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| EMERGENCY ORDER The Senate will vote today on the House-passed resolution against President Trump’s emergency declaration on the southern border. At least four Senate Republicans are expected to join all Senate Democrats in providing majority support for the resolution to revoke the emergency declaration. If the resolution passes, Trump will almost surely veto it. There is currently not enough votes to override a veto. READ |
| EMERGENCY ORDER 15 Republican senators have announced their support for legislation that would place a limit on the ability of a president to declare a national emergency. Under the legislation, Congress would have 30 days after a national emergency to vote to extend it. Otherwise, the declaration would automatically terminate. The legislation would only impact national emergencies declared after the legislation became law, so it would not effect Trump’s declaration for the southern border. READ |
| AIRPLANES GROUNDED President Trump issued an emergency order, grounding all Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft after the crash in Ethiopia that killed 157 people. READ |
| DEATH PENALTY HALTED California Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-CA, signed an executive order placing a moratorium on capital punishment. While there are 737 inmates on death row, the state hasn’t executed a prisoner since January 2006. READ |
| BORN ALIVE BILL House Democrats have prevented a vote on the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act 18 times this year. “In refusing to consider this bill, the Democratic Party is saying yes to this extreme view. They are supporting an unjust legal double standard, and an automatic death sentence to a viable human being outside of the womb, simply because of the circumstances of their birth,” said Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-OH. READ |
| KAVANAUGH’S REPLACEMENT The Senate confirmed Neomi Rao to succeed Brett Kavanaugh on the D.C. Circuit Court on a 53-46 party line vote. READ |
| WOMEN’S DAY The media ignored sex-selective abortions on International Women’s Day. READ |
| HOLLYWOODActor Samuel Jackson said that Trump supporters were “complicit” in “ruining the planet.” (Warning: story quotes the actor’s profanity-laced tirade.) READ |
| PRO-LIFE ARKANSASThe Arkansas Senate approved a bill to ban most abortions after 18 weeks. The bill requires one more vote in the Arkansas House before it can go to the governor. Arkansas already has a 20-week abortion ban. Last month, Gov. Hutchinson signed a “trigger” law that would ban most abortions if the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. READ |
| RELIGION AND EDUCATION The Department of Education will no longer enforce a policy that forbids religious organizations from receiving federal funds for private schools. “Those seeking to provide high-quality educational services to students and teachers should not be discriminated against simply based on the religious character of their organization,” said Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. She cited recent religious liberty cases by the Supreme Court as the basis for the rule change. READ |
| SAINT OF THE DAY Saint Maximilian, not to be confused with Saint Maximilian Kolbe who lived centuries later, refused military service and was martyred as a result. While other Christians did serve in the military, Saint Maximilian’s conscience said that he could not without compromising his faith. He set a high standard for all to follow. READ |
| DAILY READINGS “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me. ” (Ps 138:1) READ |