On Capitol Hill This Week Volume XV, Number 18a

DOMESTIC ISSUES

July 7 - 11, 2008

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. . ." (John 16:12,13)

	On Capitol Hill This Week; Vol. XV, No. 18a

1. PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNS $162B WAR BILL; PRAISES CONGRESS' WORK
2. WHITE HOUSE: GUANTANAMO TERROR DETAINEES MAY WALK FREE IN U.S.
3. HOUSE PASSES OIL SPECULATION MEASURE
4. TREASURY SECRETARY URGES CONGRESS TO EXPAND FED'S POWER
5. SENATE TO DISCUSS HOUSE INTELLIGENCE LEGISLATION THIS WEEK
6. S.2433: THE GLOBAL POVERTY ACT - FLOOR VOTE IMMINENT
7. SOME IN CONGRESS PUSH ENDA; TRANSGENDER "RIGHTS"
8. SEVERAL PRO-GAMBLING INITIATIVES NOW IN CONGRESS
9. WHITE HOUSE ACCUSES SENATE DEMOCRATS OF SLACKING OFF
10. PRAYER REQUEST FOR NOVEMBER ELECTIONS
11. EULOGIZING SENATOR JESSE HELMS
12. NATIONAL REPENTANCE

1. PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNS $162B WAR BILL; PRAISES CONGRESS' WORK

President Bush on Monday signed legislation to pay for the war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the rest of his presidency and beyond, hailing the $162 billion plan as a rare product of bipartisan cooperation. "This bill shows the American people that, even in an election year, Republicans and Democrats can come together to stand behind our troops and their families," Bush said in an Oval Office ceremony.

Bush thanked lawmakers of both parties, singling out some sponsors of the long-delayed, compromise measure for praise. His positive comments contrasted with the confrontational tone that has dominated the debate between Congress and his administration over Iraq. The legislation brings to more than $800 billion the amount Congress has issued for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Congressional Budget Office and House Appropriations Committee. (USA Today)

· We want to thank ALL OF YOU who have been praying so hard, for so long, over the release of these funds for our military. Ask our Lord to even EXPAND the application of these monies, so that the needs of our men and women in uniform can be met. Remember to pray, too, for our military chaplains, who serve as His pastors to those who are on the front lines. May they never become "weary in well doing."

· Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (I Corinthians 15:58)

2. WHITE HOUSE: GUANTANAMO TERROR DETAINEES COULD WALK FREE IN U.S.

The White House said Thursday that dangerous detainees at Guantanamo Bay could end up walking Main Street U.S.A. as a result of last month's Supreme Court ruling about detainees' legal rights. Federal appeals courts, however, have indicated they have no intention of letting that happen. The high court ruling, which gave all detainees the right to petition federal judges for immediate release, has intensified discussions within the Bush administration about what to do with the roughly 270 detainees held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. "I'm sure that none of us want Khalid Sheikh Mohammed walking around our neighborhoods," White House press secretary Dana Perino said about Al Qaeda's former third in command.

President Bush strongly disagreed with the Supreme Court decision that the foreigners held under indefinite detention at Guantanamo have the right to seek release in civilian courts. The 5-4 ruling was the third time the justices had repudiated Bush on his approach to holding the suspects outside the protections of U.S. law. The legal ramifications of the Supreme Court decision remain fuzzy, but it's unlikely that a federal appeals court would order a detainee released into the United States even if a judge finds that the government was holding the detainee improperly. A court might tell the Bush administration to let a prisoner go, but it presumably would be up to the executive branch to figure out where. (AP)

· While the average American cannot imagine anyone so stupid to release terrorist detainees inside the USA, our Supreme Court judges have granted these detainees the same rights as American citizens. We don't understand their reasoning yet. Pray for President Bush and the executive branch of our government to exercise divine wisdom in figuring what to do with these terrorists. When they have been released in their home countries, we have recaptured them or killed them in continued acts of terror. What other country would want to take these terrorists? Truly, this matter is for the Lord alone.

· [The Lord] "that bringeth the princes to nothing: He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity." (Isaiah 40:23)

3. HOUSE PASSES OIL SPECULATION MEASURE

[One of the last votes on the House floor before they recessed for the Independence Day District Work Period is reported below. Now, as Congress returns this week, let's continue to "press in" that similar measure(s) WILL be passed as quickly in the Senate as in the House. Amen! - the editor]
Crude oil fell in New York, retreating from the record $140.39 a barrel reached yesterday, as the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill aimed at curbing excessive energy-market speculation. The bill, which passed 402-19, would require the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to consider using position limits, or constraints on the size of the stake each speculative investor can own, and raising margin requirements, the amount of money required to trade. The vote came after the record was set. (Bloomberg; June 27, 2008)

· Continue in prayer over this issue, for there are now at least two "companion bills" that must work their way through the Senate, after the Independence Day recess. Decree that THIS will be our "Independence Day" from the ties that have bound us to these greedy speculators, and others who are making millions now in the oil markets.

· "Before they call, I will answer. While they're still speaking, I will hear . . . "
(Isaiah 65:24)

4. TREASURY SECRETARY PAULSON TO APPEAR BEFORE HOUSE COMMITTEE
WILL URGE CONGRESS TO EXPAND FED'S POWER

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has said that the Federal Reserve should be given sweeping new powers to protect the integrity of the financial system, contending that this year's market turmoil has exposed a badly outdated regulatory system. Acknowledging that debate on the issue in Congress would take time, Paulson said the discussion should begin without delay because the stakes for the financial system are so high. "We should quickly consider how to most appropriately give the Fed the authority to access necessary information from highly complex financial institutions and the responsibility to intervene to protect the system so they can carry out the role our nation has come to expect - stabilizing the overall system when it is threatened," he said in a speech to a women's banking group in Washington.

Paulson said the near-collapse of Bear Stearns, once the country's fifth-largest investment bank, had "placed in stark relief the outdated nature of our financial regulatory system. . . Our nation has come to expect the Federal Reserve to step in to avert events that pose unacceptable systemic risk," Paulson said. "But, as we noted in our blueprint, the Fed has neither the clear statutory authority nor the mandate to anticipate and deal with risk across our entire financial system."

Fed officials have said they must continue to have day- to-day supervision of commercial banks to monitor the banking system's health. (Associated Press)

· This matter must be bathed in much prayer. Is it wise to give so much authority to one regulatory agency? Remember the the Federal Reserve Board is not regulated by Congress and really answers to no one. The Lord, who owns all the wealth of the world, knows what is best for the financial security of the USA, and He should be given the authority to determine our finances. Pray very seriously about this matter. Secretary Paulson will appear before a House committee this Thursday, July 10, to address this issue.

· "Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore. Remember His marvelous works which He has done . . ." (Psalm 105: 4,5a)

5. SENATE TO DISCUSS HOUSE INTELLIGENCE LEGISLATION THIS WEEK

Democratic and Republican leaders say they expect Mr. Feingold's promised filibuster - a procedural move that would indefinitely hold up the bill, essentially killing it - to fail and that the bill will pass. 'The challenge [Mr. Reid] faced was that members of his own party launched a filibuster of this key national security legislation,' said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican. The original 1978 FISA law requires the government to obtain a warrant from a special court to conduct foreign intelligence surveillance in the United States. But changes in telecommunications technology have forced the government to increasingly get warrants to spy on foreign targets because foreign phone calls and other electronic communications often now move through U.S. networks. (The Washington Times)

· The FISA bill is needed because of the telecommunications technology. Pray that Sen. Feingold (D-WI) will be moved to desist from a filibuster against the FISA bill and that the bill can be safely passed into law that protects our nation. Any changes to the bill must be those that protect the USA.

· "Many seek the ruler's favor; but every man's judgment cometh from the Lord." (Proverbs 29:26)

6. S.2433: THE GLOBAL POVERTY ACT - FLOOR VOTE IMMINENT

This bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) on Dec. 7, 2007 and currently lists 23 cosponsors. As written, the bill is designed: "To require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day." S. 2433 has been voted ot of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has now been placed on legislative calendar. Therefore, a vote on the Senate floor for Senator Obama's bill is now pending. Sources on the Hill have advised us that this Act may come up for a vote THIS WEEK in the Senate.

A companion version to the Senate bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) as H.R. 1302 on 3/01/07. That bill passed on the House floor by a voice vote on Sept. 26, 2007 and was then referred to the Senate for action.

For more information on the Senate version of this bill (S. 2433), go here.:

For more information on the House version of this bill (H.R. 1302), go here.

WorldNetDaily.com quotes Cliff Kincaid at Accuracy in Media as saying:

"[T]he legislation, if approved, dedicates 0.7 percent of the U.S. gross national product to foreign aid, which over 13 years . . . would amount to $845 billion over and above what the U.S. already spends. The plan passed the House in 2007 because most members didn't realize what was in it. Congressional sponsors have been careful not to calculate the amount of foreign aid spending that it would require."

· Considering that this bill, and the enormity of its impact, already managed to slip past the House with little examination, pray that the Senate will be more careful in deliberating the impact of S. 2433 on the already weakened American economy. Ask our Lord to open the eyes of all U.S. Senators to understand the danger of this bill, and then to vote accordingly.

· "Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? 'The fear of the Lord-that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.' " (Job 28:20,28)

7. SOME IN CONGRESS PUSH ENDA; TRANSGENDER "RIGHTS"

Some local jurisdictions (including a DC suburb) are facing new laws that give special rights to "trangenders" (persons who declare themselves opposite their God-given sexual anatomy), giving them license to choose the gender of every restroom, locker room, etc., they use.

Last week, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) led a transgender parade at hearings before the House Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, pleading for special federal protection for transgenders. Transgenders told how they had been turned down for jobs because of their gender confusion. Last year when the "Employment Non-Discrimination Act" (ENDA), was voted on the House Floor, it had been stripped of "transgender" protections by Rep. Barney Franks, persuaded it could not otherwise pass. It passed, 235 to 184.

Introduced by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), ENDA has yet to face a Senate vote. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is lead cosponsor. FRC experts say transgender protections would "symbolically declare that anyone who believes a man should remain a man and a woman should remain a woman is a bigot." (FRC Prayer Targets)

· Having abandoned God and the Bible, Americans and our lawmakers have lost balance. May God move the Church and morally-minded Americans to exercise their citizenship to restore balance before it is too late. May efforts to impose sexual identity confusion upon our children through law fail at the federal, state and local levels

· "And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female and said, for this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?" (Matthew 19:4,5)

8. SEVERAL PRO-GAMBLING INITIATIVES NOW IN CONGRESS

Reps. Bart Stupak and John Dingell, Michigan Democrats, introduced H.R. 2176 and H.R. 4115 to override a gambling referendum passed by Michigan voters in 2004. The new bills would legalize two new casinos on land questionably claimed by Indians over 350 miles away from their settled Tribal lands. The gambling industry and organized labor support the bills.

In another initiative, Congressmen Barney Frank (D- MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX) are pushing H.R. 5767 in the House Financial Services Committee to overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). The bill would prohibit the Department of the Treasury and Federal Reserve System from proposing, prescribing or implementing any regulations related to the current ban on internet gambling. While UIGEA may need adjustments to make it enforceable, overturning it is tantamount to opening the floodgate to new legalized gambling into America - guaranteed to produce more gambling addicts of every age, including young teenagers, the most vulnerable. (Family Research Council Prayer Targets)

· May Americans awaken to the serious threat that gambling poses to our society. May God and the taxpayers give our Congress and legislatures the will to outlaw it, not to encourage it as a new stream of tax revenue. May Americans be reawakened to the evil of gambling.

· "He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him." (Proverbs 28:22)

9. WHITE HOUSE ACCUSES SENATE DEMOCRATS OF SLACKING OFF

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said Tuesday that Senate Democrats "put off a lot of work" when they left town last week without passing several pending bills. "They've been in session for a long time, and some very critical pieces of legislation got put off for yet another recess," Fratto said. "And now this last session is getting pretty close to the August recess. So the Senate is running out of time to get work done." In a press briefing aboard Air Force One, Fratto pointed to unfinished business on a housing bill, an update to the nation's electronic surveillance laws, a Medicare bill and a long-stalled free trade agreement with Colombia as examples of bills the Senate could have completed before adjourning for the Fourth of July recess. (The Politico, 7/2/08)

· It is true . . . the clock is ticking on this congressional year, and Congress IS running out ot time to pass the critical legislation cited by the White House. With a little over two full months left in this congressional cycle (July and September), it will take divine intervention now to see that our nation's needs are yet met this year. Pray, asking God to intervene . . .

· " . . . if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:19)

10. PRAYER REQUEST FOR NOVEMBER ELECTIONS

Using the power of prayer and action, we must say "In the Name of Christ, stop!" to liberal politicians who openly pledge to overturn the moral foundations of our nation. On November 4, Americans will choose a President and Vice President, 35 U.S. Senators, 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and 11 Governors - plus state senators, legislators, judges, county and city councilmen, school boards and a myriad of other state, county, city and other elected officials.

Elected officials will appoint judges and others who will remain in office long after those elected are gone. Some, like the Supreme Court Justices, serve for life. The next president will choose two or more Justices. Abortion and same sex marriage could be with us for generations. Or a new president could appoint conservative Justices who will end the abortion holocaust and uphold traditional marriage. What laws will govern our children and grandchildren? (Family Research Council Prayer Targets)

· May God speak plainly to men and women across America. May they courageously obey and play pivotal roles in cities, towns, counties and states during the next four months. May conservative Catholics, freedom loving Americans and Bible believing evangelicals register, vote and reset the course of our Nation! May God intervene to reverse the liberal landslide widely predicted, just as He has intervened throughout history when believers prayed and fasted!

· "I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning: afterward you shall be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city."
(Isaiah 1:26)

11. EULOGIZING SENATOR JESSE HELMS
President and Mrs. Bush Saddened by Passing of Senator Jesse Helms

Laura and I are deeply saddened by the passing of our good friend and a great American: Senator Jesse Helms. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Dot, and all the members of the Helms family.

Throughout his long public career, Senator Jesse Helms was a tireless advocate for the people of North Carolina, a stalwart defender of limited government and free enterprise, a fearless defender of a culture of life, and an unwavering champion of those struggling for liberty. Under his leadership, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was a powerful force for freedom. And today, from Central America to Central Europe and beyond, people remember: in the dark days when the forces of tyranny seemed on the rise, Jesse Helms took their side.

Jesse Helms was a kind, decent, and humble man and a passionate defender of what he called "the Miracle of America." So it is fitting that this great patriot left us on the Fourth of July. He was once asked if he had any ambitions beyond the United States Senate. He replied: "The only thing I am running for is the Kingdom of Heaven." Today, Jesse Helms has finished the race, and we pray he finds comfort in the arms of the loving God he strove to serve throughout his life.

· Ask our Lord to comfort the many friends and the family of Senator Jesse Helms, in this time of their sadness. May his distinguished legacy be long remembered in the halls of the United States Senate.

· "Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Mark 5:4)

12. NATIONAL REPENTANCE

The following prayer point is taken from Intercessors for America's First Friday call to Prayer and Fasting. We continue to encourage our own prayer partners to come before our Lord with daily offerings of repentance, searching our own hearts that we might find our own "evil ways," and asking Him for cleansing in time of need. In this hour, in which confusion seems to reign, offer prayers of thanksgiving that He does NOT change, and neither does His word.

To see all of this month's prayer points, please refer to the website of Intercessors for America by going here.

· Offer thanksgiving for the recent court ruling permitting the public display of the Ten Commandments in Everett, WA. Intercede that increased preaching and positive media attention be given to the Ten Commandments. Intercede for a restoration of this "moral backbone" and of biblical ethics in America. Intercede for an increased outpouring of the Holy Spirit to "convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment," and "to guide us into all truth." (Jn 16:8-13)

· " . . . When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. . ."
(John 16:8-13)

	A Special Note from CHPP

A Special Note from CHPP

We wish to thank all of you who flooded our conference line last Thursday night as, coast-to-coast, we cried out unto the LORD in prayers of REPENTANCE for our fallen state as a people.

There was such unity in our intercession, and such an alignment of hearts . . . we truly believe that we did reach the heart of God that evening.

We apologize to those of you who were not able to get through, for whatever reason; but we were encouraged to read your notes that, nevertheless, you continued to join with others in this great chorus of outpouring before the Throne of Grace on the eve of the 232nd birthday of the United States of America.

Surely, the LORD has heard our cries; and surely He will answer our petitions . . . in His time, and in His way.

May His abundant grace and peace rest upon each of us now, as we continue to walk through this amazing year togeher.

In His Grace,

Sara Ballenger
and the Capitol Hill Prayer Partners

"Call upon Me and I will show you great and mighty things, that you know not."
(Jeremiah 33:3)

	This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .

This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .

ETERNAL KING (Mehlekh Olahm)

"But the LORD is the true God: He is the living GOd, the eternal Knig." (Jer. 10:10)

You are the Everlasting King. Before time began, You reigned. You reign today. You will reign forevermore.

What assurance and peace this truth is, that no matter what assails me, Your power will ultimately conquer. Thank You for this perfect divine plan. Amen.

(Taken from: Intimate Moments with the Hebrew Names of God, by Barri Cae Malin and Shmuel Wolkenfeld; Bridge-Logos Publishers; Gainesville, FL, 32614. ISBN: 0-88270-801-5)

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On Capitol Hill This Week (the "OCAP") is published by Capitol Hill Prayer Partners. All scriptures are quoted from the King James Version of the Bible, unless otherwise noted. For further information about legislative matters on Capitol Hill, you may call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative or senator of your choice.

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