Week Ending June 18, 2004
Religious Freedom Coalition
June 18, 2004 2:39PM EST

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING JUNE 18, 2004

CONGRESS IN SESSION

THE PRESIDENCY

GEORGE W. BUSH

This week President George W. Bush addressed the Southern Baptist Convention via satellite. In his address to the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, President Bush received applause when he told them that "Freedom is the almighty God's gift to every man and woman who lives in this world." He also assured the representatives of virtually every Southern Baptist church in the nation that his Administration would fight to uphold the Partial Birth Abortion Ban which is under attack from the courts. He also reminded the group that he had signed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act and the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. He also assured evangelicals that he would "... continue to support crisis pregnancy centers, incentives for adoption and parental notification laws."

The President reaffirmed that his Administration would continue to defend the sanctity of marriage against "...courts and local officials who want to redefine marriage forever." Once again he reiterated his support for a constitutional amendment to "...protect marriage as a union of a man and a woman." (Read entire address to SBC here)

President George W. Bush also mentioned the economy, something we no longer hear about from the mainstream media. Since last August the economy has added 1.4 million jobs. The economy is growing at its fastest rate in 20 years. ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and major print media no longer have front page stories about the economy because the news is good and that would help George W. Bush's reelection. The economic recovery is a secret to all except those who read the Wall Street Journal or watch business news channels on cable TV.

SENATOR JOHN KERRY

Meanwhile .... Senator John Kerry continues to push hard for the "gay vote" which represents less than 1% of all registered voters. There is an unspoken "gay recruitment quota" for the Democratic National Convention which is generally understood to be 10% of all delegates. At his Internet site Senator Kerry has defaced Old Glory, the flag of the United States of America to accommodate homosexuals. The defaced flag at the official John Kerry campaign Internet site can be viewed directly through this link. If you really want to get mad (or disgusted) download Kerry's "LGBT tool kit" pdf. (LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender)

THE SENATE

SAME SEX MARRIAGE

Last Friday in our Legislative Update I mentioned that we had obtained information that a vote on the Federal Marriage Amendment would be held in the Senate the week of July 12th -16th. Just yesterday the Washington Times confirmed the July vote date in a front page story. The vote on the FMA will come just two weeks before the Democrat National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts which is of course the home of flagrantly homosexual Congressman Barney Frank and the only state which conducts "gay marriages." Democrat Senators will be forced to vote on the issue of same sex marriage in the middle of the hype for the Democrat convention. How will Senator John Kerry vote? I don't think he will vote at all. So far this year he has missed 88% of the votes held in the Senate, although he did fly back to Washington to cast a vote against the Unborn Victims of Violence Act in March of this year. (See pdf) (Note: At their convention Southern Baptists backed the FMA. (See article) It is now very important than members of the Senate hear from you on the issue of same sex marriage. This is not the time to be concerned about the exact language of the FMA. What is important is that a vote is held and that Senators are forced to vote for or against traditional marriage. See Senate Target List!  (PDF of target list click here)

"HATE" CRIMES

Senator Ted Kennedy has had his great "Hate Crimes" victory in the Senate. With the help of Republican Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) the Senate added to the Defense Appropriations Bill an amendment to make thinking or saying bad things about homosexuals a crime. Many cowardly Republican Senators voted with Kennedy to give the amendment an overwhelming victory of 65 to 33. Make no mistake, this is a despicable attack on free speech. Senator Kennedy wants to be able to jail anyone who disagrees with his left-wing agenda and this is the first step down the road to abolishing the First Amendment to the Constitution. Fortunately the House of Representatives has some spine and will defend the Constitution. When the House and Senate versions of the Defense Appropriations bill go to conference committee to resolve differences the House, conferees will spike Kennedy's "Hate Crimes" Amendment which had no place in the bill to start with. House leadership has assured me that the Kennedy Amendment will never see the light of day.

IMMIGRATION

Senator Ted Kennedy (AGAIN), along with yet another Republican, this time Senator Larry Craig (R-ID), is trying to get amnesty for illegal aliens. This horrible bill actually had 61 sponsors in the Senate at one point, simply because many had not read it. That has changed thanks to this Legislative Update and other conservative outlets. The movement in the Senate is now against the bill. A review: The Agriculture Job Opportunity Act (S-1645) , also known as AgJOBS would allow 1.2 million illegal aliens currently working in agriculture in the United States to receive amnesty. The bill also grants amnesty and legal status to the families of the workers as well, bringing the total to over three million. See additional information on this bill at NumbersUSA. Please contact your Senators and give them your opinion of AgJOBS.

TRANSPORTATION

Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) has virtually single-handedly pushed the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) through the Senate this year. The bill (S-1072) would use existing revenue from the federal gas tax to repair the broken transportation infrastructure in the United States. The bill raises no taxes, merely authorizes the government to spend the funds collected from the gas tax. Economic conservatives are pushing President Bush to veto the bill to "prove to them" he is against big spending. If the President actually does veto the Transportation Bill it could cost him the election, since every mayor and county commissioner and city manager in the United States would blame him for their crumbling bridges falling down. I am a social conservative and sometimes I just look at the actions of economic conservatives and wonder how they think. The same economic conservatives who don't want to use the gas tax that has already been collected to fix our roads, see no problem at all with buying goods from China made in slave labor camps by imprisoned Christians. For many economic conservatives nothing matters except what lines their pockets. Many of these folks need to take a close look at the Good Book and find a little conservative compassion.

THE HOUSE

SAFE HARBOR FOR CHURCHES

Congressman Bill Thomas (R-CA) surprised us all when he announced the Safe Harbor for Churches Amendment to the American Jobs Creation Act (HR-4520). We surprised him by exposing it as far worse than the current law on the books that represses freedom of speech from the pulpit. Under the proposed Amendment at line 378 of HR 4520, a church would be allowed three "mistakes" each year without fear of losing its tax exemption, but would still have to pay a fine. Pay a fine for free speech? By voice vote the Bill Thomas attempt to further gag churches was killed in the committee he chairs. Congressman Walter Jones has proposed removing the IRS gag order imposed on pastors by Senator Lyndon Johnson. He has been a strong proponent of freedom of speech from the pulpit with no reservations whatsoever. (More information)

PLEDGE PROTECTION ACT

This week the Supreme Court ruled that atheist Michael Newdow did not have "standing" to file suit on behalf of his Christian daughter to remove the words "under God" from the Pledge to our Flag. The Court's ruling was, therefore, on a technicality, which allows for further lawsuits to remove "under God" from the Pledge. Enough is enough. Congressman Todd Akin introduced last year the Pledge Protection Act of 2003 (HR 2028) which would remove jurisdiction from all federal courts in ruling on what is contained in the Pledge of Allegiance. Congressional leadership is trying to move Todd Akin's bill to the floor for a vote, perhaps just before the July 4th recess. The only person standing in the way is Congressman Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee who has vowed to block any social conservative legislation aimed at reeling in the out of control courts. Please call Chairman Sensenbrenner and discuss this with him. His phone number at the Judiciary Committee is: (202) 225-3951. If he is not available I am sure a Judiciary Committee staff member will be happy to chat with you about his position against the bill. Please also tell your congressman your concerns about the Pledge and Todd Akin's legislation to protect the words "under God." Contact your congressman here. Wear a patriotic tie or scarf on the 4th!

INTERNATIONAL

TRAFFICKING (SLAVERY)

There is far more slavery in the world today than existed before the American Civil War. How slaves are traded has changed somewhat, and the purposes have changed a good deal, but slavery still exists. Two hundred years ago slaves were for the most part used for forced manual labor and were most often grown men. Today most slaves are women and young boys and they are for the most part enslaved in the sex industry.

On Tuesday, June 15th, RFC Executive Director Peggy Birchfield and myself attended a special briefing on the Annual Trafficking in Persons Report given for Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) at the State Department. John Miller who is the Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons conducted the briefing. The report was graphic and contained detailed reports on sex trafficking in 140 nations, grouped by three tiers. Tier three nations allow trafficking in persons and do little to stop it and are in danger of losing aid from the United States. We found it odd, and expressed our dismay to Director Miller, when we found European nations that import women and boys as tier one nations. Our particular concern is the Netherlands which funds much of Europe's sex trade. The director agreed that those nations with legal prostitution fueled the sex trade, but said that since they had laws against trafficking and claimed to enforce them, the law required them to be listed as tier one nations. To view the complete report click here.

MOROCCO

Also this week RFC staff members were present at the signing of the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Morocco. An Islamic Kingdom, Morocco was the first nation to sign a treaty with the United States in 1787. Morocco is a very different Islamic state from Saudi Arabia. Morocco is making an effort to secularize and join the West. I was part of a fact finding mission to Morocco this year to investigate the movement of the Kingdom to secularization. The nation has passed laws to give women totally equal rights to those of men, something unheard of in Islamic nations. As a result of their moving toward the West, Saudi Arabian supported terrorists bombed hotels there in May of last year. Because of RFC's work in Morocco the Ambassador of that nation invited us to witness the signing in the Benjamin Franklin Room of the Harry S. Truman building.

WEST BANK

The Vacation Bible School team has arrived in Israel and has begun to set up in the Bethlehem - Beit Jala area of what the media refers to as the West Bank and what I call part of the Holy Land. Thanks to the generous gifts of supporters of the Religious Freedom Coalition all expenses have been met. Also, We have received a large quantity of the handmade soap produced by Christian families in the West Bank. There is now no delay in orders of the soap which is made from olive oil. For details on the soap click here.

JULY FOURTH IS ALMOST HERE

Do  you need a men's patriotic tie or a women's patriotic scarf to wear around Independence Day? The Religious Freedom Coalition Internet store has a variety of patriotic ties and scarves you may be interested in. Our Independence Day tie displays the Declaration of Independence and features some of its signers. Click on the image at far left for a larger view. The 'One Nation Under God' tie is still a favorite and available again this year. Other patriotic items are available. Click here to visit the RFC store .

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The RFC newsletter - The Religious Freedom Quarterly - is now available online in pdf format. Click here to view. Click here for last edition of the Chairman's Action Report.

William J. Murray, Chairman

Religious Freedom Coalition , P.O. Box 77511, Washington, DC 20013 Phone: (202) 543-0300

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