August 6, 1998

William J. Murray, Chairman
Religious Freedom Coalition
P.O. Box 77511
Washington, DC 20013

Dear Bill:

Thank you for your support of the Religious Freedom Amendment. Despite the dedication of Religious Freedom Coalition and other organizations we did not prevail in the vote.

This does not mean we should give up on the Religious Freedom Amendment. Most constitutional amendments require the three to four votes in the full House before passage. This was only our first time to present the RFA and a majority of the Congress voted with us. Unfortunately, the majority of 224 votes we received fell about 60 votes shorts of the two-thirds vote needed for a constitutional amendment.

We have established a base of support in the House, which consists of most Members of Congress. We must now build on that base. Organizations such as the Religious Freedom Coalition should use this as an opportunity to build on this base. We need only 60 more votes to vote toward restoring the right for our children to once again pray on a voluntary basis in our schools.

I feel hopeful that we will have another vote on the RFA in the next Congress. If this is to happen, it's essential that voters this fall send a strong message to those who voted against it during this session.

Please keep me advised of your efforts in obtaining support for the Religious Freedom Amendment.

Very Truly Yours,

Ernest J. Istook, Jr.
Member of Congress