From the December 2007 Idaho Observer:

What do we deserve for Christmas: A new Congress?

What about you? How much do you know about the issues before Congress? Do you pay attention, or just turn on the nightly news and snort in disgust at what you are told? What do you do with the information you hear or read about?

While you have been busy working and doing the things you need to do just to survive, your government has also been busy, making sure that you have a rougher time of it.

Few are aware of recent unconstitutional laws and executive orders being passed even though they are seriously encroaching on our rights and freedoms. With only a few mentions on CNN or MSNBC, what I am about to tell you has gone pretty much uncovered in the mainstream media. You can verify what I am about to say with a few Internet searches: Google a bill by key words or number. You can also search for bills at www.thomas.gov and www.govtrack.us.

In September, 2006, President Bush pushed for swift passage of the Military Commissions Act. It was urgent that it be passed in a hurry, he said, "for our protection."

Both the Congress and the Senate rushed this bill through, many of them without even reading it. Buried inside this bill was the unconstitutional suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, the unconstitutional legalization of torture and making the president "commander-in-chief" of the National Guard—which is also unconstitutional.

By suspending habeas corpus, the imprisoned shall be denied the right to a court trial intended to determine if their imprisonment is lawful. If our government so chooses, you can be jailed for life, without charges, without a trial, and without a lawyer; by legalizing torture, the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment has been lifted so you can be "legally" tortured to boot. By superseding the authority of the governor as commander-in-chief of his state’s militia (the National Guard), the president becomes the commander-in-chief of a standing army on American soil.

Within six weeks of 9/11, Congress passed the USA Patriot Act, under the authority of which the government can:

• Secretly conduct warrantless searches of your home and office.

• Secretly conduct warrantless investigations of your financial activities.

• Secretly conduct warrantless investigations of your medical, travel and business records.

• Secretly monitor your phone, computer and internet activity without a warrant.

• Secretly monitor your choice of reading and viewing material from libraries and rental and sales receipts without a warrant.

• Secretly compile and enforce "no fly" lists that can ban or restrict your air travel—even if you have never been convicted of a crime.

Note: Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) introduced HR 3835 October 15, 2007, "To restore the Constitution’s checks and balances and protections against government abuses as envisioned by the Founding Fathers." As of this writing, the bill has no co-sponsors and has not been assigned to a committee for debate.

• EO 10999 allows the government to take over all modes of public and private transportation in a declared state of emergency.

• EO 11000 allows the government to mobilize civilians into work brigades (government work camps) under government supervision.

• EO 11921 provides the president with the authority to declare a state of emergency that is not defined—and Congress cannot review the action for six months. A Treasury Department letter dated 8/12/05 states that the government has the power to seize all financial institutions’ currency, gold, silver—and everything else—if they deem an emergency exists.

The North American Free Trade Agreement, passed in November, 1993, eliminated the majority of tariffs on products traded among the United States, Canada and Mexico and gradually phased out other tariffs over a 10-year period. Restrictions were to be removed from many categories, including motor vehicles, computers, textiles and agriculture. On September 14, 1993, President Clinton stated, "NAFTA means jobs. American jobs, and good-paying American jobs. If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t support this agreement."

Instead, NAFTA has opened the door for large corporations to move their manufacturing operations out of the U.S.—where they have to pay employees reasonable wages and provide safe working conditions—to third world countries, where minimum wages and safe workplace regulations are not enforced. Over 1,000,000 manufacturing jobs have left this country since NAFTA was adopted.

The Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) of North America, part of the agenda to merge the U.S., Canada and Mexico into a North American Union (NAU), was never passed in Congress though the website at www.spp.gov would tend to have us believe otherwise. The SPP provides for the security and prosperity of the corporations who control our governments. Behind closed doors the executive branches of the U.S., Canadian and Mexican governments have been merging the three countries into an NAU without the people of the respective countries’ knowledge or consent.

On November 8, 2006, Speaker of the House-elect Nancy Pelosi (D-California) stated "Impeachment (of the president and his administration) is off the table." (To the American people, impeachment is still "on the table," see page 6).

On July 29, 2005, Congress passed The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub.L. 109-058). The Act, described by proponents as an attempt to combat growing energy problems, was countered by Rep Lynn Woolsey (CA) who stated, "this energy bill presents a terrific opportunity to reduce our nation’s continued dependence on petroleum by promoting clean and renewable energy sources. But instead of encouraging the use of renewable energy, this act promotes the interest of corporations through tax breaks that encourage air pollution, water contamination, further degradation of our environment and perpetual dependence on corporations to supply our energy needs."

The passage of the Energy policy Act of 2005 included: $4.3 billion for nuclear power, $2.8 billion for fossil fuel production, $2.7 billion to extend the renewable electricity production credit, $1.6 billion in tax incentives for investments in clean coal facilities, $1.3 billion for conservation and energy efficiency and $1.3 billion for alternative motor vehicles and fuels (ethanol, methane, liquefied natural gas, propane) – since then $118 billion more has been proposed in subsidies for ethanol production.

(Rep. Woolsey introduced HR 737, the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Act of 2005. This bill was referred to House subcommittee on Energy Feb. 17, 2005, never to be heard of again).

Two new energy bills were introduced in Congress this year: HR 6 promised the repeal of $13.8 billion in subsidies awarded to Big Oil, in order to finance the investments we need in clean, efficient energy. The Senate did not approve the bill, however, for that reason. The 40 senators who voted against the bill have accepted $7 million in campaign contributions from oil companies, PACs and executives since 2001.

HR 1528: The "Safe Access to Drug Treatment and Child Protection Act of 2005" requires you to spy on your neighbor if requested to do so—including wearing a wire. Refusal to comply would be punishable by a mandatory prison sentence of at least two years.

The SAFE Act: (already passed in the house) "Promoting a Safe Internet for Children—something parents should already be doing themselves—provides $5,000,000 each for fiscal years 2008 and 2009. The act is supposed to protect children from online predators, helps parents shield their children from inappropriate cyber content. The act requires Internet service providers (ISPs) to intercept and report the transmission of "illegal images" with fines of up to $300,000 per incident, for failure to do so. By forcing ISPs to intercept and report the transmission of pornographic images of minor children, a seemingly good idea, the first step in regulating the Internet has been taken.

HR 1955: The "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Act of 2007, passed in the House with 404 votes October 23, 2007. Now in the Senate as S 1959, this bill identifies those who complain about government or its policies as potentially violent terrorists.

The "SAVE" (Secure America with Verification and Enforcement) Act: Touted as a solution to the Bush-caused immigration problem, this act would require employers to submit potential employees’ info to the Department of Homeland Security’s online screening program to determine whether or not they can be hired.

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Act: This act seeks to provide health care for children from lower income homes, including illegal aliens. It would also make sure children are up to date on their basic immunizations, provide prescriptions for children with chronic asthma and qualify them for annual dental exams. The cost for this bill was not provided in the bill summary.

(Note: While SCHIP concerned itself about the unvaccinated and asthmatic children, HR 2813 was introduced on 6/21/07, to address the risks of exposure of children to mercury from mercury-contaminated industrial sites. Nowhere was mention of the hazard to children of mercury-containing, compulsory and government-approved vaccines injected directly into their bodies).

HR 767: United States National Health Insurance Act (or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act) was introduced in the House on 1/24/07 to provide all individuals residing in the United States and in U.S. territories with free health care, including "medically necessary care"—primary care and "prevention"—prescription drugs, emergency care, and mental health services.

The list of bills being passed by Congress that are not in the best interests of the American people could fill this entire newspaper. The list, however, would include bills that remove liability from drug companies whose government-approved drugs maim and murder those who take them; bills that keep authorizing more money to continue the occupation of Iraq when the Pentagon has "lost" nearly $3 trillion; nearly $10 billion in $100 bills sent to Iraq on pallets is unaccounted for; bills that force fresh produce in commerce to be sprayed with fluoridated chemicals; bills that enable credit card companies to deceive and then financially destroy their customers and; bills that subsidize the activities of multinational corporations and regulate small, family-owned businesses into bankruptcy.

The capstone to it all? Congress keeps raising the debt ceiling so that the U.S. government can keep its doors open to service the people.

This article opened with a comment about how my congressman’s staff knew my name and address when I called because they hear from me so often.There are several ways to interpret the staffers’ familiarity with me and the fact that they had memorized my address. I prefer to look at it this way: There aren’t nearly enough people writing letters, making phone calls, sending FAXes and asking questions because, if there were, she could not have memorized my address. We need to change that.

www.DownsizeDC.org is an on-line internet organization that provides truthful, timely information on upcoming bills, and an easy-to-use Congressional Contact System empowering you to contact all three of your elected officials at once. The Downsize DC Vision is organizing a mobilized army of you and me to surround and overwhelm Congress, forcing it to change "the rules by which it rules."

This pressure from everyone, every day, demanding fundamental change, will cause members of Congress to pay a higher personal cost for expanding the "federal monopoly." Endless streams of one minute phone calls, short, hand-written letters, Internet messages, faxes and personal visits are the snowflakes that will turn into an avalanche. They impose huge costs on congressional time, energy and nerves, soon causing them to spend less money than they receive and repeal more laws than they pass.

Be a snowflake. Send letters to: Name, U.S. House (or Senate), Washington, DC. Or call: 202-224-3121. Ask annoying questions like, "When are you going to start reading the bills you pass?" or "When are you going to stop delegating your legislative responsibilities to unelected bureaucrats?" or "When are you going to stop sneaking bad provisions into popular bills?"

Be responsible. Start holding those paid to represent you accountable for their representation. While you are at it, start a vegetable garden. Speak with your pocketbook. Buy used or locally made goods. Reduce your purchasing. NEVER buy on credit; the interest on your debt supports the globalist agenda. Boycott foreign produced goods. With the money you save, you can afford to give a dime a day, or more, to DownsizeDC.org, RonPaul2008.com, or other organizations working for your future.

Finally, get your spiritual house in order. Colossians 3:5 says, "Put to death sexual immorality, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming." But, II Chronicles 7:14 states, "If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and heal their land."