Americans United Blasts Congressional Leaders' Promise To Push Religious Right Agenda
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
In Closed-Door Briefings, Frist, DeLay Cement Ties With Religious Right On Schiavo Case, Judges, Abortion, Marriage, Church Politicking, Ethics Complaints
Top congressional leaders have promised to push the Religious Right agenda on judicial nominations, church politicking, abortion, marriage and the Terri Schiavo case, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Americans United today released audiotapes of closed-door addresses by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to a Family Research Council (FRC) gathering March 17-18 at Washington, D.C.'s Willard Hotel. The pair talked about a range of political issues, using the Schiavo case as a springboard.
"Religious Right leaders are determined to run all of our lives, from the moment of conception through the end of life," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. "And top congressional leaders are conspiring behind closed doors in Washington to help them do it. It's appalling.
"Frist and DeLay have wrapped sanctimonious language around political posturing," said Lynn. "They are using Mrs. Schiavo's personal tragedy in Florida to burnish their credentials with an increasingly powerful component of the Republican Party. It's a sad, cynical political ploy."
Mrs. Schiavo, a Florida woman, has been in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years. Her husband, Michael Schiavo, has fought a long legal battle to remove her feeding tube. Religious Right forces and their allies in Congress and Florida government have repeatedly tried to intervene in the situation, despite medical advice and court decisions that support Mr. Schiavo.
During the FRC meeting, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) assured attendees that they would do what it takes to keep Schiavo connected to a feeding tube and also would exert great power to push a whole host of issues central to the Religious Right's agenda.
DeLay urged the gathering to contact lawmakers in both chambers to support legislation that would allow churches to become much more involved in partisan politicking. The Texas Republican blasted current federal tax law, which bars both secular and religious nonprofit groups from endorsing political candidates.
"It forces Christians back into the church and that's what is going on," DeLay claimed. "That's not what Christ asked us to do. We have to fight back."
Beyond swearing allegiance to the Religious Right's agenda, DeLay, who has faced increased attention for alleged ethics violations, also bemoaned "personal attacks" against him and other conservative leaders and said the Schiavo case would highlight those attacks.
"One thing that God has brought to us is Terri Schiavo, to help elevate the visibility of what is going on in America," DeLay told the crowd.
"This is exactly the issue that is going on in America, of attacks against the conservative movement, against me and against many others," DeLay said. He
complained that "the other side" was leading the attack, with a goal "to defeat the conservative movement."
According to DeLay, a "whole syndicate" of "do-gooder" forces are arrayed against him in "a huge nationwide concerted effort to destroy everything we believe in."
FRC President Tony Perkins assured DeLay of the group's support and asked audience members to contact Republican lawmakers and demand that they back the House majority leader.
Americans United's Lynn said,
"It is dishonorable for Rep. DeLay to use the Schiavo case and cloak himself in Christian piety in order to evade accountability on ethics complaints."
Frist also told the FRC attendees that he was dedicated to issues dear to their hearts.
"You stand up for our families, our children, you never back down," Frist told the gathering via speakerphone. "That's why we are winning these larger battles today. Together we are leading our nation forward. We have a president, a House of Representatives, a Senate that shares our values and the American people are on our side.
"In this Congress we are going to continue to work on the issues that are important to you, to me and above all, America's future," Frist continued.
Those issues include, Frist maintained, the confirmation of "good judges," protecting the "sanctity of marriage" and protecting "the unborn." He said, "I'm also committed to ending the [Senate Democratic] minority's filibuster [on judges] and restoring this 220 years or more of Senate tradition and history."
Frist was particularly adamant about fighting for a Federal Marriage Amendment, saying that, "We will take action to preserve and protect and defend the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman."
Americans United's Lynn said the comments by DeLay and Frist prove that Congress is beholden to the Religious Right's narrow vision for America.
"I find it appalling that top leaders of Congress are using the Schiavo tragedy to nurture their Religious Right base," Lynn said. "I am confident that the American people do not want their personal lives subjected to interference from Congress and their Religious Right allies."
http://www.au.org/site/News2?JServSe...s_iv_ctrl=1241