Week Ending April 22, 2005
Religious Freedom Coalition
April 22, 2005 4:03PM EST

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING APRIL 22, 2005

HOUSE AND SENATE IN SESSION

PRESIDENCY

ISRAEL AND TERROR

The Administration of George W. Bush has been extremely critical of new construction by Israel in Samaria and Jerusalem. Israel, which is about the size of metropolitan Houston, Texas, has doubled in population since 1967. Most of the West Bank is a wasteland that was uninhabitable until Israeli technology made it possible for people to live in locations such as Ariel. The Bush Administration and the European Union seem intent on concentrating the Jewish population of Israel in an ever shrinking, more easily attacked area. While construction by Israel in Jerusalem is criticized, the thousands of illegally constructed buildings by Arabs in the city have been ignored by the West. On Wednesday I presented a copy of renowned scholar Dr. Justus Weiner's book, Illegal Construction in Jerusalem, to Special Assistant to President Bush, Claude Allen. The book contains photos of buildings and satellite images of areas surrounding Jerusalem, showing thousands of buildings constructed by Arabs without permits, many of them multi-story. MEANWHILE: During a press conference at the White House this week Administration spokesman Scott McClellan referred to the HAMAS candidates running for Palestinian Authority parliament as "business people." He stated that: "While they might have been members of Hamas, they were business professionals ..... improving the quality of life for the Palestinian people." HAMAS, of course, is the organization behind most of the homicide bombings in Israel. The White House now sees HAMAS as having a "terror wing" and a "political wing" and apparently it is OK to deal with and complement the "political wing."

CONGRESS

SENATE JUDGES

The day comes closer for either a major victory on judicial appointments for Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) or a major crack in the ranks of Republicans. Yesterday the Senate Judiciary Committee approved of President Bush's nominees who were filibustered by Democrats in the last Congress. Both of those approved by the Judiciary Committee on a party line vote yesterday were women: Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen and California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown . Justice Brown is the only black woman on the California Supreme Court. The Democrats in the Senate have targeted conservatives who are minorities in fear that high profile minorities who are Republicans will erode their party's base. There is a new Internet site promoting Majority Leader Bill Frist's action in the Senate to eliminate the filibuster on all judicial nominees. While Democrats are unanimous in their opposition to the elimination of the filibuster, Frist has been unable to obtain full support from Senate Republicans. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has publicly voiced his opposition to the elimination of the filibuster saying that in the future under a "liberal Democrat president" Republicans may need the filibuster option themselves.

MORE SENATE NOMINEE PROBLEMS

Yesterday President George W. Bush reiterated his support of John R. Bolton to be Ambassador to the United Nations. Bolton has been an outspoken critic of the corruption in the United Nations and the Democrats want to have someone in the UN who agrees with "international law" and the surrender of national sovereignty. Most liberals want the United States to be a state of the United Nations taking its orders from votes in the UN General Assembly by despotic nations. John Bolton, who is currently Undersecretary of State, does not share this view, but rather agrees with the President that the UN is a forum, not a law making body. With 54 Republican Senators it would appear that the nomination would not have a problem. However, the Senate chamber is actually controlled by liberals. At least five Republican Senators consistently side with the Democrats on either social or international issues. While the Senate is Republican, it is not conservative. As a result the Bolton nomination has been troubled for weeks and has not even been passed out of the Senate Relations Committee.

CONSCIENCE PROTECTION

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has led the charge in the Senate to force Christians to violate their beliefs. It is her position that a Christian doctor should be forced to perform abortions and that Christian pharmacists should be forced to fill prescriptions for abortion drugs such as the "morning after pill." Under her legislation a Christian pharmacist in Oregon would be required to fill a prescription for the purpose of euthanasia. She wants Christians and others who oppose abortion to be part of the abortion industry whether they like it or not. To that end she has introduced amendments to spending bills that would eliminate conscience protection language that has been previously passed, as in the Hyde-Weldon Conscience Protection Provisions. Can Boxer get her amendments passed? So far no, but just two weeks ago liberal Republicans joined this left wing nut case to pass legislation to stop the President from enforcing the Mexico City policy. That policy restricts foreign NGOs from receiving funds from the Untied States if they promote or perform abortions. Her efforts to force Christians to participate in abortions must be closely watched and stopped. The provision to eliminate the Mexico City policy will be blocked by the more conservative House under the leadership of Tom DeLay.

HOUSE ETHICS PROBLEMS

The old saying goes that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. For weeks there has been a coordinated attack by Democrats and the liberal media on House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX). Tom DeLay is a born again Baptist and friend of the social conservative community. He has appeared at numerous events sponsored by the Religious Freedom Coalition in support of those issues. He is under attack because he is a conservative Christian and the first true Republican power broker in perhaps 100 years. He has become so powerful that he was able to orchestrate the redistricting of Texas which ousted numerous old line liberal Democrats. Has he done anything wrong? The Republicans have offered to convene an Ethics Committee hearing for the Democrats to present their case, but surprisingly the Democrats don't want the hearings. Why? In a hearing DeLay will be found to have done no wrong and the media will not be able to continually assault him. The principle architect of the attacks has been Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) who is more than aware the charges will not stand, and that is the reason she does not want formal hearings. However, it has now been revealed that Mrs. Pelosi and numerous other Democrats took a junket to Puerto Rico paid for by lobbyists, in clear violation of the ethics rules of the House. Pelosi has refused to discuss the charges but a spokesman said that the funds actually came from a group "represented" by the lobbyist. The junket in question to Puerto Rico was organized to condemn the use by our Navy of Vieques Island for target practice. Not having the island on which to launch coordinated military exercises has greatly reduced the readiness of our military.

INTERNATIONAL

WEST BANK

I returned from "West Bank" on Sunday, April 17th. During the ten days I was there, a total of three homicide bombers were intercepted by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) trying to penetrate Israel. There were several shootings including one just outside Ariel where my wife and I were staying in evangelist quarters. There has been virtually no mention in the mainstream media in the United States about the instances of violence actually increasing in Israel. A conservative news site, worldnetdaily has reported on a G2 paper indicating that instances of terrorism are actually up 300% in Israel in the last ten days and continuing to increase on a daily basis. Israeli Prime Minister Sharon has reportedly told President George W. Bush that their intelligence indicates there will be a massive attack against Israel led by Iran after US forces withdraw from Iraq in 2006. (See story)

There are now two reports at the RFC Internet site on our trip to the Israel and the West Bank. One is on the technical side and written by me. A second, more personal report written by my wife Nancy, is also now available. For Nancy's report in PDF format click here .

Because our inspection tour of the West Bank has ended does not mean that our mission to that area of the world has ended. While there I arranged for several projects that should provide more jobs in Bethlehem and Beit Jala for Christians. We also made some scholarship arrangements for Christian children. 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 institutions and families. Contributions to our West Bank (Samaria) projects can be made using our online secure server. Our mailing address is at the bottom of the page. Please give credit card donations online at: http://www.rfcnet.org/donate.html.

OLIVE OIL SOAP ON HAND - FOR NOW!

We are having some problems with bringing the handmade olive oil soap to the United States. To reduce costs we had a large shipment sent by boat. That shipment has been delayed in a warehouse in New York for weeks and now we have been informed that because of suspicious material on the same ship it has been sent to customs for "extensive examination." Because of the delay I brought a couple of hundred bars back with me as checked baggage. When this runs out we will have to take the soap off our Internet store until the soap that was sent by ship arrives. I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but the logistics of getting the soap to the United States is complicated. Part of the cost was the shipment by air from Israel. The handmade olive oil soap is now just $3.95 per bar! To learn more about this handmade olive oil soap click here or on the image.

IRAN