[Vision2020] Fwd: ALERT: Jones Bill moving: Calls to Senators

[Tom Trail]

>Visionaries:




>>   A bill to end the wall of separation between the institutions of religion
>>and government by reversing IRS tax laws is on its way to being 
>>attached to the American
>>Jobs Creation Act of 2004.  Please read the alert below and send it 
>>out broadly.  I received this e mail from United Vision in Boise, 
>>and I've

   contacted our Congressional delegation to vote against the measure

    Rep. Tom Trail

>>
>>
>>In a move designed to crush all opposition, House Majority Leader 
>>Tom Delay and House Speaker Dennis Hastert have joined with Rep. 
>>Walter Jones to attach the Houses of Worship Free Speech 
>>Restoration Act (Jones bill/HR 235) to the American Jobs Creation 
>>Act of 2004 (H.R. 4520).  If passed, the Jones bill would go far 
>>towards eroding the wall of separation between the institutions of 
>>religion and government by reversing IRS tax laws that prohibit 
>>houses of worship from engaging in partisan politicking. 
>>
>>The American Jobs Creation Act already passed the House and Senate 
>>and is in conference committee. By inserting the Jones legislation 
>>into this bill during conference committee , Delay and Jones ensure 
>>that the House and Senate will never get a chance to vote on the 
>>Jones bill, which the House has defeated in various forms twice 
>>before.
>>
>>Shortly before the Congress moved into its August Recess, Rep. 
>>Jones, according to The Hill newspaper, delivered a letter to the 
>>Speaker signed by 131 lawmakers stating that the House ìlost an 
>>ideal opportunityî to change IRS policy in regards to the ability 
>>of houses of worship to endorse partisan candidates when the House 
>>passed the tax reform bill on June 17. In that bill, The Interfaith 
>>Alliance along with nearly two dozen religious denominations was 
>>successful in leading a bipartisan effort to defeat the so-called 
>>ìSafe Harbors Act,î a variation of the Jones bill that would have 
>>allowed houses of worship to endorse political candidates up to 
>>three times without losing their tax-exempt status.  Capitol Hill 
>>sources say that the letter delivered by Jones to Speaker Hastert 
>>is a clear pressure tactic reminding the Speaker that many 
>>Republican votes for the larger tax reform bill are in jeopardy if 
>>the Jones legislation is not included in the bill.
>>
>>On September 9, action alerts sprang up on Religious-Right websites 
>>instructing their members to call Hastert and Delay stating, 
>>ìUPDATE: WE NEED YOU TO MAKE CALLS TODAY!  The hope of returning 
>>free speech to our pastors is closer than ever. There is a solid 
>>possibility of inserting HR235, the Houses of Worship Free Speech 
>>Restoration Act, into the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 that 
>>is currently in conference committee on Capitol Hill.î
>>
>>TIA members and supports are urged to contact House Ways and Means 
>>Chairman Bill Thomas and thank him for his past work in preventing 
>>this dangerous and landscape-altering legislation from becoming 
>>reality. Please ask Chairman Thomas to prevent the hijacking of the 
>>Jobs Creation Act by Walter Jones and his Houses of Worship Free 
>>Speech Restoration Act. His office can be reached by calling 
>>202-225-3625.  Telephone calls are the only communication that will 
>>make an impact at this point.
-- 
Dr. Tom Trail
International Trails
1375 Mt. View Rd.
Moscow, Id. 83843
Tel:  (208) 882-6077
Fax:  (208) 882-0896
e mail ttrail at moscow.com
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