In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• Health Care Updates
• Update: Cap-and-Trade Bill
• More on Health Care
• Judicial Nominee Raises Questions
• Update: Moslem Prayer Rally
• RIFQA IN DANGER
• The Good News Corner
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief - Friday, October 30, 2009
"I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth." (Job 19:25)
REMINDER:
Please note that on Monday, Novermber 2, "On Capitol Hill This Week" will not be published. The Daily Brief will resume on Tuesday, November 3. PLEASE REMAIN ALERT FOR ANY SPECIAL BULLETINS WE MAY PUBLISH THIS WEEKEND. Thank you.
SECOND REMINDER:
PLEASE REMEMBER TO GO TO THE POLLS ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, AND VOTE!
The Daily Brief
1. A. House health bill clocks in at 1,990 pages - Politico
The House health care bill unveiled Thursday clocks in at 1,990 pages and about 400,000 words. With an estimated 10-year cost of $894 billion, that comes out to about $2.24 million per word.
B. CBO Rebuts Pros, Cons of Public Option - Wall Street Journal
Only six million Americans would enroll in the public plan proposed in the health bill unveiled by House Democrats, the CBO said, and the plan's premiums would typically be higher than those for private plans.
- We pray for an outpouring of action from all in this nation who disagree with the direction of the government in Washington. May the eyes of the people be opened and may they see the true price of these initiatives.
- "We waited for peace, but no good came; For a time of healing, but behold, terror!" (Jeremiah 8:15)
2. Muslim Man Arrested for Allegedly Running Down Daughter - Fox News
Police in a Phoenix suburb say an Iraqi immigrant has been arrested in Georgia for allegedly running down his daughter because she was becoming "too Westernized."
- As incidents like this spread, we thank You that they are being made public. We pray that Your Gospel will spread into these communities and the people will be freed by Your grace and love.
- "You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods." (Deuteronomy 12:31)
3. A. Leak lays bare US Congress ethics probes - AFP
Red-faced US lawmakers grappled Friday with the fallout from a leak that revealed normally secret preliminary ethics probes affecting more than 30 members of the US Congress and several aides. The Washington Post, citing a confidential July document obtained from a source not connected with the investigations, revealed late Thursday that they covered possible influence peddling and corporate lobbying. The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, also known as the Ethics Committee, blamed the "unlawful access" on the file-sharing software on a junior staffer and said that aide no longer worked for the panel. The document cited an investigation into lawmakers' contacts with a now-closed lobbying firm probed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to the Post. That inquiry touched seven members on a House committee that manages military funding. Other matters included an investigation into the personal finances of Democratic Representative Charles Rangel, chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.
B. Dozens in Congress under ethics inquiry - Washington Post
House ethics investigators have been scrutinizing the activities of more than 30 lawmakers and several aides in inquiries about issues including defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July.
- Thank You that this report has surfaced. We pray that this will cause action to be taken against those who are lining their pockets with others' money.
- "It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud." (Proverbs 16:19)
4. Taxpayers' real cost of cash for clunkers: $24,000 a car, Edmonds.com analysis says - USA Today
Taxpayers ended up paying an average of $24,000 per vehicle for the cash-for-clunkers program over the summer when sales that would have happened anyway are taken into consideration, says car-buying research site Edmunds.com.
- We pray there will be public attention given to reports like these and that all those in government will be held accountable for their waste of other citizens' money.
- "Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail." (Jeremiah 7:8)
5. Bullet Hits Lou Dobbs' N.J. Home - Washington Times
Police in New Jersey are trying to determine who fired a bullet that struck CNN commentator Lou Dobbs' home as his wife stood nearby. State police Sgt. Stephen Jones says Dobbs' wife and driver were outside the home Oct. 5 when they heard the gunshot. Jones says the bullet didn't penetrate the siding and fell to the ground outside. Dobbs says he had been receiving threatening phone calls for weeks. On his radio show, he connected the gunshot to his advocacy for a crackdown on illegal immigration and to his opponents' rhetoric.
- We pray for Your protection for all those who are speaking out for justice and for those who are leading important discussions in this country. May the perpetrators of this act be caught.
- "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You." (Psalm 25:21)
6. Clinton to meet Abbas, Netanyahu in Middle East - USA Today
The State Department says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders over the weekend to push ahead with efforts to restart stalled peace talks.
- Lord, we pray that the leaders in this meeting will be hindered from making any agreements that are contrary to the inheritance You promised to Your people.
- "He has cast the lot for them, And His hand has divided it to them by line. They shall possess it forever; From generation to generation they will dwell in it." (Isaiah 34:17)
7. Al Qaeda agent gets eight years - AP
An al Qaeda sleeper agent who admitted contact with the mastermind behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was sentenced to more than eight years in prison Thursday. U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm could have sentenced Ali al-Marri to as much as 15 years. But he handed down the lighter sentence of eight years and four months in consideration of what defense attorneys called harsh treatment during the almost six years al-Marri was held without charges in a U.S. Navy brig.
- Thank You that there has been a conviction, but we pray that the judges in these cases will be wise in giving sentences to those who plot evil.
- "I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is." (Galatians 5:10)
8. Teheran rejects uranium shipment plan - Jerusalem Post
Iran on Thursday rejected a plan to send its uranium to be processed overseas, just hours after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country was ready to cooperate with the West.
- May the nations of the world be awakened to the futility of their discussions with this murderous regime. We pray for the safety of Israel and all those threatened by Iran.
- "The nations rumble on like the rumbling of many waters, But He will rebuke them and they will flee far away, And be chased like chaff in the mountains before the wind, Or like whirling dust before a gale." (Isaiah 17:13)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"Swallow up, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen violence and fighting in the city." (Psalms 55:9)
1. UN chief calls on Israel to back Gaza reconstruction - Ynet News
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Israel Wednesday to back the reconstruction of Gaza, deploring conditions there nearly a year after a devastating Israeli military offensive.
2. Turkey: 'We must try to repair our friendship' - Jerusalem Post
"Both [Israel and Turkey] cooperate strategically - we must make the utmost of efforts to put the train of our friendship back on track," Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said at an event commemorating Turkey's National Day at the house of the Turkish ambassador in Kfar Shmaryahu in central Israel on Thursday afternoon.
3. Hamas issues stern warning to shun PA elections - ICEJ News
The internal Palestinian rift deepened on Wednesday as Hamas came out firmly against Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas over his recent call for general elections in January and warned that anyone who takes part in the balloting is "endangering themselves and will be summoned for investigation."
4. Jones: 'Nothing off the table for US' - ICEJ News
Iranian officials have assured they will formally respond by Thursday to the UN-drafted nuclear fuel deal tabled in Vienna last week, and although reports in various state media indicate that Tehran will agree to the proposal in principle, they are expected to reject its call for sending all of Iran's low-enriched uranium abroad by the end of this year.
Health Care Updates
This week, for an excellent summary of the latest news surrounding the controversy over Obama's health care plan in Congress, we refer you once again to the this week's edition of "On Watch In Washington," published by Intercessors for America
This newsletter includes the names of all the Blue Dog Democrats in the House of Representatives, who refuse to vote for a health care plan that includes the government funding of abortions.
To read this newsletter, go here.
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs004/1101115513079/archive/1102789011779.html
Once again, thank you, Intercessors for America!
" . . . every joint supplieth . . ." (Eph. 4:16)
Flash alert! - tax-funding of abortion IS included and documented on Pg 110 of H.R. 3962, the new House Health Care Reform Bill! Click Here
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Printer.aspx?id=745436
Update: Cap-and-Trade Bill
Cap-and-Trade Bill Would Harm Families
SUMMARY: Testimonies on cap and trade legislation describe the consequences of environmental taxes on families.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is considering a cap and trade bill that purportedly takes aim at global warming.
Under a cap-and-trade scheme, the government would set a limit or "cap" on emissions of carbon dioxide. If, for example, a company goes over the limit, the government would force it to buy "credits" from other companies deemed by government to be producing less carbon dioxide than the cap allows. In countries where it has been tried, fraud has been rampant.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., chairs the committee and is co-author of the bill. She claims the legislation would create jobs, but that contradicts a statement made to Congress earlier this month by the director of the Congressional Budget Office that said cap and trade would cause "significant" job losses.
Lt. Col. James Jay Carafano (Ret.), a fellow with the Heritage Foundation, testified to the committee today that cap and trade would cripple the U.S. economy. "Much of this decline would be from reduced economic productivity and job loss," he said. "In particular, under the House legislation, there would be 1.15 million fewer jobs on average than without a cap-and-trade bill."
Europe has imposed a similar tax that has cost its citizens $171 billion, but to date most countries have only reported minimal reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
The Heritage Foundation estimates that by 2035, the typical American family of four would see energy costs rise more than $1,500 a year.
Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, also testified before the committee. He said the legislation includes 397 regulations on home sales that would make it nearly impossible for lower-income Americans to purchase property. "This will also eliminate the 'fixer-upper' type homes upon which many low income buyers depend," he said. "Many low-income families buy less-than-perfect homes because they are cheaper and they can perform needed repairs and improvements themselves."
Norquist said Americans will also feel the effects at the gas pump. "A study by Senators Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Kit Bond found that the Waxman- Markey bill will result in a $3.6 trillion gas tax," he testified. "That breaks down to an additional $2.0 trillion tax on gasoline, a $1.3 trillion tax on diesel fuel, and a $330 billion tax on jet fuel."
Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said in a blog on the Heritage Foundation Web site that the American family can expect to see considerable increases in the cost of living. "It is clear that most American families' standard of living will be reduced," he said, "if this cap-and-trade bill is approved by Congress." (Focus on the Family; CitizenLink) Read more.
http://www.citizenlink.org/FOSI/Environment/A000010530.cfm
More on Health Care
House Health-Care Reform Bill Unveiled
House Democrats introduced their nearly 2,000-page health-care reform plan today. The so-called Affordable Healthcare for America Act (H.R. 3962) refers to "tax," "taxes" or "excise tax" more than 100 times -- and would cost taxpayers $900 billion.
Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., chairman of the House Republican Conference, said it's just another version of the same old legislation. "It just looks like another freight train of big government with more taxes, more mandates and more spending," he told CNN, "and that's not what the American people want in health-care reform."
Republicans and a handful of Democrats were successful in getting a 72-hour waiting period put on the bill. Pence said that gives lawmakers time to dig deeper into the language. "We can work together in a way that's fiscally responsible," he said, "but a massive new government-run insurance plan paid for with hundreds of billions of dollars in higher taxes is not the answer."
TAKE ACTION Ask your representative and senators to oppose any government-mandated health-care bill that does not specifically exclude federal funding of abortions.Go here.
http://capwiz.com/fof/issues/alert/?alertid=13732401 (Source: CitizenLink)
" . . . faith without works is dead . . " (James 2:20)
Judicial Nominee Raises Questions
Another of President Barack Obama's nominees, Judge Edward Chen, is drawing criticism. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted on Oct. 22 to send Chen's nomination for a seat on the Northern California Federal District Court to the full Senate.
Chen, a long-time ACLU attorney and current federal magistrate in San Francisco, has made no secret of his views on American patriotism. When "America the Beautiful" was sung at a funeral, Chen wondered out loud during his remarks, "I cannot help but feel that there are too much (sic) injustice and too many inequalities that prevent far too many Americans from enjoying the beauty extolled in that anthem."
Chen has also been quoted as saying he agrees with the "empathy standard" made famous during the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. "These determinations require a judge to draw upon something that is not found in the case reports that line the walls of our chambers" he said. "Rather, judges draw upon the breadth and depth of their own life experience. Inevitably, one's ethnic and racial background contributes to those life experiences." (CitizenLink)
Update: Moslem Prayer Rally
Follow-up on Muslim Prayer Rally at U.S. Capitol
Intercessors For America (and Capitol Hill Prayer Partners) joins with U.S. and international prayer leaders in thanking all of you who prayed and helped mobilize concerted intercession for the September Muslim Prayer Rally at the U.S. Capitol. While organizers projected a gathering of 50,000 only an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 attended. The day was non- violent.
Because of the lower number, nearly every person there was given the opportunity to receive the Jesus DVD and gospel literature at least once. One leader reports that 50 to 60 percent of them accepted the packets, some with great joy. Teams report that they distributed over 2500 packets and many report having good conversations with attendees. Let us agree in this prayer passed along to us: "May many of these dear people come to know the Lord Jesus as a result!" (Intercessors for America)
- Pray that the loving presentation of the gospel and seeds planted be watered, nurtured and come to full fruition.
- "The gospel must first be preached to all the nations." - (Mark 13:10)
RIFQA IN DANGER
Rifqa's life is in great danger
Dear Saints of God,
We are asking this weekend for massive prayer to be raised up on behalf of the life of Rifqa Bary.
Lou Engle has issued a major alert for intercession for Rifqa, now that she has been returned to the custody of her parents. We are now attempting to obtain a copy of the text of Lou's statement for you and, when we do, we will send you a special alert on this.
Please join us now in offering this prayer for Rifqa's life:
"Father God in Heaven, we come before Your Throne of Grace on behalf of our sister, Rifqa. LORD, YOU are the God of the Universe, and yours is the highest court in the heavens. We ask YOU, Lord God, to intervene through the court system in the State of Ohio to protect the life of Rifqa Bary, that she might yet fulfill the desitny You have for her and for her people."
"Forgive us, LORD, for our complacency and help us to spread the word now to others in our networks of intercession to call forth PROTECTION FOR THE LIFE OF RIFQA BARY. We thank YOU that IT IS WRITTEN:
" . . . so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)
We send forth YOUR WORD NOW, in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and we decree:
He allowed no man to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:
"Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm." (I Chronicles 16:21,22)
The Good News Corner
The Power of Your Love
Saints of God,
It's time to PRAISE HIM again!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUEk6D92A6s
