Week Ending February 24, 2006 - Washington, DC
Religious Freedom Coalition
February 24, 2006 1:09PM EST

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 24, 2006

HOUSE IN RECESS / SENATE IN RECESS

THE PRESIDENT

THE PORTS AND THE PRESIDENT

In the last seven days the transfer of operations of six major American ports to a company owned by the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become a major issue with virtually the entire Congress on one side of the issue and the President on the other. Both Republican House Speaker Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Frist have started the process of passing laws to ban the transfer while the President stands by the decision of the Treasury Department and says that he will veto any law that scuttles the deal giving the operations to the UAE company despite security concerns within his Administration. Democrat Senators Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer of New York also want the deal blocked and have accused the President of continually allowing the sale of American assets to questionable Middle Eastern interests.

What is really happening? First, the power struggle at the White House between Dick Cheney's economic conservatives and the George Bush social conservatives is being won by Dick Cheney. Dick Cheney is a Richard Nixon Republican who honestly believes tax reduction and business growth are far more important than any other issue. His influence continues to grow in this regard in the second term of the Administration, but has always been present. Just a few days before 9-11 the White House blocked the passage of a bill that would have economically punished companies that do business with the Sudan. It was blocked because Cheney had convinced the President that no social issue should come before the free market place, despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of Christians had been murdered by the Sudanese government. On the very day of the Jihad attack against us, I was headed to the Hill for a news conference with Senator Sam Brownback and others to go on the offensive against the White House and to get the Sudan bill passed. The press conference was canceled when four of our aircraft were hijacked and three were flown into buildings by Islamists. Cheney still wants business as usual with the Islamic world despite the fact that the business we give them finances the Islamist war against us.

Secondly, the Administration is desperately seeking ways to get back the American money that is bleeding out in a one-way direction. We give the Islamic states hundreds of billions of dollars for oil, but we have nothing to sell them to get the money back, except equity in our businesses. We have sold them everything from convenience stores to luxury hotel chains. Huge chunks of commercial real estate are purchased each year by Islamic interests financed by petro dollars. Even the parent company of FOX News is slowly but surely being swallowed up by Saudi interests. The ports deal is a way to get back a few of the bucks we have given the UAE in petro dollars. There is one underlying issue no one seems to look at: when we sell them equity in corporations and business property we get some cash back right away, but the profits from those deals then flow back to the Islamic states which in the long run makes the deficit flow from the USA even greater. (Click here for the full Op-ed version of The Ports and the President.)

TREASURY DEPTARTMENT AND THE PORTS

The Treasury Department stands by its approval of the sale of a company to Islamic interests that will operate six American ports. At the Treasury Department and at the Federal Reserve Bank, inflation is the number one enemy -- not terrorism. To keep inflation down in a nation with an economic growth rate as large as that of the USA requires actions that are viewed by most as repugnant. This includes the outsourcing of jobs to India and other nations which keeps down the costs of labor in the United States as does the importation of illegal aliens from Mexico. Big businesses such as Microsoft or General Electric may not hire illegals, but the mere presence of illegals holds down the entire wage scale of all Americans, and it is for that reason big business backs the presence of illegals in the United States. It is estimated that the combination of illegals and outsourcing brings down the average wage of American workers by more than 10% and virtually stops wage growth. This is good for business and keeps inflation down - for now! The fact that the middle class is being destroyed and the social fabric of the nation is being strained is not important to the Treasury or the FED. As I heard one Treasury employee say, "If you're having trouble buying a taco in Chicago maybe you should learn to speak Spanish." To economic conservatives the dollar strength and the defeat of inflation trumps all other issues, even which language your children will speak at their jobs in the future -- if they have jobs.

THE SENATE

SENATOR FRIST TO THE FRONT

Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) has only ten more months in office before he steps down to run for the Presidency. His poll numbers have fallen as he has taken stands on issues, while those of his biggest rival, Senator George Allen (R-VA), continue to rise while he takes virtually no public position on anything. He is going along with opposition to the UAE port deal, but as with most other issues is not very vocal or out front leading the charge. Standing firm against the selling of operations at six American ports to Islamic interests will financially damage the Frist presidential campaign because business leaders will shy away from him. This battle will, however make him far more popular with the American people. The Senate and House are both in recess this week. When both houses of Congress return next week there will be some real fireworks on this issue, with Frist leading the charge and virtually all the Republicans and Democrats behind him. The political action committee of which I am chairman has backed former congressman Ed Bryant to run for Senator Frist's open seat. For more information go to www.gingpac.org.

THE HOUSE

BOEHNER AND THE MODERATES

The Washington Times reports that the New Majority Leader of the House, John Boehner, is a favorite of the "moderate" Republican members. During the battle for the House leadership I personally backed Roy Blunt, who is definitely not liked by the "moderates." On the Hill, a Republican calls himself "moderate" if he is not a social conservative. Boehner has come out, however, in favor of blocking the deal to hand over operations of six American ports to a firm owned by an Islamic government. The United Arab Emirates is made up of several small kingdoms, each with an unelected leader who inherits a throne. In turn, the most powerful of these is chosen as the unelected leader of the entire UAE. It is this unelected, undemocratic monarchy which owns the company that will control operations at our ports. Apparently brave men died in the Revolutionary War in order to give us the opportunity to do business with dictatorial, undemocratic Monarchs. I hope someone on K Street chokes on the wad of cash they made convincing the White House to support this deal.

THE COURTS

ABORTION AND ALITO

The abortion issue is coming to the Supreme Court much faster than anyone anticipated, after the addition of Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Sam Alito. A case involving the Partial Birth Abortion Ban signed into law by President George Bush has been accepted by the Supreme Court for review. A Federal District Court had ruled in favor of abortion activists, saying the law was unconstitutional. U.S. Attorney General Gonzales will argue the merits of the law before the Court. Opponents of "any time, any place" abortion are delighted that the Supreme Court with the addition of Justice Alito will hear the case. (Click here for Agape News story) Our sister organization, the Religious Freedom Action Coalition was instrumental in assisting in the confirmation of Justice Sam Alito. Some of the red T-shirts worn by pro-Alito volunteers are still available at www.rfcaction.org.

INTERNATIONAL

HUMAN TRAFFICKING BRIEFING

RFC's Peggy Birchfield participated in the Trafficking in Persons Report briefing held by the U.S. State Department on Thursday. Representatives of RFC and several other NGO's met with Ambassador John Miller and other State Department officials to continue to develop stronger programs to combat human trafficking. President Bush signed the 2005 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act at the White House on January 10, 2006. The updated law mandates new minimum standards for a country's ratings in the TIP Report (Trafficking in Persons). The new standards include an evaluation of government efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex, to ensure that peacekeepers do not engage in human trafficking, and to prevent forced and child labor. Approximately 800,000 to 900,000 victims are annually trafficked across international borders worldwide. Victims include runaway children, children who are "sold" to traffickers by their parents, as well as young women who mistakenly believe they are being taken to another country to work at legitimate jobs. RFC is working to see that modern day slavery is prevented, victims are protected and that the traffickers are put in jail.

THE VATICAN SPEAKS ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

For decades the Vatican has been muted in the face of widespread anti-Christian, anti-Catholic violence in Islamic areas of the world. Since the beginning of this year there have been hundreds of reported cases of murders of Christians in Islamic areas, not including Iraq. In Iraq no one keeps count of which victims are Muslim and which are Christian, because so many die in terror attacks. The Secretary of the Vatican's Supreme Court said in Paris, "Enough now with this turning the other cheek. It's our duty to protect ourselves." Others in the Vatican have echoed him saying that it is time for the West to end "diplomatic silence." Click here to read more.

HUGE REDUCTIONS AT OUR INTERNET STORE

We have a lot of miscellaneous items left over in the RFC Internet store from our Christmas catalog including patriotic ties and several books on Islam, as well as items from the Holy Land. All books are discounted below Amazon.com prices. Click here to view discounted items!

PLEASE HELP

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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