LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING MARCH 11, 2005
HOUSE AND SENATE IN SESSION
CONGRESS
TERRI'S LAW
Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) has introduced the Incapacited Persons Legal Protection Act in the Senate. It is significant that this Republican Senator would for his very first bill propose pro-life legislation. The legislation was prepared along with Congressman Dave Weldon (R-FL) to protect the rights and interests of individuals unable to speak for themselves in defending their own lives. The legislation was drafted in light of what has happened in the Terri Schiavo case in Florida. Both Senator Martinez and Congressman Weldon are from Florida. I have met with both Senator Martinez and Congressman Weldon and they are adamant that this bill pass before Terri's feeding tube is removed on the 18th by order of a state judge. On Thursday of this week a major press conference was held in the Russell Senate Office Building in support of the legislation, at which Senator Martinez, Congressman Weldon and numerous supporters of the legislation spoke including Peggy Birchfield of the Religious Freedom Coalition. (To read the official RFC press statement click here) Convicted capital felons who face the death penalty have numerous rights of appeal, independent counsel and effective legal representation, often paid for by the state. On the other hand there is no independent counsel to represent an incapacitated person such as Terry Schiavo. In her case her parents are paying legal bills out of pocket to keep her alive, since a court has given her husband permission to end her life. You can help ... Please contact your congressman and Senators and ask them to support the Incapacited Persons Legal Protection Act.
MORE DEAD WOMEN?
The abortion drug, RU-486 has killed three American women that we know of, since it was approved by the Clinton Administration as a human pesticide to kill unborn babies. Since doctors frequently mask abortion related deaths to protect the abortion industry, the death count could be higher. In addition over 600 "serious" adverse effects of the drug to women have been reported to the maker of the death drug. Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) and Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) have introduced legislation to remove RU-486 from the market until the FDA can prove it is safe. RFC Executive Director Peggy Birchfield participated in the Thursday news conference introducing the bill. To read the complete RFC press release on the RU-486 Suspension Act please click here.
INTERNATIONAL
UNITED NATIONS
In a stunning victory for the Bush Administration and for social conservative lobbying groups, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution banning all forms of human cloning, including cloning of human embryos for stem cell research. The vote was 84 to 34, with 37 abstentions. Britain, Belgium and China immediately announced that the resolution was not binding and that they would ignore it and continue to experiment with human life. Why aren't John Kerry, Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy complaining about these nations not adhering to UN policy? They want the United States to obey the UN, but I guess it is OK for others just to blow off the resolutions when they don't like them. The Religious Freedom Coalition was one of the social conservative NGOs lobbying for a cloning ban resolution.
IRAN
During the week I met twice with Iranian resistance leaders who want to bring down the fascist mullahs of Iran and replace them with a secular democratic government that would foster religious freedom in that beleaguered nation. I also met several times during the week with Jerry Corsi, the co-author of Unfit For Command, the book that helped to sink John Kerry's bid for the presidency. Jerry has authored a new book using inside information from the Iranian resistance about the nuclear capacities of the Iranian Mullahs. The book, Atomic Iran , will be available in bookstores on March 22, 2005. Jerry Corsi gave me galley copies of the book some months ago and I was so impressed with his research and insight that I wrote one of the forwards for Atomic Iran . Because of our agreement with the publisher we cannot ship the book until March 22nd. Although the book has not been released it is in its third printing just from pre-orders and is already over the 140,000 mark. You may have problems finding one! Atomic Iran is in our warehouse and we can ship you one on March 22nd if you order now! Order today and we will reserve one of the copies we have in stock. This book could change everything, including US policy.
WEST BANK
I received an e-mail from one of the evangelists we support in the West Bank yesterday and I would ask that you read it. The e-mail has been converted to a PDF - Click here to read. Many of the Christian Palestinian men who are under death warrant from the PA and who now live in Israel have no work permits as yet. Because the process to obtain a work permit takes some time, they must find odd jobs here and there and sometimes they are not paid. Some have been able to move their families to Israel, but most have not. The e-mail is about one such man whose family needs help. For weeks I have been trying to raise our $100,000 budget to help Christian families such as the one mentioned in the e-mail and I can honestly say that it has not gone well. We have not even hit the $30,000 mark and our mission trip to deliver aid to these families is just a few weeks away. After reading the e-mail we wired $500 to immediately help the family and we will review his case when we get to Israel and give him additional funds at that time. The RFC is not a charity; it is a religious organization and as such we can and do discriminate. In Israel and the West Bank we help only Christian families in need.
Contributions to our West Bank (Samaria) projects can be made either by mail or online using a secure server. To contribute to this project by mail please send a check to:
Religious Freedom Coalition, PO Box 77511, Washington, DC 20013
Be sure to note on your check that the funds are for our April Holy Land Mission. Please give credit card donations online at: http://www.rfcnet.org/donate.html.
PRICE REDUCED FOR OLIVE OIL SOAP!
As part of our ongoing support of Christian Palestinians we have been making available the handmade olive oil soap from Samaria for about $5.00 a bar for several years. Part of the cost was the shipment by air from Israel. We have now been able to arrange transportation of a large quantity by ship and this has allowed us to reduce the price and still send the same amount of money to Christian Palestinian families. The handmade olive oil soap is now just $3.95 per bar! To learn more about this handmade olive oil soap click here.
OUR STORES
Every time you visit one of our online stores it helps us with our various projects. Our in-house store which contains many Holy Land related and Patriotic items is located at www.rfcstore.com. We also have an association with a larger online Christian bookstore that gives the RFC a commission for each item sold. When you shop at either store it helps us a great deal!
PLEASE TELL SOMEONE ABOUT THESE UPDATES
You are invited to forward copies of this Legislative Update to your friends. Please tell them it is issued weekly free of charge and that we do not share our e-mail lists with any other organizations. In 2005 we are praying to top the 100,000 subscribers mark and you can help. If this e-mail was forwarded to you, please subscribe at http://www.rfcnet.org/subscribe.asp .
William J. Murray, Chairman
Religious Freedom Coalition, P.O. Box 77511, Washington, DC 20013. Phone: (202) 543-0300
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Religious Freedom Coalition * Copyright - 2005