The weekly messages from the UCC Office for Church in Society.
Year 2001

These advocacy messages are particularly designed for church newsletters and bulletins but we follow the practice of posting them on our web page. For information or to join our Justice and Peace Ministry Network, which has 19 issue clusters, contact JPMDC@ucc.org. For additional information on the UCC and the OCIS, contact the UCC website at http://www.ucc.org. Weekly, we link to the current message and will keep an index of all the messages posted for the year. For a list of this year's messages, click TABLE of CONTENT

Monday, December 17; 2001 

URGE THE U.S. NOT TO WITHDRAW FROM THE A.B.M. TREATY

Last week, President Bush announced his intention to withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (A.B.M.) Treaty so that the Administration could move forward with the testing and deployment of National Missile Defense (NMD) systems. Though the President has called the ABM Treaty "outdated," it has served as the cornerstone of nuclear stability for nearly 30 years.

The Justice and Witness Ministries of the United Church of Christ is deeply concerned with the President's planned withdrawal from a proven treaty that has greatly contributed to nuclear arms reduction. Coming just weeks after the U.S. and Russia agreed to reduce nuclear arsenals by two-thirds, such a unilateral approach endangers our working relationship with Russia that is so critical to achieving nuclear stability. Further, there is also the very real danger that nuclear powers such as China, India and Pakistan will build up their nuclear arsenals in response to our withdrawal from the A.B.M. Treaty.

In light of September 11th, it is more important than ever for the U.S. to work within the international community to address global security threats for our common well-being. To achieve such common security, the 15th General Synod encouraged "a combination of negotiated agreements, new international institutions and institu- tional power, non-violent strategies, unilateral initiatives to lessen tensions, and new policies which will make the global economy more just" (Pronouncement Affirming the United Church of Christ as a Just Peace Church, 1985).

Please contact President Bush and your Members of Congress and urge them not to withdraw from the A.B.M. Treaty. Encourage them to cancel plans for testing and deployment of National Missile Defense and to focus instead on multi-national efforts to counter violence and create peace.

The President: 202-456-1414, president@whitehouse.gov

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Members of Congress' email addresses: www.house.gov or www.senate.gov

Tuesday, December  11, 2001

STRENGTHEN THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM

In the United States, 31 million people are hungry or at risk of hunger. As our economy is slowing and unemployment is increasing, it is more important than ever to ensure that America's hard-working families have access to Food Stamps.

The Food Stamps program is a federal supplemental nutrition program that assists our poorest families in meeting basic food needs. The primary beneficiaries of this program are children. Until the 1996 welfare act, poor legal immigrants were eligible for food stamps.

In its resolution "Effects of the 1996 Welfare Legislation," General Synod 22 (1997) affirmed strong support for federal programs such as food stamps, whose benefits do not drasti- cally decline as unemployment increases. General Synod 21 (1995) urged all settings of the UCC to oppose efforts to deny public benefits to legal immigrants.

The reauthorization of the Food Stamp program is a part of the Farm Bill. On Tuesday, December 11, the Senate resumed debate on this bill. The House has already passed its com- panion version. The Senate may vote as early as this week, but then both bills will move into "conference," a process which harmonizes differences between the Senate and House versions. Your advocacy can make the difference in the final bill that will be sent to President Bush.

The Justice and Witness Ministries urges you to contact your Members of Congress in both the Senate and the House and urge them to support a final Farm Bill that:

1) Supports a $12 billion investment in the Food Stamps program over the next ten-years. (Currently the level is set at $6.2 billion and is not sufficient to account for rising unemployment, the needs of legal immigrants, or improved benefits for people moving from welfare to work)

2) Restores food stamps for legal immigrants

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

For Members' email addresses: www.house.gov or www.senate.gov

Tuesday, December 4  2001 

PRESS FOR MEANINGFUL ELECTORAL REFORM

The House of Representatives is taking a good idea - election reform - and turning it into weak legislation that does little to solve the problems in our electoral system. An MIT/Caltech study found that in the 2000 elections, as many as six million Americans were denied their basic right to cast a vote and to have that vote counted. The "Help America Vote Act" (HR 3295), sponsored by Rep. Ney (R-OH) and Rep. Hoyer (D-MD), is a laudable bipartisan effort but it falls short of calling for federal minimum standards. Without such standards, states may, for example, purchase voting machines that are not accessible for people with disabilities.

Civil rights amendments to the Ney/Hoyer bill are being proposed by a broad coalition of civil rights supporters: without these amend- ments, the Ney/Hoyer bill does not offer meaningful election reform. We need bipartisan, comprehensive election reform that includes minimum standards, provisional balloting, equal access to the polls for voters with disabilities and language minorities, and enforcement of existing voting rights laws. The Dodd/Conyers election reform bill (S 565/HR 1170) takes this approach; Ney/Hoyer does not.

The United Church of Christ General Synod has long supported voting rights as a basic civil right that extends to all, not just to some.

Contact your members of Congress and urge them to support meaningful election reform with federal minimum standards to ensure equal access for all voters.

U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 [The Switchboard can transfer you to your members' offices and provide your members' e-mails or fax numbers]

For email addresses go to www.house.gov and www.senate.gov

Monday, November 26  2001

STOP FAST TRACK

The House GOP leadership has decided to bring H.R.3005,the Thomas bill authorizing fast track authority for the President, to the floor for a vote next week. This ill-conceived measure would allow the President to circumvent congressional input for trade matters. If Fast Track (also called Trade Promotion Authority) passes, Congress would only be able to vote yes or no on the agreement without making any changes. This authorization would be a step backward for democracy, preventing the possibility of public debate and input into matters that deeply affect the economic well-being of all people.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, The U.S. has lost approximately 3 million jobs as a direct result of free trade policies. The manufacturing sector has suffered 65% of these losses. Not unlike the secretive nature of deliberations by the World Trade Organization, this bill would further render the American people powerless in important matters of trade.

In light of an emerging global economy that challenges the autonomy of national economic systems, General Synod 21 (1997) reaffirmed the United Church of Christ’s heritage as an advocate for just, democratic, participatory and inclusive economic policies in both the public and private sectors.

The House leadership has announced that they plan to vote on this bill next Thursday, December 6. The Justice and Witness Ministries urges you to contact your member of the House immediately and ask him/her to vote no on H.R.3005.

Tuesday, November 20, 2001 

UCC MEMBERS JOIN VIGIL TO CLOSE THE SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS

The School of Americas (SOA) is a U.S. Army training school located on the grounds of Fort Benning in Columbus , GA, that trains soldiers and military personnel from Latin American countries in subjects like counter-insurgency, infantry tactics, military intelligence, counter-narcotics operations and commando operations. The training is funded by U.S taxpayers. SOA graduates have included many of the most notorious human rights abusers from Latin America. SOA graduates were responsible for the Uraba massacre in Colombia, the El Mozote massacre of 900 civilians in El Salvador, the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the Jesuit massacre in El Salvador.

On January 17, 2001, the SOA's name changed to the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. A point by point comparison between the old school and the new school shows that the changes are almost entirely cosmetic.

Last weekend (Nov. 16-17) in Columbus, Georgia, over 100 UCC members from across the country gathered with nearly 10,000 others to urge that the school be closed. They gathered despite threats to block this year's vigil in the wake of concerns over terrorism. Two days before the protest, Federal Magistrate G. Mallon Faircloth upheld the constitutional right of the protesters to gather for the annual nonviolent vigil in front of Fort Benning stating,"It was a question of the First Amendment rights, and you can't play with that."

In 1997, General Synod 22 passed a resolution calling for the closure of the school and for an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice as to why the school was teaching torture in its training manuals.

Contact your representative and urge him/her to cosponsor House Bill H.R. 1810 to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.

Thursday, November 15  2001

*** On Monday 11/5 our DC office was immediately and unexpectedly closed for a week so our building could be tested for anthrax. The tests are clean so our staff have now returned. We apologize for our inability to send weekly messages until today. ****

CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATIONS IN FINAL PHASE: YOUR ACTION NEEDED!

Congress is now in its final weeks of deciding on appropriations for fiscal year 2002. Many of the bills related to UCC priorities are at a critical point. Your quick action can make the difference in passage, funding levels, and willingness to compromise. We urge you to contact your members of Congress on two bills in particular:

ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT Status: In Conference with the House and Senate

There are two principle modifications Justice and Witness Ministries seeks for this bill. Compromises in the legislation now allow community groups such as churches to qualify directly for government funding for after-school 21st Century Learning Centers. Contact your members of Congress asking for ESEA provisions which 1) prohibit discrimination against child care workers and 2) protect children from proselytizing and evangelism. Additionally, JWM urges that Congress continue to provide a targeted federal funding stream to school districts serving poor children instead of simply providing block grants to the districts. For more information: (http://www.ucc.org/justice/education/111201.htm)

ECONOMIC STIMULUS LEGISLATION Status: Congress may vote after the Thanksgiving weekend.

The House, Senate and the White House are in negotiations on an economic stimulus package to help those who have been impacted by September 11 and the economic slowdown. The House passed a nearly $100 billion economic stimulus package consisting mostly of corporate tax cuts in a close 216 - 214 vote. The Senate went a different route, seeking an economic stimulus that would provide health insurance subsidies for laid-off workers and supplement state unemployment systems. Most negotiators agree to offer tax rebates to low-income workers who did not earn enough to qualify for $300 tax rebates in the spring 2000 tax cuts. Urge your Senators or member of Congress to support measures that help workers rather than corporations in the economic stimulus plan. For more information: (http://www.ucc.org/justice/weekly/w101601.htm) (http://www.bread.org for letter to Pres. Bush signed by Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson, Executive Minister of Justice and Witness Ministries)

U.S. Capitol Switchboard 202-224-3121

Members of Congress' email addresses and fax numbers may be found at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov

Due to the anthrax threat, it is best to call, fax or email.

 Tuesday, October 30 2001 

REMEMBERING OUR RIGHT TO VOTE

Election Day 2001 holds special meaning. As we give new thought to what it means to protect and defend democratic values in light of the events of Sept. 11th, we will have the opportunity to live those values as we go to the polling booth on Tuesday.

This year's elections will also mark one year's passing since the controversy of the 2000 presidential election. There were high public expectations for addressing crucial issues of election reform when Congress convened in January. However, despite hearings, citizen testimony, government reports and numerous legislative proposals, we find ourselves no closer to addressing flaws in the election process.

As Election Day 2001 approaches, there are at least two ways you can contribute to strengthening the democratic process. One is by being an informed and responsible voter on Tuesday, and encouraging family members, friends and members of your congregation to exercise this precious right.

A second way is to contact your members of Congress and urge them to act now to pass necessary election reform. Congress can still act on comprehensive election reform legislation that could impact the next federal election. Urge you members of Congress to support the Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001, S. 565 (H.R. 1170 in the House), sponsored by Senator Christopher Dodd and Representative John Conyers. The legislation sets minimum standards for states with regard to voting equipment, training poll workers, absentee and bilingual ballots, provisional ballots, overseas voters, and voting booth access for the disabled.

With mail security precautions currently being implemented in Washington, DC, faxing or e-mailing your message would be most effective. To find out your members' fax numbers or e-mail addresses, contact the U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121. You may also call you members' district offices.

Tuesday, October  23 2001

SUPPORT THE AFRICA: HUNGER TO HARVEST CAMPAIGN

A new World Bank report indicates that up to 10 million more people in the the developing world will be thrown into poverty next year as a result of the economic aftermath from the September 11th terrorist attacks. In the pronouncement "Affirming the UCC as a Just Peace Church, General Synod 15 encouraged "economic policies which target aid to the most needy: the rural poor, women, nations with poor natural resources or structural problems, and the poor within each nation" as an essential way to build a lasting just peace.

In sub-Saharan Africa one out of every three people is chronically undernourished. Bread for the World's Africa: Hunger to Harvest campaign calls on Congress to commit itself to fighting poverty and hunger in sub-Saharan Africa by increasing poverty-focused development assistance to Africa. Currently, the US uses only one-twentieth of one percent of its federal budget for development assistance to sub-Saharan Africa.

The Hunger to Harvest Resolution was passed the Senate by unanimous consent. It was introduced in the House by Representatives Jim Leach (R-IA) and Donald Payne (D-NJ). A House vote is expected soon. Right now, the House and Senate are negotiating the funding levels for foreign aid. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved $180 million more in new money for development assistance. The House Appropriations Committee includes little new money for development assistance, although it did include funding for debt relief.

During this crucial time, your calls can make a difference. Contact your members of Congress now and urge them to ensure that poverty-focused development assistance to Africa is funded at the highest possible level.

U.S. Capitol Switchboard 202-224-3121

Members of Congress' email addresses and fax numbers may be found at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov

For additional information on Africa: Hunger to Harvest Campagain and to learn more about Bread for the World go to www.bread.org

Due to the anthrax threat, it is best to call, fax or email. Alternatively, postcards or tri-folded letters may be sent but as of the writing of this message, the Congressional mailroom is closed.

See www.ucc.org for a letter to President Bush from interfaith religious leaders on the Economic Stimulus Plan. Bernice Powell Jackson Executive Minister of the Justice and Witness Ministries is a signatory.

Monday, October 15 2001 

Support an Economic Stimulus Plan for the Most Vulnerable.

Congress is now considering several pieces of legislation which will make up an economic stimulus package. The House Ways and Means Committee has passed a $99.5 billion package, almost entirely comprised of new tax cuts for businesses and corporations. There is no new money for health care, little money for unemployed workers, and even less money that will get out into the economy quickly. 2001 Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz notes that the President’s earlier $1.5 trillion tax cut is actually counterproductive to economic stimulus, because it dries up the money available to government to intervene in emergencies similiar to those arising from the Sept. 11 tragedy. Four principles for an economic stimulus should be followed: the economic stimulus should be temporary; it should inject money into the economy immediately; it should not drive the long-term budget into deficit spending; and it should include government support for low-income people and workers who have recently lost jobs. Support for those who need it most could come in the form of (1) extended unemployment benefits, (2) the 50 % federal coverage of health insurance continuation for the unemployed, proposed by Senators Kennedy and Baucus, or (3) a payroll tax credit for low-income individuals who did not qualify for this year’s $300 tax rebate. Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support increased assistance for low-income and newly- unemployed workers as the primary component of any economic stimulus package.

U.S. Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121

Addendum to last week’s message on the Afghan refugee crisis:

The United Church of Christ, through its Wider Church Ministries as part of Church World Service, is supporting CWS/Pakistan in its efforts to provide food and shelter for new Afghan refugees. This appeal is now set for $6.28 million and includes a food program as well as the previously announced shelter assistance program. The United Church of Christ’s goal is to provide at least $210,000 toward this appeal. The first $100,000 has come directly from the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering. The additional $110,000 will need to come from designated giving. Please see the UCC Home Page www.ucc.org/disaster/d101001a.htm for the complete text of the appeal and instructions on how to make a donation.

Tuesday, October 9 2001

Airstrikes aimed at targets in Afganistan. 

On Sunday, October 7, the United States and Great Britain launched a series of airstrikes aimed at Taliban military targets in Afganistan. Along with the airstrikes, the United States is engaging in humanitarian relief efforts by dropping food and supplies intended for Afghan civilians displaced by the war. While food drops meet an immediate need, it is also crucial to remain committed to long-term relief efforts dedicated to rebuilding the societal infrastructure necessary for a just peace.

Currently about four million refugees from Afghanistan have fled to neighboring Pakistan, Iran and other countries. Over one million people have left their homes to escape years of fighting and drought. As a consequence of current military action against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden, another 2.5 million people may flee their homes. This adds to a humanitarian crisis already described by the United Nations as the worst in the world.

Long-term efforts toward rebuilding will require establishing a governing structure for representing all ethnic groups, and resolving the conflicts between groups that have become chasms as a result of wartime brutality and massacres. Current military action, coming upon years of war and drought, will exacerbate the destruction of farmland. Rebuilding a stable civil society will require long-term assistance in food production, rebuilding homes, providing access to medical care, and rebuilding the country's infrastructure of roads, electrical service and communications.

Advocates can begin to engage in the painstaking work of active peacemaking by supporting the relief efforts of Church World Service in Afganistan. UCC appeals like One Great Hour of Sharing contribute to CWS work. To learn more contact CWS at 1-800-297-1516; www.churchworldservice.org.

Friday, September 28,  2001  

DON’T FAST TRACK U.S. TRADE AGREEMENTS

In an effort to remove any future input from Congress on U.S. trade agreements, Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, is proposing legislation granting President Bush broad Fast Track negotiating powers. In effect, such powers would give the president the authority to negotiate trade agreements, with the role of Congress reduced to a simple "aye" or "nay" vote on these agreements.

Those who are advocating Fast Track legislation did not have the votes to pass it before the tragic events of September 11, but now feel that it can be pushed through under the cover of a nation needing to show a solid front for its President in the war against terrorism. Opponents of fast track claim that it sidesteps democratic checks and balances and all but guarantees that concerns for the environment, workers, small farmers and middle income families will be left out of future trade agreements. The Eighteenth General Synod (1991) spoke forcefully against any trade agreements which "fail to address environmental, workplace and fair labor standards."

Call Rep. Thomas (202-225-2915) and ask that he postpone introducing this legislation. Contact your Members of Congress asking them to hold firm on protecting the oversight role of Congress in U.S. trade policy, and express your disapproval of this tactic and of the content of this legislation.

U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 For your Members of Congress' email addresses visit: www.senate.gov or www.house.gov

Tuesday,  September 4, 2001 

FEDERAL BUDGET PRIORITIES

    All the warnings about counting the surplus before it’s hatched have, unfortunately, been justified. While the Office of Manage- ment and Budget (OMB) predicted a $125 billion surplus in April of this year, that predicted surplus has all but disappeared. The principal reason is that the recently enacted tax-cut reduced revenues by $74 billion in 2001 and the economy slowed significantly.

Even as the surplus evaporates, the Bush Administration has requested $8.3 billion in additional funding for fast-tracking development of missile defenses. The tax cut and proposed increases in military funding, particularly for new missile defenses, are crowding out costly but important initiatives such as upgrading school building across the country and providing a significant prescription drug benefit through Medicare. They are also jeopardizing full funding for proven anti-poverty programs, such as the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) feeding program and public housing.

Advocates have the opportunity to tell their Members of Congress it doesn’t have to be this way. The next rounds of tax cuts could be scaled back or eliminated. In these days of limited threat, holding the military budget stable is a reasonable option. A biblical understanding of justice demands we ensure the dignity and well-being of every person in the community, not only those strong enough to insist upon it. Low-income people, the elderly, and others with intense needs have been put at the back of the line too long and deserve additional support. Contact your Members of Congress today.

U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 For your Member of Congress' email address visit: www.senate.gov or www.house.gov

Tuesday, August, 28, 2001 

SUPPORT CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

The U.S. Senate passed a limited campaign finance reform bill to eliminate "soft money" abuses in April. The House republican leadership sought to derail the process with a hostile rule proposal for debating the parallel soft-money bill in the House. The House bill is called the Shays-Meehan bill (H.R. 2356). The proposed rule was defeated on July 12 in a vote that showed there is majority support for the Shays-Meehan bill.

Proponents of Shays-Meehan have gained 205 signatures for a discharge petition which would force a fair vote on the bill in the House. But they are 13 signatures short of the required majority. There is a good chance that enough additional signatures can be gained in early September to force a vote in the House on the Shays-Meehan bill.

The United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries regards the Shays-Meehan bill to be far less then what is needed in campaign finance reform, but suports it as a step in the right direction. Congress returns to Washington on September 5. Please contact your representative and ask whether he or she has signed on to the discharge petition. Either thank your representative or urge your representative to sign on.The Capitol Switchboard number is 202-224-3121.

Monday, July 9,  2001 

URGE YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO HELP VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE

Economic security and workplace safety are critical to the self-sufficiency of women leaving violent relationships. Batterers often intentionally prevent their victims from getting to work and harass them and their co-workers at their workplace, making it difficult for all employees to have a productive and safe work environment.

The Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA) promotes employment stability, economic security, and workplace safety for survivors of domestic and dating sexual assault and violence. Sponsored by Sens. Wellstone (D-MN), Schumer (D-NY) and Murray (D-WA), and Reps. Maloney (D-NY) and Roybal-Allard (D-CA), VESSA is expected to be introduced within the next two weeks.

VESSA would provide unpaid leave from work and eligibility for unemployment insurance if survivors must leave their work due to violence. It should also provide protection from employment discrimination. Many employers are starting to take the lead in addressing violence through office policies and workplace education and security measures. VESSA would support those employers whose practices reflect good models for workplace safety through employer tax credit.

General Synod 14 called upon all settings of the UCC to address the impact of violence against women and to advocate legislative steps to address this impact. VESSA will help survivors of violence maintain economic security while dealing with the violence in their lives. Urge your members of Congress to become original cosponsors of VESSA.

U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 

Monday, July 2; 2001

SUPPORT A MORATORIUM ON AERIAL FUMIGATION AND AN END TO U.S. MILITARY AID TO COLOMBIA

Last year, the Clinton Administration authorized a $1.3 billion aid package to Colombia. At least 75 percent of the aid was designated for military purposes, including training and weaponry for the Colombian military. Colombians engaged in ending the decades-long civil war that has ravaged Colombia see the infusion of military aid as adding fuel to the fire of conflict and violence.

The $1.3 billion supports an aerial fumigation campaign that sprays chemicals over the countryside in the hope of killing coca plants. When UCC members visited Colombia this past March, they saw firsthand that people, homes, schools, livestock, and legal crops such as plantains are being fumigated.

Last week the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee met to mark up the 2002 foreign aid bill. The bill includes $882 million that the Bush Administration has requested for an Andean Regional Initiative including additional military aid to Colombia and its neighboring countries.

Two amendments were introduced and withdrawn. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) tried to transfer $100 million of the military aid to Colombia to tuberculosis treatment programs in the region. Additionally, Rep. Steven Rothman (D-NJ) sought a moratorium on aerial fumigation funding until alternative development programs are put into place. The bill will move to the Appropriations Committee on July 10 and then to the House floor around July 17th.

Urge your representative to support alternatives to military aid to Colombia and the Andean region and a moratorium on aerial fumigation. You may refer to the Global Ministries web page for information regarding the UCC role in investigating the impact of current U.S. foreign policy in Colombia (www.globalministries.org/colombia).

Capitol Hill Switchboard (202) 224-3121

Monday, June  25 2001

Urge Congress to Remove the Charitable Choice Provision from H.R. 7

After several weeks of intense criticism aimed at the Charitable Choice component of President Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiatives proposal, the Administration put forth a slightly revised version of Charitable Choice in an attempt to salvage support for the measure.

The revisions have been included in a House bill entitled "The Community Solutions Act" (H.R. 7) introduced by Reps. J.C. Watts (OK-R) and Tony Hall (OH-D). Despite the revisions, this remains a highly problematic version of Charitable Choice. The House Ways and Means and Judiciary Com- mittees are expected to mark up H.R. 7 the week of July 9th and push to have H.R. 7 voted on before the August recess.

Aside from the Charitable Choice provision, H.R. 7 is a good tax package that allows non-itemizers to deduct their charitable giving on the short tax form. However, problems with Charitable Choice provision are numerous, including the possibility of government-funded discriminatory practices and the burden of heavy government involvement in faith communities. Members of Congress need to be informed about the potential problems as well as benefits associated with Charitable Choice for religious organizations, beneficiaries, and state and local governments.

Contact your members of Congress and urge them to oppose H.R. 7 with the Charitable Choice provision. Voice concern about the dangers of Charitable Choice. You may refer to the UCC "Working Principles on Charitable Choice" document included in the June all-church mailing, available on the UCC website (www.ucc.org).

Capitol Hill Switchboard (202) 224-3121.

Monday June 18, 2001

Senate Action Ahead on Patient Bill of Rights

After five years of congressional stalemate, the Senate is once again debating the Patient Bill of Rights (PBR), with the a good chance that legistlation can be passed and finally signed into law. The bill would protect the right of patients who have entered into health care contracts with Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) to receive the care to which they are entitled. For example, in the case of a car accident, individuals could receive care at the nearest hospital emergency room rather than having to go looking for an emergency room that has a contract with an HMO.

The opposition to the PBR is fighting a last-ditch battle to make it difficult to enforce any of the provisions of the PBR through effective court action that would force an HMO to abide by the decisions of an appeal process. One tactic is to force court action over medical decisions into federal court, where cases move slowly and where there is no experience in litigating medical decisions, rather than through state courts which act more quickly and are experienced.

Jesus advocated for healing, often in circumstances of great controversy. Please contact your senators and urge them to support the Kennedy/McCain version of the Patient Bill of Rights rather than the Breaux/Jeffords version which contains the weaker provisions.

Monday, 11 Jun 2001

Call for Increased Funding for Overseas Refugee Assistance

Overseas refugee assistance provides monies for protection, food, health care, sanitation, education, repatriation and reintegration. This assistance program, part of the overall U.S. Migration and Refugee Assistance program, is experiencing its worst financial crisis in a decade. Yet the Administration is proposing a $5 million cut in U.S. humanitarian support, despite the fact that worldwide refugee numbers have risen.

The funds are managed by the U.S. State Department and are channeled to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the U.N. World Food Program, and other relief agencies.

The unmet needs of refugees for protection and humanitarian aid are great, and spending shortfalls are pervasive. Shortfalls have interrupted feeding programs for malnourished refugee children in Tanzania. In Pakistan, 35,000 refugees languished for months without latrines and water systems due to a lack of funds for constructing refugee camps.

In the Hebrew Scripture we hear the call to extend hospitality to the sojourner. Contact your members of Congress and urge them to increase support for the overseas refugee assistance portion of the Migration and Refugee Assistance program.

Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121

Monday, 4 Jun 2001

SUPPORT AN INCREASE OF $1.50 IN THE MINIMUM WAGE

While the US has enjoyed the longest period of economic growth in the nation's history and the lowest unemployment rate in three decades, 11 million minimum wage workers and their families have been left behind.

The minimum hourly wage was increased to $4.75 in 1996 and to $5.15 in 1997. New legislation has been introduced to increase the minimum wage to $6.65 an hour in three steps over the next two years.

The majority of minimum wage workers are adults who are trying to support families on a meager $5.15 an hour. Many work two or even three jobs, but still have to choose whether to buy medicine, pay the rent, get school clothes for their children or repair their car.

Senator Kennedy and Representative Bonior have introduced the "Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2001"which would increase the minimum wage by $1.50 an hour.

Call your members of Congress this week and urge support for the Kennedy-Bonior legislation without excessive tax breaks or other amendments that would weaken important worker protections. People who work full-time, full-year should not be living in poverty!

Capitol Hill switchboard: (202) 224-3121.

May 29, 2001 

Call for an End to Employment Description

Although there are significant areas of disagreement among people of faith with regard to issues of sexual orientation, polls show that most people believe it is wrong to discriminate on the job solely on the basis of sexual orientation. It is a matter of basic fairness that individuals be evaluated on their ability and job performance. In a 1994 editorial, noted conservative Barry Goldwater expressed support for ending employment discrimination, stating: "Job discrimination excludes qualified workers, lowers productivity and eventually hurts us all."

"The Employment Non-Discrimination Act" (ENDA) will again be introduced before Congress in June with strong bipartisan support. ENDA is a modest measure to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace -- in decisions involving hiring, firing, promotion and training opportunities. It does not call for quotas and does not apply to the military or to religious organizations.

In 1975, the UCC General Synod affirmed the "the Christian conviction that all persons are entitled to full civil liberties under the law," and to deny the civil liberties and right to equal protection under the law "defames the worth and dignity of the individual and is, therefore, morally wrong."

Many have characterized ENDA as a move to establish "special rights" for gays and lesbians. In fact, ENDA simply extends the same protections that safeguard the rights of other citizens. As Coretta Scott King has said, ENDA does not establish "special rights." It ends special wrongs.

Urge your members of Congress to cosponsor and support the "Employment Non-Discrimination Act."

The Hon. The Hon. U.S. Senate U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515

U.S. Capitol Switchboard [will connect you with any office]: 202-224-3121.

Tuesday, 22 May 2001 

Call for an End to Racial Profiling

Paul writes in I Corinthians that “if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (I. Cor. 12:26)  People of color from all walks of life suffer the humiliation of being stopped while driving, walking on streets, traveling through airports or entering their homes simply because of their skin color. The practice of racial profiling by law enforcement officials - targeting individuals for traffic stops, searches and arrest based solely on the color of their skin - has become so prevalent that President Bush called for an end to racial profiling in his State of the Union address.

The “End Racial Profiling Act of 2001" [no bill number at this date], cosponsored by Sens. Feingold (WI-D), Corzine (NJ-D) and Clinton (NY-D), and Rep. John Conyers (MI-D), would provide much-needed measures to end this discriminatory practice. The bill would: ± concretely define racial profiling and declare it illegal; ± allow the Attorney General to mandate data collection by federal and state law enforcement agencies on any police “stops,” including those done by police departments, immigration and customs agents; ± give victims of racial profiling the ability to sue police departments that have violated their rights.

When some members of society experience discrimination, we are all diminished. The “End Racial Profiling Act of 2001 would send a strong message to minority communities that the federal government is committed to improving the relationship between police departments and the people they serve. Contact your members of Congress and urge them to cosponsor the “End Racial Profiling Act of 2001.”

The Hon. The Hon. U.S. Senate U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515

U.S. Capitol Switchboard [will connect you to any office]: 202-224-3121

May 15, 2001

STOP DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENSE

On May 1, President George W. Bush warned that "Some of today's tyrants are gripped by an implacable hatred of the United States of America... In such a world, cold war deterrence is no longer enough." He called for a "new framework" for U.S. nuclear policy, with a National Missile Defense (NMD) at its core. President Bush is even willing to break the Antiballistic Missile Treaty (ABM) of 1972, which has ensured a stable, legally-binding context for arms reduction.

Rather than encouraging a reduction of nuclear arms, building an expensive air, sea, and space-based national missile defense will trigger an arms race. Members of the European Union have condemned the building of NMD. Russia has threatened to stop reducing its 7,000 warhead arsenal if the U.S. breaks the ABM treaty. China urges the U.S. to adhere to the ABM and not build NMD, saying such a shield would escalate tensions over Taiwan.

Not only is NMD dangerous, it is costly. Current estimates by the Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers put the cost of NMD at more than $100 billion, well beyond the $60 billion the Bush administration set aside for research and testing. Further, the technology itself has failed each time it has been tested. Effective countermeasures to NMD can be built inexpensively, using simple technologies.

Contact President Bush and urge him NOT to move towards development and deployment of NMD. This costly, unproven system alienates other nations and limits the resources available for programs that could be used to help the poorest and most vulnerable among us. Also, consider joining members of the UCC Justice and Peace Ministry at the National Mobilization Against Star Wars, June 10-12, in Washington, DC. For more information, write to jpmdc@ucc.org.

President George W. Bush 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20500 202/456-1414 president@whitehouse.gov

May 8, 2001

Tell Congress to Promote Peace - Not Prejudice - in the Middle East

Last month, nearly 300 senators and representatives signed a letter urging President Bush to take a more critical stance toward Palestinians in its Mideast policy. [The list of signatories can be found on the Global Ministries website: www.glbalministries.org/mee.] The letter pushes the Administration to go further in blaming the seven months of Middle East violence on the Palestinians. The letter also advocates suspending political relations with and aid to the Palestinians. Such a change in official policy would be destabilizing and provocative in the fragile Middle East.

The letter's claim that the Palestinians are to blame for "initiat[ing] a campaign of violence" distorts the reality of the political situation and the facts of the current conflict. Ariel Sharon's September 28 demonstration at Al-Aqsa Mosque is widely viewed as the catalyst of violence. Many in the international community have criticized Israel for its use of excessive force in deploying heavy artillery against civilians. Meanwhile settlement-building has rapidly increased,and the Israeli government has tightened restrictions on free movement, health delivery, trade and water access for Palestinian areas.

Palestinians may well be criticized for their role in these seven months of violence, including the Palestinian leadership for not being more willing to risk some of its authority on the street to gain more of it at the peace table. But such criticism should not relieve Israel of its responsibility for fueling this conflict.

Thus far, the White House has refused to meet with President Arafat in Washington. Urge President Bush to continue the dialogue with the Palestinians. Ask President Bush and members of Congress to support actions that would bring Palestinians and Israelis back to the negotiating table, and to hold each accountable for their actions that compromise Middle East peace.

President George W. Bush 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 (202) 456-1414 president@whitehouse.gov

The Hon. (First name, Last Name) United States Senate Washington, DC 20510

or

The Hon. (First name, Last Name) United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

(202) 224-3121 (U.S. Capitol switchboard will connect you to any office)

Message 2001, #12 from the UCC Justice and Peace Ministry

April 30, 2001

PEACE FOR VIEQUES - NOT ONE MORE BOMB!

Vieques is a small and beautiful island off the coast of Puerto Rico. Of its 32 miles, two-thirds have been taken over by the U.S. Navy for the last 60 years as a target practice range. Tens of thousands of bullets and bombs, including those filled with uranium, have rained down on Vieques, filling the ground and water with radioactive materials.

Navy bombing violates the human rights of the residents of Vieques, causing profound health, environmental and social problems. It affects the fragile eco-system of Puerto Rico and the entire hemisphere.

On April 19, 1999, David Sanes, a civilian, was killed by an errant Navy bomb. David Sanes' death led to a peaceful occupation of the bombing range. Citizens of Vieques were joined in solidarity by people from around the world, including several delegations of UCC members and UCC General Minister and President Rev. John Thomas. For a little over a year, bombing was halted. In that time, small signs of the renewal of land and the sea surrounding the island became visible.

Last year, the peaceful protestors were forcibly removed, and the U.S. Navy began preparations to resume bombing on the island. Earlier this year, the Governor of Puerto Rico, backed by strong international outcry, filed a federal injunction to halt the bombing. Late last week, the injunction was denied and bombing was resumed. However, nonviolent protestors placed their lives on the line and re-entered the restricted area, forcing the bombing to stop on April 28th.

Join in solidarity with the people of Vieques and the UCC Puerto Rico Conference in calling for an end to the bombing. Contact President Bush and urge him to permanently cease the bombing on Vieques.

President George W. Bush 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 (202) 456-1414 president@whitehouse.gov

Presidential Chief of Staff Andrew Card (202) 456-6798

Message #11 from the UCC Justice and Peace Ministry

April 23, 2001 

FREE TRADE IS NOT FREE:  OPPOSE THE FTAA

Thousands of protesters, including many from around the United Church
 of Christ, gathered in Quebec City this past week to oppose "fast track"
government negotiations to create a free trade zone that encompasses
all of the western hemisphere.  Known as the Free Trade Area of the
Americas (FTAA), this expansion of the North America Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) would intensify the "race to the bottom" that has
already enhanced corporate profits at the expense of the world's
poorest workers.  The General Synod of the United Church of Christ
passed a resolution opposing NAFTA and has called for fair trade
policies that do not exploit the poor and endanger the environment.

The FTAA would allow products made in poor Central and South
American countries to be sold tariff-free in the United States and Canada.
This makes it easier for corporations to move or threaten to move
operations to areas with lower wages and weaker enforcement of
environmental laws.  The result  of such tariff-free sales is that
businesses
will compete to relocate where they can pay the lowest possible wage.
Under the FTAA, for example, workers in Mexico would be pitted against
even more desperate workers in Haiti, Guatemala, or Brazil.  This would
further depress wages and degrade the environment throughout the
Americas.

Like NAFTA, the FTAA elevates free trade and profit generation
above all other values.  Trade policy is no longer a global issue of nation
versus nation, but a moral issue of rich against the poor.

Let your members of Congress know that both FTAA and "Presidential Trade
Promotion Authority" are unacceptable.  Call the Congressional switchboard
at (202) 224-3121.

 April 17, 2001

DEFEND GOD'S CREATION FROM HUMAN EXPLOITATION: SAVE THE ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Sunday, April 22nd marks Earth Day, a fitting time to call for religious witness in defense of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The Bush Administration proposes to open the ANWR to oil exploration and drilling, at great risk to the environment and the indigenous people who call the refuge home. The Arctic refuge is home to the Gwich'in people, and on its 1.5 million-acre coastal plain live polar bears, caribou and migratory birds dwelling in delicate balance since time immemorial.

The United States, which produces more greenhouse gases than any other nation, should lead the world in combating global climate change. Yet, in a short-sighted rush to develop the fossil fuels responsible for global climate warming, the Administration would jeopardize an irreplaceable part of God's creation. The Psalmist declares "The Earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it" (Psalm 24: 1-2). Surely our faith calls us to be more responsible stewards of God's creation.

May 1-3, 2001, an interfaith gathering will be held in Washington, DC, around the theme "Religious Witness for the Earth." Contact your members of Congress and the Administration urging them not to open the ANWR to oil exploration and drilling. If you are able, visit your members of Congress in person during the religious witness May 1-3.

Capitol Switchboard (202) 244-3121 White House Comment Line (202) 456-1111

April 10,  2001 

SETTING OUR FEDERAL BUDGET PRIORITIES

The federal budget, released on April 9, reveals how President Bush's proposed $1.6 trillion tax cut will effect our common life in the United States. Programs to support the training of doctors at children's hospitals lose $35 million. Tax credits to boost economic development in poor neighborhoods have been scaled back, as has funding for a highly successful community policing program.

During a major energy crisis, the budget cuts $200 million from federal renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. Solar, wind and renewable energy research was cut by 50 percent, making way for the budget's planned replacement activities -- $5 million to study oil drilling in Alaska's pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Thus far, some bipartisan House and Senate reactions to the proposed budget cuts indicate that a large tax cut may not be the best way to spend the surplus after all. On April 6, the US Senate voted 65-35 to trim the tax cut to $1.2 trillion to make way for spending on special education, prescription drug benefits for seniors, and long-term health care. Deuteronomy 24:21-22 reminds us "when you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt..." Members of Congress are home for the congressional Easter recess, so call your members' district offices or schedule a visit. Let them know where you stand on budget priorities that effect our common good.

April 2, 2001 

IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH PENALTY MORATORIUM

UCC members have been engaged in an intensive campaign to seek clemency for Phillip Workman, a death row inmate in Tennessee accused of killing a Memphis police officer. Clear evidence points to his innocence, but it was never considered at trial. Late last week, minutes before he was scheduled to be executed, the Tennessee Supreme Court granted a stay until a trial date could be set to consider the evidence.

The case of Phillip Workman is not unique. There is substantial evidence that the administration of the death penalty is profoundly biased on the basis of race and socioeconomic status. A study released last June by Columbia University Law Professor Jim Liebman found an overall error rate in America's death penalty system of 68 percent. The growing concern over cases of individuals wrongly accused and sentenced to death row so alarmed Illinois Governor George Ryan that he issued a moratorium on the death penalty in that state last year.

Early this year, Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI) introduced the National Death Penalty Moratorium Act of 2001 (S. 233). The bill would establish a moratorium on federal executions and would call for states to do the same while a national commission reviews the fairness of the application of the death penalty. Contact your members of Congress and urge them to support the Feingold moratorium bill. The Congressional Switchboard number is 202-224-3121.

March 23, 2001

NO MILITARY AID TO COLOMBIA

---------------------------------------------------------------------

— NO FUMIGATION

UCC and Disciples of Christ members have just returned from a Witness for Peace delegation to Colombia where they observed the devastating impact of last year's $1.3 billion aid package. Now, President Bush has requested $730 million for counter narcotics aid for Colombia and the Andean region for 2002.

Last year's $1.3 billion, two-year aid package includes 60 helicopters, funds for military training and intelligence support, and development aid. It also includes money to fund fumigation efforts, in which spray planes drop herbicides on coca farms. In Colombia, the military maintains links to brutal paramilitary groups. Rewarding the armed forces with aid discourages them from making reforms and backing the peace process.

While the military and fumigation aid has been flowing since December, the funds for alternative development - which would provide farmers with an opportunity to grow crops other than coca - have yet to be delivered to Colombia. Meanwhile, planes are showering coca and legal crops (like yucca and plantains) with Glyphosate, an herbicide sold as Roundup in the US but sprayed at a concentration 5 times stronger than the Roundup used in the US.. Families, faced with imminent hunger, are forced to eat contaminated crops or to move further into the Amazon jungle to look for new land. People, homes, schools, and livestock are being fumigated by the spray planes.

Please contact your members of Congress NOW and tell them to vote against any additional aid to the Colombian military or aid for fumigation activities. This year's aid to Colombia will be broken up in various appropriations bills, with the largest share included in the foreign operations bill. There will NOT be a specific Colombia bill. To reach your members of Congress call the Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121. 

March 12, 2000

Tax Cut Battle Shifts to the Senate

On March 8, the U.S. House approved a 10-year, $958 billion cut in personal income taxes. The tax cut proposal now moves to the Senate Finance Committee, which will consider an additional $650 billion proposed cut in May. The full tax cut plan proposed by President Bush reduces federal revenues by estimates that range from $1.6 trillion to $2.6 trillion over the next 10 years.

The UCC Justice and Witness Ministries has opposed the tax cut, especially the plan passed by the House, which will provide a only $300 tax cut to a single taxpayer earning $22,000 a year by the year 2006. Many wage earners and fixed-income seniors in the UCC live near this level. The small gain from the tax cut will be lost many times over when inadequate funding forces Congress to abandon a Medicare prescription drug benefit, or severely cut programs like Social Security and education.

Contact your senators now and urge them to oppose the tax cut until spending plans are in place. Only then will it be clear how much of a tax cut we can afford. For more information on the UCC position on the proposed tax plan, log onto www.ucc.org/justice

PRAY FOR COLOMBIA: Sunday, March 18 is a day of prayer for our 18 UCC members who are currently on a two-week peace visit to war-torn Colombia. To receive daily updates and photos as the delegation travels, log onto www.ucc.org/justice

MESSAGE 2001, #4 FROM THE JUSTICE AND WITNESS MINISTRIES

March 5, 2001

Support Campaign Finance Reform

After four years of effort, the McCain/Feingold campaign finance reform
bill banning "soft money" in elections is scheduled for two weeks of Senate
debate, amendment and final vote, during the week of March 19th or 26th.
Enough Republicans are expected to vote for the bill to overcome any
filibuster, which has blocked previous efforts at passage.  Now some
Democrats who have supported the bill in the past, but are dependent on
"soft money" for elections, are becoming uneasy.  All senators need to hear
from those who seek to break the power of large contributors, who currently
shape the electoral process.

The Torah forbids bribes to public officials, and numerous Jewish and
Christian Scripture passages condemn corruption and favoritism in
government.  "Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves.  Everyone
loves a bribe and runs after gifts.  They do not defend the orphan, and the
widow's cause does not come before them" (Isaiah 1:23).  The Letter of
James warns against favoritism that gives great access to the rich while
pushing the poor out of the assembly (2:1-7).

 Message 2001, #3 from the Justice and Peace Ministry

 February 26, 2001 

 Support Public Education Funding That Serves All Children

Title I, the heart of the original 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education
Act (ESEA), was designed to support children in poverty.  The ESEA is
currently up for reauthorization.  Contact your congressional
representatives and urge them to remain true to the philosophy of Title I,
which was designed to use federal funds to compensate for inequitable state
school funding and to target federal dollars to children in poverty and the
schools serving large numbers of poor children.  Ask your representatives:

* To retain Title I as a strong, federal program.
* To fund Title I fully to improve achievement in urban and rural areas.
* To ensure that Title I funds remain targeted to expand opportunity for
poor children.
* To oppose conversion of Title I funds to block grants to states because
such plans lack adequate targeting and regulation.  These proposals have
been called "a Straight A’s Plan" or "A Charter States Plan."
*To emphatically oppose converting Title I funds into vouchers of any kind.
This proposal has been called "Title I Portability."