Report
from Israel
03/01/2003
(This
week William J. Murray
is in Israel on a
mission to bring
financial aid and
spiritual encouragement
to christians living in
the PLO controlled areas
of the West Bank. In his
absence, Peggy
Birchfield, RFC
legislative director,
wrote this report from
Capitol Hill.)
BAN
ON HUMAN CLONING PASSES
THE HOUSE
The
U.S. House of
Representatives passed
the Human
Cloning Prohibition Act
sponsored by Congressman
Dave Weldon (R-FL)
and Congressman
Bart Stupak (D-MT).
The vote of 241 to 155
yesterday shows how
overwhelmingly the House
approved the
Weldon-Stupak bill. This
legislation will now
proceed to the Senate
where Senator Sam
Brownback (R-KS) and
Senator Mary Landrieu
(D-LA) are sponsoring a
companion bill, S. 245.
The vote is now in the
hands of the Senate
where there are several
rival bills that also
await passage. This may
be a difficult fight.
THE
FILIBUSTER CONTINUES
The
Senate has spent most of
the week debating
whether to allow a vote
on judicial nominee
Miguel Estrada. The RFC
staff was invited to the
Senate Chambers to watch
this historic debate.
Beginning at 9PM on
Thursday the Republican
Senators converged on
the Floor to discuss the
continuing obstruction
of a vote on Circuit
Court nominee Miguel
Estrada. The debate
lasted well into the
night without any
conclusion. The time has
come to put a stop to
this filibuster and
vote! Miguel Estrada
deserves a vote.
WASHINGTON
DC BRIEFING
The
Religious Freedom Action
Coalition hosted a
briefing for 100 New
York Hispanic
Evangelical pastors on
Thursday, February 27 in
the U.S. Capitol in
Washington DC.
Reverend
Rueben Diaz, State
Senator from New York
had been invited to give
the invocation in the
Senate Chambers on
Thursday, February 27,
2003. He extended the
invitation to the
pastors who are part of
the New York Hispanic
Clergy Association.
Religious
Freedom Action
Coalition's invited
guests spoke to the
group on targeted
issues. Leonard
Rodriguez from the White
House Political Office
and Tim Goeglein, Deputy
Director of Public
Affairs of the White
House, updated the group
on the present
filibuster of the Miguel
Estrada nomination to
the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the D.C.
Circuit. The gentlemen
gave an overview of
Miguel Estrada's
biographical background
and a summary of his
many supporters. They
instructed the group on
how contact their
Representatives and
Senators to help bring
his nomination to a
vote.
Congressman
Walter Jones (R -
3rd NC) spoke to the
group of Hispanic
Pastors informing them
of his new bill to
restore freedom of
speech to America's
pulpits. Congressman
Jones stated, "I
will continue this fight
in the 108th Congress. I
am committed to
restoring the First
Amendment rights to our
nation's religious
leaders." The
Houses of Worship Free
Speech Restoration Act
differs from legislation
in the last Congress, in
that it focuses more
narrowly on issues of
free speech, and is thus
expected to gather even
wider support in the new
Congress. This isn't
about campaign
fundraising; it never
was. The language in
this bill fully
expresses that. The
Houses of Worship Free
Speech Restoration Act
would allow religious
leaders to speak from
their pulpits however
they see fit without
fear of losing their
tax-exempt status.
Jennifer
Stecher from the White
House Office of Faith
Based & Community
Initiatives ended the
morning briefing with an
overview of President
Bush's Faith-Based and
Community Initiative Act.
She explained that the
act was to establish
funding for faith-based
charity organizations.
Jennifer stressed that
for years, faith based
groups have helped the
community and people in
need. It is one of
President Bush'
priorities this year to
give these organizations
the fullest opportunity
permitted by law to
compete for Federal
funding. Jennifer
completed her statements
by directing the pastors
to where they might find
help in such funding.
The
group proceeded to the
Longworth House Office
Building. There the
group was meet by Senator
Rick Santorum (R-
PA) who stressed the
importance of the
Pastors' meeting their
Senators and sharing
their support for Miguel
Estrada.
Senator
Hillary Clinton
unexpectedly showed up
to address the group.
She of course avoided
the issue of the Estrada
filibuster. Since it was
a New York group, she
discussed the 9-11
attack briefly, then
stated, "We must
all stand together in
supporting our President
and our troops in the
war on terror." I'm
just waiting to see if
she will stand by this
statement in public, or
do the famous Clinton
flip-flop. She received
applause from the group
in support of President
Bush.
After
New York State Senator
Reverend Reuben Diaz
gave the invocation in
the Senate Chamber with
the Pastors overlooking
the Chamber from the
Gallery, the group
returned home with more
insight on work to be
done. I hope the Pastors
will each share with
their congregation the
need for the Miguel
Estrada vote to move
forward. And I am in
hopes the group will
support Congressman
Jones in seeing his bill
finally pass in the
House.
THE
MIDDLE EAST
William
Murray continues his
mission in the Middle
East. He will be
visiting Christian
schools to help the
Palestinian Christians
in need. These Christian
families are caught
under the rule of Yassar
Arafat and his gang of
thugs. Remember to check
out our bookstore; if
you have not yet
purchased a copy of Holy
Land Terror now
is the time! Produced by
the RFC in the Holy
Land, the video
documentary is just
$19.95 including
shipping. Order
today!
The
current issue of the William
J. Murray Report
is available online at www.rfcnet.org.
William
J Murray, Chairman
Religious
Freedom Coalition
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