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN: If enough people break the law our government will change the law and make their actions legal and even reward them. If enough underage kids drink alcohol the Senate will lower the age for drinking, and if enough people go over 90 miles an hour on the Interstate the Senate will raise the speed limit. The majority of the Senate says that "Thou shalt not bear false witness" is sort of a joke that God did not really mean and that all of our laws are meant to be broken so don't pay too much attention to any of them.

THE HOUSE

IMMIGRATION

Individual congressmen are more vote sensitive than Senators, since each congressional district has just about 250,000 voters. Any congressman voting to increase the population of his district by 40% with immigrants by 2026 can kiss his seat in the House goodbye. This fact is very apparent in Utah where a powerful GOP congressman is fighting a desperate battle just to win the nomination of his party. In the first round of GOP convention voting, Congressman Chris Cannon received only 36% of the vote versus 42% for real estate developer John Jacob. After others dropped out, he still trailed Jacob 52% to 48%. Under party rules, if no one gets 60% at a convention there has to be an actual primary election. The big issue in the race is immigration, with the incumbent Chris Cannon backing a form of amnesty and a very generous guest worker program. (Click here for full story)

INTERNATIONAL

RFC STATUS AT UN "DEFERRED" AGAIN

Once again this week the official NGO "consultative status" for the Religious Freedom Coalition through the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC ) has been put off at the United Nations because of further questions about our application. The questions now center around what we would do to help Muslims have religious freedom. Converts to Christianity in Iran are tortured and murdered. In most Islamic nations the punishment for conversion from Islam to Christianity is death. Compare that to Muslims rioting because they are insulted by cartoons published in a free Western press. What a farce. This battle to obtain our official NGO status at the UN is costing us money and your help is needed. Please help by giving a tax deductible donation this week. Click here to help now!

FULL REPORT ON WORLD CONGRESS OF FAMILIES

A complete report of our participation in the May 5 -9 special planning committee meeting for the World Congress of Families IV in Warsaw, Poland is now available in PDF form. The RFC is a sponsor of this international forum for pro-family leaders, scholars and activists whose foremost goal is to preserve marriage and the traditional family. The next World Congress of Families has been set for May 11-13, 2007 in Warsaw, Poland. Click here to view the entire report.

IRAQ JOINS BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL

The men and women of our armed services, including many Jews, have died to bring democracy and Western values to Afghanistan and Iraq. First Afghanistan announced it would execute any Muslim who converted to Christianity and now Iraq has announced it will join the Arab boycott of Israel. The Muslim mind apparently is not capable of thankfulness or of reason. We should never have allowed Iraqis to write a constitution for themselves. Remember that at the end of WW II we forced democracy on  Germany at the point of a gun; in the same manner, we should have written and handed a democratic constitution to Iraq. The Iraqi government has become a joke and we are spilling the blood of our brave young men and women to install yet another despotic anti-Semitic regime in the Middle East. (Click here for full story.)

PLEDGE PROTECTION

Have you signed the Pledge Protection Act petition? Click here for information.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COALITION

PLEASE HELP

We need more staff to get more done on Capitol Hill. One more full time staffer is needed to work the Senate side of the Hill on the Pledge Protection Act. We really need a businessman or foundation to step forward and help generously. If you can arrange a large gift or grant to the Religious Freedom Coalition please call Peggy Birchfield or myself at 202.543.0300. Smaller donations are also needed now. Please help with our various projects on Capitol Hill and in the Holy Land. Please make your donation today! Click here to give a gift or send your tax deductible donation to the address below.

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William J Murray, Chairman

Religious Freedom Coalition , PO Box 77511, Washington, DC 20013 - (202) 543-0300

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Religious Freedom Coalition * Copyright - 2006