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On Capitol Hill This Week Volume XVI, Number 7
February 16 - 20, 2009
February 16 - 20, 2009
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27 NKJV)
[Congress is not in session this week, while its members are each working in their own districts during the President's Day recess. This is an excellent time to visit your own congressman or senators, or to contact their offices in your state, to voice your opinion on issues of interest to you. Be sure to tell them you are also praying for them, too. Amen.]
1. CHAVEZ WINS REFERENDUM TO ELIMINATE TERM LIMITS
2. NORTH KOREA INCREASES ARTILLERY DEPLOYMENT AT THE DMZ
3. OBAMA WILL SIGN STIMULUS BILL ON TUESDAY IN DENVER
4. BANK BAILOUT + STIMULUS BILL = $3 TRILLION AND COUNTING . . .
5. SEN. SPECTER RESPONDS TO HEALTH CARE SCARE IN STIMULUS BILL
6. SENATOR GREGG DECLINES TO SERVE AS U.S. SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
7. GOP CALLS OBAMA'S CENSUS PLAN UNCONSTITUTIONAL
8. DEPUTY A.G. NOMINEE DAVID OGDEN'S PORN CLIENTS INVESTIGATED
9. PRO-LIFE PASTOR PREPARES FOR SENTENCING IN CALIFORNIA
10. BUSH RENDITION CASE GETS OBAMA BACKING
11. UN APPOINTS PANEL OF INQUIRY TO PROBE DEATHS AT GAZA COMPOUNDS
12. ISRAEL PRIME MINISTER: "TO BE OR NOT TO BE!"
13. BRITISH AND FRENCH NUCLEAR SUBMARINES CRASH IN ATLANTIC
1. CHAVEZ WINS REFERENDUM TO ELIMINATE TERM LIMITS
President Hugo Chavez won a referendum to eliminate term limits Sunday, paving the way for him to run again in 2012 - and beyond - and push through his vision of a socialist Venezuela.
With 94 percent of the vote counted, 54 percent had voted in favor of the constitutional amendment, National Electoral Council chief Tibisay Lucena announced. Forty-six percent had voted against the measure to eliminate term limits on all public officials, too few to make up the distance with the remaining votes.
"Today we opened wide the gates of the future. Venezuela will not return to its past of indignity," Chavez proclaimed after singing the national anthem from the balcony of his Miraflores palace. Chavez argued he needs more time to complete Venezuela's transition to socialism - a process he has said could take another decade or more. (AP)
• Unfortunately, so far the Year 2009 seems to be one in which dictatorships are being strengthened, and democracies are being weakened. In nation after nation, this pattern is repeating itself, as individuals at the voting booths choose seductive rhetoric over sound reasoning. Pray we all wake up while there is yet time . . . pray we work towards keeping our own nation free, even as others are succumbing to this lie.
• Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'" (Jer. 6:16)
2. NORTH KOREA INCREASES ARTILLERY DEPLOYMENT AT THE DMZ
A. N. Korea Vows to Fire Missile
North Korea has reportedly placed artillery near its border with South Korea, the Korea Herald reported Feb. 13. South Korea's Munhwa newspaper reported that the number of North Korean artillery equipment rose 30 percent in 2008 and began increasing when South Korean President Lee Myung Bak was inaugurated. South Korea has reviewed contingency plans in the event that North Korea attempts to provoke confrontation. Yonhap News Agency reported that North Korea said the western maritime border with South Korea "can no longer work" and added that it would retaliate if South Korea violated the sea boundary. (Stratfor.com)
Breaking: Nation claims right to 'space development' - a term used in the past to disguise a long-range missile test.
B. Secretary of State Clinton to Deliver Message of 'Engagement' to Asia
On her first mission overseas as President Barack Obama's chief diplomat, Clinton said her choice of destinations was intended to demonstrate a new U.S. commitment to work with Asian leaders on "problems that no one nation, including ours, can deal with alone."Her first Asian stop is in Japan, followed by Indonesia, South Korea and China. (AP)
• Pray for the safety of Hillary Rodham Clinton on her first journey as Secretary of State.
• Meanwhile to add to the tension of this report out of North Korea, today (Monday, Feb. 14th) is the birthday the North Korea's president, Kim Jong Il. The nation is planning major parades today, and much military "bravado." Ask our Lord to place a spirit of restraint over the president of North Korea, even as he celebrates his birthday today.
• Pray for a lessening of tensions along this strategic border, and for the safety of all troops - South Korean and American - that are stationed there.
• 'This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!'
(Job 38:11 NKJV)
3. OBAMA WILL SIGN STIMULUS BILL ON TUESDAY IN DENVER
President Obama will sign the $787 billion economic stimulus plan in Denver on Tuesday, the White House said today, as he continues his efforts to communicate directly to the American public about the economic crisis.
Obama's decision to sign the stimulus bill in Denver is a striking departure from his first few weeks in office, when he held several signing ceremonies in the East Room of the White House. In the last week, however, Obama has spent less and less time in his new home. Last week he traveled to Indiana, Florida and Illinois and headed home to Chicago for a four- day weekend. He also announced his first foreign trip as president, a day trip to Canada next Thursday. (Reuters)
• We find it interesting that the new president will sign this bill - a huge victory for him and his administration - not in the nation's capital, but instead in Denver, Colorado. This news, combined with his recent travels, might lead one to believe that Barack Hussein Obama, having felt the heat of Washington, D.C., would prefer to abide in his own comfort zone elsewhere in the nation.
Pray for this new president, as he moves into his new role. There is much to be learned; may he seek the LORD in all the decisions he will make; and may he find comfort where comfort can ONLY be found . . . in the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
• "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)
4. BANK BAILOUT + STIMULUS BILL = $3 TRILLION AND COUNTING . . .
Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, former head of the New York Reserve Bank, vowed yesterday to bring the "full force" of the U.S. government to battle the financial crisis. Treasury officials said they would commit $1.5 trillion in public and private funds, just for starters - with the possibility of more than $2 trillion - to aid banks, unfreeze consumer credit markets and stem the foreclosure rate.
How Geithner would accomplish this "stability and recovery" feat remained unclear, to the consternation of lawmakers questioning him, and caused Wall Street stocks to plummet after a week of modest gains. Washington Post editors called Geithner's long presentation an "Unfinished Product," stating that while America's banks do need a plan, Geithner and the Obama administration "delivered a concept."
"This is going to be an expensive problem for the nation and it's going to require substantial resources," Geithner told frustrated U.S Senators yesterday. Major line items already in the government's "rescue" efforts are these: $700 billion in the original Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP); $720 billion additional "bailout" money announced yesterday; $736.5 billion federal "backing" for AIG, Citigroup, Bank of America, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; $838 billion in Senate "stimulus" bill passed yesterday. (Intercessors for America)
• Pray that the Lord raise up "spiritual statesmen" in Congress and voices in the media and in our institutions who will call the U.S. back to our founding as a fiscally responsible Republic, to debt reduction rather than debt creation, away from European socialism and back to free enterprise, frugality, savings and personal responsibility.
• "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it -- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, "This man began to build and was not able to finish." (Luke 14:28-30)
5. SENATOR SPECTER RESPONDS TO HEALTH CARE SCARE IN STIMULUS BILL
"We are not going to let the federal government monitor what doctors do," Sen. Arlen Specter told Fox News on Tuesday. Specter, one of only three Republicans to support the Democrats' stimulus/spending bill, was responding to growing concerns over health care provisions buried deep in the bill. Specter told Fox News, "If Bloomberg has pointed out a potential problem . . . there will be clarification to avoid having the government meddle in what doctors do."
The Senate bill provides $3 billion to computerize health records to cut costs and reduce medical errors. It also allots $1.1 billion to various federal health agencies "to evaluate the relative effectiveness of different health care services and treatment options," the bill's summary says. Specter said the provision was intended to "provide technology" - to computerize the health records of all Americans. He said the government should not be in the business of making decisions on patients' treatment.
Specter said one of the "big problems" with the stimulus bill is, "Why the rush? Why are we wedded to [a Feb. 13 deadline for passage]?" Specter noted that Congress never held hearings on the bill, and that has created problems. "This is one of a number of provisions that has popped up that we have to revise and be very careful about," he said. (CNSNews.com)
• This report was published on Tuesday, Feb. 10th. As of today, the stimulus bill has been passed by both houses of Congress and is awaiting signature into law by the president. Pray that the words of caution expressed above by Senator Specter WERE heeded, and that, in the future, bills will not be rushed through Congress, but rather debated and studied carefully before being passed, if at all. Pray for a miracle!
• "But Jesus beheld them, and said to them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)
6. SENATOR GREGG DECLINES TO SERVE AS U.S. SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
Sen. Gregg stated, "I want to thank the President for nominating me to serve in his Cabinet as Secretary of Commerce. This was a great honor, and I had felt that I could bring some views and ideas that would assist him in governing during this difficult time. I especially admire his willingness to reach across the aisle."
"However, it has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy."
"Obviously the President requires a team that is fully supportive of all his initiatives."
"I greatly admire President Obama and know our country will benefit from his leadership, but at this time I must withdraw my name from consideration for this position."
"As we move forward, I expect there will be many issues and initiatives where I can and will work to assure the success of the President's proposals. This will certainly be a goal of mine."
(Statement released by the Office of Senator Judd Gregg; R-NH; excerpt)
• Offer praise to the Lord for this development, because now the filibuster can still be used by the Republicans in the Senate, as needed. This will preserve the back-and-forth in dialogue, that was the original intent of our Founding Fathers -- a healthy climate of debate that is the hallmark of our republican form of government.
• Offer praise, too, that Senator Judd Gregg is a man of integrity, who has clearly discerned the path ahead and who is now charting a new course for himself, based upon his own beliefs and principles. Continue to lift up the president in prayer, as he seeks to find men and women who will agree with his own policy decisions as members of his cabinet. Praise the Lord.
• "This is what the LORD says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed." (Isaiah 56:1)
7. GOP CALLS OBAMA'S CENSUS PLAN UNCONSTITUTIONAL
House Republican leaders criticized President Barack Obama's plans to have White House political staff more involved in the coming 2010 census, calling the move unconstitutional and a political power grab. But the White House and some Democrats said that political games with the census would not occur and that there is historical precedent for the Census Bureau working closely with the White House.
Obama has made no formal announcement of plans to take over the census, but numerous press reports last week - citing unnamed senior administration officials - said that he planned to have the Census Bureau's director report directly to White House staff. The White House issued a statement Feb. 5 clarifying the earlier reports, saying the Census Bureau director would "work closely" with the White House, not be controlled by it.
"There is historic precedent for the director of the Census, who works for the Commerce secretary and the president, to work closely with White House senior management - given the number of decisions that will have to be put before the president. We plan to return to that model in this administration," White House spokesman Ben Labolt told Congressional Quarterly.
House Republicans, however, view Obama's plans as an attempt to prevent change in the future and ensure a permanent GOP minority. "I think you have to ask whether this is the first sign of an imperial presidency," Issa told CNSNews.com when asked about Obama's motives. "A presidency in which they want to run things from the Office of the President, which has gone from about 80 people to about 180 people, from the previous administration to this administration."
In reference to the president's apparent new policy for the Census Bureau director, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) said that he thought Obama was overlooking the fact that the public can change its mind, putting a majority party quickly into the minority. "When people use the phrase 'permanent majority' they are overlooking the fact that we are servants of the sovereign American people, who can and do change their minds," he said. McCotter called for Obama to fulfill the oath of office that he and all members of Congress take - to uphold the constitution - by following it. "We are all sworn to uphold the Constitution," McCotter stated. "The best way to uphold the Constitution itself is to obey it. That is all we are asking for from this administration." (CNSNews.com)
• We purposely left much of this article intact, so that our readers and prayer partners can grasp the depth of the debate by members of Congress on this critical issue. Because the census is the basis upon which Congressional districts are formed or changed, due to changes in population figures, this IS a major debate on the Hill. Pray that the next census will be taken in the best interests of the American people, and that the Executive Branch will let this process go forward without interference.
• "For the eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayer." (I Peter 3:12 NAS)
8. DEPUTY A.G. NOMINEE DAVID OGDEN'S PORN CLIENTS INVESTIGATED
Deputy Attorney General nominee David Ogden's positions are especially important because of the "Protect Our Children Act," signed into law in December. It requires the Attorney General to draft and submit to Congress a national strategy and high- level supervision to prevent child exploitation. A listing of clients nominee Ogden has represented includes PHE, Playboy Enterprises, and Penthouse.
Among the many cases in which Deputy Attorney General nominee David Ogden has advocated the interests of the porn industry is a child-pornography case, Knox v. United States, that caused considerable embarrassment to the Clinton administration. In that case, the Department of Justice under President George H.W. Bush had successfully prosecuted Stephen A. Knox for violating a federal anti- pornography law. Clinton's Solicitor General Drew Days surprised the Court by reversing the government's position and refusing to defend the conviction. After the Senate condemned Days' action by a 100-0 vote and the House did so by a 425-3 vote, Clinton publicly chastised Days and Attorney General Reno eventually overturned his position. On behalf of the ACLU and other clients, Ogden submitted a Supreme Court brief that advocated the same statutory and constitutional positions that Days has taken. So the Senate is now being asked to confirm as Deputy Attorney General someone who advocated the same extreme positions on a federal child- pornography statute that the Senate unanimously repudiated 16 years ago. (Intercessors for America)
• Pray for truth to be established during Senate hearings on Deputy Attorney General nominee David Ogden. Pray that the Lord deliver the U.S. Justice Department from open bias and favor from the giant pornography industry. Pray that existing anti-obscenity laws are enforced.
• "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." (Prov. 14:34)
9. PRO-LIFE PASTOR PREPARES FOR SENTENCING
An Oakland, California, pastor could face jail time for expressing his pro-life views. Pastor Walter Hoye ran into trouble with an abortion clinic while doing an informational picket. Dennis Howard, leader of The Movement for a Better America, believes Hoye is innocent. "His approach was simply to carry a sign that said 'Jesus Loves You. Can We Help?' and offering those who wanted it some information about alternatives to abortion," Howard explains.
A complaint was filed and Hoye was found guilty in spite of proof to the contrary. "There was a video taken of him doing this, and it shows that he was not harassing anybody," Howard points out. "In fact, he was being harassed by escorts from the abortion clinic."
Pastor Hoye faces up to two years in jail and a $4,000 fine. Howard is calling Christians into action. "We feel that pro-life organizations around the country ought to take up this man's cause and pray and fast between now and February 19," he concludes. That is when Hoye is due to be sentenced. (OneNewsNow)
• Although this case came up in Oakland, California instead of on Capitol Hill, it is imperative that we begin watching for local examples of the prohibition of free speech in our nation -- now. Pray that Pastor Hoye wil be found innocent of these charges, and that such incursions to our freedom of speech will cease in the days ahead.
• "Then the LORD awoke as if from sleep, like a warrior from the effects of wine. He beat back his foes; He gave them lasting shame . . ." (Psalm 78:65,66)
10. BUSH RENDITION CASE GETS OBAMA BACKING
The Obama administration has backed the Bush administration's arguments in a lawsuit involving the practice of seizing terror suspects abroad and sending them to third countries for questioning. The case involves five men who claim U.S. operatives abducted them and sent them for "extraordinary rendition" in other countries.
Monday, Justice Department lawyers told the Ninth Circuit federal appeals court in San Francisco that the government believes state secrets and national security would be put at risk if the court allows the suit to proceed. That is the same argument the department used under President George W. Bush. The move came as Attorney General Eric Holder ordered a review of all assertions of the state-secrets privilege, aiming to ensure that the argument isn't used to hide from Americans information they have a right to know, the Justice Department said.
While President Barack Obama has promised to close the Guantanamo Bay prison and revoke other Bush antiterrorism policies, he is moving more cautiously on renditions. The practice dates back at least to the Clinton administration, and Obama officials have signaled they will continue the policy while seeking assurances that suspects aren't tortured. (Wall Street Journal 2/10/09) [Reported by: Intercessors for America]
• Pray for President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and all working on policy, guidelines, and practice for the interrogation of terrorists and prisoners of war. Pray for the thwarting of undue influence by the ACLU and proponents of globalized International Law.
• "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
(Matthew 21:22)
11. UN APPOINTS PANEL OF INQUIRY TO PROBE DEATHS AT GAZA COMPOUNDS
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday appointed a board of inquiry into incidents that caused deaths and destruction at UN compounds in Gaza Strip during the recent Israel-Hamas conflict. The board will be headed by Ian Martin, a Briton who has led various crucial UN missions around the world, who is called to complete the inquiry and submit a report within one month. Ban said the board will comprise legal advisers and a military expert.
The UN agency caring for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East maintains several offices and schools throughout Gaza, which have been used to shelter thousands of people who fled the fighting. A number of Palestinians died at its compounds during the Israel Defense Forces' 22-day offensive in Gaza.
The UN last week reversed its stance on one of the most contentious and bloody incidents of the recent Israel Defense Forces operation in Gaza, saying that an IDF mortar strike that killed 43 people on January 6 did not hit a United Nations Relief and Works Agency school after all. UNRWA, an agency whose sole purpose is to work with Palestinian refugees, said in response that it had maintained from the day of attack that the wounded were outside of the school compound. UNRWA said the mistake had originated with a separate branch of the United Nations.
The high number of civilian deaths in Gaza has prompted demands for an international investigation, which are supported by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council and the UN in New York. Ban said he plans to attend a peace and humanitarian conference in Cairo on March 2 organized by the European Union, the UN and the governments of Egypt and Norway. "It is critical that we consolidate the ceasefire [in Gaza], promote Palestinian unity and revive the peace process," he said. Ban praised U.S. President Barack Obama for his quick decision to appoint a special envoy for the Middle East, former US Senator George Mitchell, who already visited several capitals in the region. (IPT -- The Investigative Project on Terrorism)
• Pray that the UN will recognize truth about this conflict, decreeing that Hamas is the terrorist, not Israel. Pray against the restarting of the peace process that would work against Israel, for we know that peace comes with the Prince of Peace. Pray that the mouths of the Islamic countries at the UN are shut tight. Ask the Lord to direct the observations of Ian Martin.
• "This [destruction] they shall have for their pride, because they have reproached and made arrogant threats against the people of the Lord of hosts." (Zephaniah 2:10)
12. ISRAEL PM: "TO BE OR NOT TO BE!"
The first question most people ask is, "Who will be the next prime minister of Israel?" The next serious question should be, "How long will they last in office?" The Israel election system lived up to its reputation once again and produced what can only be described as a tenuous result. The Kadima Party leader Tzipi Livni won the popular vote with Benjamin Netanyahu, (Likud) one mandate behind (according to the exit polls) 28-27.
But those results produce no finality. To form a government either Livni or Netanyahu will now have to recruit a coalition. They will work at adding to their team until they reach a majority in a parliament that seats 120. On the surface the right-leaning parties led by Netanyahu have the larger support but that depends on whether one or another of them cannot swing a deal to encourage others to switch sides. So now the lobbying begins. President Shimon Peres will invite one of the leaders to attempt the coalition exercise. He will do that within 10 days of the election after the votes from the military and foreign service are counted.
What happens when the two-state solution is tabled or the dividing of Jerusalem? Those two issues alone would be enough to bring any band-aid coalition down. Some say the Israel electoral system must be changed. Danny Ayalon, spoke with Bridges for Peace reporter Joshua Spurlock on election night. "The current system of governance is impossible," he said. Ayalon preferred the American system with built in checks and balances. Benjamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Leiberman have spoken publicly about the need for electoral reform. Pray that the election process will bring together a like-minded coalition that will stand with strength and purpose for those issues of major importance to Israel and its security. (Bridges for Peace)
• Pray that the Lord will bless the coalition negotiations as the politicians seek to find the appropriate combination to govern Israel wisely and effectively. Pray also for the establishment of election reform so that the leadership becomes more stable.
• "Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens." (Exodus 18:21)
13. BRITISH AND FRENCH NUCLEAR SUBMARINES CRASH IN ATLANTIC
British and French nuclear submarines which collided deep under the Atlantic could have sunk or released deadly radioactivity, it emerged on Sunday. The Royal Navy's HMS Vanguard and the French Navy's Le Triomphant are both nuclear powered and were carrying nuke missiles. Between them they had around 250 sailors on board.
A senior Navy source said: "The potential consequences are unthinkable. It's very unlikely there would have been a nuclear explosion. "But a radioactive leak was a possibility. Worse, we could have lost the crew and warheads. That would have been a national disaster."
The collision is believed to have taken place on February 3 or 4, in mid-Atlantic. Both subs were submerged and on separate missions. As inquiries began, naval sources said it was a millions-to-one unlucky chance both subs were in the same patch of sea. Warships have sonar gear which locates submarines by sound waves. But modern anti- sonar technology is so good it is possible neither boat "saw" the other. A senior military source said: "The lines between London and Paris have been hot."
The MoD insisted last night there had been no nuclear security breach. But this is the biggest embarrassment to the Navy since Iran captured 15 sailors in 2007. The naval source said: "Crashing a nuclear submarine is as serious as it gets." (Fox News) Read more.
• "Pray without ceasing." (I Thess. 5:17)
This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
HOPE OF ISRAEL (Meekvay Yisrael)
"O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed."
(Jer. 17:13 NKJV)
You are my Hope, O God of Israel! My sorrow may endure for the evening, but joy comes in the morning. You are my Hope; when all else fails, there is You. Help me never to give up on Your Wonderful Name.
(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)
