Action Alerts September

It’s that time of month again and it seems that issues just keep coming out of the woodwork. Our listing comes to us via the John Birch Society Bulletin and Legislation Action Section. You can go directly to their legislative alerts at http://www.votervoice.net/Core.aspxAID=972&APP=GAC&

Priority: H Oppose Obama’s Government Takeover of Healthcare
The goal of President Obama and the congressional leaders has been to establish over time a single-payer, government-run healthcare system, which would lead to healthcare rationing, decreased payments to doctors and hospitals, and shortages of doctors. The plan would be very expensive, costing at least $1 trillion over the next ten years. Furthermore, federal funding of and control over healthcare is not authorized in the U.S. Constitution. There is very little time left to mobilize opposition to this deceptive, “transformational” healthcare reform legislation.
If Americans don’t rally quickly and defeat this initiative, then one more major segment of the American economy will be federalized. Contact your representative and senators in firm opposition to the healthcare “reform” legislation proposed by President Obama and Democratic congressional leaders.

Priority: H Defeat the ‘Cap and Trade’ Energy Tax Bill in the Senate.
Oppose H.R. 2454 the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009
H.R. 2454 (also known as the Waxman-Markey climate change bill), an expensive new “energy tax” bill was approved by the House of Representatives by a vote of 219 to 212 on June 26. It provides for a “cap and trade” program, defined as “a system of greenhouse gas regulation under which a State or political subdivision issues a limited number of tradable instruments in the nature of emission allowances and requires that sources within its jurisdiction surrender such tradable instruments for each unit of greenhouse gases emitted during a compliance period.” (It has been placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 97.) Urge your senators to reject this legislation, as well as any legislation in either house of Congress that would increase
the cost of energy production by imposing unrealistic reductions in so-called greenhouse gases – and place a tax on carbon by creating a “cap-and-trade” system.

Priority: H Oppose the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child
Madeleine Albright, then the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on February 16, 1995. When it became apparent to many Americans that the convention would pose a serious threat to parental rights, opposition to it mounted and it was never submitted to the Senate for ratification. However, President Obama has already indicated he is a supporter of the convention. Contact your representative and senators in Congress, telling them to oppose ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. (However, caution them not to resort to a constitutional amendment to counter the dangers posed by the CRC, as proposed in H. J. Res. 42 and the Senate S. J. Res. 13.)

Priority: H Oppose the International Criminal Court (ICC)
President Bill Clinton authorized a U.S. representative to sign the 1998 Rome Statute establishing an International Criminal Court (ICC) on December 31, 2000 – the last day countries could become parties to the treaty without ratifying it. However, Clinton, because of growing opposition to the ICC, knew that he could never secure the concurrence of two-thirds of the Senate, and never submitted it for ratification. On May 6, 2002, the Bush administration “unsigned” the ICC treaty but cited an argument that actually increased support for the UN: The “ICC undermines the role of the United Nations Security Council in maintaining international peace and security.” The ICC treaty may have been on a back burner all these years, but in a speech at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, on August 6, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it was “a great regret” that the United States is not a member of the ICC, perhaps signaling its impending resurrection. Warn your senators to vote against ratification of the ICC treaty, should it be brought before the Senate.

Priority: H Oppose H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009
H.R. 2749 was passed by the House on July 30 by a vote of 283-142. It is much like the previously reported H.R. 875, or other legislation that would further federalize our food supply. Use The John Birch Society’s legislation alert system to contact your Senators and urge them to oppose H.R. 2749 and any other legislation that would centralize control over our food system.

Priority: H Support H.R. 1207 and S. 604, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009
H.R. 1207/S. 604, the “Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009,” would provide the first true audit of the Federal Reserve, to be provided to the congressional leadership and to any other member of Congress who asked for a copy. It would be a powerful tool for exposing exactly how the Fed controls our economy and our freedom through its creation of money out of thin air, and could play a decisive role in restoring sound money and phasing out the Federal Reserve! H.R. 1207 now has 282 cosponsors – more than a majority of the members of the House! Yet, it sits in the House Committee on Financial Services. Ask your representative to put pressure on the House leadership to bring H.R. 1207 out of committee for a vote! (S. 604 has 23 cosponsors; ask your senators to sign on.)

Priority: M Oppose H.R. 1409 and S. 560 the Employee Free Choice Act
The so-called Employee Free Choice Act, a “card check” bill would take away the employer’s right to request a secret-ballot election on unionism. Without the protection of the secret ballot, employees could fall victim to unfair harassment by union organizers. H.R.
1409 has 226 cosponsors in the House and S. 560 has 40 in the Senate, making this legislation a formidable threat. Tell your representative and senators that the EFCA bill should be rejected.

Priority: M Oppose S. 787, the Clean Water Restoration Act
S. 787 would redefine the government’s control over water. It would amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (enacted in 1972) by striking the term “navigable waters” from the bill and replacing it with “waters of the United States.” It would federalize basically every body of water within the United States and place restrictions on landowners. Urge your senators to oppose this bill.