Do What You Can
Democrats.com has a nice form to e-mail your Senators to filibuster the bankruptcy bill. They are scheduled to vote tomorrow. This is a seriously egregious bill that no Democrat (Joe Biden) should back under any circumstances, but it looks like it will pass this time unless somebody filibusters.
The most amazing thing about this is that while they are drastically reducing the ability of people to get a fresh start and seize more of their assets, they are also going to allow the credit card companies to charge usury rates to these very same people. It's like something out of Dickens.
Click here if you have a few minutes, or make a call if you have more than a few minutes and make your wishes known.
Update: Julia at Sisyphus Shrugged pointed me to No More Mr Nice Blog's interesting insight into Charles "Let 'Em Eat Pancakes" Grassley's view toward Christian charity:
Grassley now:
A national group of Christian lawyers is appealing to church leaders to join them in lobbying against the bankruptcy reform bill introduced by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Ia.
The lawyers say the legislation runs contrary to the forgiveness of debt and charity required by the Bible....
In response, Grassley said Congress could not be bound by biblical mandates because "the Constitution does not provide for a theocracy."
"I can't listen to Christian lawyers because I would be imposing the Bible on a diverse population," Grassley said.
--Des Moines Register, 3/4/05
*****
Grassley then:
SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY: ... It's odd that one of those -- there has been some condemnation of him because of his religious beliefs. It's a sad commentary that John Ashcroft's Christian religious beliefs can't be considered an asset in the same vein that Joseph Lieberman's religious faith was considered an asset during the last election.
--discussing the pending confirmation of John Ashcroft, PBS NewsHour, 1/18/01
On Friday, June 19, 1998, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Religious Liberty and Charitable Donation Protection Act, S.1244. The new law will protect tithing and charitable giving under the federal bankruptcy code.
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa introduced the legislation last year....
In addition to protecting from federal bankruptcy courts the donations made to a church through tithing or to a tax-exempt charity through an established pattern of giving, the Religious Liberty and Charitable Donation Protection Act also restores the right of debtors to tithe and give charitably after declaring bankruptcy under Chapter 13....
--Grassley press release
On June 12, 1995, the Senate initiated debate on the CDA [Communications Decency Act]...
The entire Senate debate, spearheaded by Senator Exon and Republicans Dan Coats and Charles Grassley, was informed by the sensibilities of the religious right. The Senators read letters from the Christian Coalition and from Bruce Taylor [of the National Law Center for Children and Families] into the record....
--"The Religious Right and Internet Censorship" by Jonathan Wallace
.