'YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ' OF THE WEEK: "Obama: ‘World Is More Stable than It Was Five Years Ago’," - by Andrew Johnson; September 24, 2013 http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/359368/obama-world-more-stable-it-was-five-years-ago-andrew-johnson " ... Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama justified the NSA’s spying programs, arguing they have helped to stabilize the world in the five years since he took office. “As a result of this work, and the cooperation of its allies and partners, the world is more stable than it was five years ago,” the president said on Tuesday morning.[Mr. John's commentary: "Astronomers scramble to figure out which world he's talking about!"]
URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS:
NEWS FLASH: "Syrian Rebels Execute Christian Villagers," - CBNNews.com, September 12, 2013; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/September/Syrian-Rebels-Execute-Christian-Villagers/ - Syrian rebel fighters apparently executed three Christians fleeing the fighting in Maaloula this week, Britain's Sky News reported. Hundreds of Christians held a funeral in Damascus for the men, who were cousins. Sky News reports the men were trying to escape the Christian town of Maaloula, which has been under attack by rebel troops. The men reportedly were killed by forces with the al Qaeda linked Jabha al-Nour. Mourners say two of the victims had their throats cut and another was shot. Most of the mourners are also refugees from Maaloula, one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. [PRAY for the Christians throughout Syria who face greater persecution should rebels, particularly Islamists along the line of the Muslim Brotherhood, end up in charge of the country.]
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: "Syrian Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."
[EGYPT - Continue to pray for the tense situation in Egypt and especially for the Christian believers who are being targeted with violence by Muslim Brotherhood members.]
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST- Update on Kenneth Bae: "US Ready to Bargain with N. Korea for Bae's Release,"- CBNNews.com, Aug 14, 2013 http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/S-Ready-to-Bargain-with-N-Korea-for-Baes-Release/ - The United States is willing to engage North Korea to secure the release of imprisoned American Christian Kenneth Bae. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States is "willing to consider a number of different options" to bring him home.In a video recently released by a North Korean newspaper, Bae requested the United States send a high-ranking official to North Korea to seek his pardon. It is unclear if he spoke of his own volition in the video. Bae, 45, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for sharing his faith. He suffers health problems such as diabetes and is currently hospitalized.[PRAY for 1) God's healing of and presence with Pastor Bae, 2) His earliest release by the North Korean government, and 3) God's comfort for his family and friends.]
Vigils Mark One Year Imprisonment of Pastor Saeed - CBNNews.com, Thursday, September 26, 2013 - Today marks one-year that American pastor Saeed Abedini has been held in an Iranian prison. He is serving an eight-year sentence because of his Christian faith. It has been a year of torment as he has suffered beatings, physical pain from untreated medical conditions, and separation from his wife and two children... The suffering has not dampened his passion for Jesus. Pastor Abedini has led more than 30 prisoners to Christ during his time in prison. This afternoon, thousands of Americans from coast to coast will pray for his release. Events will be held in 40 states at capitols, city halls, parks and churches. Thousands more will join from 15 nations around the world
'YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ' OF THE WEEK: "Obama: ‘World Is More Stable than It Was Five Years Ago’," - by Andrew Johnson; September 24, 2013 http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/359368/obama-world-more-stable-it-was-five-years-ago-andrew-johnson " ... Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama justified the NSA’s spying programs, arguing they have helped to stabilize the world in the five years since he took office. “As a result of this work, and the cooperation of its allies and partners, the world is more stable than it was five years ago,” the president said on Tuesday morning.[Mr. John's commentary: "Astronomers scramble to figure out which world he's talking about!"]
URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS:
NEWS FLASH: "Syrian Rebels Execute Christian Villagers," - CBNNews.com, September 12, 2013; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/September/Syrian-Rebels-Execute-Christian-Villagers/ - Syrian rebel fighters apparently executed three Christians fleeing the fighting in Maaloula this week, Britain's Sky News reported. Hundreds of Christians held a funeral in Damascus for the men, who were cousins. Sky News reports the men were trying to escape the Christian town of Maaloula, which has been under attack by rebel troops. The men reportedly were killed by forces with the al Qaeda linked Jabha al-Nour. Mourners say two of the victims had their throats cut and another was shot. Most of the mourners are also refugees from Maaloula, one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. [PRAY for the Christians throughout Syria who face greater persecution should rebels, particularly Islamists along the line of the Muslim Brotherhood, end up in charge of the country.]
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: "Syrian Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."
Vigils Mark One Year Imprisonment of Pastor Saeed - CBNNews.com, Thursday, September 26, 2013 - Today marks one-year that American pastor Saeed Abedini has been held in an Iranian prison. He is serving an eight-year sentence because of his Christian faith. It has been a year of torment as he has suffered beatings, physical pain from untreated medical conditions, and separation from his wife and two children... The suffering has not dampened his passion for Jesus. Pastor Abedini has led more than 30 prisoners to Christ during his time in prison. This afternoon, thousands of Americans from coast to coast will pray for his release. Events will be held in 40 states at capitols, city halls, parks and churches. Thousands more will join from 15 nations around the world
PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.
- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him
- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ
- BOLDly (Beside Our Leaders Daily) for leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans
Go to SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release.
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"Plan to Suspend Debt Limit Means Debt Would Rise to $17.8 Trillion," - by Romina Boccia On September 25, 2013 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced [2] a new debt ceiling deadline today, urging congressional lawmakers and the President to come to an agreement concerning the nation’s borrowing authority by October 17. Republicans are proposing a $1.1 trillion increase in the debt limit by suspending the cap through December 2014. The big question is: Will lawmakers take control of the key drivers of soaring spending and debt as part of an increase? Recent news reports suggest the answer is largely no.
According to Bloomberg [3]: The House Republican plan would suspend the debt cap until Dec. 31, 2014, according to a proposal distributed by party leaders to Republican members and obtained by Bloomberg News. House Republicans said it is a plan that would save at least $256 billion from budget revisions and changes to entitlement programs.
The $256 billion in savings, especially if some of the savings come from important changes to mandatory programs, is a start. But in the big picture, the proposal is woefully inadequate. Republicans have all but given up on the Boehner rule [4], requiring a dollar in cuts or reforms for a dollar increase in the debt limit. They are already $300 billion behind, and this latest proposal would put them $1.1 trillion deeper in the hole.
BL-debt-limit-suspended-2013 [5]
Congress and the President last suspended the debt ceiling from February 4, 2013, through May 18, 2013, adding $300 billion to the national debt in less than four months. Their only request was that the Senate produce a budget for the first time in four years, which it did. No savings were accomplished. Suspending the debt limit through December 31, 2014, would add an approximate $1.1 trillion [6] to the debt, for a total increase in the debt ceiling of $1.4 trillion in less than two years.
A lot is at stake this fall. Recent projections by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) show that publicly held debt, which makes up 60 percent [7] of the debt subject to the limit, could reach 100 percent of gross domestic product as soon as 2028 [8]. At such high levels, debt poses serious risks for economic growth [9]. As Heritage economist Salim Furth explains [10]: The CBO’s sobering numbers should motivate Congress to pass serious entitlement reform now—while it can still be done through gradual reforms and not Greek-style austerity.
Congress should implement spending cuts and entitlement reforms before—or as part of—an increase in the debt ceiling. Lawmakers still have time to put forth a plan that puts the budget on a path to balance and avoids a debt crisis today and in the future [11]. The clock is ticking.
[bold, italics, and underline emphasis mine]
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Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org; URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2013/09/25/plan-to-suspend-debt-limit-means-debt-would-rise-to-17-8-trillion/
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/JackLew.jpg
[2] announced: http://www.treasury.gov/Documents/Debt%20Limit%2020130925%20Boehner.pdf
[3] Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-20/ryan-says-republicans-pairing-debt-cap-suspension-with-cuts-1-.html
[4] given up on the Boehner rule: http://blogs.rollcall.com/218/boehner-rule-on-life-support/
[5] Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/BL-debt-limit-suspended-2013.jpg
[6] an approximate $1.1 trillion: http://bipartisanpolicy.org/library/staff-paper/debt-limit
[7] 60 percent: http://www.heritage.org/multimedia/infographic/2013/08/federalspendingbynumbers2013/page-5-chart-1
[8] 100 percent of gross domestic product as soon as 2028: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/BL-LTBO-2013.jpg
[9] serious risks for economic growth: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/02/how-a-high-national-debt-impacts-the-economy
[10] explains: http://blog.heritage.org/2013/09/17/dont-hit-snooze-on-the-debt/
[11] avoids a debt crisis today and in the future: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/09/debt-limit-options-and-the-way-forward
Copyright © 2011 The Heritage Foundation. All rights reserved.
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"Debt Ceiling Raised Seven Times Under Obama, Costing $43,000 Per Household," - by Amy Payne, September 26, 201 http://blog.heritage.org/2013/09/26/morning-bell-43000-per-household/
"...Instead of pursuing significant spending cuts and entitlement reforms that are desperately needed to get spending under control, House Republicans reportedly are proposing to suspend the debt ceiling for more than a year, which would add $1.1 trillion to the debt. So, take that $43,000 per household that was added in the last four years and tack on another $8,800 per household..."
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
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