LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING APRIL 21, 2006

HOUSE IN RECESS / SENATE IN RECESS (Congress returns April 24th)

INTERNATIONAL

WORLD CONGRESS OF FAMILIES

The Religious Freedom Coalition (RFC) is a sponsor of the World Congress of Families IV International in Warsaw, Poland in May, 2007. The World Congress is a forum of pro-family and pro-life leaders from all over the world. Two weeks from now, RFC's Executive Director, Peggy Birchfield will attend a strategic planning meeting in Warsaw with other representatives of sponsor organizations to prepare for the historic meeting in 2007. While there, Mrs. Birchfield will meet with Polish Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz . There is a continuing war against the traditional family in Europe, and European governments are trying to export their anti-family, pro-prostitution message to the entire world. Worldwide, traditional families consisting of a married mother and father and their children, face challenges to their very existence. These include the "sexual revolution," government policies which encourage family dissolution, and news media which distort the reality of the natural family and promote homosexuality instead. And of course the powerful entertainment industry teaches anti-family values, especially to young people.

The World Congress of Families will seek to have an impact on slowing or stopping this worldwide anti-family campaign. In the planning meeting and executive session this May the RFC will be organizing pro-family groups and organizations from 19 different countries and states to help renew "a radical realignment of religious and political interests globally." The RFC will be recruiting other pro-family organizations from North and South America to participate. Click here to assist the RFC with the organization of the World Conference of Families.

THE ENVIRONMENT

At a time when liberal organizations are trying to sell a false environmentalism to evangelicals, there is a need for proper interpretation of the Bible' calls to environmental stewardship The Religious Freedom Coalition participated in the Pulpits, Pews and Environmental Policy discussion in observance of Earth Week 2006 on Wednesday, April 19, 2006. The Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardship will bring Biblical environmental policies to church congregations across the country. The Cornwall Declaration is a powerful statement of ethical belief strongly affirming the importance of caring for creation, but in a way that respects human life and is based on sound science and sound economics. Poor people in developing nations are often forced to suffer from malnutrition, disease and poverty because of misguided policies set into place by developed nations for environmental reasons. (Just one example is the banning of the safe and inexpensive pesticide DDT, which has led to uncontrolled mosquitos and millions of deaths from malaria in third world countries.) The Cornwall Declaration will help Christians bring improvements to human health, nutrition and life expectancy through science and technology, while still caring for God's creation. The conference was planned by the Interfaith Council on Environmental Stewardship.

THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE RFC

The Religious Freedom Coalition may receive its accreditation as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) from the United Nations as early as the second week of May of this year. The Religious Freedom Coalition applied for this official accreditation more than two years ago. The RFC application seemed to be ignored until a conversation I had with Ambassador John Bolton about the lack of pro-family NGO's receiving UN accreditation. Ambassador Bolton took a personal interest in the situation and his staff diligently checked the status of our application. As a result we will receive a hearing and a vote on the application in May of this year.

DISARMAMENT AND THE UN

Iran's president has called for the annihilation of both Israel and the United States and recently bragged of new weapons system than can attack our forces in the Middle East. So it was incredible news that an Iranian, Mehdi Danesh-Yazdi, has been elected as the new vice chair of the United Nations Disarmament Commission. The alleged purpose of the commission is to promote disarmament and review international dealings with nuclear energy. The Commission reports to the UN Security Council. There was no comment from the White House on the appointment and no American newspaper that I can find mentioned it. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) who is chairman of the House subcommittee on the Middle East issued a statement saying the decision by the UN was like "appointing a serial killer to serve as a juror in a murder trial."

THE SENATE

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

For the first time since taking office in 2001 the Bush Administration has conducted a multi-state raid on an employer and arrested Mexican illegals. The raids on IFCO Systems by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in nine states resulted in the arrests of executives and hundreds of illegals. It is said the company actually recruited workers in Mexico and assisted them in entering the United States. The IFCO executives felt they had little to fear since the Bush Administration has issued only one warning to an employer for hiring illegals in the last six years.

IFCO is not an American company and ICE has never taken action against an American corporation. There are more than 12,000,000 illegals in the United States and it took a "one year" investigation by ICE to crack down on one employer. This raid was for show only. The raid allows the Administration to promote a guest worker program that allows millions of illegals to stay in the United States. The program, as presented in the Senate by Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA), would legalize all 12,000,000 illegals in the United States, plus their wives, children, brothers, parents and grandparents living in Mexico and other countries. The McCain/Kennedy bill would bring in an additional 25,000,000 to 35,000,000 people related to the 12,000,000 illegals already here. This 40,000,000 or so people would work at or below minimum wage and receive food stamps, free medical and dental care , and their kids would get a free education in the public schools. Because of illegal immigration the population of the USA will hit 420,000,000 by 2050. ( Click here for immigration numbers) The United States has a deteriorating infrastructure and our highway system can't even handle the traffic it has now.

MEANWHILE: The head of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean , has read the poll numbers even if the White House has not. On Wednesday he announced that border security would be a major Democratic issue this fall. He told reporters that the Democrats could better protect the border than President Bush and the Republican Congress. Actually he is wrong -- Disneyland Security could do a better job of protecting the border than either party. No one gets into Disneyland without paying!

BOTTOM LINE: Corporate greed is the driving force behind illegal immigration. Wall Street wants cheap uneducated labor in the United States to sweep executive office floors and keep golf courses green. The presence of the illegals lowers the wage of every single American because they lower the base wage. The companies that hire illegals dump the educational, medical and housing expenses for illegal workers on American taxpayers. Each month the Religious Freedom Coalition, like other employers, sends checks to the federal government for thousands of dollars to pay withholding taxes, Social Security and Medicare for our employees. Companies that hire illegals for cash bear none of that expense, and they unfairly compete with businesses that are honest. Senators will take up the McCain/Kennedy Immigration (amnesty) bill when they return to work next week.

THE HOUSE

PLEDGE PROTECTION ACT

The Religious Freedom Coalition is pushing hard for a vote on Congressman Todd Akin's Pledge Protection Act on Flag Day, June 16, 2006. It was on Flag Day in 1954 that President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the law which added "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. It would only be fitting to hold the vote on the Pledge Protection Act that same day. Please help by contacting your congressman and asking him to encourage a vote on the Pledge Protection Act for Flag Day, June 16th. For information on contacting your congressman click here .

The Religious Freedom Coalition has delivered thousands of petitions to the offices of congressmen in support of the Pledge Protection Act. Have you signed the petition to convince Congress to pass the Pledge Protection Act? If not click here to learn more about our petition. As mentioned two weeks ago a fairly good article appeared in the Kansas City Star about our efforts and those of Congressman Todd Akin to protect "under God" in the Pledge. The article has since been picked up by other newspapers as well. Click here to view the Kansas City Star article.)

TOM TANCREDO

Congressman Tancredo (R-CO), who is considering running for President, claims that Senator McCain's Immigration Reform Bill is already causing a drastic rise in illegals entering the United States. This week he told reporters there is a major effort to "get in" that is crushing charities in the United States. Even those who shelter illegals have stated they see an increase in the numbers of those coming into the United States in hope of cashing in on President Bush's push for a guest worker program that moves those already here illegally to the front of the line. ( Click here for story)

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COALITION

PLEASE HELP

We need more staff to get more done on Capitol Hill. One more full time staffer is needed to work the Senate side of the Hill on the Pledge Protection Act. We really need a businessman or foundation to step forward and help generously. If you can arrange a large gift or grant to the Religious Freedom Coalition please call Peggy Birchfield or myself at 202.543.0300. Smaller donations are also needed now. Please help with our various projects on Capitol Hill and in the Holy Land. Please make your donation today ! Click here to give a gift or send your tax deductible donation to the address below.

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William J Murray, Chairman

Religious Freedom Coalition , PO Box 77511, Washington, DC 20013 - (202) 543-0300

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