Week Ending April 28, 2006
Religious Freedom Coalition
April 28, 2006 3:20PM EST

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING APRIL 28, 2006

HOUSE IN SESSION / SENATE IN SESSION

THE PRESIDENT

President George W. Bush spent several days in California raising funds for the Republican Party and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. While there, he sewed up his support among illegal aliens by publicly promising that no illegal in the United States would be deported. During his remarks he criticized those who demand immediate deportation saying that "You hear people hollering, 'It's going to work,' It's not going to work." The only problem with the President's statement is that it is flat out false. No one is demanding that 12,000,000 illegals be deported in mass. This is a deliberately misleading idea spread by the White House staff to convince the voters that all 12,000,000 illegals should be given a path to citizenship that is denied to those who apply legally to enter the United States. Both the White House and the Congress favor law breakers over honest people when it comes to immigration. However, Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) was quick to answer the President. His spokesman, Will Adams, said, "No one is talking about mass deportations. Our approach is one of attrition where you make it difficult for an illegal to get a job in this country or to access our social services, so that over time, illegal aliens stop coming to this country and the ones here go home." (Click here for Washington Times story) Along with the illegals, the President now has the support of every far left wing and anarchist group in the United States on this issue. Every organization that is against the United States remaining a sovereign nation sides with President George W. Bush on the immigration issue. Politics and Wall Street make strange bedfellows.

SUPREME COURT

We may be beginning to see the results of the appointment by President George W. Bush of Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito to the high court. These men may be changing the way the Supreme Court thinks and acts. On Monday, April 24th the Court let stand a ruling by a lower court that declared that public schools cannot censor the religious viewpoints of students in class assignments. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court by the Syracuse, New York schools because that school system thought it had the right to cut a child's art poster in half to remove a picture of Jesus on one knee pointing to the sky. The poster was displayed with the posters of other children which were not defaced, embarrassing the child and his beliefs. Thank you Chief Justice Roberts for protecting the right of free speech in our schools. Prayerfully President George W. Bush will be able to appoint more good men such as Alito and Roberts to the Supreme Court before the end of his term. Should the Democrats take control of the Senate next year there will be no more Bush appointments approved.

THE SENATE

PLEDGE PROTECTION ACT

On Thursday April 27th a letter signed by the leaders of more than organizations groups supporting Senator Kyl's Pledge Protection Act was sent to all 100 Senators. Signers included Dr. D. James Kennedy, Tony Perkins, Gary Bauer and Alan Keyes who together represent tens of millions of Americans. Click here to view a sample of the letter to one Senator. In addition, the Religious Freedom Coalition is working to hold a news conference in a Senate office building on Flag Day, June 14, 2006 to boost support for Senate action on the Pledge Protection Act.

THE PRICE OF GAS

A gallon of gas costs less than one 16-ounce latte at Starbucks. That said, Senate Republicans have a plan to give every taxpaying American a check for $100 at the end of August to help "ease the pain" of the high gasoline prices. The total cost of this refund could be used to widen roads so people don't have to sit in traffic burning up gasoline, but realizing this would require some logical thought -- which apparently does not exist in the Senate. On the other hand, the Democrats want to suspend the 16 cents a gallon federal gas tax to "ease the pain." This is a user tax that goes into a special fund to repair the Interstate highways, bridges and other federally controlled roads. Thus, the Democrat idea is to "ease our pain" by having us blow out our expensive tires on potholes. Both ideas are of course just plain nuts. How about letting the oil companies use their record profits to drill for oil in Alaska, California and Florida where there are huge oil reserves? Oops, I forgot that Gov. Bush doesn't want oil rigs off the Florida coast because they would injure the sensitivities of Florida voters.

THE HOUSE

ABORTION

The Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (CIANA, H.R. 748), which the Religious Freedom Coalition has long supported, passed in the House on Wednesday. The bill, which was sponsored by Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), was passed with an overwhelming vote of 270-157. The legislation would protect minor girls from adults who take them across state lines for abortions in order to circumvent a state's parental notification law. The Child Custody Protection Act (S. 8), sponsored by Senator John Ensign (R-NV) is the Senate companion bill that must also be passed in order for minors to be protected by this federal law.

INTERNATIONAL

Earlier this week I met with Father Emmanuel of the Church of the East, the official body of most Assyrian Christians in Northern Iraq. He shared with me the difficulty Christians face in Iraq and particularly the ambiguity of their status under the new Iraqi constitution. The constitution is vague with regard to religious and human rights. The constitution says that it will follow the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and then states that it will respect Sharia law. Of course Sharia law is not compatible with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Religious Freedom Coalition will work to forge a closer relationship with Iraqi Christians and it is my hope that a fact finding mission to Northern Iraq and the churches there can be arranged in 2006 or 2007.

NICARAGUA

Today I spent some time with Adolpho Calero who was the political leader of the Contras during the Civil War in Nicaragua in the mid 1980's. At the time the Reagan Administration supported the Contra forces that were attempting to return freedom to Nicaragua and dislodge the Sandinista communists. Mr. Calero was in Washington, DC to plead with State Department officials not to back the formation of a third party in Nicaragua which would result in the Sandinistas coming back to power, this time by the ballot box instead of the gun. It is a bizarre situation in which the United States does not want the ruling Liberal Party to remain in power and does not care who replaces it. The Sandinistas are being supported in this election financially by "President" Chavez of Venezuela who has furnished them three new helicopters in which to campaign throughout the country. During their short rule in Nicaragua, the Sandinistas tried to destroy the church and even eliminate Christmas. In 1987 I wrote a book -  Nicaragua, Portrait of a Tragedy  - about the struggle to bring democracy to Nicaragua. At the time I was the President of Freedom's Friends, an organization giving aid to the victims of communism worldwide.

EVENTS

REAL WOMEN'S VOICES

On Wednesday, RFC's Executive Director, Peggy Birchfield participated in the Real Women's Voices Day on Capitol Hill. The Religious Freedom Coalition and several pro-life organizations sponsored this event which gave an opportunity for over 100 women from across the nation to speak with Senators and Congressmen on several keys issues. The Child Custody Protection Act (S.8), the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (S.51) and the Human Cloning Prohibition Act (S.658) were among the issues discussed. The day included press conferences, a reception and training sessions with the women and many of the pro-life Senators and representatives. Peggy Birchfield escorted several women to many of the Senator's offices to discuss the pro-life agenda. "The event was a huge success because of having so many women come together to voice their concerns for issues important to us" stated Peggy Birchfield at the event. The RFC will continue to work to educate congressmen and Senators about pro-life issues.

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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Religious Freedom Coalition * Copyright - 2006