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WEEKLY NEWS SUMMARY - MARCH 6, 2024
UPCOMING PRIMARIES: Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi and Washington on March 12. For election and voting information, visit My Voter Hub and click on your state.
In this week's Intersect, read about:
Trump and Biden Dominate but Each See a Surprising Loss
"Super Tuesday -- the biggest election day of the year until November -- was a largely predictable affair, save for a couple minor surprises throughout the night." read more at ABC News
THINK.
- This morning, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is expected to announce that she is exiting the Republican presidential race. In another notable primary result from last night, North Carolina Lt. Gov Mark Robinson, a former factory worker whose 2018 viral speech to his hometown city council catapulted him to lieutenant governor in 2020, will face Attorney General Josh Stein for NC's gubernatorial seat. Primary results by state can be found here.
- Former President Trump is now the presumptive Republican nominee. As we prepare for November, Christians should seek to vote for the candidate who will enact the most biblically sound policies - policies that allow Christians to live and worship as they see fit and policies that allow a civil society to flourish. No person or party is perfect, but if Christians don’t vote in this election, others will step up and fill the void.
- The presidency is more than one person in the Oval Office. In fact, the President of the United States is responsible for over 4,000 political appointments. Not only do they control the White House, but also all the federal agencies that have opportunities to enact or greatly hinder biblical principles. For example, there are radical progressives at HHS who are trying to remove the mention of biological male and female from all healthcare rules and regulations. There are activist bureaucrats at the Department of Education who are attempting to insert ideologies like Critical Race Theory and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into our children’s school curriculum. Other bureaucrats at the Treasury Department are encouraging your banks to monitor where you shop and to consider dropping your accounts if you primarily shop at “conservative” stores like Bass Pro Shops or Dicks Sporting Goods.
- It is a privilege to live in a democratic republic where we get to vote for public servants at the local, state and national level. As Christians, we are called to look at the world in the context of God’s eternal story. Our earthly President is the most powerful person in the world for their term, but ultimately, as Jesus said in Matthew 28, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to [Him]…”
PRAY.
Lord, we place this critical election year in Your hands. Help us to see that our vote, our voice in the voting booth is a privilege and an opportunity to act on our faith. Help us to keep the proper perspective, remembering that You are God over all and in every detail, worthy of our trust.
ACT.
Be a part of our upcoming online Biblical Citizenship Class starting March 21. My Faith Votes is partnering with Patriot Academy to help you be equipped and encouraged on why we need to put faith in action and how we engage as Biblical Citizens in modern America. The free 7-week online class meets online Thursdays at 8 PM ET / 7 PM CT / 6 PM MT / 5 PM PT. Learn more and register here!
Supreme Court Hands Trump Victory in Colorado 14th Amendment Ballot Challenge
“The Supreme Court unanimously ruled Colorado cannot disqualify former President Trump from the ballot under the 14th Amendment’s insurrection ban, a historic decision that preserves Trump’s ability to seek a second presidential term. Monday’s decision effectively ends the long-shot efforts that aimed to prevent Trump from returning to the White House...” read more at The Hill
THINK.
- How did we get here? In December of last year, Colorado became the first state of several to disqualify former President Donald Trump from appearing on the state’s ballot due to his alleged actions surrounding January 6, 2021. Following Colorado’s lead, claims were filed against President Trump in 36 other states.
- What did SCOTUS really say? In a rare, unanimous decision, the justices stated that under the 14th Amendment only Congress can disqualify candidates from public service, not states. This was a literal interpretation of the U.S. Constitution devoid of partisan ideology, leaving many to speculate about what this might mean for President Trump’s other case where he argues that he is immune from criminal prosecution for his conduct while in office. That case is meant to be heard by SCOTUS in April with a decision issued by end of June—just ahead of the Republican National Convention.
- Although these SCOTUS rulings will undoubtedly set precedents that will shape other court cases for years to come, it is important to keep an eternal perspective. While we are called to submit to the authorities God has allowed to preside over us (Romans 13)—including the Supreme Court—we also recognize the One who holds the future and who has already secured the victory. Our hope rests in Him and Him alone—and that does not change with a Supreme Court decision.
PRAY.
Lord, we lift the Supreme Court to you as they hear and consider important legal questions that could have a profound impact on our country. We ask that you give each Justice wisdom, discernment, and the ability to see through partisan agendas. But regardless of what they decide, help me to keep an eternal perspective as these decisions are handed down, remembering that You have already had the final say. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
ACT.
During this critical Presidential election year, as the Supreme Court hears complex cases, commit to praying for each of the justices regularly by name—Justice John Roberts, Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Elena Kagan, Justice Neil Gorsuch, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Congress Unveils First Six Budget Bills as Government Shutdown Clock Ticks
“Congressional lawmakers on Sunday released the details of the first six budget bills needed to keep government agencies funded before they run out of money and a partial government shutdown takes effect this coming weekend.” read more at CNBC
THINK.
- The 1,050-page bipartisan package includes more than $450 billion in funding for fiscal year 2024. Lawmakers have until Friday to pass the legislation or risk a partial government shutdown under a stopgap plan President Biden signed into law this week to buy more time for spending talks. Last week, lawmakers passed the fourth stopgap measure since October to keep the government funded, and set themselves two deadlines to act, with funding for a part of the government including the Department of Transportation and the Food and Drug Administration running out on March 8 and most other federal agencies partially shutting down on March 22.
- Hidden in the headlines last Friday was the news that U.S. national debt is now rising by $1 trillion about every 100 days. Unless we demand action, the debt could become so large that it will be impossible for the nation to pay it off without going bankrupt and the dollar becoming worthless.
- While the crucial task of stewarding the nation’s finances is now a contentious process, the Founding Fathers intentionally gave the power of the purse to the branch of government most directly accountable to the people. They did not entrust an executive or even a department of appointed officials with deciding how your money would be spent. Regrettably, it has become an accepted practice to keep raising the debt limit and use stopgap methods to fund the government to the extent by which our nation lives outside its means. Proverbs 22:7 reminds us that “the borrower is the slave of the lender.”
PRAY.
Lord, we see our nation in such a pivotal place. Legislation and congressional decisions are sending our nation careening away from Your principles. None of this takes you by surprise. We need you, Lord! May You find us faithful to pray and act to realign our nation under Your values and protection.
ACT.
Casting a vote can feel like an insignificant action toward tackling the $34.4 trillion debt, but it is vitally important. Elections are a long-term solution to our nation’s financial problems; this won’t be fixed overnight. That means we need to be reminded to vote so we never miss an opportunity to give our input. If you haven’t already, sign up for our Election Reminders, and share it with others These reminders are for every election you are eligible to vote in.
CVS, Walgreens to Begin Selling Abortion Pill This Month
“CVS and Walgreens, the two largest U.S. pharmacy chains, will start selling abortion pill mifepristone at stores in several states this month, drawing praise from President Joe Biden who has made access to abortion a key election campaign issue. The announcement Friday comes as a legal challenge to the pill, brought in Texas by anti-abortion groups and doctors, was due to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this month.” read more at Reuters
THINK.
- Profits over patients? The move by CVS and Walgreens is the latest to remove important safeguards on abortion drugs. When the FDA first approved the drug, it put a Black Box warning on its label, acknowledging that the drug could cause serious side effects and even death. It also required doctors to provide ongoing care to women using the drugs, including in-person doctor visits to screen for ectopic pregnancies, severe bleeding, and life-threatening infections. Yet the FDA has now stripped away these safeguards even though its own label shows that roughly 1 in 25 women end up in the emergency room after taking abortion drugs. That should raise serious alarms because more than half of abortions in the US are carried out with pills. The March for Life organization is calling for a boycott of CVS and Walgreens saying, “Pharmacies should be places that provide medication to help life, not end it.”
- Why the rush? On March 26, the US Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments related to the FDA’s policies on access to abortion medication, with a ruling expected in June. According to ADF, 25 states, 145 members of Congress, women harmed by chemical abortion, and a broad coalition of doctors and advocacy groups filed friend-of-the-court briefs with the Court asking it to hold the FDA accountable for unlawfully removing crucial safeguards for the use of abortion drugs. If the Supreme Court upholds the lower court's order, the expanded pill access through pharmacies will be short-lived.
- The battle for life is not just in the US. On Monday, France became the first country in the world to explicitly include the right to abortion in its constitution, citing the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision as their motivation. Parliamentarians voted to revise the country's 1958 constitution to enshrine what they call a woman's "guaranteed freedom" to abort her children. The overwhelming 780-72 vote received a standing ovation in the parliament in Versailles when the result was announced, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris was lit up with the message: "My Body My Choice". Oh, how this celebration of the right to kill must break God’s heart. May it break ours as well.
PRAY.
Join me in praying that in the months to come the U.S. Supreme Court will listen fairly and rule rightly in this case, that life will be protected. (Proverbs 24:11-12). More importantly, pray for the killing of children through any type of abortion to stop.
ACT.
Colorado: You’ve got an opportunity to put the protection of life on the ballot this year. Sign and help circulate the “Protection of Children” Initiative petition. A minimum of 124,238 physical, handwritten, signatures are needed from Colorado registered voters on the Official Paper Petitions. Signatures can be gathered from any area of the state. The deadline to collect all signatures in March 31. Learn more and participate here.
My Faith Votes—is a nonpartisan movement that motivates, equips and activates Christians in America to vote in every election, transforming our communities and influencing our nation with biblical truth. By partnering with national faith leaders, My Faith Votes provides resources to help Christians Pray, Think, and Act to create an America where God is honored in the public square.
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