Week Ending September 5, 2003
Religious Freedom Coalition
September 5, 2003 4:03PM EST
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 5, 2003
Special Notice: Over the Labor Day Weekend we received an unusually large number of orders for
More Than a Prophet, the book by Arab Christian brothers describing the difference between Christianity and Islam. If you ordered a copy please be patient as our stock ran out and we had to order more. Most orders are now filled, but some will not be shipped until Monday, September 8th.CONGRESS IN SESSION
THE HOUSE
CHARITABLE GIVING ACT
The Majority Whip,
Congressman Roy Blunt (R-MO), is an original co-sponsor of the Charitable Giving Act (HR-7) along with Congressman Harold Ford (D-TN). The bill moves to "mark up" in the Ways and Means Committee next Tuesday. This is a small part of President George W. Bush's faith-based initiative that has been previously gutted by Senator Edward Kennedy and his liberal colleages in the Senate. This does not mean that a victory for the Charitable Giving Act is meaningless; it is an important vehicle to take government out of the charity business and return it to the private sector.Like most bills passed by Congress that actually have some effect, HR-7 is about money and taxes. In this case the bill frees up previously frozen and or highly taxed funds for charitable giving. For example, if a fairly blessed person wanted to give a $50,000 gift from excess funds in their IRA to a charity or Christian school, they would be penalized by the IRS unless they are past the age of 70 ½. Under Congressman Blunt's bill, there is no penalty and their donation is tax free. The bill also allows the 86 million Americans who do not itemize their taxes to claim deductions for charitable giving. This will encourage more giving to non-profits and charities. Corporations are also given tax breaks if they donate more to charitable organizations. Liberals who want government to supply all social services at the expense of taxpayers have tried to derail such bills in the past.
SPECIAL NOTE:
Please continue to pray for the health of Congressman Blunt. Just as the August recess began he had surgery for prostate cancer. Although this was his second cancer operation since being elected to Congress, it appears he is now cancer free, but still needs and deserves our prayers. Congressman Blunt is a great conservative and a man who follows the Scriptures while conducting his elected duties.APPROPRIATIONS BILLS
There are 13 major appropriations or spending bills that Congress must pass each year to keep the government operating. With a Republican in the White House, most Democrats feel it is their duty to derail budget bills to slow down the Bush agenda. Majority Whip Blunt believes that all 13 appropriations bills are on track to send to the Senate in a timely manner. What will happen in the Senate is another issue.
THE SENATE
SELFISH CAPITALIST REPUBLICANS?
Senator Bill Frist, the Senate Majority Leader, returned to the United States from Africa just one day before the session began. While liberal Democrat Senators spent their August recess bashing our troops, our President, rich people and business in general, Senator Frist, who is a medical doctor, performed operations for free in impoverished Africa. I know of not one Democrat Senator who volunteered to work free in Africa this summer. When he returned, Senator Frist sent me an e-mail which included these comments,"
For the two weeks prior to my medical mission trip I hosted 5 other U.S. Senators to a fact finding mission on HIV AIDS on the southern part of the African continent. The trip was successful and will allow us to spend wisely the $15 billion that President Bush committed to fight this greatest of all public health challenges in the past 100 years, HIV in Africa.
"THE FIGHT FOR JUDGES
"Catholics need not apply." That is the message from
Senator Chuck Schumer of New York and other Democrats in the Senate who are filibustering judicial appointments made by President George W. Bush. One of those Catholic judicial candidates appointed by President George W. Bush has dropped out of the fight. Although very qualified for the Federal Bench, this fine Hispanic candidate was blocked by liberal Democrat Senators because of his conservative Catholic views. Miguel Estrada's withdrawal is a blow it the Catholic and Hispanic communities and a victory for pro-abortion Senators.MARRIAGE
The
Republican Policy Committee, under the direction of Senator Jon Kyl has produced a report entitled "The Threat to Marriage from the Courts." This is an extremely well done and analytical report on the effects of the recent Lawrence and Goodridge cases which legalized sodomy and made "gay marriage" more likely. While the report is too large to reproduce here, I urge you to read it at the RPC site. Click hereTHE PRESIDENCY
THE GOOD NEWS:
On Friday, August 29th President George W. Bush extended the Mexico City Policy first established by President Ronald Reagan to cover all State Department programs. The Mexico City Policy prohibited federal funds from being used by USAID; however, Planned Parenthood and other organizations were able to use funds from other State Department programs to promote murder of the unborn. President Bush extended the ban on the use of Federal funds to every State Department program. The was a bold step by President Bush. Expect outraged pro-abortionists such as Senators Schumer, Clinton and Kennedy to try use legislation to once again help Planned Parenthood and other organizations that promote infanticide. (See Memorandum)THE BAD NEWS:
President Bush has been pushed by the polls to ask the United Nations for "help" in Iraq. The Administration did not anticipate Jihad warriors from Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations coming to Iraq to fight the concept of democracy. He now sees our military stuck and vulnerable along with his reelection plans. Going to the UN has major risks. Conservatives will be outraged and liberals will say it is proof we needed the United Nations all along. But there is even worse news for the civilized peoples of the world in the President's decision. By going to the United Nations for help, the President has sent a message to our enemies that assassinations and car bombs work. This will make the radical Islamic forces in the world even more bold in their bombings. A civilian train was bombed in Russia this week. The message to Russia is as clear as it is to the United States: "We Muslims will continue to kill civilians until we have every demand met, and our final demand is world domination." Will going to the United Nations for "help" stop bombings by Muslim terrorists? No. The reverse is true. The inability of the United States to stay the course against terror in Iraq will bring more terror to our shores.THE UGLY NEWS:
Nuclear war in the Middle East is now almost a certainty according to my intelligence contacts, unless the nuclear ambitions of Iran and other Islamic nations are stopped now. Will President George W. Bush give the OK to Israel to take out Iran's Russian built nuclear reactors before they are fueled? How will the President's strong Christian faith affect his decisions? If the President sees nuclear war as a fulfillment of that which Christ spoke about in Matthew 24, would he or should he intervene? With his "Road Map" peace plan torn to tatters by Muslim suicide bombers, does the President still believe peace can come to the Holy Land in this era? If Israel destroys Iran's nuclear capacity without the permission and the protection of the United States, will Israel then face military retaliation from a very anti-Semitic Europe? Full details are in the September edition of the William J. Murray Report.SEPTEMBER 11
In about a week we will be at the second anniversary of the 9-11 Jihad attack on the United States. Stores have stopped selling patriotic items and we have long been back to "business as usual" in Congress with backbiting and accusations flying wildly. Our airports have become so "secure" that a bum was recently found on an American Eagle plane in the early morning hours. He had found his way past security and slept the night in the aircraft. Illegal aliens with the help of the ACLU are demanding free tuition at Virginia's universities (How did they get here?) Iran and Korea are manufacturing nuclear weapons and we are turning to the anti-Semitic, anti-American United Nations for help in Iraq.
We here at the Religious Freedom Coalition still remember the Jihad attack against us and what it really represents. (
Read my statement from last year.) We also continue to offer patriotic items at our online store. We still offer patriotic and Christian ties for men. For ladies we found patriotic scarves. We have an "In God We Trust" scarf that is a good match to the "Under God" tie. For couples that attend political meetings or conventions it is a set they have to have. For ladies' scarves click here. For men's ties click here. Guys ... the Inspiration socks are now in stock. To view socks click here.WRAP UP
Check our Internet site at
www.rfcnet.org for last minute updates! Please feel free to forward this weekly update to friends. We are now at over 60,000 subscribers .... Get the word out and help us hit the 100,000 mark by the end of the year! See below for subscribe/unsubscribe instructions. God richly bless you, that is my prayer.William J. Murray, Chairman -
Religious Freedom CoalitionCheck out our new
support page. Your gift to the RFC helps us with our advocacy work in Washington, DC.Please address all comments and questions to
support@rfcnet.org. Visit our online bookstore! TO SUBSCRIBE / UNSUBSCRIBE CLICK HERE| Religious Freedom Coalition P.O. Box 77511 Washington, DC 20013 General Correspondence: support@rfcnet.org Special Events: events@rfcnet.org | DC Advocacy Office: (202) 543-0300 Administration: (202) 742-8990 |