LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2006
HOUSE IN SESSION / SENATE IN SESSION
THE PRESIDENT
ISLAMIC FASCISM
Did President George W. Bush win or lose in the battle over interrogation of terrorists? According to Senator John McCain the agreement with the White House means that the Geneva Convention will "be upheld." If this is true then terrorist murderers of innocent people will be given the same rights as uniformed soldiers during time of war. These are higher standards of treatment than those accorded to American citizens accused of common crimes. The White House also claims victory, but we will never know since the details of what will be allowed will become state secrets after the law is signed by the President. (Click here for details)
Meanwhile two fascist leaders, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela andMahmoud Ahmadinejadof Iran have been allowed to roam around the United States accusing our President of being a "Mafia killer" and a "devil." While Chavez is allowing the infrastructure of Venezuela to deteriorate, he is giving oil to "poor blacks" in Harlem. No one in the media seemed to care that his racist remarks were intended to incite violence in the United States, but a leftist congressman, Charles Rangel (D-NY), finally had enough. He told the fascist, election-rigging "President" Chavez that Americans have the right to criticize the President, but no foreign leader has the right to come to the United States and attack "our president." Although Congressman Rangel and I normally do not agree on very much, I congratulate him for doing the right thing face to face with Hugo Chavez in Harlem. (Click here for details)
THE SENATE
ABORTION DRUGS
The Senate is now considering the nomination of Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach for FDA Commissioner. Dr. von Eschenbach, the acting commissioner for the last year, has ignored dangers to women's health even before his nomination. His nomination has now been blocked by Senator Jim DeMint (SC) because of his approval of drugs such as RU-486 and the Morning After pill. The Morning After Pill, a dangerous abortion drug, was approved by Dr. von Eschenbach for the over-the-counter market this year. Next week will mark six years since the deadly RU-486 abortion drug was first approved for use. The FDA has continued to ignore the dangers this drug poses to women; it is known to have caused eight deaths and the hospitalization of over 200 women. The Religious Freedom Coalition is part of a coalition asking President George W. Bush to rescind this nomination. (Click here to view the letter) On Wednesday a voice vote in the Senate HELP committee approved the nomination to go to the Senate floor for a final vote. Click here to contact your Senator to tell him to vote no to the nomination of Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach.
SENATOR REID IS A TWO-FACED LIAR
(Although this article appeared in the last update it is still very true and action still needs to be taken. Please voice your opinion to your Senator.) Senator Harry Reid, the Minority Leader in the Senate, voted for the Child Custody Protection Act (S-403) to send the message to voters in his home state of Nevada that he was really against taking minor girls across state lines for abortions. Then, fifteen minutes after the bill passed he blocked it from going to conference committee with the House version, thus killing it. This is the most two-faced, double-standard act I have ever seen in the Senate, and I have seen a lot in the last two decades working on Capitol Hill. Senator Reid did not do this as an after thought. As the Senate Democrat leader he told vulnerable Democrat Senators to "back it 'cause you need the votes back home, I'll kill it before it goes to conference." This was a pre planned attempt to fool voters back in the states while handing a major victory to the billion dollar abortion industry which funds the Democrat party. Please contact your Senator and let him know what you think of Senator Reid's duplicity.
THE HOUSE
UNBORN CHILD PAIN AWARENESS
Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) reintroduced the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (HR-6099) on Tuesday. The new version of this bill would make it mandatory for abortion providers to give women seeking an abortion after the twentieth week of pregnancy, a form advising them that their unborn child will feel pain and that they may request anesthesia for their unborn child prior to the abortion. Senator Sam Brownback (KS) introduced a similar bill in the 108th and 109th Congress. This important pro-life legislation has drawn attention to the pain suffered by the unborn child during an abortion, and highlights the contrast with the way even animals are treated. Congress does not allow livestock to be slaughtered without being given something to ease their pain. Women have the right to know the facts about their unborn child and the options they have to minimize or eliminate the pain of the unborn child during an abortion.
CHAPLAINS' RIGHT TO PRAY
Congressman Todd Akin (R-MO) is working hard to make sure that chaplains in the military are not punished for praying. (Click here for important statement from Congressman Akin.) A bill protecting the rights of each chaplain to have the prerogative to pray according to his own dictates of conscience passed the House using language authored by Duncan Hunter (R-CA). It is being blocked by Senator John Warner (R-VA) who is the head of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Warner has bowed to military brass who say that they should have the final say as to what comes out of a chaplain's mouth. More than 50 chaplains have been punished by the military for using the name of Christ at "inappropriate times." The military brass, for example, may consider it inappropriate to pray in the name of Jesus Christ at the public funeral of a Christian serviceman. Figure that one out! Congressman Akin has personally talked to Senator McCain and to President George W. Bush to get this legislation promptly passed this month. Click here to contact Senator Warner.
PRAYER IN SCHOOL?
Several years ago during the height of the battle to pass a Constitutional amendment to allow prayer in our schools, I wrote a book entitled Let Us Pray. The book detailed the secularist battle to remove prayer from our schools and the arguments for the freedom to pray, tracing the roots of religious freedom in Western society. The history and arguments in the book are as valid today as when I wrote it in 1996. During our preparations to move our office on November 1st of this year, several unopened cases of Let Us Pray were found. Because we don't want to move these to our new location, they are being offered for just $2.99 each. These are new, $20.00 hardback books for just $2.99 each. Get one for yourself and one for your local library. If you will make an additional contribution to our work of $10.00, I will autograph the book to you before it is shipped!
INTERNATIONAL
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM - KOSOVO
One of the most serious but overlooked security issues facing the United States today is the future of the Serbian province of Kosovo, including Metohija. Since 1999, Kosovo has been under United Nations administration and NATO military control, with hundreds of U.S. troops still stationed there. Today the question is: should Kosovo remain a part of Serbia or – as many believe -- should it be detached from Serbia as an independent state? On Thursday, September 28, 2006 the Religious Freedom Coalition and Christian Solidarity International are holding a one day conference at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, DC from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Speakers include Father Keith Roderick, Robert Spencer, Cliff Kincaid and Srdja Trifkovic. Seating is extremely limited and an advance reservation must be made. Call our office at 202.543.0300 if you wish to attend
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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