Week Ending January 12, 2007 - Washington, DC
RFC
January 13, 2007 2:35PM EST

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING JANUARY 12, 2007

HOUSE AND SENATE IN SESSION

THE PRESIDENT

TOO LITTLE TOO LATE

President George W. Bush has the good human trait of standing with his friends. Unfortunately, this is a trait that can destroy a leader. If the President had fired Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld a year ago and sent the 20,000 additional troops to Iraq which American generals wanted to stop the escalating violence, the war would be over and the Republicans would still control the House and Senate. Now the President has virtually no support for a troop buildup. About two-thirds of the public are against it and key Republicans in the House and Senate have abandoned him. (Click here for Washington Times story)

THE HOUSE

DEMS REPLAY GOP HOUSE

The Democrats started off their "new agenda" by passing new ethics rules for the House; however, everyone of the new rules had already been passed by the previous Republican controlled 109th. The media, which never reported the passage of the rules in the Republican 109th, gave their passage in the Democrat 110th the front page. Second, the Democrat leaders passed a bill supporting the recommendations of the 911 Commission, getting front page again. However, all the recommendations except one had already been passed by the previous Republican controlled House in various other legislation. Third, the Democrats got the front page for passing a Stem Cell bill to force President Bush to use federal funds for this research. The Republican House and Senate passed the exact same bill last year and President Bush vetoed it. When is Speaker Nancy Pelosi going to do something new?

EARMARKS

At a meeting with a senior member of the White House staff I learned that research at the Department of Energy is being hampered by congressional earmarks. As much as 40% of the research budget is being directed to pet projects of congressmen and Senators in their home states. The new earmark rules proposed by Speaker Pelosi will stop specific earmarks in the budget, but not the earmarks inside conference reports. Most of the DOE earmarks were added in the conference reports.

PLEDGE PROTECTION

The newest lawsuit filed by atheist Michael Newdow to remove "under God" from the Pledge to our flag is still in the ultra liberal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Last year the Pledge Protection Act was passed by an overwhelming majority in the House. We must push Speaker Pelosi to allow a vote again this year. Congressman Todd Akin (R-MO) should introduce a new version of the bill soon. Click here for a video on Congressman Akin's floor speech on the Pledge Protection Act.

THE SENATE

RUN AND HIDE

Senator Byrd (D-WV) who is in his 90's is not running for President. He is about the only Senator who does not think up scenarios of how to get in the Oval Office. Right now there are about twenty (20) Senators running or talking about running for President. Virtually all of those, both Republicans and Democrats, are out on the trail bashing President Bush's performance in Iraq and telling everyone who will listen how they can do it better. Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) plans to introduce a "sense of Congress" resolution against more troops going to Iraq. Meanwhile there are no plans for any social conservative, pro-family legislation to be introduced or voted on in the Senate.

OUR CHRISTIAN INTERNET STORE

There are literally tens of thousands of Christian themed items available at our affiliate store including jewelry from the Holy Land. It is a great place to shop for birthday gifts. The store is located at www.rfcstore.deepershopping.com. Please help us with our various projects on Capitol Hill and in the Holy Land by shopping at our affiliate Christian Superstore .

William J. Murray, Chairman

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

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