▁permanent ▁friends ," ▁the ▁mem o ▁said . ▁ ▁The ▁con gression al ▁j unk ets ▁to ▁the ▁Mar iana ▁Islands ▁were ▁designed ▁to ▁build ▁support ▁in ▁Congress ▁among ▁Republican ▁law m akers ▁to ▁block ▁labor ▁and ▁imm igration ▁legisl ation ▁for ▁the ▁islands , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁found ▁to ▁har bor ▁squ al id ▁working ▁conditions ▁and ▁ab us ive ▁labor ▁practices , ▁including ▁child ▁prost itution ▁and ▁forced ▁abort ions . ▁ ▁Sch af fer ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁spoke ▁with ▁local ▁cler gy ▁who ▁denied ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁problem ▁of ▁forced ▁abort ions ▁in ▁the ▁Northern ▁Marian as , ▁the ▁only ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁where ▁abort ion ▁is ▁b anned ▁by ▁their ▁local ▁constitution . ▁After ▁his ▁return ▁from ▁the ▁islands , ▁Sch af fer ▁used ▁his ▁position ▁on ▁the ▁Resources ▁Committee ▁to ▁attack ▁reports ▁of ▁ab uses ▁on ▁the ▁islands . ▁ ▁Ben emer enti ▁Medal ▁Upon ▁ret iring ▁from ▁Congress ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Sch af fer ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Ben emer enti ▁medal ▁by ▁Pope ▁John ▁Paul ▁II . ▁The ▁Ben emer enti ▁Medal ▁is ▁an ▁honour ▁awarded ▁by ▁the ▁Pope ▁to ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁cler gy ▁and ▁la ity ▁for ▁service ▁to ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church . ▁ ▁Sch af fer ▁is ▁a ▁Knight ▁of ▁the ▁E quest rian ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Sep ul ch re ▁of ▁Jerusalem ▁by ▁confirm ation ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁See ▁in ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁Pope ▁John ▁Paul ▁II . ▁ ▁He ▁is