STEVE BROWN'S
RICAN
FIREPLACE &BARBEQUE DIST.
Pro-RFRA Coalition
Takes Shape
MICHIGAN'S PREMIERE FIREPLACE & BBQ SHOWROOM
JAMES D. BESSER
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
The first round of congression-
al hearings on the recent
Supreme Court decision invali-
- dating the Religious Freedom
• Restoration Act produced no sur-
prises, but a clearer picture of the
emerging strategy of the battered
pro-RFRA coalition. That group
consists of the Jewish, Christian
and civil liberties groups that
won passage of the law in 1993
and now consider its revival a top
legislative priority.
Legislators and witnesses
/- alike at the Constitution Judi-
ciary Subcommittee hearings
showed little sympathy for
claims by Rep. Ernest Jim Is-
took, R-Okla., that his "religious
freedom" amendment to the Con-
stitution — aimed primarily at
legalizing school prayer — would
remedy the problems caused by
the court's controversial ruling.
Rep. Charles Canady, R-Fla.,
I
7- chair of the subcommittee, made
it clear that he views RFRA,
which made it harder for state
and local officials to even indi-
rectly burden religious obser-
vance without demonstrating a
compelling interest in doing so,
as a separate matter entirely.
"Canady also was very en-
couraging in that he clearly be-
• lieves the Supreme Court
/-- decision poses a significant prob-
lem that needs to be addressed
by Congress," said Reva Price,
Washington representative for
the Jewish Council for Public Af-
fairs.
Marc D. Stern, co-director of
the American Jewish Congress
Commission on Law and Social
Action, testified that Congress
needs to deal with both aspects
/- of the court's decision — pro-
tecting religious liberty and
maintaining congressional au-
thority.
"Each deserves a substantial
response," Mr. Stern said. "If left
unaddressed, each of the adverse
impacts created by the decision
will create social problems of sub-
stantial impact."
The coalition has made sig-
nificant strides in recent days in
developing strategies for dealing
with what many members con-
sider an emergency.
Initially, the coalition will seek
a non-binding "sense of the Con-
gress" resolution affirming the
need for remedial action. A pro-
posed resolution is being draft-
ed by one of the strange alliances
the RFRA coalition has produced
• — Mike Farris, an ultra-conser-
vative home schooling advocate,
and Elliot Mincberg, legal direc-
tor of the liberal People for the
American Way. ❑
c."
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