Free Market Weekly Alert - www.freemarket.org

Free Market Foundation's
Weekly Issues Alert
October 20, 2000

*Early Voting to Begin Monday, Texas State House and Senate Up for Grabs
*Congress Should End Session by Passing Final Legislation
*U.S. Educational Department Makes Failing Grade on Audits
*China to Produce RU-486, While Release of the Pill Could be Blocked


Early Voting to Begin Monday, Texas State House and Senate Up for Grabs

Early voting for the 2000 General Elections will begin on Monday, October 23rd. This year's elections are of crucial importance. Not only will the next president be important in deciding the future of our country, but the Texas House and Senate are up for grabs for either major party. Even more significantly, the next Texas Senate and House will be redrawing Texas' district lines for races of the U.S. House of Representatives, Texas Senate, Texas House and State Board of Education for the next ten years.
Numerous seats in the U.S. House and Texas House could change parties depending on which party has control.

ACTION:

Get out and vote during early voting! Make sure that you and your friends and family members know where the candidates stand on the important issues. Go to Free Market's website at http://www.freemarket.org to print off your regional Voter's Guides for your friends and family members.


Congress Should End Session by Passing Final Legislation

Congress has yet to complete the passage of two final bills before the end of this session. The Children's Internet Protection Act (S.97) is a way for Congress to protect children from being exposed to hard-core pornography while at school or the local library, by discontinuing federal aid to those schools and libraries that do not comply. Although the U.S. House has passed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, a bill that protects babies from being killed when born alive after a failed abortion, the Senate has not yet finished the job by approving the bill.

ACTION:

Call your U.S. representative at the Capitol switchboard (202-225-3121) and urge him/her to complete the passage of the Children's Internet Protection Act. Call your senators and ask them to vote on these two pieces of final legislation that supports the family. Also call Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (202-224-3135) and ask him to bring the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act to the Senate floor for a vote before the end of the session. If you do not know who your representative is, go to http://www.freemarket.org and look under Vote 2000.
Senator Phil Gramm Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
(202) 224-2934 (202) 224-5922
phil_gramm@gramm.senate.gov senator@hutchison.senate.gov


NEWS:

U.S. Educational Department Makes Failing Grade on Audits

The U.S. Educational Department has failed its audits and has been caught in embezzelment, theft rings and lavish spending. According to the House oversight subcommittee known as Crossroads 2000, $1.9 million in federal grant funds were used to buy a Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac and property in Maryland.


China to Produce RU-486, While Release of the Pill Could be Blocked

The Washington Post has confirmed that a factory out of the People's Republic of China will be manufacturing RU-486. The factory already produces RU-486 and is responsible for 5 of the 10 million abortions that occur per year in China. In other news, RU-486, sold under the name Mifeprex could be effectively blocked by Searle Pharmaceuticals, which produces Misoprostol, the drug used to expel the dead baby. Searle has objected to the use of Misoprostol in conjunction with Mifeprex stating that it "is not approved for the induction of labor or abortion" by the company for its harmful affects on women and children. Despite Searle's objections the FDA is continuing as planned.

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Allen