In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• Obama Says "BP Spill = 9/11"
• Obama to Address the Nation Tonight
• Obama Blocks Solutions to Gulf Disaster
• Outrage Of The Week
• ALERT!!
• The Good News Corner
• Worship with Us Today!
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief - Tuesday, June 15, 2010
"Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." (Romans 8:27)
The Daily Brief
1. Emails 'Prove BP Systematically Put Safety at Risk' - London Times
Congressional investigators have published a series of internal BP memos which they say proves that the British company systematically and negligently put safety at risk on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in order to increase profits. "They violated what their own employees were recommending they do, they violated their own industry practices and they ignored the recommendation of contractors who told them to do certain tests to avoid safety concerns" said Henry Waxman, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
• Lord, we pray the truth be revealed concerning the many violations against BP. We pray our government will learn from this, and be prepared for any future crisis.
• The pride of your heart has deceived you, You who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; you who say in your heart, 'Who will bring me down to the ground?' (Obadiah 1:3)
2. Gulf Coasters Skeptical of Obama, BP Promises - Breitbart
The breached well has dumped as much as 114 million gallons of oil into the Gulf under the worst-case scenario described by scientists-a rate of more than 2 million a day. BP has collected 5.6 million gallons of oil through its latest containment cap on top of the well, or about 630,000 gallons per day.
Still, BP warned its containment efforts could be hampered if hoses or pipes clog and as engineers struggle to run the complicated collection system.
• Heavenly Father, it is no wonder that residents are worried and skeptical about the efforts to cap the oil spill. We pray that you will give them a workable plan to stop the leak immediately. Protect the people, animals, and environment by a miracle.
• The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble; and those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. (Psalms 9:9-10)
3. Boy Scout Battle Over Gays, Rent Goes to Pa. Court - NewsMax
Jury selection is under way in a gay-rights case involving the Boy Scouts and the city of Philadelphia. At issue is whether the local scouting council can stay in its city-owned headquarters essentially rent-free. The local council, the Cradle of Liberty Council, has occupied the downtown building since 1928.
Mayor Michael Nutter says the group must renounce the national organization's gay-exclusion policies to keep the rent-free space. The Cradle of Liberty Council's lawsuit contends the mayor's ultimatum violates their First Amendment rights.
• Lord, we come against these groups that are trying to force the Boy Scouts to go against their values. Let the courts rule in favor of them, and all Christian groups. Confound the agitators.
• Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously. (2 Samuel 7:10)
4. FDA Groups Genetic Tests with Medical Devices, Requiring Approval - USA Today
In his letters, Alberto Gutierrez, the FDA official who signed the letters, said the tests constitute medical devices because they are "intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease" or are "intended to affect the structure or function of the body."
• Lord, we pray you will confound companies and people who will use these inventions to hurt people - especially the unborn, since these can be used to find potential abnormalities. They can also prevent people from getting help in cases of serious conditions like cancer or diabetes.
• He who plots to do evil will be called a schemer. The devising of foolishness is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to men. (Proverbs 24:8-9)
5. Employer Health Care Costs to Jump 9% in 2011 - CNN Money
Employers will try to offset cost increases by requiring their workers to shell out more cash before coverage kicks in, according to a survey of 700 employers by PricewaterhouseCoopers. In 2010, 13% of companies said their primary plans were those with high-deductibles -- generally considered to be $1,100 or more. That's more than double the level of 6% in 2008.
• Lord, we are being oppressed on every side. We pray you will make a way to stop this downward spiral of our nation. Give us a hunger to be holy, so you will bless us again.
• Do not rob the poor because he is poor, nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; for the Lord will plead their cause, and plunder the soul of those who plunder them. (Proverbs 22:22, 23)
6. Feds Under Pressure to Open US Skies to Drones - AP
Unmanned aircraft have proved their usefulness and reliability in the war zones of Afghanistan and Iraq. Now the pressure's on to allow them in the skies over the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration Officials are worried that they might plow into airliners, cargo planes and corporate jets that zoom around at high altitudes, or helicopters and hot air balloons that fly as low as a few hundred feet off the ground.
The obvious risks have not deterred the civilian demand for pilotless planes. State police hope to send them up to capture images of speeding cars' license plates. Local police envision using them to track fleeing suspects.
• Heavenly Father, we pray the push to allow these drones to fly freely over the skies of America will be stopped immediately. We pray against tracking devises that could someday be turned against its own people - especially Christians.
• The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. (Psalms 41:2)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"I will lift up my eyes to the hills-from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth." ( Psalm 121:1,2 )
1. Israeli Navy braces for next flotillas - Jerusalem Post
The navy will operate under the assumption that groups of provocateurs are aboard any future ships that try to break the Israel-imposed sea blockade on the Gaza Strip, Deputy Commander of the Navy Rear-Admiral Rani Ben-Yehuda told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
2. UN insists on int'l flotilla probe - Jerusalem Post
The UN called on Israel to accede to demands for an international inquiry of the event surrounding the IDF raid of the Gaza flotilla Monday night, even as the Israeli Cabinet approved a committee to pursue an internal Israeli inquiry of the matter.
3. Al-Aqsa Brigade claims attack - Jerusalem Post
A faction of Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade claimed responsibility for Monday's terror attack in the Hebron Hills in which Israeli police officer Yehushua Sofer was killed, reported the Palestinian news agency Ma'an.
4. EU ministers: 'End Gaza blockade' - Jerusalem Post
The European Union's council of foreign ministers' issued a statement on Gaza on Monday, demanding an impartial inquiry into the flotilla with international representation, an end to the Gaza blockade with guarantees of Israel's security, the release of Schalit and an end to the firing of missiles into Israel.
The Daily Jot
The Straw That Breaks The Camel's Back
The man who occupies the Oval Office has pleaded with Congress to approve another $50 billion in emergency aid. In a letter that went out to mostly Democratic members of the House of Representatives, he wrote, "If we allow these layoffs to go forward, it will not only mean hundreds of thousands fewer teachers in our classrooms, firefighters on call and police officers on the beat, it will also mean more costs helping these Americans look for more work while their lost paychecks will mean less tax revenue and less demand for the products and services provided by other workers." At this point, one has to ask 'what's another $50 billion to bail out even more fiscal irresponsibility?' The answer is: a lot.
What would the Founding Fathers say of all this? Thomas Jefferson said, "A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take everything you have." Jefferson also said, "I place economy among the first and most important of republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared." Benjamin Franklin was quoted as saying, "When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic. Sell not liberty to purchase power." It is obvious that those who wrote the Constitution, voted on it and established it, would consider this government's actions a threat to your liberty.
We have heard these tactics before. Whenever there is fiscal irresponsibility the first threats of the crisis try to scare the people into believing that their children will not be taught in school; that police will not be stopping crime and that fires will burn out of control. Maybe this is not a bad thing. If the government got out of the public school business, kids would get a better education for less money in private schools, and there would be more resources for police and firefighters. In fact, the federal government is not supposed to be involved in any of these services as they are reserved to the state. Problem is state and local governments are also bankrupt because of their irresponsible spending.
This is what one gets when voting in those who believe that government is the answer to all our problems. This is what one gets when people run government who have no sense of who God is in their lives. Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool hath said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that do good." Jesus said in Matthew 7:16, "Ye shall know them by their fruits." When a leader sees as the only way to solve a problem is to take the hard earned money away from the responsible man and give it to the irresponsible, then we have an ungodly leader who can do no good." And in a representative republic, we the voters, share the ultimate responsibility.
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
Obama Says "BP Spill = 9/11"
In an interview last week, President Obama made a bizarre statement comparing the Gulf oil leak to 9/11. Here's what he said: "In the same way that our view of our vulnerabilities and our foreign policy was shaped profoundly by 9/11, I think this disaster is going to shape how we think about the environment and energy for many years to come." At first glance, his remarks may not seem that controversial. But I think the remark is very telling of the political prism through which the president views everything.
One of these events was an unprovoked attack on our country that killed three thousand fellow citizens. Thousands more have died since and suffered serious wounds in response to that atrocity. The other is a genuine "man caused disaster." But it was an accident, more comparable to a natural disaster such as a hurricane or earthquake than a deliberate act of mass murder or an act of war.
Yet the Obama Administration is terrified of Katrina comparisons. It is so desperate to avoid any suggestion that the Gulf oil spill is becoming "Obama's Katrina" that the president is now trying to "wrap himself in the flag." He wants to be seen a decisive commander-in-chief; the way George W. Bush was viewed when he grabbed the bullhorn and stood on the rubble of Ground Zero promising to bring the terrorists to justice. But the American people just want to see results.
With Gallup finding his approval rating hitting a new record low last week, the president is launching a PR offensive. Between a $100 million campaign to sell ObamaCare and a planned national address tomorrow night, we're going to see a lot of the president in the next 141 days as he tries to resuscitate his image and his party's chances at the ballot box. (Gary Bauer)
Obama to Address the Nation Tonight
No Crisis Goes To Waste
Tonight President Obama will deliver an Oval Office address about the Gulf oil leak. In his interview last week, Obama also said that one of his greatest challenges was "making sure we learn the right lessons from this disaster." Exactly what are those lessons?
From all the press reports, it's clear that the president will follow Rahm Emanuel's advice and not let this crisis go to waste. It is widely expected that Obama will use his prime time address tomorrow night to promote his agenda, specifically the big government monstrosity of referred to as "cap and trade" but more accurately called cap and tax.
I wrote about the pending legislation a month ago, so I won't rehash it here. For all the reasons I outlined and more, the bill was considered dead in the Senate weeks ago. But with images of the Gulf oil spill now dominating the headlines, the administration has decided to exploit the spill for its own political purposes by pitching cap and trade as the answer. It's not, and Obama knows it.
Days before the Deepwater Horizon explosion, Obama embraced expanded offshore drilling as an answer to America's growing energy needs. But if the Senate passes cap and trade as a knee-jerk reaction to the spill, it will only compound the tragedy. Already Obama's response to the BP leak is costing more U.S. jobs and making us more dependent on foreign oil. (Gary Bauer)
Obama Blocks Solutions to Gulf Disaster
Speaking Of Knee-Jerk Reactions . . .
One thing that is becoming increasingly clear from the administration's response to the oil leak is the way in which ideology drives everything it does. For example, days after the spill, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal asked for permission to build sand berms to block the oil from reaching sensitive marsh lands. But the Environmental Protection Agency said it needed more time to study the potential environmental impact of the berms. Millions of gallons of oil are invading the marshes, but the bureaucrats need time to study the berms?
Here's another example: The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, aka the Jones Act. The Dutch government offered Washington ships with oil skimming booms and help building the sand berms that Bobby Jindal wanted. But according to Geert Visser, consul general for the Netherlands in Houston, "The embassy got a nice letter from the administration that said, 'Thanks, but no thanks.'"
The Obama Administration is so beholden to the labor unions that it won't grant waivers of the Jones Act that would allow other countries to help in the Gulf. The Jones Act requires ships operating in U.S. waters to be U.S. flagged vessels, constructed in the U.S., owned by U.S. citizens and manned with U.S. crews.
During Katrina, George W. Bush issued a waiver for the Jones Act allowing foreign ships to temporarily operate in the Gulf. This administration is still letting bureaucratic red tape get in the way. You can read this Houston Chronicle article for more. (Gary Bauer)
Outrage Of The Week
Monday, June 14, 2010
(Reprinted from yesterday's End-of-Day report by Gary Bauer):
I know it's only Monday, but two stories today could easily qualify for "Outrage of the Week." First, Democrats are clearly getting edgy as we approach the November elections. What else explains North Carolina Democrat Bobby Etheridge's sidewalk assault on unsuspecting students?
But if Etheridge's bad behavior doesn't get your blood boiling, this will. The American Spectator's "Washington Prowler" column reports that the Obama White House is working overtime to make the hundreds of thousands of new Census jobs permanent. They are so desperate to avoid losing these temporary jobs and having the unemployment rate go up, that they are scrambling to fill vacant government jobs and transition temporary census workers to federally funded stimulus positions.
The administration is so committed to growing the government that it is actually eliminating red tape! According to the Prowler, the Obama Administration has eased hiring rules, including eliminating a "skills and knowledge essay" and easing other qualifications, "so that less experienced prospective employees might be hired over better qualified or more experienced competitors." Just what we need - 400,000 UNQUALIFIED new federal bureaucrats.
ALERT!!
Take Action:
House Set to Vote on Campaign Finance Bill TODAY!
(Editor's note: It's not too late to call today! Contact the Capitol Hill Switchboard to reach your member at: 202-224-3121.)
CitizenLink has joined more than 50 groups in asking the U.S. House of Representatives to oppose H.R. 5175, the DISCLOSE Act. The group letter was sent June 10th.
The legislation comes in response to the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that rolled back certain campaign-finance restrictions. It aims to expand the scope of such regulations to strangle free speech.
The DISCLOSE Act will place burdensome restrictions on the ability of nonprofits to engage in free speech and advocate for families and consumers. For example, the bill would force a group's top donors to appear in any political commercials, even those who aren't donors to the specific ad. It would also mean that all top donors' names would be disclosed, even if they aren't funding any part of the political communication. CitizenLink and other pro-family groups would be affected.
"The bill aims to silence political speech by intimidation and onerous regulation," the groups wrote. (CitizenLink)
You can also reach your member on this issue by going here.
The Good News Corner
Congressman Randy Forbes Introduces "The Pro-Life Act" (H.R. 511)
Friend:
One of the most troubling aspects of the new healthcare law is that it opens the door to the usage of taxpayer funds to pay for abortion. Pro-life or pro-choice, 72% of Americans agree that no public money should be used to fund any abortion procedures.
As you may remember, the bill first voted on by the House of Representatives in November included the "Stupak language," adding the protections of the Hyde Amendment to ensure that taxpayer money would not be used to fund abortion. Despite attempts to include that same language, the House approved the Senate version of the bill that failed to include the same explicit assurances banning the use of public funds for abortion procedures that the American people favor by a ratio of 3 to 1.
The law was later accompanied by an executive order signed by [sic] Obama, which many consider to be considerably weaker than the Stupak language and which lacks the force of law and enforcement by the courts.
As a result, I am joining Congressman Pitts in cosponsoring the Protect Life Act, H.R. 5111. This legislation would amend the new healthcare law to include the original Stupak language as modeled after the Hyde Amendment to close any loopholes or ambiguities that could lead to tax-payer funds being used for abortions. It is my hope that this will be one of many steps toward correcting the flawed healthcare bill that was signed into law by the [sic].
Yours in service,
Randy Forbes
Member of Congress
-- We want to encourage you to contact your own member of Congress and encourage him or her to sign onto the Protect Life Act, H.R. 511.
You can reach your member by contacting the Capitol Hill Switchboard at: 202-224-3121.
Worship with Us Today!
"God of the Ages"
Charles Billingsley
Praise the Lord!!
You ARE the God of the Ages . . . the Hope for all the World!
