LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 12, 2003
CONGRESS IN RECESS
THE SENATE
The Senate will reconvene January 20, 2004
SENATOR BILL FRIST
Senator Bill Frist , the majority leader of the Senate sent me an e-mail yesterday listing what he referred to as the accomplishments of the Republican Senate this year. He listed tax cuts and Medicare reform of course. His list also included items important to social conservatives such as us. Many of the accomplishments he refers to were worked on by Religious Freedom Coalition staff here in Washington, DC., and they are as follows:
- Passed Partial Birth Abortion Ban
- Passed DC School Choice to expand choice and alternatives for children in failing District of Columbia schools (in conference)
- Banned patenting of humans at all stages of development
- Defeated Senator Patty Murray's amendment to permit abortions at military facilities
- Defeated Senator Patty Murray's amendment to add "morning after" pill to drug health plans
- Passed Global HIV/AIDS bill with emphasis on abstinence and faithfulness (ABC)
- Passed amendment to ensure foreign aid does not support groups who favor legalizing prostitution
- Passed Adoption Protection Act
- Passed Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act
- Approved 13 Circuit Court nominees and 55 District judges
- Forced 16 cloture votes of Democrat filibusters of judges
- Proposed rules change to permit fewer votes to stop filibuster of nominees
This does not sound like a huge list of accomplishments until one considers Senate rules and the power of individual Senators. Many of these battles were fought day and night with Senators like Ted Kennedy, Tom Daschle and Hillary Clinton fighting and clawing away at their conservative colleagues. Greater victories can be won, but only with more social conservative Senators in office.
CAMPAIGN "REFORM"
The Supreme Court of the United States by a vote of 5 to 4 has limited the free speech rights of the Religious Freedom Coalition and other organizations like ours. The Court has ruled that the Campaign Finance Reform laws limiting the free speech rights of advocacy organizations are constitutional. As part of that "reform" the Religious Freedom Coalition will not be allowed to buy advertisements on TV or radio to publicize the voting record of incumbents or make comments about any candidate within 30 days of a primary or 60 days of a general election. I like to call this "The Incumbent Protection Act." It is hard for me to understand why any fair minded congressman or Senator voted for this act or why President George W. Bush signed it into law. I believe many voted for the "popular reforms" and the President signed it believing that the Supreme Court would uphold our Constitutional right of free speech. They were wrong.
GET THIS: Corporations can no longer give soft money to political parties; however, The Disney Corporation and General Electric are exempt from all these laws because they own TV stations. (This is why the NRA announced they may buy a TV station.) The media, which is big business, can do and say what they want, but small organizations like the Religious Freedom Coalition now have a gag order imposed on them before elections. I can still write to you, I can still send an Op-ed to a newspaper, but I can't buy advertising. Does this sound fair? Does it sound like reform or does it sound like repression?
However, as the chairman of a PAC I can buy advertising! Ten years ago I formed one of the very first social conservative political action committees and called it GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOD - PAC (GING-PAC) because I believe the government is not God and should not try to be. The purpose of GING-PAC , ever since it participated in Newt Gingrich's Republican Revolution which took the House and Senate in 1994, has been to elect social conservative candidates. GING-PAC now becomes an important political player because political action committees are allowed to advertise prior to an election. The very fact that I am chairman of an advocacy organization and of a PAC, and that one is allowed to advertise prior to an election and the other is not, shows how ridiculous the Campaign Finance "Reform" law is. I write a monthly Campaign Update for GING-PAC. (Click here to read.)
THE HOUSE
The House reconvenes January 20, 2004
ADDS TO OMNIBUS BILLS
Before adjourning for the year, the House managed to pass some more social conservative legislation, but as part of the Omnibus bill, not as stand-alone legislation. The Omnibus bill is the spending bill that allows the government to continue to operate while final approval of all of the 13 appropriations bills is pending. Among items we like that were in the bill was a school voucher program for Washington, DC as well as Congressman Dave Weldon's (R-FL) entire bill that bans patents on human cloning. As an amendment to the Omnibus bill it prohibits the patent office from accepting patents on human embryos. Dr. Weldon stated, "My amendment codifies existing patent office practice, ensuring that patents cannot be granted on human organisms, including human embryos and human fetuses..." Dr. Weldon believes the amendment will make it unprofitable for firms to experiment on unborn babies to produce various biochemical products.
The House also passed the Trafficking Victims' Protection Reauthorization Act. This important legislation helps stop sex trafficking of women and young boys all over the world. Many of the victims are brought into the United States and work in houses of prostitution as near slaves, unable to leave the buildings and receiving virtually no wages for their "work." Another feature stops sex clubs in the United States from arranging "sex tours" to Asian nations for the purpose of sex with children. These tours are very popular among homosexuals.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Two weeks ago the Religious Freedom Coalition offered a Ten Commandments plaque to subscribers as part of an article on Judge Roy Moore and the whole Ten Commandments issue. The plaque features the Ten Commandments etched into Jerusalem stone. I was surprised by the level of interest. We ran out in one day and had to have more manufactured. As I mentioned last week I received a lot of e-mails complaining that only the Protestant version of the Commandments had been offered. We worked with the manufacturer and obtained a Catholic version. Sure enough I received e-mails from (I am not kidding) Jewish folks who said I would not need to offer separate Catholic and Protestant versions of the Commandments if we produced a version directly from the Torah. Several of the e-mails came from Israel which shows that this update is read worldwide. (I also received an e-mail from France asking why anyone would want a Ten Commandments plaque, but I think it was a joke.) Some evangelicals are upset that a Catholic version was offered as well. The Religious Freedom Coalition is not a denomination, it is an advocacy organization. We promote social conservative legislation and as result our subscribers are conservative Protestants in virtually every denomination, conservative Catholics and even some Orthodox Jews.
Regardless of the e-mails the Ten Commandments plaques are being offered one last time before Christmas in both the Protestant and Catholic versions. Orders received this weekend will be sent by UPS or FedEx ground on Monday or Tuesday and should arrive in plenty of time for Christmas. I have noted that many Christian dentists and doctors are ordering these for their waiting rooms and I am glad we can participate in helping them display their faith to their patients.
The Ten Commandments plaque is 9" by 4.75" and weighs almost two pounds. It is framed in antique gold and has a hook on the back for hanging.
We are not merely selling these; we are helping Christians who live and work in the Holy Land as well. The funds from the sale of these Ten Commandments Plaques are used to fund Religious Freedom Coalition activities in the West Bank including financial aid to Christian schools.
The plaque comes with a certificate of authenticity that it is indeed genuine Jerusalem stone. This Ten Commandments plaque is well worth $40.00 and there is no tax and no shipping fee! A wonderful Christmas gift. Click here to order yours today !
William J. Murray, Chairman - Religious Freedom Coalition
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