• ObamaCare - Affordable Care Act in the Supreme Court
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
"Partners in Prayer for the Nation"
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
On Capitol Hill This Week - Volume XIX, Number 8a-1
March 26 - 30, 2012
SPECIAL EDITION:
Affordable Care Act in the Supreme Court
"The court was seated, and the books were opened." (Daniel 7:10c)
1. SUPREME COURT BEGINS HEARINGS TODAY ON HEALTHCARE DECISION
2. ANOTHER LOOK AT OBAMACARE
3. "OBAMACARE" UNDERMINES CORE U.S. PRINCIPLES
4. UPDATED AGENDA FOR COURT HEARINGS THIS WEEK
5. THE JUSTICES WHO NOW SERVE ON THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
6. THE ATTORNEYS WHO WILL ARGUE FOR, AND AGAINST, OBAMACARE
7. SUPREME COURT : NO TV CAMERAS FOR HEALTHCARE ARGUMENTS
8. THOUSANDS DUE TO PROTEST OBAMACARE TOMORROW IN DC/LI>
9. FRC HOSTS SPECIAL WEBCAST TOMORROW
10. JUSTICES TO RELEASE OPINIONS ON OBAMACARE IN JUNE
1. SUPREME COURT BEGINS HEARINGS TODAY ON HEALTHCARE DECISION
Supreme Court signals health care case won't be held up over technicality
The Supreme Court on Monday seemed to be leaning against a procedural ruling that would postpone a decision until after 2014 on whether the healthcare reform law is unconstitutional. Monday's session, which launched three days of oral arguments in the historic case, also highlighted a potential weakness in the Obama administration's defense of the healthcare law's mandate that people buy insurance.
The Justice Department says the mandate is constitutional, in part, under Congress's power to levy taxes. But in urging that the justices should not postpone a decision until the mandate takes effect, sometime after 2014, the administration has had to argue that the mandate is not a tax. Justice Samuel Alito raised the issue as Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. argued Monday that the fine is a not a tax.
"Tomorrow you're going to be back, and you're going to be arguing that the penalty is a tax," Alito said. Although that distinction could cause problems during Tuesday's arguments on the constitutional merits of the mandate, the justices seemed inclined during Monday's arguments to side with the Justice Department and issue a ruling now.
Twenty-six states and the National Federation of Independent Business are challenging the law's individual mandate, which requires most Americans to either buy insurance or pay a penalty. The landmark case marks the first time in 75 years that a sitting president's signature domestic achievement could be overturned at the height of his reelection campaign.
The consideration of Obama's healthcare law is one of the most anticipated decision's in the court's history, and people began lining up for one of the few, prized seats in the courtroom on Friday. By Monday, the line went around the block for a seat inside, and many people were giving up their seats on Monday to keep their place in line for Tuesday's session, when the court considers the constitutionality of the mandate. (The Hill; Fox News) Read more
- In all the debates that will take place this week before the Supreme Court, ask the Lord to restore to America His righteousness -- a nation that follows in His ways. Pray that our Supreme Court justices would rule with an understanding of His law and precepts in their minds and hearts. Pray that our Supreme Court would rule in such a way that the nations of the world would look upon our nation's capital and declare it a City of Righteousness - a Faithful City with righteous judges.
- "I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City." (Is. 1:26)
2. ANOTHER LOOK AT OBAMACARE
Attached is a link to the Congressional Budget Office report that demonstrates the law will grow the Federal Deficit by $1.2 trillion over the next decade.
In addition to that we believe that imbedded in the law are the following mandates:
Abortion Coverage - HHS has admitted that abortion will be covered. The plan forces Americans to pay an abortion premium as part of their insurance plans. "To comply with the accounting requirement, plans will collect a $1 abortion surcharge from each premium payer... The enrollee will make two payments, $1 per month for abortion and another payment for the rest of the services covered. As described in the rule, the surcharge can only be disclosed to the enrollee at the time of enrollment. Furthermore, insurance plans may only advertise the total cost of the premiums without disclosing that enrollees will be charged a $1 per month fee to pay directly subsidize abortions."
The Contraceptive Mandate - sterilization, contraceptives and birth control devices and medicines, including Ella, the abortifacient "morning after pill."
The Student Mandate - On March 16th the Obama administration announced a proposal that would require universities, including religious universities, to provide contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs to their students, as well as to their employees, free, without a co-pay. (Source: Intercessors for America)
- God, with Your eyes You see all of the reasons why Obama's health care plan is at the very least, flawed, and at most, threatening to our freedoms as American citizens. Father, we stand upon the promises of Your Word that this Act will go down in utter defeat. In the holy Name of Jesus we declare this. Amen.
- "But as we were allowed and approved of God to be put in trust with His Word, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which tries our hearts." (I Thessalonians 2:4)
3. "OBAMACARE" UNDERMINES CORE U.S. PRINCIPLES
As the Supreme Court starts its three-day marathon Monday to hear arguments on the constitutionality of the health care law known as "Obamacare," let's be clear about the justices' challenge, and ours. The challenge before the court, a challenge it has often not lived up to, is to keep perspective that applying our constitution is not about splitting hairs about the meaning of words in order to further a personal agenda. It's about applying, in good faith, the principles that define this country and assuring that our government operates in a fashion consistent with those principles. There is no technical substitute for common sense. And clever people can always use words to overpower less clever people. Cleverness should serve principle, not vice versa. . .
This in a nation founded under the principle that it is self-evident "that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." We confront today new, energetic efforts to undermine the principles upon which this nation stands. Demonstrations are taking place nationwide to drive home to the American people, and one hopes to the nine Supreme Court justices, that Obamacare - passed in 2010 through procedural gymnastics and without a single Republican vote - blatantly violates our core principles of human liberty. . .
This country is about freedom. When we lose it, we lose our country. This is what the Supreme Court should be thinking about when it hears the arguments on Obamacare.(Star Parker; Conservative Action Alerts)
- Please pray, asking the Lord to move upon the hearts of the majority of these justices to find this law unconstitutional, and to strike it down in its entirety. Thank you.
- "I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place. Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand." (Isaiah 28:17,18)
4. UPDATED AGENDA FOR COURT HEARINGS THIS WEEK ON OBAMACARE
Concerned Women for America has released an updated agenda for this week's hearings, as well as the names of all attorneys who will be debating the Affordable Health Care Act in front of the Court this week. Please take the time to go here and print out this guide to prayer, as there are three more hearings scheduled to take place tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday about this law. Thank you.
- Because each of the mandates to be debated is of a technical nature, we rely on the Holy Spirit to pray through us, bringing forth accurate intercession over each matter. Thank the Lord for His prayer language; it never faIls!
- "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God." (Romans 8:26,27)
4. THE JUSTICES WHO NOW SERVE ON THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT
Below please find the list of the names of the six men and three women who currently serve as Justices on the Supreme Court of the United States. We ask that each one of our prayer partners literally "bathe" and cover these men and women with your prayers, that they would be granted wisdom, discernment, and TRUTH in weighing the legality of the Affordable Care Act. Thank you.
1. Chief Justice John G. Roberts
[All others presented in order of when they joined the court]
2. Associate Justice Antonin Scalia (1986)
3. Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy (1988)
4. Associate Justice Clarence Thomas (1991)
5. Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1993)
6. Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer (1994)
7. Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito (2006)
8. Associate Justice Sonia M. Sotomayor (2009)
9. Associate Justice Elena Kagan (2010)
- God, enclose each of these judges with the Holy Spirit and open their ears to discern the factual truth. Touch their minds, Lord, helping each one to make competent decisions determined by the actual truth of this "Affordable Care Act." God, we ask that there be an authoritative rejection that forbids and prohibits the carrying out of this Act for the good of the people of America. We declare this done in the Name of Jesus Christ.
Note: Bottom line: there is no escaping the reality that the individual mandate is unprecedented and unconstitutional. For the sake of this great country, its small businesses, families, entrepreneurs and future generations, we hope that the Court sees it the same way as we do.
- "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." (Psalm 19:7-9)
6. THE ATTORNEYS WHO WILL ARGUE FOR, AND AGAINST, OBAMACARE
This week, for three days, the justices of the United States Supreme Court will be hearing arguments for, and against, various aspects of the "Affordable Care Act" - also known as Obamacare.
Arguing for the administration will be the U.S. Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. Traditionally, the U.S. Solicitor General, who argues more cases before the U.S. Supreme Court than any other lawyer, is sometimes referred to as the 10th justice. But this year, that title might more appropriately be held by Paul Clement, the 45-year-old attorney who will be arguing on behalf of the states challenging the Obama health care reform law.
Clement will be arguing seven cases during the current Court term - the most in a single term by a lawyer in private practice since at least the 1970s, says Bloomberg News reporter Greg Stohr. A partner in the 13-attorney Washington, D.C. firm Bancroft PLLC, Clement also argued on behalf of reducing prison overcrowding in California and has represented two wrongfully convicted men who sought to sue prosecutors.
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), along with our 26 state co-plaintiffs, will argue that the mandate is not only unconstitutional but that it also cannot be severed from the rest of the law, i.e., the entire law should be struck down if the mandate is ruled unconstitutional. (Intercessors for America and Capitol Hill Prayer Partners)
Updated information from Concerned Women for America: Once again, we refer you to this PDF document for the names of other attorneys who will be arguing before the Supreme Court this week for or against Obamacare. Please lift each one in prayer, as below.
- Before we can enter into prayer for these attorneys, we must approach Your own High Court, Abba, washed in the Blood of the Lamb, and forgive those who -- intentionally or by error -- are acting wickedly against our people, for they know not what they do. Just as You have extended Your grace and Your mercy upon each of us, drawing us to You while we were yet in sin, we now ask for the same grace to visit each one of these attorneys, as well as the justices who are now seated in the U.S. Supreme Court.
- "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
- We know that Scripture teaches us that it is the fear of the LORD that is the beginning of wisdom, so we ask today that each attorney who will be before the Supreme Court this week would approach that court in the fear of the LORD. For those who know Him as Savior, may He release showers of blessing upon them: mercy, understanding, skill, and unusual wisdom as he argues his case before the Court. And for those who do not know Him as Savior, may they be humbled this week to ask for help in time of need, and then find Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We ask this prayer in Jesus' Name, amen and amen.
- "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments . . . " (Psalm 11:10)
7. SUPREME COURT RULES OUT TELEVISION CAMERAS FOR HEALTHCARE ARGUMENTS
The Supreme Court on Friday rejected calls to allow television cameras into its chambers during arguments over President Obama's healthcare law. The court said it would release same-day audio recordings of the arguments, scheduled for March 26-28. It cited the "extraordinary public interest" in the case, which could lead to President Obama's signature domestic achievement being struck down in the midst of the campaign season.
The court normally releases audio at the end of the week.
The statement did not mention television cameras. Several media outlets, including C-SPAN, had asked the court to waive its policy against cameras in the courtroom just for the healthcare case. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and others supported the request.
The Supreme Court has never allowed TV cameras into its chambers. Some justices say they fear that televising their proceedings, which are often mired in legalese, would lead future justices or attorneys to play to the cameras at the expense of a robust legal debate. (The Hill) Read more.
- The audio recording of today's hearing has already been released, so we praise God for this fast action on the part of the Court. Pray that all media reporting of these proceedings would be accurate and nonbiased. Pray for a miracle. Pray!
- "Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee . . ." (Jer. 32:17)
8. THOUSANDS DUE TO PROTEST OBAMACARE TOMORROW IN WASHINGTON
Tomorrow thousands of Americans are coming to Washington, D.C., to demand respect for the Constitution and our freedoms, and to tell the politicians to keep their hands off our health care! I am proud to co-sponsor this rally along with groups like Americans for Prosperity, Concerned Women for America, Eagle Forum, 60 Plus, FRC Action and the Tea Party Express.
If you live within driving distance of the nation's capital Washington and would like join this rally, visit HandsOffMyHealthCare.com for more information.(Gary Bauer)
- Please join us in praying for the PROTECTION of everyone who will be gathered at the Supreme Court this week, both inside and outside the building. Decree PSALM 91 over all. Thank you.
9. FRC HOSTS SPECIAL WEBCAST TOMORROW ON OBAMACARE AT THE COURT
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will join Family Research Council Action (FRC Action) for a special webcast program entitled "On Trial: Freedom vs. Government Healthcare" on Tuesday, March 27, at 8:00 p.m. EST. Members of Congress, doctors, legal experts and activists will also participate, and discuss the lawsuits surrounding the health care law that is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Director of FRC's Center for Religious Freedom, Ken Klukowski, will attend the Supreme Court oral arguments and soon after will join the program to offer a behind-the-scenes perspective.
You are invited to watch this briefing online by going here.
10. JUSTICES TO RELEASE OPINIONS ON OBAMACARE IN JUNE
Continued prayer requested
[Note: The Supreme Court justices hear cases throughout the year; devoting several months afterwards to write their opinions. Those opinions are then compiled by the Court, and the final verdict is rendered and published at the end of the judicial year, the last week of June. Hence, we ask that prayers be continued until this matter has been entirely settled later this year. Thank you.]
A note from Alan Parker, President, The Justice Foundation:
However, do not stop praying after the oral argument. Pray until the end of the case which is when the Opinion is finally released publicly. The importance of this is shown in the case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey. In 1989, Justice Kennedy (who is still on the Court) wrote that Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided. In 1992, on the day of oral argument in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, he voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. However, that same month of April 1992 approximately 750,000 women came and marched on the Supreme Court angrily shouting they "would not go back." Justice Kennedy changed his mind while the opinions were being written and said that women have come to rely upon abortion and therefore, even if it was wrongly decided, he could not overturn Roe v. Wade. This shows you that the Court's decision is not final until it is released in public. You will know when it is released because it will receive massive media coverage. So keep praying until you hear about the final decision released in public, in writing, by the Supreme Court.
- " . . . pray without ceasing . . ." (I Thess. 5:17)
On Capitol Hill This Week: Vol. XIX, No. 8a-2
DOMESTIC NEWS
1. OBAMA AUTHORIZES HIMSELF TO DECLARE MARTIAL LAW
2. CONGRESS IGNORES OBAMA'S OVERT EXECUTIVE ORDER
3. OBAMA TO MEDVEDEV: MORE "FLEXIBILITY" AFTER ELECTION
4. OBAMA, OIL AND OKLAHOMA
5. OBAMA AND TRAYON: BOILING THE RACIAL POT
6. OBAMA'S WORLD BANK NOMINEE LINKED TO GEORGE SOROS
7. OBAMACARE TURNS TWO
8. HOUSE REPEALS OBAMACARE RATIONING BOARD
9. "DO UNTO OTHERS . . ."
10. CONGRESSIONAL PRAYER CAUCUS DEFENDS CROSS
11. EISENHOWER FAMILY DEMANDS STOP TO PLANNED MEMORIAL
1. OBAMA AUTHORIZES HIMSELF TO DECLARE MARTIAL LAW
Obama has given himself the powers to declare martial law - especially in the event of a war with Iran. It is a sweeping power grab that should worry every American.
Obama has given himself the powers to declare martial law - especially in the event of a war with Iran. It is a sweeping power grab that should worry every American.
On March 16, the White House released an executive order, "National Defense Resources Preparedness." The document is stunning in its audacity and a flagrant violation of the Constitution. It states that, in case of a war or national emergency, the federal government has the authority to take over almost every aspect of American society. Food, livestock, farming equipment, manufacturing, industry, energy, transportation, hospitals, health care facilities, water resources, defense and construction - all of it could fall under the full control of Mr. Obama. The order empowers the president to dispense these vast resources as he sees fit during a national crisis.
"The United States must have an industrial and technological base capable of meeting national defense requirements and capable of contributing to the technological superiority of its national defense equipment in peacetime and in times of national emergency," the order says. "The domestic industrial and technological base is the foundation for national defense preparedness. The authorities provided in the act shall be used to strengthen this base and to ensure it is capable of responding to the national defense needs of the United States."
In short, the order gives Obama the ability to impose martial law. He now possesses the potential powers of a dictator. The order is a direct assault on individual liberties, private property rights and the rule of law. It is blatantly unconstitutional. The executive branch is arrogating responsibilities precluded by the Constitution without even asking the permission of Congress. The order gives Obama a blank check to erect a centralized authoritarian state. This is a law one would expect to find in Hugo Chavez's Venezuela or Vladimir Putin's Russia. (Washington Times) Read more.
- Many who are now aware of this action on the part of the president are asking: "Why now" and "What is he preparing for?" Only our Lord knows the answer to that question, but we know that, no matter what, in the end, it is the Lord God Jehovah who is in control. Thank Him that He has everything in His hand, and ask Him to intervene to protect our people by means of divine intervention, should that become necessary. Pray!
- "Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us." (Isaiah 8:10)
2. CONGRESS IGNORES OBAMA'S OVERT EXECUTIVE ORDER
After his effective coup against the United States Congress, in which he . . ."General" Dempsey and . . . Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta commanded that said Congress was now subservient to the United Nations, NATO and/or any other foreign power he decides on, Obama has now turned his sights back on the American people.
On Friday 16 March 2012, . . . Obama signed his latest illegal Executive Order (only appearing to matter to US Constitutionalists whom his criminal syndicate calls "terrorists"), which he calls "National Defense Resources Preparedness." This EO gives the Obama Syndicate the "right" to steal anything and everything from the American people they desire. These include but, are not limited to, food, energy, water, health, all civil transportation and all other materials, services and facilities. . . Obama has dictated that he can declare peacetime Martial Law - at his discretion and at any time of his choosing. (By Sher Zieve; Renew America) Read more.
Please see also: The Executive Order Explained. This speaker takes you though the bill, line by line, and translates it into common language on how it will impact you. Peacetime martial law is now on the books and is being implemented step by step. This is a major POWER GRAB; it is illegal, unconstitutional, treasonous and seditious. It will control virtually every aspect of your life. (Laura Densmore; Hebrew Nation News)
- Pray that, if Congress does not put a stop to this, God will. He promises to take care of His own. Thank Him and praise Him for His promises to His own; they never fail!
- "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want . . ." (Psalm 23)
3. OBAMA TO MEDVEDEV: MORE "FLEXIBILITY" AFTER ELECTION
Republicans are pressing Obama to clarify what he meant when he told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev he'd have "more flexibility" on missile defense after the November election. The brief exchange between Obama and Medvedev during a sit-down in Seoul quickly spread around the world Monday, after a Russian journalist recorded it and shared the tape with the producer assigned to cover the event for other networks. (Fox News)
From the Republican Trust: I do not mean to sound provocative or sensational, but Obama has now given us more reasons to be very concerned about his relationship with Russia. The latest occurred today at the end of a meeting with Russian President Dimitri Medvedev. The press was let in as Obama was making a couple of final private remarks to Medvedev and Obama didn't know the microphones were able to pick up what he said.
(The concern is) that an American president would tell the leader of another country that he planned to mislead his own citizens in order to be reelected so he can then create policy that favors that leader's country.
- Offer intercession that the true heart of Barack Hussein Obama would be made known to the public both now and in the days before the next election. May our citizens choose wisely the next one who will "rule" over us! In Jesus Name, amen.
- "And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." (Gen 16:12)
4. OBAMA, OIL AND OKLAHOMA
While campaigning for re-election in Oklahoma, Obama posed in front of lengths oil pipeline and declared that he was gong to rush through the portion of the Keystone oil pipeline in Oklahoma that he had already rejected as a national project. He then took credit for more oil production in Oklahoma.
Republicans promptly pointed out that this is a local pipeline that Obama has no authority over and it was being built anyway, without his OK, and that the increased production in Oklahoma is on private lands because Obama has stopped permits on public lands. Meanwhile Obama is calling on Saudi Arabia to produce more oil so our nation can send the Islamic madmen who rule that nation more money to repress women and deny human rights. (Religious Freedom Coalition)
- God, an imposter has found a new target in Oklahoma oil whose pipeline has been in existence for many years. We ask You to throw up a holy angelic cover and declare this long-standing oil and pipeline as impregnable by all efforts of the government to take credit of its findings or to steal, kill or destroy any part of this oil and pipeline. Shake the very foundation of any person or agency who proves to be the enemy of this pipeline. Cover the state of Oklahoma with the presence of our holy God that cannot be penetrated by enemy forces. In the mighty Name of Jesus, amen.
- "When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to steal, kill or destroy it, you shall not destroy the oil thereof by forcing an axe against it: for you may be provided food of it, and you shall not cut it down (for it is man's life sustenance); and you shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it be subdued." (Deuteronomy 10:19-20)
5. OBAMA AND TRAYON: PURPOSELY BOILING THE RACIAL POT
Seventeen year-old Trayvon Martin and neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman had a confrontation on a dark street in Sanford, Florida, last month. There was a fight and Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, fatally shot Martin, who was black. Martin's parents received the news that every parent dreads when the phone rings late at night -- their son was dead. Zimmerman's friends and family say he was distraught and wept for days over the fact that he had taken a life in what he says was self-defense. Sadly, the political left, big media and an assortment of race baiters like Al Sharpton have rushed to judgment, attempting to exploit the pain of this tragic confrontation for their own ideological agendas. This unholy alliance didn't say a word about the 49 people who were shot -- 10 fatally -- in Chicago during one weekend this month. Virtually all of the victims were black, as were the shooters. Where was the outrage?
Sadly, Saul Alinsky inspired Obama, who millions of Americans had hoped would bring racial reconciliation, has a well-established pattern of stoking the fires of racial antagonism. Remember in July 2009 when Obama, with no facts to speak of, accused Cambridge, Massachusetts, police of acting "stupidly" when they arrested his friend Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates? Then he cited the "long history" of police mistreatment of minorities. The facts of that case ultimately supported the cops Obama called "stupid."
The legacy of racial discrimination haunts America. The overwhelming majority of Americans of all races want reconciliation. They also want good schools, safe streets, strong families and national healing. It is sad and infuriating that so many left-wing ideologues are willing to fan the flames of racial discord, incite vigilante justice and exploit racial division for political gain.
Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman deserve justice delivered in a fair trial with an unbiased jury, something the left has made far more difficult. America deserves political leadership that tries to heal our national wounds instead of rubbing them raw.
- Ask the LORD Jesus Christ to pour His healing balm upon our troubled nation. Fox News also reported yesterday that the pastors in some African American churches across the nation preached "fiery sermons" demanding justice for Trayvon's family. Stand in the gap; repent of our sins (once again) towards those we brought here as slaves; and ask our Lord to heal our land.
- "If my people . . ." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
6. OBAMA'S WORLD BANK NOMINEE LINKED TO GEORGE SOROS
Obama was joined by [Dartmouth College president and global health expert Jim Yong] Kim, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who first recommended that Obama consider Kim for the World Bank post. But the announcement has many scratching their heads.. .
The president said Kim, a Korean-born physician and pioneer in the treatment of HIV, AIDS. and tuberculosis, has the breadth of experience on development issues needed to carry out the financial institution's anti-poverty mission. . .
[During an interview on "The Charlie Rose Show," Kim was asked what he considered to be the high point of his career. He responded: "The high point was when we started receiving support, first from George Soros who gave us our first grants [to battle tuberculosis], and then we received a huge grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation." (Washington Times) Read more.
- Excuse us, but why are we not surprised? It seems that everywhere we turn these days, if we look a bit deeper, we find George Soros having a huge impact on the decisions of this administration. Take up the Sword of the Spirit and break the ties that have bound this president to George Soros over the years, and declare and decree that Barack Hussein Obama will obey the LORD and him only, by faith in the Name of Jesus. Declare the same decree for the new head of the World Bank, too, that he would be free to direct the course of that institution according to the will of God and not of man. Pray!
- "He whom the Son sets free is free indeed." (John 8:36)
7. OBAMACARE TURNS TWO
Friday was ObamaCare's second birthday. You might think that Obama would be celebrating the legislative achievement that bears his name. But he's not. He spent the last few days on the campaign trail talking about gas prices, not health care. In fact, it seems like Obama is trying to get as far away from ObamaCare as possible -- he's headed to South Korea today!
Americans know we can't afford ObamaCare. They don't like the way ObamaCare is being used to attack religious liberty. They fear ObamaCare will take away their current health insurance. They don't like ObamaCare's big government mandates telling them what they must buy. And they want ObamaCare repealed.
No wonder Hussein Obama is leaving the country today! Come November 6th, we need to make sure he leaves the White House. (Gary Bauer) [Note: this article is published in its entirety below.]
- Father, as more probes are made into this voluminous document, may there be nothing found that would produce any good effect or be advantageous or profitable for the American people. And God, we ask that it have no appeal whatsoever and it either be repealed by Congress or found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. In the Name of Jesus Christ we pray.
- "I will say of the Lord, He is our refuge and our fortress: our God; in Him will we trust. Surely He shall deliver us from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover us with His feathers, and under His wings shall we trust: His truth shall be our shield and buckler." (Psalm 91:2-4)
8. HOUSE REPEALS OBAMACARE RATIONING BOARD
Dr. Donald Palmisano, the former president of the American Medical Association, recently wrote an op-ed calling for the repeal of ObamaCare's Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). The former AMA chief referred to the IPAB as "one of the most egregious aspects of the law."
The IPAB board consists of 15 unelected bureaucrats with the power to decide which services get paid for and which ones are denied. Here's how Dr. Palmisano described the board:
"IPAB will essentially mean rationed care for our nation's seniors. The 15 officials who will make up the board will not only be empowered to make what is expected to be billions of dollars' worth of cuts to Medicare every year, but will be required to do so when spending exceeds targeted rates. IPAB's recommended cuts will become law unless a supermajority in Congress vetoes the board's proposal and creates its own cost-cutting proposal of equal size -- an unlikely scenario even in the most harmonious of political times. Now, years later, more seniors are beginning to understand that IPAB's creation and the $500 billion in cuts to the Medicare program meant to help pay for the law were anything but helpful to them."
The IPAB was a way for Democrats to avoid taking responsibility for creating entitlements we can't afford. Rather than making tough choices, why not just pass the buck to some unelected board and let them cut off grandma's medicine?
Thankfully, the House of Representatives yesterday voted 223-to-181 to repeal the IPAB. Seven Democrats voted with the overwhelming majority of House Republicans to kill Obama's rationing board, proving once again that the only bi-partisan aspect of ObamaCare is the opposition to it! (Gary Bauer)
- Praise You, Lord, for the passage in one house of Congress of this bill restricting this wicked law. Father, we ask that You would ensure approval of it also in the Senate. We pray for an overwhelming vote in favor of it so it is veto proof. Lord, we ask that You would stay the hand of this threat to the healthcare of our nation. In the name of Jesus, we declare this provision null and void.
- "Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?" (Isaiah 29:15)
9. "DO UNTO OTHERS . . ."
SENATE REPUBLICAN BILL WOULD ENROLL SENIORS IN SAME HEALTH PLANS AS LAWMAKERS
A group of Senate Republicans has introduced legislation that would end traditional Medicare and sign seniors up for the same private healthcare plans received by members of Congress.
The "Congressional Health Care for Seniors Act" would allow seniors to choose from the array of plans currently offered to the four million federal employees and their dependents in the Federal Employee Health Benefit program, starting in 2014. It would also gradually increase the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 70 over a 20-year period.
The bill was introduced Thursday by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). South Carolina Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint are co-sponsors, along with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).
"Our goal is to save Medicare from bankruptcy and ensure seniors have affordable, high-quality health care - a crisis President Obama has only made worse during his time in office," Graham said. "Allowing seniors access to the Federal Employee Health Benefit (FEHB) program, which members of Congress and federal employees use, will give them more choices and lower their out-of-pocket costs." . . . (The Hill) Read more.
- Pray for passage of this bill in both the Senate and in the House.
- "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Matthew 7:12)
10. CONGRESSIONAL PRAYER CAUCUS DEFENDS CROSS
Members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus joined the American Center for Law and Justice in submitting an amicus curiae brief to the Supreme Court, defending the presence of a cross at the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego, California. The brief urges the Supreme Court to take up the case and reverse a decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that held the cross's presence at the memorial is unconstitutional.
A cross was first placed at the memorial in 1913, and its presence has been the subject of litigation for a number of years. Congress has tried repeatedly to preserve the memorial, including successfully enacting a law that brought the memorial into federal ownership. Nevertheless, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit held that because a cross is included in the memorial, the federal government's ownership of the location violates the Constitution. Members of the Prayer Caucus will continue working to ensure that memorials to our nation's veterans are not dismantled and stripped of symbols that honor their service. (Congressional Prayer Caucus)
-In the name of Jesus, we speak a divine protection over the Christian symbols in this land. We bind the anti-Christ spirit away from this case and declare that the agenda to erase all traces of Christianity in this land shall fail. Thank You for the support of the Congressional Prayer Caucus in this matter and bless their mission to preserve our Judeo-Christian heritage.
- "Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant." (Ezekiel 16:60)
11. EISENHOWER FAMILY DEMANDS STOP TO PLANNED MEMORIAL
The family members of Dwight D. Eisenhower are upset over a memorial for the late president that prominently features a small monument showing "Ike" as a child and barefoot rather than giving greater attention to the war hero and world leader he became.
"President Eisenhower's contribution to this nation is not the central theme to this design," Susan Eisenhower, the president's granddaughter, testified Tuesday to the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
She and other family members object to the design by the highly awarded architect Frank Gehry, who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
Susan Eisenhower said the design of the roughly 80-foot-tall statue, which would go on the National Mall, instead has a "Horatio Alger" narrative that portrays the late president as a "dreamy boy."
In Congress, opposition to the memorial, which was approved by the Department of Education that sits behind the proposed site, is growing. Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., Dan Lungren, R- Calif., and Aaron Schock, R-Ill., all petitioned the National Capital Planning Commission asking for a delay in approving the memorial.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., also asked the commission to send to him by last Friday copies "of all architectural designs concerning this memorial submitted to the commission" and "a detailed description of the process leading to acceptance of the Frank Gehry submission, including a breakdown of any and all votes taken pertaining to any submission." (Fox News) Read more.
- Pray that Congress will intervene and pull the funding for this dismal project until one more suitable for our former President and General can be designed. Pray!
- "This far and no further, and here shall your proud waves be stopped." (Job 38:10)
What Would Life Be Life Under Martial Law?
Watch this Dramatic Mini-Series, "Amerika" that Depicts Life under Martial Law
[Caution: not for young eyes!]
"Amerika" -- suggesting a Russified name for the United States -- is an American television miniseries that was broadcast in 1987 on ABC. It starred Kris Kristofferson, Mariel Hemingway, Sam Neill, Robert Urich, and a 17-year-old Lara Flynn Boyle in her first major role. "Amerika" was about life in the United States after a bloodless takeover by the Soviet Union. Not wanting to depict the actual coup, ABC Entertainment president Brandon Stoddard instead chose to set the action of the miniseries ten years after the event, focusing on the demoralized American people a decade after the Soviet conquest.
Link to all 14 episodes by going here.
Just the first episode will give you a taste and an understanding of what life will be like if the President's Executive Order for Peacetime Martial Law is carried out. This series is DRAMA--but the signed Executive order is REAL. It is HERE NOW. It is the biggest story of the century and NOT ONE major media outlets is covering the story. May watching this DRAMA WAKE US UP to the REALITY of what may soon be coming upon us! (Source: Hebrew Nation News)
OBAMACARE TURNS TWO
Friday was ObamaCare's second birthday. You might think that Hussein Obama would be celebrating the legislative achievement that bears his name. But he's not. He spent the last few days on the campaign trail talking about gas prices, not health care. In fact, it seems like Obama is trying to get as far away from ObamaCare as possible -- he's headed to South Korea today! (Friday)
It's not hard to understand why. Two years after Obama signed the Democrats' socialized medicine scheme into law, ObamaCare remains deeply unpopular. Consider the polling data:
* 56% of likely voters want ObamaCare repealed.
* 57% of Americans oppose forcing religious institutions to pay for services that violate their core values. (By the way, if the government can force churches and religious institutions to pay for services they find morally objectionable, how much longer until the government tries to force churches and religious institutions to perform services they find morally objectionable -- whether it's same-sex marriages or abortions in Catholic hospitals? This unprecedented assault on religious liberty must be defeated!)
* 62% of likely voters fear ObamaCare will cause companies to drop health coverage for their employees. That fear is justified given the law's perverse incentives.
* 72% of Americans, including 56% of Democrats, believe ObamaCare's individual mandate is unconstitutional.
Last week the Congressional Budget Office reported that by 2022, ObamaCare is estimated to cost $1.76 trillion. That is nearly twice the $900 billion price tag that President Obama proposed in a 2009 address to a joint session of Congress.
Americans know we can't afford ObamaCare. They don't like the way ObamaCare is being used to attack religious liberty. They fear ObamaCare will take away their current health insurance. They don't like ObamaCare's big government mandates telling them what they must buy. And they want ObamaCare repealed.
No wonder Hussein is leaving the country today! Come November 6th, we need to make sure he leaves the White House.
This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
HORN OF SALVATION
(Keh-ren Yeesh-er)
"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." (Psalm 18:2)
As the priest would grab onto the horns of the altar when he prayed, I grab onto You, the Horn of Salvation. You are my help, my Deliverer, You give me liberty, and favor. Thank You that You have my best interests at heart. How I love Your name.
"Surely the righteous will praise your name, and the upright will live in your presence." (Psalm 140:13)
(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)
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
"Partners in Prayer for the Nation"
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
On Capitol Hill This Week - Volume XIX, Number 8a-1
March 26 - 30, 2012
SPECIAL EDITION:
Affordable Care Act in the Supreme Court
"The court was seated, and the books were opened." (Daniel 7:10c)
1. SUPREME COURT BEGINS HEARINGS TODAY ON HEALTHCARE DECISION
2. ANOTHER LOOK AT OBAMACARE
3. "OBAMACARE" UNDERMINES CORE U.S. PRINCIPLES
4. UPDATED AGENDA FOR COURT HEARINGS THIS WEEK
5. THE JUSTICES WHO NOW SERVE ON THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
6. THE ATTORNEYS WHO WILL ARGUE FOR, AND AGAINST, OBAMACARE
7. SUPREME COURT : NO TV CAMERAS FOR HEALTHCARE ARGUMENTS
8. THOUSANDS DUE TO PROTEST OBAMACARE TOMORROW IN DC/LI>
9. FRC HOSTS SPECIAL WEBCAST TOMORROW
10. JUSTICES TO RELEASE OPINIONS ON OBAMACARE IN JUNE
1. SUPREME COURT BEGINS HEARINGS TODAY ON HEALTHCARE DECISION
Supreme Court signals health care case won't be held up over technicality
The Supreme Court on Monday seemed to be leaning against a procedural ruling that would postpone a decision until after 2014 on whether the healthcare reform law is unconstitutional. Monday's session, which launched three days of oral arguments in the historic case, also highlighted a potential weakness in the Obama administration's defense of the healthcare law's mandate that people buy insurance.
The Justice Department says the mandate is constitutional, in part, under Congress's power to levy taxes. But in urging that the justices should not postpone a decision until the mandate takes effect, sometime after 2014, the administration has had to argue that the mandate is not a tax. Justice Samuel Alito raised the issue as Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. argued Monday that the fine is a not a tax.
"Tomorrow you're going to be back, and you're going to be arguing that the penalty is a tax," Alito said. Although that distinction could cause problems during Tuesday's arguments on the constitutional merits of the mandate, the justices seemed inclined during Monday's arguments to side with the Justice Department and issue a ruling now.
Twenty-six states and the National Federation of Independent Business are challenging the law's individual mandate, which requires most Americans to either buy insurance or pay a penalty. The landmark case marks the first time in 75 years that a sitting president's signature domestic achievement could be overturned at the height of his reelection campaign.
The consideration of Obama's healthcare law is one of the most anticipated decision's in the court's history, and people began lining up for one of the few, prized seats in the courtroom on Friday. By Monday, the line went around the block for a seat inside, and many people were giving up their seats on Monday to keep their place in line for Tuesday's session, when the court considers the constitutionality of the mandate. (The Hill; Fox News) Read more
- In all the debates that will take place this week before the Supreme Court, ask the Lord to restore to America His righteousness -- a nation that follows in His ways. Pray that our Supreme Court justices would rule with an understanding of His law and precepts in their minds and hearts. Pray that our Supreme Court would rule in such a way that the nations of the world would look upon our nation's capital and declare it a City of Righteousness - a Faithful City with righteous judges.
- "I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City." (Is. 1:26)
2. ANOTHER LOOK AT OBAMACARE
Attached is a link to the Congressional Budget Office report that demonstrates the law will grow the Federal Deficit by $1.2 trillion over the next decade.
In addition to that we believe that imbedded in the law are the following mandates:
Abortion Coverage - HHS has admitted that abortion will be covered. The plan forces Americans to pay an abortion premium as part of their insurance plans. "To comply with the accounting requirement, plans will collect a $1 abortion surcharge from each premium payer... The enrollee will make two payments, $1 per month for abortion and another payment for the rest of the services covered. As described in the rule, the surcharge can only be disclosed to the enrollee at the time of enrollment. Furthermore, insurance plans may only advertise the total cost of the premiums without disclosing that enrollees will be charged a $1 per month fee to pay directly subsidize abortions."
The Contraceptive Mandate - sterilization, contraceptives and birth control devices and medicines, including Ella, the abortifacient "morning after pill."
The Student Mandate - On March 16th the Obama administration announced a proposal that would require universities, including religious universities, to provide contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs to their students, as well as to their employees, free, without a co-pay. (Source: Intercessors for America)
- God, with Your eyes You see all of the reasons why Obama's health care plan is at the very least, flawed, and at most, threatening to our freedoms as American citizens. Father, we stand upon the promises of Your Word that this Act will go down in utter defeat. In the holy Name of Jesus we declare this. Amen.
- "But as we were allowed and approved of God to be put in trust with His Word, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which tries our hearts." (I Thessalonians 2:4)
3. "OBAMACARE" UNDERMINES CORE U.S. PRINCIPLES
As the Supreme Court starts its three-day marathon Monday to hear arguments on the constitutionality of the health care law known as "Obamacare," let's be clear about the justices' challenge, and ours. The challenge before the court, a challenge it has often not lived up to, is to keep perspective that applying our constitution is not about splitting hairs about the meaning of words in order to further a personal agenda. It's about applying, in good faith, the principles that define this country and assuring that our government operates in a fashion consistent with those principles. There is no technical substitute for common sense. And clever people can always use words to overpower less clever people. Cleverness should serve principle, not vice versa. . .
This in a nation founded under the principle that it is self-evident "that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." We confront today new, energetic efforts to undermine the principles upon which this nation stands. Demonstrations are taking place nationwide to drive home to the American people, and one hopes to the nine Supreme Court justices, that Obamacare - passed in 2010 through procedural gymnastics and without a single Republican vote - blatantly violates our core principles of human liberty. . .
This country is about freedom. When we lose it, we lose our country. This is what the Supreme Court should be thinking about when it hears the arguments on Obamacare.(Star Parker; Conservative Action Alerts)
- Please pray, asking the Lord to move upon the hearts of the majority of these justices to find this law unconstitutional, and to strike it down in its entirety. Thank you.
- "I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place. Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand." (Isaiah 28:17,18)
4. UPDATED AGENDA FOR COURT HEARINGS THIS WEEK ON OBAMACARE
Concerned Women for America has released an updated agenda for this week's hearings, as well as the names of all attorneys who will be debating the Affordable Health Care Act in front of the Court this week. Please take the time to go here and print out this guide to prayer, as there are three more hearings scheduled to take place tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday about this law. Thank you.
- Because each of the mandates to be debated is of a technical nature, we rely on the Holy Spirit to pray through us, bringing forth accurate intercession over each matter. Thank the Lord for His prayer language; it never faIls!
- "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God." (Romans 8:26,27)
4. THE JUSTICES WHO NOW SERVE ON THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT
Below please find the list of the names of the six men and three women who currently serve as Justices on the Supreme Court of the United States. We ask that each one of our prayer partners literally "bathe" and cover these men and women with your prayers, that they would be granted wisdom, discernment, and TRUTH in weighing the legality of the Affordable Care Act. Thank you.
1. Chief Justice John G. Roberts
[All others presented in order of when they joined the court]
2. Associate Justice Antonin Scalia (1986)
3. Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy (1988)
4. Associate Justice Clarence Thomas (1991)
5. Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1993)
6. Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer (1994)
7. Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito (2006)
8. Associate Justice Sonia M. Sotomayor (2009)
9. Associate Justice Elena Kagan (2010)
- God, enclose each of these judges with the Holy Spirit and open their ears to discern the factual truth. Touch their minds, Lord, helping each one to make competent decisions determined by the actual truth of this "Affordable Care Act." God, we ask that there be an authoritative rejection that forbids and prohibits the carrying out of this Act for the good of the people of America. We declare this done in the Name of Jesus Christ.
Note: Bottom line: there is no escaping the reality that the individual mandate is unprecedented and unconstitutional. For the sake of this great country, its small businesses, families, entrepreneurs and future generations, we hope that the Court sees it the same way as we do.
- "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." (Psalm 19:7-9)
6. THE ATTORNEYS WHO WILL ARGUE FOR, AND AGAINST, OBAMACARE
This week, for three days, the justices of the United States Supreme Court will be hearing arguments for, and against, various aspects of the "Affordable Care Act" - also known as Obamacare.
Arguing for the administration will be the U.S. Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. Traditionally, the U.S. Solicitor General, who argues more cases before the U.S. Supreme Court than any other lawyer, is sometimes referred to as the 10th justice. But this year, that title might more appropriately be held by Paul Clement, the 45-year-old attorney who will be arguing on behalf of the states challenging the Obama health care reform law.
Clement will be arguing seven cases during the current Court term - the most in a single term by a lawyer in private practice since at least the 1970s, says Bloomberg News reporter Greg Stohr. A partner in the 13-attorney Washington, D.C. firm Bancroft PLLC, Clement also argued on behalf of reducing prison overcrowding in California and has represented two wrongfully convicted men who sought to sue prosecutors.
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), along with our 26 state co-plaintiffs, will argue that the mandate is not only unconstitutional but that it also cannot be severed from the rest of the law, i.e., the entire law should be struck down if the mandate is ruled unconstitutional. (Intercessors for America and Capitol Hill Prayer Partners)
Updated information from Concerned Women for America: Once again, we refer you to this PDF document for the names of other attorneys who will be arguing before the Supreme Court this week for or against Obamacare. Please lift each one in prayer, as below.
- Before we can enter into prayer for these attorneys, we must approach Your own High Court, Abba, washed in the Blood of the Lamb, and forgive those who -- intentionally or by error -- are acting wickedly against our people, for they know not what they do. Just as You have extended Your grace and Your mercy upon each of us, drawing us to You while we were yet in sin, we now ask for the same grace to visit each one of these attorneys, as well as the justices who are now seated in the U.S. Supreme Court.
- "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
- We know that Scripture teaches us that it is the fear of the LORD that is the beginning of wisdom, so we ask today that each attorney who will be before the Supreme Court this week would approach that court in the fear of the LORD. For those who know Him as Savior, may He release showers of blessing upon them: mercy, understanding, skill, and unusual wisdom as he argues his case before the Court. And for those who do not know Him as Savior, may they be humbled this week to ask for help in time of need, and then find Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We ask this prayer in Jesus' Name, amen and amen.
- "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments . . . " (Psalm 11:10)
7. SUPREME COURT RULES OUT TELEVISION CAMERAS FOR HEALTHCARE ARGUMENTS
The Supreme Court on Friday rejected calls to allow television cameras into its chambers during arguments over President Obama's healthcare law. The court said it would release same-day audio recordings of the arguments, scheduled for March 26-28. It cited the "extraordinary public interest" in the case, which could lead to President Obama's signature domestic achievement being struck down in the midst of the campaign season.
The court normally releases audio at the end of the week.
The statement did not mention television cameras. Several media outlets, including C-SPAN, had asked the court to waive its policy against cameras in the courtroom just for the healthcare case. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and others supported the request.
The Supreme Court has never allowed TV cameras into its chambers. Some justices say they fear that televising their proceedings, which are often mired in legalese, would lead future justices or attorneys to play to the cameras at the expense of a robust legal debate. (The Hill) Read more.
- The audio recording of today's hearing has already been released, so we praise God for this fast action on the part of the Court. Pray that all media reporting of these proceedings would be accurate and nonbiased. Pray for a miracle. Pray!
- "Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee . . ." (Jer. 32:17)
8. THOUSANDS DUE TO PROTEST OBAMACARE TOMORROW IN WASHINGTON
Tomorrow thousands of Americans are coming to Washington, D.C., to demand respect for the Constitution and our freedoms, and to tell the politicians to keep their hands off our health care! I am proud to co-sponsor this rally along with groups like Americans for Prosperity, Concerned Women for America, Eagle Forum, 60 Plus, FRC Action and the Tea Party Express.
If you live within driving distance of the nation's capital Washington and would like join this rally, visit HandsOffMyHealthCare.com for more information.(Gary Bauer)
- Please join us in praying for the PROTECTION of everyone who will be gathered at the Supreme Court this week, both inside and outside the building. Decree PSALM 91 over all. Thank you.
9. FRC HOSTS SPECIAL WEBCAST TOMORROW ON OBAMACARE AT THE COURT
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will join Family Research Council Action (FRC Action) for a special webcast program entitled "On Trial: Freedom vs. Government Healthcare" on Tuesday, March 27, at 8:00 p.m. EST. Members of Congress, doctors, legal experts and activists will also participate, and discuss the lawsuits surrounding the health care law that is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Director of FRC's Center for Religious Freedom, Ken Klukowski, will attend the Supreme Court oral arguments and soon after will join the program to offer a behind-the-scenes perspective.
You are invited to watch this briefing online by going here.
10. JUSTICES TO RELEASE OPINIONS ON OBAMACARE IN JUNE
Continued prayer requested
[Note: The Supreme Court justices hear cases throughout the year; devoting several months afterwards to write their opinions. Those opinions are then compiled by the Court, and the final verdict is rendered and published at the end of the judicial year, the last week of June. Hence, we ask that prayers be continued until this matter has been entirely settled later this year. Thank you.]
A note from Alan Parker, President, The Justice Foundation:
However, do not stop praying after the oral argument. Pray until the end of the case which is when the Opinion is finally released publicly. The importance of this is shown in the case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey. In 1989, Justice Kennedy (who is still on the Court) wrote that Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided. In 1992, on the day of oral argument in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, he voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. However, that same month of April 1992 approximately 750,000 women came and marched on the Supreme Court angrily shouting they "would not go back." Justice Kennedy changed his mind while the opinions were being written and said that women have come to rely upon abortion and therefore, even if it was wrongly decided, he could not overturn Roe v. Wade. This shows you that the Court's decision is not final until it is released in public. You will know when it is released because it will receive massive media coverage. So keep praying until you hear about the final decision released in public, in writing, by the Supreme Court.
- " . . . pray without ceasing . . ." (I Thess. 5:17)
On Capitol Hill This Week: Vol. XIX, No. 8a-2
DOMESTIC NEWS
1. OBAMA AUTHORIZES HIMSELF TO DECLARE MARTIAL LAW
2. CONGRESS IGNORES OBAMA'S OVERT EXECUTIVE ORDER
3. OBAMA TO MEDVEDEV: MORE "FLEXIBILITY" AFTER ELECTION
4. OBAMA, OIL AND OKLAHOMA
5. OBAMA AND TRAYON: BOILING THE RACIAL POT
6. OBAMA'S WORLD BANK NOMINEE LINKED TO GEORGE SOROS
7. OBAMACARE TURNS TWO
8. HOUSE REPEALS OBAMACARE RATIONING BOARD
9. "DO UNTO OTHERS . . ."
10. CONGRESSIONAL PRAYER CAUCUS DEFENDS CROSS
11. EISENHOWER FAMILY DEMANDS STOP TO PLANNED MEMORIAL
1. OBAMA AUTHORIZES HIMSELF TO DECLARE MARTIAL LAW
Obama has given himself the powers to declare martial law - especially in the event of a war with Iran. It is a sweeping power grab that should worry every American.
Obama has given himself the powers to declare martial law - especially in the event of a war with Iran. It is a sweeping power grab that should worry every American.
On March 16, the White House released an executive order, "National Defense Resources Preparedness." The document is stunning in its audacity and a flagrant violation of the Constitution. It states that, in case of a war or national emergency, the federal government has the authority to take over almost every aspect of American society. Food, livestock, farming equipment, manufacturing, industry, energy, transportation, hospitals, health care facilities, water resources, defense and construction - all of it could fall under the full control of Mr. Obama. The order empowers the president to dispense these vast resources as he sees fit during a national crisis.
"The United States must have an industrial and technological base capable of meeting national defense requirements and capable of contributing to the technological superiority of its national defense equipment in peacetime and in times of national emergency," the order says. "The domestic industrial and technological base is the foundation for national defense preparedness. The authorities provided in the act shall be used to strengthen this base and to ensure it is capable of responding to the national defense needs of the United States."
In short, the order gives Obama the ability to impose martial law. He now possesses the potential powers of a dictator. The order is a direct assault on individual liberties, private property rights and the rule of law. It is blatantly unconstitutional. The executive branch is arrogating responsibilities precluded by the Constitution without even asking the permission of Congress. The order gives Obama a blank check to erect a centralized authoritarian state. This is a law one would expect to find in Hugo Chavez's Venezuela or Vladimir Putin's Russia. (Washington Times) Read more.
- Many who are now aware of this action on the part of the president are asking: "Why now" and "What is he preparing for?" Only our Lord knows the answer to that question, but we know that, no matter what, in the end, it is the Lord God Jehovah who is in control. Thank Him that He has everything in His hand, and ask Him to intervene to protect our people by means of divine intervention, should that become necessary. Pray!
- "Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us." (Isaiah 8:10)
2. CONGRESS IGNORES OBAMA'S OVERT EXECUTIVE ORDER
After his effective coup against the United States Congress, in which he . . ."General" Dempsey and . . . Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta commanded that said Congress was now subservient to the United Nations, NATO and/or any other foreign power he decides on, Obama has now turned his sights back on the American people.
On Friday 16 March 2012, . . . Obama signed his latest illegal Executive Order (only appearing to matter to US Constitutionalists whom his criminal syndicate calls "terrorists"), which he calls "National Defense Resources Preparedness." This EO gives the Obama Syndicate the "right" to steal anything and everything from the American people they desire. These include but, are not limited to, food, energy, water, health, all civil transportation and all other materials, services and facilities. . . Obama has dictated that he can declare peacetime Martial Law - at his discretion and at any time of his choosing. (By Sher Zieve; Renew America) Read more.
Please see also: The Executive Order Explained. This speaker takes you though the bill, line by line, and translates it into common language on how it will impact you. Peacetime martial law is now on the books and is being implemented step by step. This is a major POWER GRAB; it is illegal, unconstitutional, treasonous and seditious. It will control virtually every aspect of your life. (Laura Densmore; Hebrew Nation News)
- Pray that, if Congress does not put a stop to this, God will. He promises to take care of His own. Thank Him and praise Him for His promises to His own; they never fail!
- "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want . . ." (Psalm 23)
3. OBAMA TO MEDVEDEV: MORE "FLEXIBILITY" AFTER ELECTION
Republicans are pressing Obama to clarify what he meant when he told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev he'd have "more flexibility" on missile defense after the November election. The brief exchange between Obama and Medvedev during a sit-down in Seoul quickly spread around the world Monday, after a Russian journalist recorded it and shared the tape with the producer assigned to cover the event for other networks. (Fox News)
From the Republican Trust: I do not mean to sound provocative or sensational, but Obama has now given us more reasons to be very concerned about his relationship with Russia. The latest occurred today at the end of a meeting with Russian President Dimitri Medvedev. The press was let in as Obama was making a couple of final private remarks to Medvedev and Obama didn't know the microphones were able to pick up what he said.
(The concern is) that an American president would tell the leader of another country that he planned to mislead his own citizens in order to be reelected so he can then create policy that favors that leader's country.
- Offer intercession that the true heart of Barack Hussein Obama would be made known to the public both now and in the days before the next election. May our citizens choose wisely the next one who will "rule" over us! In Jesus Name, amen.
- "And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." (Gen 16:12)
4. OBAMA, OIL AND OKLAHOMA
While campaigning for re-election in Oklahoma, Obama posed in front of lengths oil pipeline and declared that he was gong to rush through the portion of the Keystone oil pipeline in Oklahoma that he had already rejected as a national project. He then took credit for more oil production in Oklahoma.
Republicans promptly pointed out that this is a local pipeline that Obama has no authority over and it was being built anyway, without his OK, and that the increased production in Oklahoma is on private lands because Obama has stopped permits on public lands. Meanwhile Obama is calling on Saudi Arabia to produce more oil so our nation can send the Islamic madmen who rule that nation more money to repress women and deny human rights. (Religious Freedom Coalition)
- God, an imposter has found a new target in Oklahoma oil whose pipeline has been in existence for many years. We ask You to throw up a holy angelic cover and declare this long-standing oil and pipeline as impregnable by all efforts of the government to take credit of its findings or to steal, kill or destroy any part of this oil and pipeline. Shake the very foundation of any person or agency who proves to be the enemy of this pipeline. Cover the state of Oklahoma with the presence of our holy God that cannot be penetrated by enemy forces. In the mighty Name of Jesus, amen.
- "When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to steal, kill or destroy it, you shall not destroy the oil thereof by forcing an axe against it: for you may be provided food of it, and you shall not cut it down (for it is man's life sustenance); and you shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it be subdued." (Deuteronomy 10:19-20)
5. OBAMA AND TRAYON: PURPOSELY BOILING THE RACIAL POT
Seventeen year-old Trayvon Martin and neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman had a confrontation on a dark street in Sanford, Florida, last month. There was a fight and Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, fatally shot Martin, who was black. Martin's parents received the news that every parent dreads when the phone rings late at night -- their son was dead. Zimmerman's friends and family say he was distraught and wept for days over the fact that he had taken a life in what he says was self-defense. Sadly, the political left, big media and an assortment of race baiters like Al Sharpton have rushed to judgment, attempting to exploit the pain of this tragic confrontation for their own ideological agendas. This unholy alliance didn't say a word about the 49 people who were shot -- 10 fatally -- in Chicago during one weekend this month. Virtually all of the victims were black, as were the shooters. Where was the outrage?
Sadly, Saul Alinsky inspired Obama, who millions of Americans had hoped would bring racial reconciliation, has a well-established pattern of stoking the fires of racial antagonism. Remember in July 2009 when Obama, with no facts to speak of, accused Cambridge, Massachusetts, police of acting "stupidly" when they arrested his friend Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates? Then he cited the "long history" of police mistreatment of minorities. The facts of that case ultimately supported the cops Obama called "stupid."
The legacy of racial discrimination haunts America. The overwhelming majority of Americans of all races want reconciliation. They also want good schools, safe streets, strong families and national healing. It is sad and infuriating that so many left-wing ideologues are willing to fan the flames of racial discord, incite vigilante justice and exploit racial division for political gain.
Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman deserve justice delivered in a fair trial with an unbiased jury, something the left has made far more difficult. America deserves political leadership that tries to heal our national wounds instead of rubbing them raw.
- Ask the LORD Jesus Christ to pour His healing balm upon our troubled nation. Fox News also reported yesterday that the pastors in some African American churches across the nation preached "fiery sermons" demanding justice for Trayvon's family. Stand in the gap; repent of our sins (once again) towards those we brought here as slaves; and ask our Lord to heal our land.
- "If my people . . ." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
6. OBAMA'S WORLD BANK NOMINEE LINKED TO GEORGE SOROS
Obama was joined by [Dartmouth College president and global health expert Jim Yong] Kim, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who first recommended that Obama consider Kim for the World Bank post. But the announcement has many scratching their heads.. .
The president said Kim, a Korean-born physician and pioneer in the treatment of HIV, AIDS. and tuberculosis, has the breadth of experience on development issues needed to carry out the financial institution's anti-poverty mission. . .
[During an interview on "The Charlie Rose Show," Kim was asked what he considered to be the high point of his career. He responded: "The high point was when we started receiving support, first from George Soros who gave us our first grants [to battle tuberculosis], and then we received a huge grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation." (Washington Times) Read more.
- Excuse us, but why are we not surprised? It seems that everywhere we turn these days, if we look a bit deeper, we find George Soros having a huge impact on the decisions of this administration. Take up the Sword of the Spirit and break the ties that have bound this president to George Soros over the years, and declare and decree that Barack Hussein Obama will obey the LORD and him only, by faith in the Name of Jesus. Declare the same decree for the new head of the World Bank, too, that he would be free to direct the course of that institution according to the will of God and not of man. Pray!
- "He whom the Son sets free is free indeed." (John 8:36)
7. OBAMACARE TURNS TWO
Friday was ObamaCare's second birthday. You might think that Obama would be celebrating the legislative achievement that bears his name. But he's not. He spent the last few days on the campaign trail talking about gas prices, not health care. In fact, it seems like Obama is trying to get as far away from ObamaCare as possible -- he's headed to South Korea today!
Americans know we can't afford ObamaCare. They don't like the way ObamaCare is being used to attack religious liberty. They fear ObamaCare will take away their current health insurance. They don't like ObamaCare's big government mandates telling them what they must buy. And they want ObamaCare repealed.
No wonder Hussein Obama is leaving the country today! Come November 6th, we need to make sure he leaves the White House. (Gary Bauer) [Note: this article is published in its entirety below.]
- Father, as more probes are made into this voluminous document, may there be nothing found that would produce any good effect or be advantageous or profitable for the American people. And God, we ask that it have no appeal whatsoever and it either be repealed by Congress or found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. In the Name of Jesus Christ we pray.
- "I will say of the Lord, He is our refuge and our fortress: our God; in Him will we trust. Surely He shall deliver us from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover us with His feathers, and under His wings shall we trust: His truth shall be our shield and buckler." (Psalm 91:2-4)
8. HOUSE REPEALS OBAMACARE RATIONING BOARD
Dr. Donald Palmisano, the former president of the American Medical Association, recently wrote an op-ed calling for the repeal of ObamaCare's Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). The former AMA chief referred to the IPAB as "one of the most egregious aspects of the law."
The IPAB board consists of 15 unelected bureaucrats with the power to decide which services get paid for and which ones are denied. Here's how Dr. Palmisano described the board:
"IPAB will essentially mean rationed care for our nation's seniors. The 15 officials who will make up the board will not only be empowered to make what is expected to be billions of dollars' worth of cuts to Medicare every year, but will be required to do so when spending exceeds targeted rates. IPAB's recommended cuts will become law unless a supermajority in Congress vetoes the board's proposal and creates its own cost-cutting proposal of equal size -- an unlikely scenario even in the most harmonious of political times. Now, years later, more seniors are beginning to understand that IPAB's creation and the $500 billion in cuts to the Medicare program meant to help pay for the law were anything but helpful to them."
The IPAB was a way for Democrats to avoid taking responsibility for creating entitlements we can't afford. Rather than making tough choices, why not just pass the buck to some unelected board and let them cut off grandma's medicine?
Thankfully, the House of Representatives yesterday voted 223-to-181 to repeal the IPAB. Seven Democrats voted with the overwhelming majority of House Republicans to kill Obama's rationing board, proving once again that the only bi-partisan aspect of ObamaCare is the opposition to it! (Gary Bauer)
- Praise You, Lord, for the passage in one house of Congress of this bill restricting this wicked law. Father, we ask that You would ensure approval of it also in the Senate. We pray for an overwhelming vote in favor of it so it is veto proof. Lord, we ask that You would stay the hand of this threat to the healthcare of our nation. In the name of Jesus, we declare this provision null and void.
- "Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?" (Isaiah 29:15)
9. "DO UNTO OTHERS . . ."
SENATE REPUBLICAN BILL WOULD ENROLL SENIORS IN SAME HEALTH PLANS AS LAWMAKERS
A group of Senate Republicans has introduced legislation that would end traditional Medicare and sign seniors up for the same private healthcare plans received by members of Congress.
The "Congressional Health Care for Seniors Act" would allow seniors to choose from the array of plans currently offered to the four million federal employees and their dependents in the Federal Employee Health Benefit program, starting in 2014. It would also gradually increase the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 70 over a 20-year period.
The bill was introduced Thursday by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). South Carolina Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint are co-sponsors, along with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).
"Our goal is to save Medicare from bankruptcy and ensure seniors have affordable, high-quality health care - a crisis President Obama has only made worse during his time in office," Graham said. "Allowing seniors access to the Federal Employee Health Benefit (FEHB) program, which members of Congress and federal employees use, will give them more choices and lower their out-of-pocket costs." . . . (The Hill) Read more.
- Pray for passage of this bill in both the Senate and in the House.
- "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Matthew 7:12)
10. CONGRESSIONAL PRAYER CAUCUS DEFENDS CROSS
Members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus joined the American Center for Law and Justice in submitting an amicus curiae brief to the Supreme Court, defending the presence of a cross at the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego, California. The brief urges the Supreme Court to take up the case and reverse a decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that held the cross's presence at the memorial is unconstitutional.
A cross was first placed at the memorial in 1913, and its presence has been the subject of litigation for a number of years. Congress has tried repeatedly to preserve the memorial, including successfully enacting a law that brought the memorial into federal ownership. Nevertheless, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit held that because a cross is included in the memorial, the federal government's ownership of the location violates the Constitution. Members of the Prayer Caucus will continue working to ensure that memorials to our nation's veterans are not dismantled and stripped of symbols that honor their service. (Congressional Prayer Caucus)
-In the name of Jesus, we speak a divine protection over the Christian symbols in this land. We bind the anti-Christ spirit away from this case and declare that the agenda to erase all traces of Christianity in this land shall fail. Thank You for the support of the Congressional Prayer Caucus in this matter and bless their mission to preserve our Judeo-Christian heritage.
- "Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant." (Ezekiel 16:60)
11. EISENHOWER FAMILY DEMANDS STOP TO PLANNED MEMORIAL
The family members of Dwight D. Eisenhower are upset over a memorial for the late president that prominently features a small monument showing "Ike" as a child and barefoot rather than giving greater attention to the war hero and world leader he became.
"President Eisenhower's contribution to this nation is not the central theme to this design," Susan Eisenhower, the president's granddaughter, testified Tuesday to the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
She and other family members object to the design by the highly awarded architect Frank Gehry, who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
Susan Eisenhower said the design of the roughly 80-foot-tall statue, which would go on the National Mall, instead has a "Horatio Alger" narrative that portrays the late president as a "dreamy boy."
In Congress, opposition to the memorial, which was approved by the Department of Education that sits behind the proposed site, is growing. Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., Dan Lungren, R- Calif., and Aaron Schock, R-Ill., all petitioned the National Capital Planning Commission asking for a delay in approving the memorial.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., also asked the commission to send to him by last Friday copies "of all architectural designs concerning this memorial submitted to the commission" and "a detailed description of the process leading to acceptance of the Frank Gehry submission, including a breakdown of any and all votes taken pertaining to any submission." (Fox News) Read more.
- Pray that Congress will intervene and pull the funding for this dismal project until one more suitable for our former President and General can be designed. Pray!
- "This far and no further, and here shall your proud waves be stopped." (Job 38:10)
What Would Life Be Life Under Martial Law?
Watch this Dramatic Mini-Series, "Amerika" that Depicts Life under Martial Law
[Caution: not for young eyes!]
"Amerika" -- suggesting a Russified name for the United States -- is an American television miniseries that was broadcast in 1987 on ABC. It starred Kris Kristofferson, Mariel Hemingway, Sam Neill, Robert Urich, and a 17-year-old Lara Flynn Boyle in her first major role. "Amerika" was about life in the United States after a bloodless takeover by the Soviet Union. Not wanting to depict the actual coup, ABC Entertainment president Brandon Stoddard instead chose to set the action of the miniseries ten years after the event, focusing on the demoralized American people a decade after the Soviet conquest.
Link to all 14 episodes by going here.
Just the first episode will give you a taste and an understanding of what life will be like if the President's Executive Order for Peacetime Martial Law is carried out. This series is DRAMA--but the signed Executive order is REAL. It is HERE NOW. It is the biggest story of the century and NOT ONE major media outlets is covering the story. May watching this DRAMA WAKE US UP to the REALITY of what may soon be coming upon us! (Source: Hebrew Nation News)
OBAMACARE TURNS TWO
Friday was ObamaCare's second birthday. You might think that Hussein Obama would be celebrating the legislative achievement that bears his name. But he's not. He spent the last few days on the campaign trail talking about gas prices, not health care. In fact, it seems like Obama is trying to get as far away from ObamaCare as possible -- he's headed to South Korea today! (Friday)
It's not hard to understand why. Two years after Obama signed the Democrats' socialized medicine scheme into law, ObamaCare remains deeply unpopular. Consider the polling data:
* 56% of likely voters want ObamaCare repealed.
* 57% of Americans oppose forcing religious institutions to pay for services that violate their core values. (By the way, if the government can force churches and religious institutions to pay for services they find morally objectionable, how much longer until the government tries to force churches and religious institutions to perform services they find morally objectionable -- whether it's same-sex marriages or abortions in Catholic hospitals? This unprecedented assault on religious liberty must be defeated!)
* 62% of likely voters fear ObamaCare will cause companies to drop health coverage for their employees. That fear is justified given the law's perverse incentives.
* 72% of Americans, including 56% of Democrats, believe ObamaCare's individual mandate is unconstitutional.
Last week the Congressional Budget Office reported that by 2022, ObamaCare is estimated to cost $1.76 trillion. That is nearly twice the $900 billion price tag that President Obama proposed in a 2009 address to a joint session of Congress.
Americans know we can't afford ObamaCare. They don't like the way ObamaCare is being used to attack religious liberty. They fear ObamaCare will take away their current health insurance. They don't like ObamaCare's big government mandates telling them what they must buy. And they want ObamaCare repealed.
No wonder Hussein is leaving the country today! Come November 6th, we need to make sure he leaves the White House.
This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
HORN OF SALVATION
(Keh-ren Yeesh-er)
"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." (Psalm 18:2)
As the priest would grab onto the horns of the altar when he prayed, I grab onto You, the Horn of Salvation. You are my help, my Deliverer, You give me liberty, and favor. Thank You that You have my best interests at heart. How I love Your name.
"Surely the righteous will praise your name, and the upright will live in your presence." (Psalm 140:13)
(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)
