The McCain Amendment

by Catherine Gordon

In December, the President signed the Defense Appropriations bill, with the McCain amendment. That amendment bans cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of persons under custody or control of the U.S. government, and sets standards for interrogating prisoners. Passage of the amendment, opposed by the administration, was seen as a victory for those working to safeguard human rights and ban the use of torture by the U.S. But because of certain developments, this is a symbolic victory; much more work needs to be accomplished.

Introduced in October, the McCain amendment passed the Senate, 90-9. The Bush Administration opposed it and worked for months to achieve exemptions. They first sought authority for a presidential waiver, for geographic exemptions (places where the law would not be applied), or for classified interrogations to be exempt from the law. Then, in November, Vice President Cheney actively pressured Congress for a CIA exemption. If the exemption had been accepted, it would have meant explicit statutory permission for personnel from a U.S. agency to torture detainees. Fortunately, no exemptions were added to the amendment; it was kept in the conference report and signed into law in December.

There were several setbacks. The Defense Appropriations bill also contained the Graham-Levin amendment, which denies detainees the right to bring legal action in U.S. courts, seeking relief from inhumane treatment. So, if detainees are tortured they have no legal recourse in U.S. courts. It also authorizes the Department of Defense to consider evidence obtained through torture; this is the first time in the history of the United States that Congress has permitted the use of evidence obtained through torture.

Second, the McCain amendment sets the Army Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogation as an ethical standard for interrogation. But in mid-December, during discussions of the McCain amendment, the Army put forth a new classified set of interrogation methods, to be added to the manual. Military officials will not give examples of specific interrogation methods that the addendum authorizes, but did say that all interrogators must adhere to the Geneva Convention. The change in the manual is ongoing and must be given proper oversight, to ensure that its methods do indeed adhere to that Convention.

Third, after signing the Defense Appropriations bill, the President issued a 'signing statement' - an official document in which a president lays out his interpretation of a new law. The President said that he will view interrogation limits in the context of his broader powers to protect national security. Many analysts interpret it as the administration reserving the right to use harsher methods in special situations involving national security.

Three Republican co-sponsors - Warner, McCain, and Graham - blasted the statement. Sens. McCain (R-AZ) and Warner (R-VA) issued a joint press release, rejecting President Bush's assertion that he can legally waive the restrictions on torture, stating, "We believe that the president understands Congress's intent in passing, by very large majorities, legislation governing the treatment of detainees." They further indicated that they intend to "monitor the administration's implementation of the law."

As the National Religious Campaign Against Torture states: "Torture violates the basic dignity of the human person that all religions hold dear. It degrades everyone involved - policymakers, perpetrators and victims. It contradicts our nation's most cherished ideals. Any policies that permit torture and inhumane treatment are shocking and morally intolerable." We need to pressure Congress on these issues:

Call for an end to "extraordinary rendition" (kidnapping individuals and delivering them to other nations, including those countries known to use torture, for intelligence interrogations).

Call for closure of secret CIA facilities used for detention and interrogation of terrorism suspects.

Call for oversight of the Army Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogation.

Call for an end to the Bush Administration's enemy combatant policy, which allows the president to unilaterally label "enemy combatants."

A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King

by Dr. Mary Zumont

Dr. Zumont delivered this tribute at the January 16th birthday celebration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Ebenezer Baptist Church

The King family, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: today, as we pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, we should also pay tribute to his widow, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, who stood beside him and supported him all through his ministry and struggle. She kept the dream alive by establishing the King Center that welcomes a million visitors each year. Mrs. King, we salute you and pray for your recovery.

In 1961, I came to study at Clarke Memorial College, in Newton, Mississippi. As an Arab- Christian woman, from Jordan, I was not familiar with the American problem of discrimination. My arrival was at the height of the civil rights movement. I saw the marchers, witnessed and experienced racism and discrimination on buses, bathrooms, dining facilities, swimming pools, schools and churches.

Two years later, I went to Baylor University in Waco, and after graduation I went to SMU in Dallas. It was at SMU that I had the honor and privilege to hear Dr. King speak about the condition of his people whose rights were violated and who lived in poverty. His Christian message touched me deeply. I also witnessed how the Pastor of the largest Baptist Church in downtown Dallas suppressed the teaching of Jesus Christ by stationing Deacons at the door to prevent black Christians from entering the House of God, and that disturbed me.

The three million Arab-American Christians and Muslims in the United States, who came from all over the Arab countries to seek freedom from oppression and discrimination, a better future for their children, education, business opportunity, and protection of their basic human rights under the laws of the U.S. Constitution. However, Arab Americans feel betrayed by the negative press directed against them. They feel that their rights have been violated as American citizens by wiretapping, eavesdropping, torturing and jailing without due process of law.

These days our elected officials, both Democrats and Republicans, speak about values, for that reason we must hear the voice of Dr. King's teaching about ethical and moral values. In April 1967, Dr. King delivered a famous speech on Vietnam, at the Riverside Church in New York City.

"I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a 'thing-oriented' society to a 'person-oriented' society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplet of racism, materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered."

"A true revolution of values will lay hands on the world order and say of war: 'this way of settling differences is not just....'"

"There is nothing, except a tragic death wish, to prevent us from reordering our priorities, so that the pursuit of peace will take precedence over the pursuit of war."

I believe Dr. King was right in 1967 and he is still right today. Values are fine. We simply need to expand our understanding of values that will lead us into a more just and peaceful future. Arabs in general, Palestinians and Iraqis in particular, are yearning for peace, freedom, justice and the end of war and occupation over their land and people.

The teachings of Dr. King on nonviolence and against discrimination must help us to stop generalizing the action of one person as the representative of the action of all his people. We always labeled people by saying: "All Native Americans are savages. All blacks are violent or all whites are racists; today we say that all Arabs and Muslims are terrorists."

As we celebrate his birthday, Dr. King wants us to dedicate ourselves to the teaching of Jesus Christ about ethics and moral values. Dr. King wanted us to work to eliminate racism in our society, stop violence, speak and work against war and occupation. Arabs and the people of the Middle East do not need wars, they need to be safe from invasions, secure in their own homes, have their basic human rights respected, free from checkpoints and illegal occupation, they need employment, investment in education and the rule of law that is color- and religion-blind. The 15 million Arab Christians and more than 250 million Arabs and the one billion Muslims of the world are yearning for justice, peace and freedom. Thank God for Dr. King's life, dream, ministry and legacy.

The Family Health Worldwide Act

by Elenora Giddings Ivory

Now pending in the House of Representatives is HR 4188, the Focus on Family Health Worldwide Act of 2005. It was introduced by Reps. McCollum (D-MN), Ramstad (R-MN), Oberstar (D-MN) and Shays (R-CT). This bipartisan bill will reauthorize and gradually increase funding to voluntary family planning programs administered by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

If your own representative is not listed here, advocates are urged to contact their Member to ask that they become a co-sponsor. There is no Senate counterpart to this bill at this time. Please call your Senators and urge them to participate in the intro- duction of a Senate version. March 8, 2006 is International Women's Day. Support and passage of this legislation would be a great way to celebrate the achievement of women and recognize the plight of those still in need of these programs.

Voluntary family planning programs, like those carried out by USAID, are critical to improving health care, empowering women and protecting the global environment. By funding international family planning programs, the United States can significantly stem the rise of poverty, hunger, environmental destruction, and political instability that comes with poor health care and rapid population growth.

Supporting international family planning programs saves lives, money, and natural resources. Providing access to modern contraception in less developed countries could prevent 1.4 million infant deaths and 142,000 maternal deaths annually. In Latin America, a $1 investment in family planning saves $12 in other health and related costs. Family planning helps preserve vital natural resources by slowing rapid population growth. At current fertility rates, the world's population could double from six to 12 billion in the next 55 years. Such an increase will place enormous pressure on natural resources and exacerbate many environmental problems - including the loss of wildlife habitat, fisheries depletion, air and water pollution, and climate change.

The good news is that we know what works. Past family planning investments by USAID have delivered contraception and health care education to millions of people in more than 70 countries around the world. As a result of U.S.-sponsored family planning programs, countries as varied as Mexico, Thailand, Korea and Tunisia have seen population growth rates slow and economic prosperity rise.

In addition, family planning programs have proven to be a highly effective way to promote healthier families. Such programs are the most cost-effective intervention to avoid the transmission of HIV. Providing better access to modern contraception in less developed countries could prevent 1.4 million infant deaths and 142,000 maternal deaths annually. Further, as President George W. Bush has stated, one of the best ways to prevent abortion is by providing quality voluntary family planning programs to help women plan their pregnancies.

Support for international family planning programs remains an important issue within General Assembly social witness policy. The 208th General Assembly (1996) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), approved the policy statement entitled "Hope for a Global Future: Toward Just and Sustainable Human Development." One of the major principles stated that, "Overpopulation is neither just nor sustainable. Procreation is a deeply felt human right that must be balanced with the responsibility to preserve environmental quality and long-term sustainability and to make sufficient sustenance available to all."

The statement:

Encourages the assistance agencies of the United States government to extend their support for the key factors that bring about the transition to fewer births: an emphasis on social and economic progress . . . ; the reduction of infant mortality; improvements in the status of women; and the availability of family planning services.

Urges all governments . . . to broaden the availability and scope of family planning services. These services must provide a wide enough choice of contraceptive methods . . . and they require adequate counseling and follow-up care to assure women the options suited to their situation.

Opposes policies that restrict information about and availability of contraceptive and reproductive health measures for religious or political reasons, as well as programs that use coercive measures such as compulsory abortion or involuntary sterilization.

Letters to Legislators

Some of the information for this article came from a letter, jointly signed by the Presbyterian Washington Office, and:

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
The American Foundation for AIDS Research
Association of Reproductive Health Professionals
Audubon
CARE
Center for Health and Gender Equity
Center for Women Policy Studies
Centre for Development and Population Activities
Citizens for Global Solutions
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
Engender Health
The Episcopal Church
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Global AIDS Alliance
Global Health Council
The Hunger Project
International Center for Research on Women
Izaak Walton League of America
John Snow, Inc.
National Association of Social Workers
National Council of Jewish Women
National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association
National Wildlife Federation
Pathfinder International
Population Action International
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Sierra Club
Student Campaign for Child Survival
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations

Will Congress Act on Health Care?

by Carolynn Race

In his State of the Union address, President Bush touched on the issue of health care. He called for a commission to look into the impact of baby boomers on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. He also noted, "Keeping America competitive requires affordable health care. Our government has a responsibility to help provide health care for the poor and the elderly, and we are meeting that responsibility. For all Americans, we must confront the rising cost of care, strengthen the doctor-patient relationship and help people afford the insurance coverage they need." He called for expanding the use of electronic records, health savings accounts, association health plans, and medical liability reform.

In his Democratic response, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine noted: "Skyrocketing costs are hurting small businesses and pushing millions of working Americans into the ranks of the uninsured. The White House has made efforts to cut Medicaid funds for our most vulnerable citizens. Our seniors were promised that the new federal Medicare drug plan would make it easier and cheaper to obtain their medication. Instead, many have fallen victim to the program's poor planning." Gov. Kaine lifted up state-based efforts to address health care reform, including Illinois' effort to import prescription drugs from other countries to reduce prices and Virginia's expansion of children's health insurance coverage.

As the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data highlights, 45.8 million people were uninsured in 2004, an increase of 800,000 people since 2003. The uninsured rate remained constant at 15.7 percent, with the uninsured rate for children at 11.2 percent, and as the Kaiser Family Foundation noted, the number of uninsured under age 65 increased by nearly six million between 2000 and 2004, primarily due to a decline in employer-sponsored insurance. Many individuals and families are underinsured - failing to seek care or fill prescriptions because of the increasing out-of-pocket costs for premiums and co-payments.

On February 1, the House of Representatives passed the conference report on the budget reconciliation spending reduction package (S 1932) by a vote of 216-214. (The Senate passed the conference report in December by a vote of 51-50, with Vice President Cheney casting the tie-breaking vote.) See how your Representative voted. See how your Senators voted.

The package, expected to be signed by the President, would cut spending on mandatory programs, like Medicare, Medicaid, SSI, student loans, and child support enforcement, by nearly $40 billion over five years. It also includes the reauthorization of TANF - imposing strict work requirements on states and providing only $1 billion of added child care funding over five years - not nearly enough to meet the needs of families.

As Jonathan Weisman of The Washington Post noted, "... the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office informed lawmakers that $28 billion in cuts to Medicaid over the next decade would impose new costs on 13 million poor and working poor recipients. By 2015, new fees would end insurance coverage for 65,000 Medicaid enrollees, 60 percent of them children, CBO analysts said." Weisman later noted, "Recipients of Medicaid can expect to face higher co-payments and deductibles, especially on expensive prescription drugs and emergency room visits for non-emergency care. More affluent seniors will find it far more difficult to qualify for Medicaid-covered nursing care."

Limited action is expected from Congress this year, particularly on legislation to expand health care coverage to the uninsured. As Congress continues to grapple over the federal budget, one can expect continued attempts to reduce the cost of the Medicaid program, which, in 2003, insured more than 52 million people - including 25 million children, 14 million adults (primarily low-income working parents), 5 million seniors, and 8 million persons with disabilities, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

In 1999, the 211th General Assembly noted, "Health is the condition of wellness and integrated 'wholeness in body, mind, and spirit' (Life Abundant: Values, Choices and Health Care: The Responsibility and Role of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Minutes, 1988, p. 517). Health is much more than the absence of a physical or mental malady or the pursuit of physical and mental perfection. Jesus' command to love our neighbor requires persons with plentiful health resources both to comprehend the condition of those persons without basic health care and to share the means to health." That Assembly also noted, "The church has a special and particular identity and call from God to heal and to make whole. The church's role and function are to manifest, promote, and sustain health and wellness for itself as Christ's body, while working energetically for a healthy larger community. The church supports the right of every person to have access to quality health care that is adequate, affordable, and accountable." (Minutes, 1999, p. 341)

In 2002, the General Assembly reiterated calls of previous Assemblies to advocate for the uninsured, and directed the Washington Office to:

• Urge adequate funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) so that coverage will be available for all children.
• Urge the expansion of CHIP to include the parents or caregivers of those children covered.
• Oppose federal tax credits as a method to address the health needs of the uninsured.
• Urge the expansion of Medicaid to insure more low-income and fixed-income persons, including the recently unemployed.
• Encourage Members of Congress to recognize the importance of universal health care - that is, equal, accessible, affordable, and high-quality health care for all persons residing in our nation. (Minutes, 2002, pp. 70, 633-644)

How can Presbyterians work to support these calls - particularly the reminder that Jesus' command to love our neighbor requires persons with plentiful health resources both to comprehend the condition of those persons without basic health care and to share the means to health?

First, we can pray - that all may have health, wholeness, and life abundant.

Second, we can dialogue in our congregations. Hold a meeting to talk about your experiences with health care; how it impacts your family and your community. Life Abundant: Values, Choices, and Health Care: The Responsibility and Role of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) , a policy statement adopted by the General Assembly in 1988, has a five-session study program on health care, based on Mark 5:24b-34. . PDS notes, "This remains a relevant and enduring expression of the basic values of compassion, caring love, community wholeness, well-being, and justice that we hold to be fundamental in under- standing and addressing health issues. It is a valid policy and timely guide . . ."

Third, share your thoughts and reflections about health care through the Citizens Health Care Working Group, created in 2003 by Congress. It is mandated with engaging the public in a discussion of options for reforming America's health care system. Individuals are encouraged to fill out an online survey and participate in community meetings in localities across the nation. Find additional health care resources.

Finally, contact your elected officials to share your concerns about the state of health care in the United States. Call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121; ask to be connected with your Representative or Senators.

Events & Staff Notes

Register for Ecumenical Advocacy Days - March 10-13. Space Is Limited!

In 2005 more than 900 persons from at least 26 denominations gathered in Washington, D.C. and participated in workshops, training and advocacy for international and domestic social justice issues. The March '06 event promises to be bigger and better. It will include:

• Major speakers
• Enlivening Ecumenical Worship
• Workshops
• Networking Opportunities
• Chance to advocate with your Members of Congress
• Bring your faith values into the public square
• Fun and more

March 2006 represents the early stage in many of the midterm House and Senate campaigns. Your advocacy will be valuable on issues of justice for persons who are poor. Check the Web site for updates, or send an email.

The PC(USA) has formed a network against torture. The "NO 2 Torture" group has held a network meeting in Miami and has a Web site and Yahoo group you can use to stay connected. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture is also forming. A statement has been issued that you or your church can sign onto.