Sam Brownback links (Crosswalk.com) GOP Congressman Seeks to ‘Restore Free Speech’ in Churches: “Church leaders, in order to protect their tax-exempt status, are currently prohibited by law from taking sides in a political debate. But North Carolina Republican Rep. Walter Jones’ bill – the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act of 2005 — would change the Internal Revenue Service code. Similar legislation may be sponsored in the U.S. Senate by Kansas Republican Sen. Sam Brownback.”(Washington Times)Abstinence funds debate heats up on Senate panel: “A debate about the strict definition of a $50 million-a-year abstinence education grant program is expected tomorrow when a Senate panel convenes to discuss the 1996 welfare law. … Teenagers need the abstinence message more than ever because ‘if they just consume popular culture, they don’t get this message very much,’ said Sen. Sam Brownback, Kansas Republican, who also attended the gathering.”(Washington Times) Skeptical Senate eyes sea treaty: “Opposition to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea is growing among Republicans in the Senate as some of those who voted for it in the past have said they are re-examining their positions. … ”I am re-examining this. A number of issues have been raised about it that I think are very serious concerns about its impact on the United States,’ said Sen. Sam Brownback, Kansas Republican, who voted for the bill in the Foreign Relations Committee last year.”(New York Times op-ed column) The American Witness: “If American voters cared about Darfur’s genocide as much as about, say, the Michael Jackson trial, then our political system would respond. One useful step would be the passage of the Darfur Accountability Act, to be introduced today by Senators Jon Corzine and Sam Brownback. The legislation calls for such desperately needed actions as expanding the African Union force and establishing a military no-fly zone to stop Sudan from bombing civilians.” Pat Roberts links (Washington Times) Arctic drilling recast as budget measure: “The Senate’s energy chief last week revamped an old strategy to almost guarantee passage of legislation that would open up parts of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration. … Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Jim Bunning of Kentucky, Pat Roberts of Kansas and John Thune of South Dakota left to tour ANWR and oil-drilling sites in Alaska on Friday.”(New York Times editorial) Looking the Other Way: “The horrible abuses at Abu Ghraib and other American prison camps badly damaged the nation’s image as a defender of human rights. The administration then worsened the damage by refusing to deal with the issue openly and forcefully. Just yesterday, Douglas Jehl of The Times reported that the Senate Intelligence Committee’s Republican chairman, Pat Roberts of Kansas, is blocking a serious inquiry into the C.I.A.’s abuse of prisoners.”(AP) Senate says keep Canada cow ban: “The Senate voted Thursday to overturn the Bush administration’s decision to allow Canadian cattle into the country nearly two years after they were banned because of mad cow disease. … ‘Be careful what you ask for. We will take a giant step backward in our efforts to reopen markets to Japan, or for that matter, anywhere, if we vote today to approve this resolution,’ said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan.”Dennis Moore links (Kansas City Star) Moore preaches doctrine of fiscal responsibility: “The House Budget Committee hearing starring Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan was barely an hour old, but already Rep. Dennis Moore could claim a small victory. … Moore recently offered a bill to bar the government from spending Social Security revenue on anything else. So he asked Greenspan at the Wednesday hearing if he thought that such legislation would strengthen the retirement program.”(Washington Post) Reid and Kerry, With Swords Drawn “The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has announced its “Frontline 10,” who won last year by 55 percent or less and in tough districts for the party; it urged House members and major party donors to help now to preserve the seats in the mid-term elections 20 months away. … The “honorees,” most of them from states Bush won handily, are freshman Reps. John Barrow (Ga.), Melissa L. Bean (Ill.), Brian Higgins (N.Y.), Charlie Melancon (La.) and John T. Salazar (Colo.), plus returning Reps. Leonard L. Boswell (Iowa), Chet Edwards (Tex.), Stephanie Herseth (S.D.), Jim Matheson (Utah) and Dennis Moore (Kan.).”How to contact As always, you can find information to contact members of the Kansas congressional delegation [here.][10] [3]: http://www.some-web-page.com