In This Issue• On Capitol Hill This Week; Vol. XVII, No. 10
• SPECIAL ALERT FROM NDP TASK FORCE
• SPECIAL NDP CONFERENCE CALL
• This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
On Capitol Hill This Week Volume XVII, Number 10
April 19 - 23, 2010
April 19 - 23, 2010
" . . . he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end." (Daniel 6:26 NKJV)
1. MEMBERS OF CONGRESS PROTEST NDP LAWSUIT RULING
2. NEW VOLCANO ASH CLOUD PROMPTS FRESH FLIGHT DOUBTS
3. VOLCANO FORCES U.S. ARMY TO RE-ROUTE MEDICAL FLIGHTS
4. SUPREME COURT NOMINATION UNDER DISCUSSION
5. CAMPUS FAITH GROUP TAKES FIGHT TO HIGH COURT
6. OBAMACARE WILL BE FOCUS OF HIGH COURT JUSTICE HEARING
7. MEMBERS OF CONGRESS MAY LOSE INSURANCE DUE TO OBAMACARE!
8. VALUE-ADDED TAX ON ITS WAY?
9. HOLDER WON'T RULE OUT N.Y.9/11
10. SENATORS DEMAND FORT HOOD INFORMATION
11. SUMMARIZING THE SUMMIT
12. SYRIA GAVE SCUDS TO HEZBOLLAH, U.S. SAYS
1. MEMBERS OF CONGRESS PROTEST NDP LAWSUIT RULING
Press Conference Scheduled for this Wednesday
Washington, D.C. - Congressman J. Randy Forbes (R-VA), Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA), and Ambassador Tony Hall (D-OH), along with Members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus and faith leaders will hold a bipartisan press conference on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 responding to a federal judge's ruling last week that a federal law designating a National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb issued the decision in a case filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a group that challenged the constitutionality of a 1988 federal law. The law requires the president to designate the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer. Members of Congress, along with leaders of faith organizations, will join together in responding to the federal judge's decision last week, to discuss the history of the National Day of Prayer and affirm the right of Americans to pray according to their faith.
"State a decree, but it will not stand, for God is with us." (Isaiah 8:10)
- PLEASE NOTE THE ARTICE WHICH FOLLOWS, WITH INFORMATION FROM THE NDP TASK FORCE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVELY SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER.
2. NEW VOLCANO ASH CLOUD PROMPTS FRESH FLIGHT DOUBTS
A new eruption of the Icelandic volcano last night threw plans to get Britain flying again into chaos. Air passengers who were told their flights would be resumed today from UK airports had their hopes dashed after more cancellations were announced.
A new ash cloud heading towards the country has forced all London Airports to remain closed, while others in England might be open from 1pm, but this was not certain, and Scottish airports will open at 7am. The after-effects of the volcano eruption in southern Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier is likely to cause further chaos for a fortnight.
A Nats spokesman said: 'The volcano eruption in Iceland has strengthened and a new ash cloud is spreading south and east towards the UK. This demonstrates the dynamic and rapidly changing conditions in which we are working. Latest information from the Met Office shows that the situation is worsening in some areas. . ."
- As nature continues to humble man in this growing calamity, pray that God's redemptive purpose will be fulfilled in this hour. it is only when we discover that we are not in control of our lives, and that we have come to the end of our own resources, that we find the Power greater than ourselves Who can restore us to sanity and to wholeness, through the Blood of the Lamb.
Lift up the many missionaries who are in the midst of this international struggle, that doors will be opened for the release of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.
- "Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: . . ." (Col. 4:3) - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
3. VOLCANO FORCES U.S. ARMY TO RE-ROUTE MEDICAL FLIGHTS
Pentagon Says Military Air Operations In US Unaffected By Ash
The cloud of volcanic ash that has paralyzed air travel in Europe has had no impact on the US military's air operations in the United States, the Pentagon said Monday, denying statements to the contrary by a senior US official in Brussels that US air operations had been scaled back while the impact of the ash cloud was being assessed.
"There has been no effect on exercises or flight operations in the United States," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. He also noted that US air operations have been suspended at bases in Britain and Germany, and said medical evacuation flights from Afghanistan and Iraq continue to be re-routed.
"We've relocated some of our medical evacuation aircraft to Spain, in Rota, along with medical teams who provide for care all along the ride," Whitman said. "Wounded soldiers who normally would have gone to the US military hospital at Landstuhl, Germany have been sent to the United States instead." Whitman added, "There have been no effects by the ash to our operations in Afghanistan at this time." (Agence France-Presse)
- Dearest Jehovah Rapha, the Great Physician and Healer who cares for the wounded. We thank You that You have allowed America's military medical transports favor to bring our wounded troops back home, despite the Icelandic volcanic ash that is polluting European air space. May those military pilots, flight crews, schedulers, troops and their families see that it is because of You, in spite of natural calamities, that they can continue to successfully fly medical flights. May America see that Your are our only hope and turn its tired and weary eyes, hearts, minds and souls to You for help and guidance. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
- "There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, and said, 'If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you.'" (Exodus 15: 25b-26 NKJV)
4. SUPREME COURT NOMINATION UNDER DISCUSSION
Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens last Friday announced his intent to retire after the current term, giving President Obama his second nomination to the high court. Obama is looking beyond the traditional Ivy-League candidates, and some are suggesting he should look to political figures. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was briefly discussed as a possible candidate, but the White House quickly clarified that she was not being considered, saying she is needed in her current position.
Two names on Obama's short list are current 9th Circuit Appeals Court Judge Sidney Thomas and former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears. Thomas would, if nominated and confirmed, be the only Supreme Court justice not to graduate from an Ivy League school. Ward, who was the first black Chief Justice on any court in the nation, would be the first black woman on the Supreme Court.
Obama's choice is unlikely to change the Supreme Court's balance, since he will likely seek to replace the liberal Stevens with another liberal, but it could turn into an ideological battle if he names left-leaning activist. Obama has indicated he will consider the Supreme Court's recent campaign finance ruling, which he disagreed with, in choosing his nomination. Republicans are warning Obama not to use the case as a so-called "litmus test." (Intercessors for America)
- Pray that the process of selecting a new Supreme Court Justice would highlight the need to honor the Constitution. Invite Our Father to take it from here, interceding on behalf of the great gravity of this nomination. Declare and decree God's Word to be the litmus test in this selection. Ask that God, Who alone is all wise and just, be mightily factored into this equation, as He can do what man cannot, superseding all of man's plans. Please pray that "One Nation Under God" is the only litmus test given.
- But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you." (Judges 8:23)
5. OBAMACARE WILL BE FOCUS OF HIGH COURT JUSTICE HEARING
The retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens means that in coming months we'll have another hearing on a Supreme Court nominee. But, more important, the public's issue focus has changed. And while the issue of whether to criminalize abortion tended to favor Democrats, the political issues that now raise Constitutional questions tend to favor Republicans. These issues are raised by the big government programs of the Obama administration and Democratic congressional leaders, in particular by the health care legislation they jammed through Congress despite huge public opposition last month.
One issue is the constitutionality of the health care bill's mandate to purchase private health insurance. The federal government has never before commanded citizens to buy a commercial product. Could the government command you to buy breakfast cereal? Some 14 state attorneys general are trying to raise the issue in court, and pending state laws outlawing mandates, could raise the question, as well. Those state laws are obviously invalid under the supremacy clause unless the federal law is unconstitutional. Is it? . . . Just raising the health care mandate issue helps Republicans given the great, and apparently growing unpopularity, of the Democrats' legislation.
Another set of questions could prove embarrassing for Democrats who have lauded Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade for creating a right to privacy that includes contraception and abortion. "How can the freedom to make such choices with your doctor be protected and not freedom to choose a hip replacement or a Caesarean section?" asks former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey in The Wall Street Journal. "Either your body is protected from government interference or it's not." McCaughey also notes that in 2006, the Supreme Court in Gonzales v. Oregon ruled that the federal government couldn't set standards for doctors to administer lethal drugs to terminally ill patients under Oregon's "Death with Dignity Act." So does the Constitution empower the feds to regulate non-lethal drugs in contravention of other state laws? (The Washington Examiner and GOP USA)
- Father God and Supreme Chief Justice, we ask that You will select the next U.S. Supreme Court Justice to replace the liberal John Paul Stevens. We ask that the nominee not be given any "passes" when questioned about their desire to uphold the U.S. Constitution that You inspired the Fathers of our Country to write and ratify in 1787. Please, may this egregious Healthcare legislation passed last month be rendered null and void, and may America's Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches once more serve the people that elected them. May America and Israel be saved for Your Glory! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
- "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death." (Hosea 13: 14a NKJV)
6. CAMPUS FAITH GROUP TAKES FIGHT TO HIGH COURT
Secular liberals, and in particular homosexual activist groups, seek to crush the freedom of Christians to express themselves, especially in support of traditional sexual morality. That's clear from what happened to the Christian Legal Society's (CLS) student affiliate at the University of California's Hastings School of Law in San Francisco. CLS was denied recognition as a student organization on grounds that it violated the school's policy of "non-discrimination" based on religion or "sexual orientation" because this Christian group would not allow non-Christians or unrepentant, practicing homosexuals to become members or leaders (even though they were free to attend the group's events). After CLS sued, the school realized that court precedent indicated their own anti-religious viewpoint discrimination was unconstitutional, so they shifted gears, claiming all student groups must adopt an "all comers" policy allowing anyone to join or be elected to office.
But under this absurd approach, Republicans could take over the Democratic club, Muslims could take over the Jewish students club, etc. This turns freedom of speech, religion, and association completely on its head. FRC's Peter Sprigg was in the courtroom today and heard conservative justices Alito and Roberts vigorously challenge the school's untenable position in CLS v. Martinez. Former federal judge Michael McConnell argued for CLS, and expressed optimism about the outcome. In this case, the freedoms of everyone--not just Christians--are at stake. (Family Research Council; AOL News)
- Pray that the Supreme Court exercises its full authority in weighing this case, on behalf of all of our freedom of speech. Amen.
- "I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up." (Psalm 75:10)
7. MEMBERS OF CONGRESS MAY LOSE INSURANCE DUE TO OBAMACARE!
In what is probably one of the funniest and most deliciously ironic side-effects of ObamaCare, the New York Times reports that, buried deep in the 2,700 plus pages of the bill, there is language that would appear to kick members of Congress off of their current government insurance plans and put them into the new "exchanges" that the bill created.
The problem? Well, the exchanges don't exist . . . but the bill is now the law of the land.
From the Times: The law apparently bars members of Congress from the federal employees health program, on the assumption that lawmakers should join many of their constituents in getting coverage through new state-based markets known as insurance exchanges.
But the research service found that this provision was written in an imprecise, confusing way, so it is not clear when it takes effect.
The new exchanges do not have to be in operation until 2014. But because of a possible "drafting error," the report says, Congress did not specify an effective date for the section excluding lawmakers from the existing program. (Christian Coalition of America) Read more.
- If there were ever an incentive for Congress to READ THE BILL, they just lost their chance. Please pray that this development would summarily sanction their long awaited wake up call inside Congress that many of us have been praying would happen . . . For a long time. Ask that this hilarious outcome will bring them to their knees before God and to their feet for America. Humbly intercede that this one incident will finally teach their hands to war and their fingers to fight for what is good and right for the American people and no longer for selfishness and foolish political gain. Give our God glorious high praise and decree that in this same type of sweeping move by our God, over all, we win.
- "Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle." (Psalm 144:1)
8. VALUE-ADDED TAX ON ITS WAY?
A value-added tax could be coming soon, if a top Obama adviser's words are any indication. White House financial Adviser Paul Volcker said last week that raising taxes would be necessary to reduce the budget deficit, and said a value-added tax and an energy-related tax were possible sources of government revenue.
A VAT is a type of sales-based tax that is often supported by conservatives in place of the income tax, but conservatives say a VAT in addition to the income tax would add an enormous tax burden to the middle class.
Writing two weeks before Volcker's statement, conservative political commentator Charles Krauthammer predicted Obama will implement a VAT, saying it is the only way to cover the health care reform bill." As a substitute for the income tax, the VAT would be a splendid idea," Krauthammer said. "Taxing consumption makes infinitely more sense than taxing work. But to feed the liberal social-democratic project, the VAT must be added on top of the income tax."
In the end, Krauthammer and other critics say a VAT will not reduce the deficit, but will be used to justify more and more spending and more government growth. We just might get a chance to find out. (Intercessors for America)
- Pray that a new tax burden would not be added to those who can least afford it. Please intercede that we not feed our children's bread to the "social justice beast", not one more dime. Open up, in intercession, a higher ground for our government to walk on, to include dismantling wasted stimulus agenda and allowing the American private sector to prosper on it's own. Hidden, useless agendas have done us no favors whatsoever.
- Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land. (Exodus 1:8-10)
9. HOLDER WON'T RULE OUT N.Y.9/11 TRIAL
Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., said Wednesday that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and his accused co-conspirators in the September 11th attacks may yet face trial in a federal court in the Southern District of New York, if not in Lower Manhattan. A trial in New York is "not off the table," Mr. Holder said, and the Obama administration may decide "in a number of weeks." Still, in his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mr. Holder said the administration was taking "into consideration the concerns that have been raised by local officials, and by the community in New York City," about the cost and disruptiveness of security arrangements that would be needed if the case were to be prosecuted in a Manhattan courtroom. And he did not rule out moving the case to a military commission. "The Southern District of New York, for instance, is a much larger place than simply Manhattan," Mr. Holder said. "There's also the possibility of trying the case in other venues beyond New York." (New York Times) Read more.
- Gracious Father. We cry out for justice for the victims of the September 11th attacks! We pray for a Godly government that will take to heart and task, and correct the grievous miscalculations of our current Justice Department that to date, will not prosecute these murderers as enemy combatants. May the blood of those killed cry out without ceasing to Mr. Holder and this Justice Department, until they prosecute these surviving combatants in a military tribunal, not in civil court. For Your Glory, we pray that these heinous crimes be brought to Your Ultimate Justice. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
- "For the indignation of the Lord is against all nations, and His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter. For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion." (Isaiah 34: 2 and 8 NKJV)
10. SENATORS DEMAND FORT HOOD INFORMATION
Two top senators served the Obama administration Monday with subpoenas for information on the mass shooting at Fort Hood last November, claiming the administration's stonewalling left them with no other choice.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine -- respectively, the chairman and the ranking Republican on the Senate homeland security committee -- notified Attorney General Eric Holder and Defense Secretary Robert Gates of the decision in a letter Monday. They said the committee had sent four formal requests for information to the Pentagon and two to the Justice Department, and received little response.
"Our efforts have been met with delay, the production of little that was not already publicly available, and shifting reasons why the departments are withholding the documents and witnesses that we have requested," they wrote. "Unfortunately, it is impossible for us to avoid reaching the conclusion that the departments simply do not want to cooperate with our investigation." They said the subpoenas were being issued "with great disappointment and reluctance."
- Offer praise that these two key senators have now stepped forward to demand the information their committee needs in order to do its job. Bind the spirit that has caused the White House to refrain from releasing the needed data; and loose wisdom for the members of the Senate committee, as hidden things are revealed. Praise the Lord -- we serve a God of justice; and, with prayer, His will shall prevail!
- "Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate. . ." (Amos 5:15)
11. SUMMARIZING THE SUMMIT
President Obama hosted his highly publicized Nuclear Security Summit in Washington last week, aiming to keep nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists. On Tuesday, Obama told delegations from 46 countries that terrorists obtaining nuclear weapons "would be a catastrophe for the world, causing extraordinary loss of life and striking a major blow at global peace and stability."
Leaders from Chile, Ukraine and Canada have promised to reduce their stockpiles of enriched uranium, and the nations gathered for the summit pledged to block "non-state actors" from obtaining the technology to use nuclear material "for malicious purposes."
The agreement laid out vague generalities, but outlined little or no specific action to be taken. A follow-up nuclear security conference will be held in South Korea in 2012. President Lee Myung-bak told reporters that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il will not get an invitation until the North gives up its efforts to build a nuclear arsenal. (Intercessors for America)
- Pray that terrorists would not gain the ability to use a nuclear weapon. Ask that we would tap the resources of Heaven, as from its inception, the earth was created for God's glory and all things are to be used for this purpose, His glory and our good. Intercede for wisdom to be brought forth to clearly define goals for America that are in line with what our Creator had in mind for us and for our neighbors in this hour.
- "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. " (Genesis 1:1)
12. SYRIA GAVE SCUDS TO HEZBOLLAH, U.S. SAYS
Israeli and U.S. officials allege that Syria has transferred long-range Scud missiles, built with either North Korean or Russian technology, to the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah. They believe this to be a move that threatens to alter the Middle East's military balance and sets back a major diplomatic outreach effort to Damascus by the U.S. administration.
Israeli President Shimon Peres last week charged President Bashar Assad's government with transferring Scud missiles to Hezbollah's forces inside Lebanon. Syria and Hezbollah both denied the charges, but these allegations already are affecting U.S. foreign policy. Congressional officials said that Republicans were trying to block the appointment of a new American ambassador to Damascus, while the White House said it was pressing ahead with confirmation.
Israeli officials called Scud missiles "game-changing" armaments that mark a new escalation in the Mideast conflict. They alleged that Mr. Assad is increasingly linking Syria's military command with those of Hezbollah and Iran. "Syria claims it wants peace while at the same time it delivers Scuds to Hezbollah, whose only goal is to threaten the state of Israel," Peres said in an interview with Israeli radio.
The Scuds are believed to have a range of more than 435-miles-placing Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Israel's nuclear installations all within range of Hezbollah's military forces. During a month-long war with Israel in 2006, Hezbollah used rockets with ranges of 20 to 60-miles. (The Wall Street Journal)
- Omniscient Father, we humbly come before You and ask that You will reveal more and more details about the enemies of Israel so that they can be vanquished and their support networks be destroyed. For Your Glory and Honor we pray these things so that many will be saved, from the lines of both of Abraham's sons, Isaac and Ishmael. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
- "'And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,' says the Lord of hosts.'" (Malachi 3: 11 NKJV)
"The burden against Damascus. 'Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap, says the Lord of hosts.'" (Isaiah 17: 1 NKJV)
SPECIAL ALERT FROM NDP TASK FORCE
SAVE THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
On April 15, 2010, United States District Court Judge Barbara Crabb, for the Western District of Wisconsin, struck down the National Day of Prayer statute, ruling that it is unconstitutional. The National Day of Prayer belongs to Americans. It is a tradition that dates back to 1775 and it is not for a Judge to take away. This really amounts to an attack upon the religious heritage of Americans
- this terrible court ruling does NOT cancel the 59th annual observance of NDP on May 6th, but it does threaten to remove it in the future.
Shirley Dobson, Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, said, "Since the days of our Founding Fathers, the government has protected and encouraged public prayer and other expressions of dependence on the Almighty. This is a concerted effort by a small but determined number of people who have tried to prohibit all references to the Creator in the public square, whether it be the Ten Commandments, the Pledge of Allegiance, or the simple act of corporate prayer - this is unconscionable for a free society."
According to Franklin Graham, the honorary chairman of this year's National Day of Prayer, it also shows just how much our country needs God's help. "At a time when our country is waging two wars, approval ratings for Congress are at historic lows, unemployment is at a 70-year high and financial institutions have collapsed around us, I can't imagine anyone seriously opposing a National Day of Prayer," said Graham.
Our Task Force has launched a campaign to "Save the National Day of Prayer"
- visit www.NationalDayofPrayer.org to sign the online petition calling for the Obama Administration to appeal Judge Barbara Crabb's decision and rigorously defend the National Day of Prayer on behalf of the American people.
LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!
1) Sign the petition to SAVE THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
2) Respectfully contact your Congressman and the White House
3) Make a donation to the SAVE THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER campaign
INFORMATION FOR ALL THREE STEPS IS AVAILABLE ON THE NDP WEBSITE BY GOING HERE.
SPECIAL NDP CONFERENCE CALL
Nationwide Coordinator Prayer Conference Call . . .
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Join NDP Task Force Executive Director, John Bornschein, Director of Prayer Mobilization, Lisa Crump, and the National Area Leaders as they seek God's favor for our volunteer coordinators and humbly ask Him to bless their efforts in calling the nation to prayer on Thursday, May 6th.
DATE: Tuesday, April 20th
TIME: 8-9 pm ET, 7-8 pm CT, 6-7 pm MT, 5-6 pm PT
CONFERENCE CALL NUMBER: (712) 432-0233
ACCESS CODE: 637#
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)
