Week Ending March 10, 2006 - From Washington, DC
Religious Freedom Coalition
March 10, 2006 6:20PM EST

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2006

HOUSE IN SESSION / SENATE IN SESSION

THE PRESIDENT

THE PORTS AND A DISAPPOINTED PRESIDENT

For the second time in less than six months Congressional leaders have informed the President that a decision he had made would have to be reversed. Last fall when President George W. Bush appointed White House counsel Harriett Miers to the Supreme Court, the Republican controlled House and Senate sent the President the message that it just was not going to happen, and the result was Justice Samuel Alito. This time Congressional leaders have informed the President that the deal to hand over port operations at six American ports to the government of Dubai was "... Not going to happen." Although the President has threatened a veto his position is not very strong. Virtually every member of Congress both on the Democrat and Republican sides are against the deal as are the vast majority of the American people. If the President does not somehow back out of this deal and the battle between him and Congress lasts into the fall, you can expect the Republican Party to pay dearly at the polls. (Click here for Republican agenda problems) NOTE: In private meetings congressional leaders told the White House that having Dubai World place their interests in the ports in the hands of an American entity could correct the problem. Late on Thursday Senator John Warner (R-VA) walked into the Senate well to announce that a deal had been reached for Dubai World to place the ports in the hands of an American company. (Click here for Sen. Warner story.) While the furor should now die down, the handling of the matter by the White House has left many on Capitol Hill scratching their heads.

FAITH BASED HOMELAND SECURITY

The President has issued an executive order to Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff to open an office for faith-based organizations within the Department of Homeland Security. The first duty of the new faith-based office will be to fulfill the President's promise to help reimburse some faith-based organizations for the work they did during the Katrina disaster in Louisiana and Mississippi. The promise, which was made many months ago, has not been made a reality. Victims of the disaster have said repeatedly that the faith-based organizations did a far better job at aid work than the federal and state bureaucracies. Click here for more information.

IMMIGRATION

In the last few weeks I have had the opportunity to speak with Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff several times. These were not planned meetings, I just sort of ran into him -- once at a White House reception. The meetings and short conversations have given me an insight into White House logic on the immigration issue. The White House, from the President on down, honestly believes there are only two options in handling the 12 million illegals in the United States: either allow them to all live here permanently or send them all home next week. Chertoff said that we would need "millions" of agents to round up the aliens and send them home if Congress orders that. These are not the only two choices and my honest opinion is that anyone who believes these are the only two choices is sort of goofy. It took us twenty years to get into this mess and it could take ten years to get us back out. All we have to do is start issuing work permits at our embassies throughout the world. As those with legal work permits come into the United States they will force the illegals - over time - to leave. Employers would rather obey the law than break it and if we import laborers on one-year or two-year permits, the problem will be solved eventually. Not tomorrow, but it would be solved. Apparently there is no one in Congress or in the White House bright enough to understand that this third solution exists.

THE SENATE

TRANSPARENT "HOLDS"

Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) this week attempted to eliminate the "blind hold." This is the practice of a Senator being able to block legislation without revealing his name. Legislation can be held up in this manner for months or even years. There are holds on President Bush's judicial nominees going back years. Some in the conservative community oppose the Inhofe proposal, stating that it has been useful to our side when Republicans have been in the minority.

TRANSPARENT LOBBYING

Presidential hopeful (gasp) Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is pushing his "lobbying reform" legislation hard this month. The legislation would do virtually nothing to stop the high dollar K Street lobbyists from doing anything they do now, but in some instances would make their efforts more "transparent." His legislation would also effectively bar social actions groups such as the Religious Freedom Action Coalition, the National Rifle Association and pro-life organizations from advocating their cause on Capitol Hill. Even educational groups such as the Religious Freedom Coalition and Concerned Women for American would not be allowed to inform you of how congressmen and Senators voted on certain issues. In other words Senator McCain is going to "clean up" the lobbying mess in Washington by allowing the big money K Street boys to continue business as usual while stomping on non-profit advocacy groups. This legislation is such a sham that even the ACLU is against it.Click here for LA Times story.

SENATOR SANTORUM

This week I attended a reception at the Washington, DC home of Senator Kit Bond (R-MO), held to honor Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. Senator Santorum has been named as one of the two top men targeted for defeat by nutty left-wing billionaire George Soros. The other top man on the Soros hit list is Ken Blackwell who is running for governor in Ohio. Soros fears that this popular African-American could start to move more blacks to the Republican party. For more information on these races click here.

THE HOUSE

FREEDOM FOR IRAN?

The Iran Freedom Support Act is being "marked up" this week. ("Mark up" is the procedure during a committee hearing in which the final draft of a bill is hammered out before it is voted on by that committee). The bill, introduced by Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and co-sponsored by 333 of the 455 members of Congress, would allot millions of dollars to establish freedom in Iran. Iran is currently viewed by most Americans as the number one enemy of the United States. That nation's nuclear ambitions have made the entire world fearful. United Nations Ambassador John Bolton said this week that Iran would face "painful and tangible consequences" if it continues to pursue nuclear weapons. Click here for complete story.

FREEDOM FROM MEXICO?

On Tuesday more than 25,000 Mexicans come to Capitol Hill to protest against legislation that would secure the southern border of the United States. Many of the demonstrators had Mexican flags wrapped around them and made it clear they did not want to be American citizens; they just wanted to work in the United States. The demonstrators, mostly men, refused to allow women to pass on the sidewalks, thus forcing them into the streets. When they were not protesting, the Mexican demonstrators made cat calls to female congressional staffers and tossed trash onto the ground rather than put it in trash cans. It was in interesting sight for those of us who are on the Hill daily. There was virtually no media coverage of the protests. Go ahead, try to find this information someplace else!

PLEDGE PROTECTION ACT

This week the Religious Freedom Coalition's executive director, Peggy Birchfield, personally delivered petitions supporting Congressman Todd Akin's Pledge Protection Act to more than twenty congressmen. Some of the petitions delivered were to current co-sponsors as encouragement, but the bulk of the petitions were delivered to the offices of congressmen who have not yet supported the act which would protect the words "under God" in the Pledge to our flag. For information on how you can participate go to www.pledgeundergod.org. (Please note that the lobbying "reform" provisions proposed above by Senator McCain would make this practice illegal.) To give Senator McCain your opinion on this issue click here.

LECTURE ME MORE PLEASE

This week a House leader urged a group of social conservatives (me included) not to respond to attacks from the "libertarian wing" of the GOP, for the sake of unity. A day later, a well known GOP activist made an appeal at a meeting asking "Christian conservatives" not to fight back or respond to the attacks against them by economic conservatives. Later in the week a high ranking member of the GOP reminded us of Ronald Reagan's "eleventh commandment," which is not to talk ill of another Republican and thus not to respond to attacks from the economic conservatives in the party. OK, let me understand this: the eleventh commandment applies only to us social conservatives. It is just fine for Robert Novak to attack Christian conservatives for "blindly" supporting Israel, but it is wrong for me to criticize Novak for his remarks. I get it ... we are the kids in the room that are to be seen and not heard, to vote but not to participate. I also chair a political action committee named Government Is Not God . That PAC supports only social conservative pro-life candidates and I am not going to fall into the mold and back candidates just because they call themselves Republicans. Furthermore, I am going to bash as hard as I can any pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage "Republican" running for office.

THE COURTS

THE LIBERALS LOSE BIG

For the second time in two weeks the Supreme Court has handed the far left a major defeat. Just a week ago the Supreme Court ruled that racketeering laws could not be used to stop anti-abortion demonstrators from exercising their free speech rights. This week the Court in another unanimous decision ruled that universities that accept federal funds cannot block military recruiters from their campuses. Virtually every one of the "prestigious" law schools, including Yale and Harvard, brought the lawsuit claiming that their free speech rights would be violated if they had to allow military recruiters free speech. Yes, incredibly that was their argument. Click here for detailed story.

INTERNATIONAL

CATHOLIC SCHOOL MUST PROMOTE ATHEIST

Scotland has done what American liberals hope they can accomplish here, using the court system. A Scottish Court has forced a Catholic School to compensate an atheist for failing to promote him to a higher position in the school. Under a 1991 agreement with the government, Catholic schools are allowed to reserve only certain jobs for Catholic teachers and this particular job (teaching math) was not on the list. As is obvious to even the most casual observer, a religious school should not be forced to hire atheists into any position. (Click here for full story)

HUGE REDUCTIONS AT OUR INTERNET STORE

We still have some miscellaneous items left over in the RFC Internet store from our Christmas catalog including patriotic ties and several books on Islam, as well as items from the Holy Land. All books are discounted below Amazon.com prices. Click here to view discounted items! Your account will not be charged if items are not available.

PLEASE HELP

Please help with our various projects on Capitol Hill and in the Holy Land. Please make your donation today! 

Recommend the RFC update to someone! In 2006 we are praying to top the 100,000 subscribers mark and you can help. If this e-mail has been forwarded to you, please subscribe at http://www.rfcnet.org/subscribe.asp 

William J. Murray, Chairman

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

Please address all comments and questions to support@rfcnet.org 

To make a contribution to the work of the Religious Freedom Coalition please click here.

TO SUBSCRIBE OR BE REMOVED CLICK HERE

This publication is a service of the Religious Freedom Coalition (RFC). Links to political and other sites are for informational purposes and do not constitute endorsement. No statement is intended to assist or defeat any candidate running for public office.

Religious Freedom Coalition * Copyright - 2006