Week Ending February 29, 2008 - Washington, DC

Is oil up or is the dollar down? / Protect America Act still stuck in House - Security of our nation at risk / Global Aids bill (PEPFAR) deal reached / Pelosi says no to protecting America / Victories in the Senate: Indian Health bill goes pro-life / Ultrasound becomes a federal issue / One in four Americans changed their faith / Professor to be jailed and whipped for having coffee with student

TWO NEW CHAIRMAN'S REPORTS AVAILABLE - The January 25, 2008 and February 13, 2008 issues of the Religious Freedom Coalition Chairman's Report is now available online. These new issues contain information on Pledge petition deliveries to the Senate and details of the Democrat party drive to turn the Global AIDS fund into a honey pot for abortion groups. Includes more stories about "freedom" in Saudi Arabia. Both new reports are in PDF format.

THE PRESIDENT

PROTECT AMERICA - This morning I participated in a White House conference call on the Protect America Act which Speaker Nancy Pelosi has allowed to expire. White House spokesman are making it very clear to anyone who will listen that our national security is at risk. There are now reports separate from the White House that indicate our intelligence services cannot obtain information on possible terrorist activity because of the refusal of the House to extend this bill. See the House section for more details.

OIL IS NOT UP, THE DOLLAR IS DOWN - In January of 2001 as George W. Bush was being sworn in the US dollar was worth more than a Euro. A Euro could be bought for just 93 cents. As of today it takes $1.47 to buy one Euro. The price of a oil in Europe has been virtually unchanged for the last 12 months at about 65 Euros a barrel. If the value of the dollar were the same as it was in January, 2001 oil would cost less than $60 a barrel and gasoline would be under $2.00 a gallon. The Bush Administration, Wall Street and the Federal Reserve have deliberately allowed the dollar to fall to "help exports." Someone needs to explain to me how $3.00 plus a gallon gas helps drive exports.

THE HOUSE

GLOBAL AIDS BILL STAYS PRO-LIFE - With the death of committee chairman Tom Lantos the controversy of the Global AIDS Bill (known as PEPFAR) has ended. Democrat and Republican leaders have written a compromise bill that restored pro-life previsions that were so acceptable a voice vote was used to approve it in the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The Lantos version would have eliminated all pro-life language and made the bill a honey pot for abortion groups. Click here for summary of compromise bill. NOTE: PEPFAR is great as is, however, there is no guarantee that radical speaker Nancy Pelosi will not try to turn it back into a fund to abort little black babies in Africa.

PROTECT AMERICA? PELOSI SAYS NO - Despite intense pressure from the White House and the bipartisan passage by an overwhelming majority in the Senate radical Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi refuses to allow a vote on the Protect America Act. This is not about policy, it is about cash. Trial lawyers give huge amounts of money to democrat congressmen. The Protect America Act prohibits trial lawyers from suing telephone companies that give data on terrorists to our government. Pelosi wants the trial lawyers to be able to sue the phone companies on behalf of those suspected of terror ties.

THE SENATE

INDIAN HEALTH ACT VICTORY - This week the U.S. Senate passed Senator David Vitter's amendment to S.1200, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, prohibiting the use of federal Indian Health Service (IHS) funds for abortions, except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest of a minor. On winning Senator Vitter said, "This is truly an important victory for the pro-life movement and for the unborn. We now need to work to make sure that this provision remains in the final bill as it continues to House-Senate legislative conference."

PRO-HEALTH OR PRO-ABORTION? - The Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Act (S-1042) which is sponsored by Senator Ted Kennedy and Republican leader McConnell may actually help abortion clinics get more clients. The bill would add numerous restrictions on the use of ultrasound that could force crisis pregnancy clinics to stop the service. The use of ultrasound machines to show women their unborn babies saves countless lives each year. Our office is working for clarification on various aspects of this "bipartisan" bill and will keep you informed.

RELIGION AND CULTURE

ONE IN FOUR AMERICANS CHANGED THEIR FAITH?- About one in four Americans have left the faith in which they were raised in favor of another religion. If changes from one Protestant denomination to another are included in the figures then almost one out of two have changed their faith or denomination. While atheists represent only a few percent, the number of non-churched is staggering. The PEW survey found that those unaffiliated with a particular faith is over 16% and in the ages 18-29, that number jumps to about 25%. Click here for full survey details.

OUR OTHER INTERNET SITES -have you visited my other sites? Read about and watch a video about my 2007 fact finding mission on Iraqi Christian refugees at: www.christianrefugees.blogspot.com

Which is better to stimulate the economy, tax rebates or fixing the nations roads? Check www.roadsnotrebates.com.

Would you like to make comments on these updates? They can be read and commented on at www.murrayonthehill.com.

My Political action committee site can be viewed at www.gingpac.org.

TWO NEW CHAIRMAN'S REPORTS AVAILABLE - The January 25, 2008 and February 13, 2008 issues of the Religious Freedom Coalition Chairman's Report is now available online. These new issues contain information on Pledge petition deliveries to the Senate and details of the Democrat party drive to turn the Global AIDS fund into a honey pot for abortion groups. Includes more stories about "freedom" in Saudi Arabia. Both new reports are in PDF format.

INTERNATIONAL

ISRAEL TO INVADE GAZA - New Iranian rockets smuggled into the Gaza Strip are raining down even deeper into Israel killing and maiming Israeli women and children. The response of the Western media is to show photos of a dead Palestinian child they claim was killed by Israel return fire. After nearly two years and thousands of rocket attacks Israel may finally have had enough. An invasion of the Gaza Strip that would include the arrest of HAMAS leaders and a "change in regime" could come within the next week. Click here for more.

SAUDI PROFESSOR TO BE WHIPPED - A university professor in Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to 180 lashes and eight months in jail for having coffee with a female student. His lawyer says the well-respected Saudi teacher of psychology at Umm al-Qra University in Mecca, was framed by the religious police. Dr Abu Ruzaiz, a married man in his late 50s did not know the student would be alone when he arrived at the coffee shop, he said. Earlier this month I reported on a 37-year-old American businesswoman who was thrown in jail for sitting with a male colleague at a Starbucks coffee shop. When we allow Sharia law in the United States the same arrests will occur here. Click here for UK story.

DEATH FOR INTERNET ARTICLE PART V - We are headed to month three since an Afghan student, Sayed Parwiz Kambakhsh, was sentenced to death for copying a paper from the Internet that the courts there deemed "blasphemous" to Islam. Advocates of religious freedom should contact their congressman and ask them for information on what is being done to save this man's life.

Visit this site: http://thereligionofpeace.com/

JUST IN - ARCHBISHOP KIDNAPPED - Gunmen have kidnapped the archbishop of the Chaldean Catholic Church in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and killed three of his aides, his church says. See BBC story.

VISIT OUR INTERNET STORE

OUR INTERNET STORE - We have lots of great Christian themed products at our Internet store. Not only are there books and CD's, but everything from candy to jewelry. Unlike Amazon and other major Internet stores, we do not sell porn and satanic materials right beside Christian books. Please take a look. The store is located at www.rfcstore.com.
Contributions to the work of the Religious Freedom Coalition can be made at www.rfcnet.org.