AMERICAN LAW ONLY, PLEASE: Rep. Tom Feeney (R.-Fla.) has introduced the "Reaffirmation of American Independence Resolution" along with Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R.-Va.). The resolution affirms the sense of Congress that judicial decisions should not be based on any foreign laws, court decisions, or pronouncements of foreign governments unless they are expressly approved by Congress. Said Feeney: "The American people have not consented to being ruled by foreign powers or tribunals." His office notes that six U.S. Supreme Court justices have cited foreign authorities to support their decisions-a growing trend.
RESTORE THE CONSTITUTION: Several other congressmen have a bill to restore a little bit of the Constitution and the rule of law in another area. Inspired by former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who refused to obey an unconstitutional court decision ordering the removal of the Ten Commandments from his court building, Sen. Richard Shelby (R.-Ala.) and Rep. Robert Aderholt (R.-Ala.) have introduced the Constitution Restoration Act of 2004. The bill (S 2982) would remove from the jurisdiction of all federal courts-including the Supreme Court-cases filed against an element or an officer of the federal or any state government "by reason of that element's or officer's acknowledgement of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government."
The bill also declares that "to the extent that a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States or any judge of any federal court engages in any activity that exceeds the jurisdiction of the court," he has committed "an offense for which the judge may be removed upon impeachment and conviction."
SPECTER WAFFLES ON FMA: Perhaps due to a stiff primary challenge from conservative Rep. Pat Toomey (R.-Pa.), Sen. Arlen Specter (R.-Pa.) will not rule out voting for the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) forbidding same-sex "marriage"-nor would he rule it in. President Bush endorsed the amendment February 24.
Despite Specter's current waffling on FMA under election pressure, he has strongly supported the activist homosexual agenda. He is, for example, a co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) pushed by Sen. Teddy Kennedy (D.-Mass.), which would create (1) special "civil rights" protections on the basis of sexual orientation, forcing people to hire and work with homosexuals, bisexuals, and transgendered people, and (2) the process generating the same sorts of quotas and lawsuits as other "civil rights" laws based on race and sex. Also, on January 31 of this year, Specter went to a fundraiser for Out Front, an activist homosexual rights group that wants same-sex marriage.
As recently as February 25, the day after Bush's endorsement of FMA, Specter was on the host committee for an event on Capitol Hill demonizing those opposed to the homosexual agenda. The event featured a film called Jim in Bold, about a homosexual Pennsylvania teenager who committed suicide despite acceptance from his family. Says a press release from the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the event, "Jim in Bold shows that homophobia can kill." If he is reelected, Specter is slated next year to take over the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will consider the FMA and any other such proposals.
LOCAL CONTROL: A school district in Orange Co., Calif., is resisting the state's mandate to allow people to redefine their gender instead of classifying them according to, well, their gender. Three of the five trustees on the Westminster School District board voted to not adopt the gender redefinition policy-called "banning discrimination against transsexuals" by politically correct liberals. But the district relies for two-thirds of its budget on the state and federal governments, which might now withhold their funds.
NEW BORDER INITIATIVE: "In a first -of-its-kind effort to achieve an even safer and more secure Southwest border, Department of Homeland Security [DHS] Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security Asa Hutchinson on March 16 unveiled the 'Arizona Border Control (ABC) Initiative.'" Said DHS: "The kick-off event attended by Congressman Jim Kolbe [R.-Ariz.], U.S. Attorney for Arizona Paul Charlton and dozens of federal, state and local law enforcement officials, as well as a delegation from the government of Mexico, was held at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Air and Marine Operations Hangar in Tucson, Ariz." ABC will coordinate the efforts of agencies to "detect and deter terrorist activities and cross-border illegal trafficking of people and drugs."
