Press Release: Rep. Ernest Istook (R-OK) issued the following statement strongly supporting Speaker Hastert's efforts on the Capitol Christmas Tree.  (word doc)

 Op-ed: Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) wrote the following op-ed in The Washington Times, criticizing the Democrat strategy for Iraq of "lose, leave, and wait".  (pdf)

 Op-ed: Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) wrote the following op-ed about the need to complete the mission in Iraq.   (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) are seeking co-sponsors on their resolution (H.Res. 575) asserting that terrorist organizations, such as Hamas, should not be permitted to participate in Palestinian elections until such organizations recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, cease incitement, condemn terrorism, and permanently disarm and dismantle their terrorist infrastructure.  (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Mark Green (R-WI) declared "partial victory" following an announcement by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire that it would temporarily suspend a ban on resident-assistant-led Bible studies at the university.  (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) spotlighted the following "egregious earmark of the week," which could put a chill on fiscal discipline in Washington.  (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) touted the national gains in private-sector employment and the need to extend any expiring tax cuts.  (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-VA) is seeking original co-sponsors on the following resolution supporting the symbols and traditions of Christmas.  (pdf)

 Press Release: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) led the chorus of RSC Members applauding the removal of the "Bridge to Nowhere" earmark in Alaska.  (word doc)

 Various RSC Members urged House Leadership last week to bring the Deficit Reduction Act (H.R. 4241, the budget reconciliation bill) to the House floor for a vote, instead of delaying it until after Thanksgiving. To read the statement from:

• Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), click here
• Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), click here:

 Press Release: Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) called the Transportation-Treasury-Housing appropriations bill "pork-filled" and voted against it.  (word doc)

 Op-ed: Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) wrote the following op-ed, in which he described the Deficit Reduction Act as "a stern test for the Blue Dog [Democrats]"   (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) is urging his colleagues to support the U.S.-Bahrain free trade agreement, that is likely to come to the House floor in December.  (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) introduced the EXPENSE Act (H.R. 4129), which would expand incentives for American enterprise to reinvest in their businesses, new equipment, and people to run that equipment.  (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-VA) introduced a resolution (H.Con.Res. 302) supporting the national motto of the United States: "In God We Trust."  (word doc)

 Press Release: RSC Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) referred to last week's planned consideration of the Deficit Reduction Act (H.R. 4241) as "a good first step."  (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK) urged caution in preparing for a potential bird flu outbreak.  (word doc)

 Letter to President Bush: Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) and 23 other House conservatives sent the following letter to President Bush, urging him to veto the Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations bill if the final legislation does not include conscience protection language for health care providers who do not want to be associated with abortions.  (pdf)

 Resolution: Rep. Michael Conaway (R-TX) will soon introduce the following resolution, expressing a sense of Congress that all legislation that establishes a new federal program should also eliminate one or more existing federal programs of equal or greater value:   (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Mike Sodrel (R-IN) will soon introduce the Innocent Supplier Fairness Act, which would alter bankruptcy law to protect the unfair treatment of small businesses.  (pdf)

 Amtrak Bill: Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) is gathering original co-sponsors on a bill to cut federal funding for Amtrak.  (pdf)

 Press Release: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) issued the following statement expressing disappointment at President Bush's reinstatement of Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements in the hurricane disaster areas.   (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) called for the quick passage of the 527 Fairness Act (H.R. 1316), in light of reports that 527s are gearing up for unprecedented engagement in congressional races.   (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) is asking that his AMT Credit Fairness Act (H.R. 3385) be included in this year's Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) "hold harmless" extension.  (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) and 69 other Members of Congress sent a letter to President Bush, urging the him to protect by Executive Order the constitutional right of military chaplains to pray according to their faith.   (word doc)

 Bill: Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) is seeking original co-sponsors on the following resolution recognizing the importance of an independent Iraqi judiciary in the formation of a democratic Iraq.  (pdf)

 Press Release: Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) co-authored a resolution (H.Res. 523) that condemned Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's threats against Israel.   (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) announced that, as Congress considers renewing the Voting Rights Act, he will encourage his colleagues to drop Section 5 of the Act, which mandates that states with a documented history of discrimination “pre-clear” any changes to their electoral practices.   (word doc)

 Letter to President Bush: Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL) and 27 other House Republicans sent the following letter to President Bush, urging him to suspend Davis-Bacon for the areas of Florida affected by Hurricane Wilma.   (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) touted the following national poll showing that three fifths of American believe that cutting spending is the best way to pay for hurricane relief.  (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) issued the following statement on fiscal discipline, saying that "tough times call for tough choices":  (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) called on Democrats to join the effort to cut federal spending.  (pdf)

 Dear Colleagues: Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) introduced two bills aimed at bringing capital investment back to the devastated Gulf Coast.

• Katrina Economic Opportunity Act
• Gulf Deregulation Act

 Dear Colleagues: Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) introduced two bills aimed at providing relief for hurricane victims.

• Economic Relief for Gulf Coast Families and Businesses Act
• Keep Gulf Coast Families Healthy Act of 2005

 Constitutional Amendment: Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) introduced the following constitutional amendment limiting when a state or the federal government could take and transfer private property.   (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-NY) introduced the Stealth Tax Relief Act (H.R. 4096), which would extend for one year the individual Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) relief enacted last October.   (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) decried a $2 million earmark in the House version of the Defense appropriations bill to study “no flush” urinal technology.  (word doc)

 One-Pager: Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) will soon introduce the Fugitive Apprehension Assistance Act, which would grant administrative subpoena authority to the Department of Justice to aid in the apprehension of dangerous and violent fugitives.   (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK) introduced the Secure our Nation’s Interior Act (H.R. 4079), comprehensive immigration legislation aimed at reducing the number of illegal aliens who overstay their visas and ensuring that illegal aliens are "apprehended, detained, and removed as rapidly as possible."  (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) introduced a resolution (H.Con.Res. 268) urging that administrative oversight of the Internet remain with the United States and not the United Nations.   (pdf)

 Press Release: Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) raised concerns with European Union Commission President Jose Manuel Barosso about the EU’s apparent endorsement of the U.N.'s efforts to take control over the administration of the Internet.   (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) introduced legislation (H.R. 4008) that would posthumously award congressional gold medals to the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001.   (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), in light of Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas' visit to Washington, DC, last week, issued the following statement urging Abbas to keep his word and dismantle the terrorist networks that operate in Israel:   (pdf)

 Press Release: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) released the following (and quite humorous!) statement to explain why he was one of only two congressmen who voted against a National Chemistry Week resolution:    (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) issued a sharp statement rebuking the notion that criticizing Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers' qualifications is sexist and elitist.  (pdf)

 Heritage Report: Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) circulated the following Heritage Foundation report on the recent history of federal spending, featuring easy-to-read graphs and charts.  (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL) introduced the Rescind the Congressional Pay Raise Act (H.R. 4047), which would return congressional salaries to 2004 pay levels. (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) introduced the Scott Gardner Act (H.R. 3776), which would make driving while intoxicated (DWI) grounds for the mandatory detention and deportation of illegal aliens.  (pdf)

 Press Release: Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) called for the elimination of the Presidential Election Campaign Fund.  (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) encouraged his RSC colleagues to support the STOPP Act (H.R. 3405), which would prohibit all federal economic development assistance to any state or locality that uses the power of eminent domain for private economic development purposes.   (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) praised the recent Iraqi elections and declared that "freedom is winning" in the following statement.   (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) introduced legislation (H.R. 3870) to delay the Medicare prescription drug benefit for two years for every eligible beneficiary, except the lowest income subsidy-eligible seniors.  (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) is gathering support for his legislation (H.R. 2112) to designate the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone as the “Ronald Wilson Reagan U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone.”  (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) introduced legislation (H.R. 3960) to terminate taxpayer financing of presidential election campaigns: (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) will soon introduce the Government Credit Card Sunshine Act, which would require every federal government credit card bill to be posted on the Internet within 15 business days. Any federal employee whose abuse totals more than $500 would face immediate dismissal, be forced to repay the bill, and if applicable, return the items purchased.  (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced legislation (H.R. 3947) that would provide federal loan guarantees to Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi, so they could create and market their own disaster relief bonds with a federal guarantee.  (word doc)

• Backgrounder

 Letter to President Bush: RSC Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) and 37 other House conservatives sent the following letter to President Bush's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform, expressing opposition to a "return-free" tax-filing system (pdf)

 Bill: Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-CA) introduced the following resolution opposing no-bid federal contracts for hurricane clean-up.  (pdf)

 Op-ed: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) wrote the following op-ed, "The Year of Spending Dangerously," in The Wall Street Journal: (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) sent the following letter to encourage support for the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement.  (word doc)

 Op-ed: Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS) wrote the following op-ed, urging continued focus on North Korea's and Iran's nuclear programs. (word doc)

 Speech: RSC Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) delivered the following speech about the state of the Conservative Movement before Capitol Hill interns last week. (link)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) re-introduced legislation (H.R. 3903, H.R. 3904, and H.R. 3906) to implement a one-, two-, and five-percent across-the-board cut, respectively, in non-defense, non-homeland-security discretionary spending for fiscal year 2006. (pdf)

 Letter to President Bush: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), and Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) sent the following letter to President Bush, urging him to suspend Davis-Bacon prevailing wage regulations in the areas affected by Hurricane Rita.  (pdf)

 Sale of Federal Lands: Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) introduced the following bill (H.R. 3855) to require the sale of certain federal lands to help offset the costs of Hurricane Katrina disaster relief: (pdf)

 GREAT Relief Act: Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) introduced the Gulf Region Economic Area Tax Relief Act (GREAT Relief Act, H.R. 3868) which would increase the amount a business can expense in a hurricane recovery area from $100,000 to $10 million thru the end of 2006.  (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) renewed his call for Congress to delay the implementation of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit for one year.  (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) sent the following letter to his colleagues, asserting that recovery from Hurricane Katrina depends on capital not The Capitol. (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-VA) introduced legislation (H.R. 3785) that would allow second home owners to house displaced Hurricane Katrina victims without penalty from the IRS.  (word doc)

 Letter to Secretary Spellings: Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) sent the following letter to Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, urging her to use her flexibility under the No Child Left Behind Act to ensure that students and schools are not administratively punished because of the Hurricane Katrina disaster: (pdf)

 Press Release: Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) introduced legislation (H.R. 3887) that would give the Secretaries of Defense and Energy ninety days to identify three military sites, closed under BRAC, that would be suitable for refinery construction and then would set aside such sites for two years exclusively for oil refineries.  (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) and Rep. Steve King (R-IA) soon will introduce the VOTE Act, which would amend the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to require government-approved photo identification as a condition of voting in federal elections. (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) will soon introduce a bill that would reform the H-2A guest worker program without allowing those currently in the country illegally to adjust to Legal Permanent Resident status. (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) introduced the Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act (H.R. 3505), which would ease a variety of paperwork and other regulatory burdens inflicted upon America's financial institutions. (word doc)

 Floor Statement: Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) took to the House floor to praise the elections in Afghanistan and highlight coalition progress on the war on terror.  (link)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Ernest Istook (R-OK) introduced a bill (H.R. 3403) to ensure that National Labor Relations Board focuses its efforts on larger businesses and free smaller businesses from some federal oversight. (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. John Kline (R-MN) introduced a bill (H.R. 3709) to alter the National Call to Service Program to remove the Peace Corps as an option for completing an individual's military enlistment requirement, to differentiate the roles of Peace Corps Volunteers and our military servicemembers.  (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) introduced legislation (H.R. 3811) that would allow for more oil and natural gas exploration along the Outer Continental Shelf.  (word doc)

 Letter to House Leadership: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) sent the following letter to House Leadership suggesting some offsets for the hurricane relief spending: (word doc)

 Letter to President Bush: Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and 20 other RSC Members sent the following letter to President Bush asking the Administration to reevaluate non-essential spending in light of the financial burden imposed by hurricane Katrina:  (pdf)

 Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK), in separate letters to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-CA) and to Office of Management and Budget Director Joshua Bolten, urged careful scrutiny of and fiscal responsibility for Hurricane Katrina relief spending.

• Letter to Chairman Lewis
• Letter to OMB Director Bolten

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) introduced the Cleanup and Reconstruction Enhancement Act (CARE Act, H.R. 3684), which would automatically trigger a suspension of Davis-Bacon prevailing wage regulations in declared national disaster areas.  (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) introduced a bill (H.R. 3797) to prohibit the construction or lease of buildings or space for the federal government until January 1, 2007. (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) introduced a bill (H.R. 3813) to temporarily create a Hurricane Katrina Recovery Chief Financial Officer to monitor federal spending on the disaster relief.  (word doc)

 Op-ed: Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) wrote the following op-ed about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: (word doc)

 Various RSC Members criticized a federal district judge for ruling that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools is unconstitutional. To read the statement from:

• Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO), click here:
• Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), click here:
• Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), click here:
• Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC), click here:
• Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), click here:
• Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), click here:

 Press Release: Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) introduced the Child Pornography Prevention Act (H.R. 3726), most of which was added to the Children's Safety Act (H.R. 3132), which passed the House last week. (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) will soon introduce the Peremptory Challenge Act, which would allow peremptory challenges to be exercised in both criminal and civil cases. (word doc)

Hurricane Katrina

Various RSC Members issued statements about Congress' ongoing response to Hurricane Katrina.

 RSC Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN), regarding the need to bring fiscal discipline to the Katrina relief effort.  (word doc)

 Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), regarding the need to offset spending for Katrina relief. (word doc)

 Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), regarding the need to cut spending elsewhere in the federal budget in order to pay for Katrina relief.  (word doc)

 Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), regarding the need to keep "pork" off of the spending bills for Katrina relief.  (word doc)

 Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), regarding the need to keep "pork" off of the spending bills for Katrina relief.  (pdf)

 Conservative efforts to apply fiscal discipline to disaster relief spending were highlighted by:

• The New York Times
• The Chicago Tribune

 RSC Members praised President Bush’s decision to temporarily waive the Davis-Bacon Act, allowing the hurricane recovery effort to move forward quickly and in a more cost-effective manner. One day before this waiver, 35 RSC Members, led by Reps. Tom Feeney (R-FL), Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ), sent a letter to the President requesting that he temporarily waive Davis-Bacon.

• Text of Letter
• RSC press statement

 Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) wrote the following op-ed in The Wall Street Journal about how "red tape trumped common sense" in the recovery effort in his home state.  (pdf)

 Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) will introduce the Gas Tax Relief Act, which would suspend the federal gas tax (18.4 cents per gallon) for one month.  Click here to learn more:  (word doc)

 Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA) and nine other House Members sent the following letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), urging him to include in any future hurricane relief package language that would grant construction entities limited immunity from liability when they provide volunteer services or equipment in response to a declared disaster. (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Melissa Hart (R-PA) is seeking co-sponsors on the OTC Medicine Tax Fairness Act (H.R. 3428), which would make over-the-counter medications tax deductible as a healthcare expense. (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) is seeking co-sponsors on the Criminal Alien Accountability Act (H.R. 3150), which would establish mandatory minimum sentences for aliens who violate deportation orders by re-entering the United States without prior approval. (pdf)

 Iraq Report: RSC Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) returned from leading a Congressional Delegation to Iraq, where he kept a journal of his time with soldiers and meetings with General Abizaid and others. You can read "Two Days in Iraq" by clicking on Rep. Pence's blog here:

To read the Indianapolis Star's coverage of Rep. Pence's trip, click here:

 Press Release: Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) announced that he will soon introduce legislation to address the nation's shortage in oil refinery capacity.  (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), RSC Chairman, and Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), ,Chairman of the Values Action Team, said that the Food and Drug Administration made "a sensible choice" in deciding that it needs more information and public input before allowing over-the-counter sale of the "Plan B" morning-after pill to minors.  (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) is seeking original co-sponsors for the Home School Non-Discrimination Act. (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-MN) is seeking co-sponsors on the following resolution (H.J.Res. 61) honoring American Gold Star Mothers' Day (paying tribute to mothers who have lost a son or daughter while in service to our country):  (pdf)

 Press Release: Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) introduced a resolution (H.Con.Res. 220) recognizing the fourth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. (word doc)

 Gas Prices: Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) sent a letter to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX), urging him to schedule congressional hearings to analyze the recent spike in U.S. gasoline prices. (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Connie Mack (R-FL) is seeking original co-sponsors for the Lifetime Prosperity Act, which would extend the retirement savings tax credit and expand both this credit and Roth IRAs.    (word doc)

 Op-ed: Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) wrote the following op-ed about the ability of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) to fight tyranny and poverty.  (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN) is seeking more co-sponsors for the Federal Tax Withholding Repeal Act (H.R. 3409), which would repeal the law allowing the federal government to withhold federal income and Social Security taxes and implement a quarterly-payment system.  (word doc)

 Letter to House Leadership: Rep. Steve King (R-IA) and 20 other House conservatives sent the following letter to House Leadership, urging them not to schedule any legislation that would authorize the creation of a race-based government for Native Hawaiians living throughout the United States: (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) introduced a bill (H.R. 3478) to allow military death gratuities to be contributed to certain tax-preferred accounts (such as medical savings accounts and Roth IRAs).    (pdf)

 Press Release: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) called for reform of the United Nations, in light of the recent report showing even more corruption in the UN's Oil-for-Food program.  (word doc)

 Letter to FDA:  Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) and 45 other Members of Congress, including House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), sent the following letter to the FDA Commissioner, urging him to reject a petition to make the morning-after pill available over the counter and thus "as accessible to our nation's teenage daughters as candy bars and hairspray":  (pdf)

 Letter to HHS Secretary: Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) sent the following letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, asking him why HHS is the primary sponsor of a "Harm Reduction" conference in Utah that is based on the premise that we should not be fighting a “war on drugs.” The letter criticizes conference sessions such as “We Don’t Need a ‘War’ on Methamphetamine” and “You Don’t Have to Be Clean & Sober. Or Even Want to Be!” as well as some sexually explicit workshops:  (link)

 RSC Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) and 69 other House Members signed the following two letters, condemning the anti-Semitic remarks of United Nations Special Rapporteur Jean Ziegler and urging that he be fired. To read the letter to:

• UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, click here:
• The Chairman of the UN Commission for Human Rights, click here:

 WP Article: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and several RSC alumni were featured in this Washington Post article about the continuing Republican appetite for increasing federal spending.   (pdf)

 Press Release: Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) introduced H.R. 3622 to create the Border Protection Corps made up of citizen volunteers working as sworn law enforcement officers under the command of the Governors of the border states, using unspent homeland security funds.  (word doc)

 Press Release:  Rep. Walter Jones (R- NC) introduced the Military Academy First Amendment Protection Act (H.R. 3430), which would secure the ability of the military service academies to include a voluntary, nondenominational prayer as an element of their activities.  (pdf)

 Op-ed: Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) wrote the following op-ed about the pressing need to reform the United Nations.  (word doc)

 Op-ed:  Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) wrote the following op-ed about the importance of teaching the criticisms of the Darwinian theory of evolution.   (word doc)

 Various RSC Members responded publicly to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's (R-TN) reversal on embryonic stem-cell policy last week. To read the statement from:

• Rep. Dave Weldon (R-FL), click here.
• RSC Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN), click here.

 Press Release: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), in the following statement, urged President Bush to veto the Transportation Equity Act (H.R. 3), which Congress passed late last week, because the bill is billions of dollars more expensive than the President said is acceptable to him.   (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) joined Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX) in introducing the Strengthening the Ownership of Private Property (STOPP) Act (H.R 3405), which would prevent governments from taking property from one private party and giving it to another private party. When abuses occur, the STOPP Act would prevent localities and states from receiving federal economic assistance on all economic development projects, not just those upon which abuses occur. (pdf)

 Pro-Family Bills:  Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) released this one-pager on the pro-family bills that Congress has passed this year and the pro-family bills still pending in Congress.   (pdf)

 WSJ Editorial: Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) circulated the following editorial in The Wall Street Journal about his bill to allow Americans to buy health insurance in any state they choose, regardless of where they live.  (pdf)

 Dear Colleague:  Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), in the following letter, urged his colleagues to not let the issue of campaign finance reform fade out over the summer.   (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) introduced a resolution (H.Res. 413), expressing concerns about the amount of U.S. foreign aid provided to Egypt over the past 25 years without significant political reforms by the Government of Egypt.  (word doc)

 Children's Safety Act:  Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) also joined fellow child and crime victim advocates at a rally in support of the Children’s Safety Act (H.R. 3132, inspired by Poe’s Child Predator Act--H.R. 1355) to protect children from sex offenders and other criminals.   (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) introduced legislation (H.R. 3385) to provide relief to taxpayers whose stock options sharply decline in value yet who are still subject to an extremely high Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).  (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Melissa Hart (R-PA) is gathering co-sponsors on her legislation to make permanent the tax-free treatment of qualified withdrawals from Section 529 education plans.   (pdf)

 Op-ed: Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), John Carter (R-TX), and Ted Poe (R-TX), all former judges, wrote the following op-ed about property rights, in light of the recent Kelo decision by the Supreme Court. (word doc)

 Dear Colleague:  Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) is encouraging his colleagues to support the Growing Real Ownership for Workers (GROW) Act (H.R. 3304), which would use the current Social Security surplus to start personal retirement accounts.   (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Reps. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), Jeff Miller (R-FL), and Patrick McHenry (R-NC) are urging their colleagues to co-sponsor the RU-486 Suspension and Review Act (H.R. 1079), in light of the revelation of at least two previously unreported deaths of Californian women who took RU-486.  (word doc)

 Op-ed:  RSC Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) wrote the following op-ed about the importance of applying free-mark principles to telecom reform.   (pdf)

 Press Release: Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) offered and passed an amendment to the Higher Education Act that would promote greater competition and accountability in certain education grant programs. (pdf)

 Letter to USAID:  Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) and 28 other House conservatives sent the following letter to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), expressing concern about the way the Agency is conducting its faith-based outreach abroad.   (pdf)

 Press Release: Rep. Dave Weldon (R-FL) introduced the Short Sea Shipping Tax Exemption Act (H.R. 3319), which would provide an exemption from the harbor maintenance tax for certain shipping between United States mainland ports.  (pdf)

 Letter to PBS:  28 House conservatives sent the following letter to Corporation for Public Broadcasting Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson, asking for detailed information regarding Playboy Foundation contributions for the PBS film, “The Education of Shelby Knox":   (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), Rep. Dave Weldon (R-FL), and RSC Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) issued the following statement about the Senate's efforts to repeal President Bush's stem cell policy.  (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) and Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) praised efforts to reform the Endangered Species Act.   (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-WY) is seeking co-sponsors on the Totalization Agreement Congressional Approval Act (H.R. 2339), which would require expedited congressional consideration for any proposed Social Security totalization agreement and affirmative congressional approval for the agreement to become law.. (word doc)

 Press Release:  Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) offered and passed an amendment to the Higher Education Act to prohibit the Department of Education from creating a federal database of information on "nearly every facet of college students’ lives."   (word doc)

 Letter to FDA: Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) sent the following letter to the FDA to complain about and seek corrective action for its policy of discouraging women from having "keepsake" ultrasound procedures.  (pdf)

 Dear Colleague:  Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) will soon introduce the Expecting Parents Relief Act, which would extend the child tax credit back one year to cover pregnancy.   (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) introduced legislation (H.R. 1678) to extend for two years the higher expensing limits for small businesses. (pdf)

 Tribute to Admiral Stockdale:  Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) wrote a touching column about the passing of his former friend and cell-mate in captivity in Vietnam, former Vice-Presidential candidate, Jim Stockdale.   (word doc)

 Letter to Chairman Lewis: Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) led the effort to send the following letter with 40 signatures to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-CA), urging him to consider, during the continuing appropriations process, the program reductions and terminations proposed by President Bush  (pdf)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) introduced the Private Property Protection Act (H.R. 3083), which, in response to the Kelo v. City of New London Supreme Court ruling, would prohibit the federal government from exercising eminent domain for economic development and prohibit state and local exercises of such eminent domain using federal funds.   (word doc)

 Press Release: RSC Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) condemned the incarceration of New York Times reporter Judith Miller in the following statement. (word doc)

 Op-ed:  Rep. John Kline (R-MN) circulated the following op-ed he authored, published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, regarding "the honorable service of our men and women in uniform who serve at Guantanamo Bay":   (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Albert Wynn (D-MD) introduced the Video Choice Act (H.R. 3146), which would streamline the franchising process for new entrants into the marketplace for providing video services. (word doc)

 Dear Colleague:  RSC Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) circulated the following "Dear Colleague" letter, refuting claims that the 527 Fairness Act (H.R. 1316) would harm the current campaign system.   (word doc)

 Dear Colleague: Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) introduced legislation (H.R. 1678) to extend for two years the higher expensing limits for small businesses. (pdf)

 Press Release:  Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) circulated the following "Social Security Scare Tactic of the Week," which highlights falsehoods being spread about the new proposal to ensure that excess Social Security revenues be spent only on Social Security:   (word doc)

 Various RSC Members continue to speak against the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on Kelo v. City of New London, expanding local governments' abilities to seize private property. To read an op-ed from:

• Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA)
• Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
• Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK)

 Press Release: Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-SC) introduced the Major Regulation Cost Review Act (H.R. 3143), which would require every federal agency to begin a cost-benefit review of all major rules or regulations within five years of this Act's passage.  (word doc)

 Press Release: Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) pointed to the hiring of a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lobbyist as "more evidence that the congressional appropriations process is broken."   (word doc)

 Op-ed: Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS) wrote the following op-ed about how the lessons of George Washington are applicable today (word doc)

 Dear Colleague:  Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) circulated the following "Dear Colleague" letter in support of RSC Chairman Mike Pence's (R-IN) 527 Fairness Act, which would allow political parties, citizens groups, trade associations, and PACs to play on a more level playing field with