- Last week, massive calling by the religious and political
right made the difference in stripping freedom-threatening legislation
from the Senate's lobby reform bill, S.1. Sec. 220 would have imposed
stifling registration and reporting requirements on small Christian/conservative
grassroots lobbying organizations. These would include many politically
motivated evangelical churches. The fine would be up to $100,000 if they
did not satisfy government demands for accountability.
-
- Yet the threat of Sec. 220 remains.
-
- The Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of
2007, free of Sec. 220, now goes from the Senate to the House. Speaker
Nancy Pelosi, confident of Democrat power, will probably attach the wording
of Sec. 220 to the House version. Liberals want this legislation very badly
because it withers grassroots activism from the religious and conservative
right. Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21 represents the liberal Jewish activism
of Sen. Carl Levin and Joseph Lieberman, original sponsors of Sec. 220. He
publicly expressed dismay at rejection of Sec. 220 by the Senate but lets
Jewish-owned The Washington Post speak for him on his website (<http://www.democracy21.org/>www.democracy21.org):
-
- It was disappointing that senators voted to strip from
the bill a requirement that lobbyists disclose the costs of grass-roots
efforts to influence lawmakers The focus now moves to the House, whichstill
needs to move on the lobbying changes. Following that, it's important that
the resulting conference be held quickly to meld the two bills (The Washington
Post, "Real Ethics Reform," Jan. 20, 2007)
-
- We should be aware that even if Sec. 220 is not re-attached
to the House bill, Pelosi still has power to handpick the majority of House
conferees who will later, in conference between the House and Senate, craft
the final form of the lobby reform bill. Such liberal conferees can
be counted on to do their best to reattach Sec. 220 and triumph in the
end.
-
- Hate Bill: An Even Greater Threat
-
- The federal anti-hate bill, The David Ray
Hate Crimes Prevention Act, H.R. 254, also looms in the House. I was told
by Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee's office that H.R. 254 will be referred to the
House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
as soon as Pelosi appoints its members. This, according to Pelosi's office,
will take place within the next two weeks. Jackson-Lee's office also told
me that since the hate bill passed the House in the previous Congress a
simple vote in the subcommittee on crime may be all that is necessary to
send it to Judiciary and, if approved, on to a vote of the full House.
-
- How do patriots respond to these frontal
assaults on freedom? By continuing the same tactics in the House that
worked so well last week in the Senate:
-
- 1. Even if you called previously, call the House member
from your district again. Urge a "no" vote to the hate crimes
bill, H.R. 254, and legislation that restricts grassroots lobbying.
-
- Here's what to say: "Please don't vote for The David
Ray Hate Crimes Prevention Act, H.R. 254. Hate laws have taken away free
speech in Canada and many European countries. Also, please take out
restrictions on grassroots lobbyists from the lobby reform bill. Grassroots
lobbyists have no history of abuse. They should be encouraged, not
restricted."
-
- 2. Make about 30 copies each of the two flyers at <http://www.truthtellers.org/>www.truthtellers.org,
"Anti-Hate Laws Will Make You a Criminal" and "Lobby Reform
Bill: Attack on Grassroots Freedom." Send them to the House member
from your district plus their influential legislative aides. These
are listed at <http://www.truthtellers.org/>www.truthtellers.org.
-
- 3. Come to <http://www.truthtellers.org/>www.truthtellers.org
for the complete list of members of Congress. Continue a regular program
of calling 15 members every day but especially those in the House of Representatives. The
battle has been won for the moment in the Senate. We must now overwhelm
the House with calls and flyers, prejudicing them against the hate bill
and grassroots-persecuting legislation. This will also encourage freedom-defending
members of Congress to take a stand, confident their constituency will
stand behind them.
-
- The ideal scenario would be for members of Congress critical
of the hate bill to demand congressional hearings, investigating how similar
hate crimes legislation has persecuted Christians and ended free speech
throughout the western world. Broad-ranging hearings like this have
never been held since ADL first submitted their "Hate Crimes Prevention
Act" in 1998. One additional benefit: Such hearings would dramatically
slow down passage of the federal hate bill.
-
- Everyone who loves freedom must act today!
Next week may be too late. Democrats, intoxicated with power, are trying
to quickly pass as much freedom-stealing legislation as possible. We
must resist them at every turn with a resounding No! Removal of Sec. 220
was another stunning success, proof that when the people speak out loudly
even a hard-of-hearing liberal Congress may bend enough to give us victory.
-
- Unfortunately, the great majority of Christians
and conservatives remain on the sidelines. Like picnickers on surrounding
hills, they sympathetically watch us fight this great battle in the valley
yet do nothing to help. To all I say:
-
- Abandon any skepticism or fatalism. Get up!
Join the fight! Take action! God is with us, giving another victory
against great odds. If we do our part now, more triumphs will come.
-
- We can still take back America.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- For the full story on how ADL has ended free
speech in Canada and intends to do so in America, watch Rev. Ted Pike's
gripping video: Hate Laws: Making Criminals of Christians, showing free
of charge at <http://video.google.com/>video.google.com.
-
- TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike
about the present threats to freedom in Congress. Call 503-631-3808.
-
- For many more articles about the dangers
of hate crimes legislation, visit <http://www.truthtellers.org/>www.truthtellers.org.
-
- NATIONAL PRAYER NETWORK, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas, OR
97015
- <http://www.truthtellers.org/>www.truthtellers.org
|
