Kristine joined me on Capitol Hill this week and it was certainly an interesting trip. This trip marks the 10th year that I have been coming to Capitol Hill. Our first worship service in the Capitol was on July 30, 2014.
After arriving in Washington, DC, we made our way to the Capitol where I delivered notes to House and Senate leadership offices. I took Kristine with me because I assumed and rightly that it would be difficult to escort her in with my staff ID on Wednesday when Prime Minister Netanyahu would be speaking before a joint session of Congress.
Even Tuesday evening security around the Capitol had been increased and a fence had been erected around the Capitol in anticipation of those protesting against Netanyahu’s presence. I learned that Prime Minister Netanyahu was staying at the Watergate Hotel and protestors had pulled fire alarms all through the night and released maggots and insects into the building which is not only a hotel but a residence for others including families with children.
Before leaving the Cannon building, we encountered Representative Cory Mills of Florida. Representative Mills is a veteran and was part of the 82nd Airborne Division. He has worked tirelessly to evacuate Americans from Afghanistan and more recently from Haiti. I introduced myself and the Representative thanked me for my notes and told me he had kept all of them.
After making deliveries in the Capitol and Cannon building, Kristine and I had dinner at the Capitol Hill Club. As we finished, a representative motioned for me to join in a conversation with other gentlemen including one wearing a uniform. I was introduced to Mark, who is a chaplain with the Ukranian Army and a worship leader. Mark has many worship videos on YouTube. One video can be viewed by clicking here.
The representative wanted to include me in the conversation about what is happening to followers of Jesus in Ukraine. I was able to ask direct questions about the situation there. Mark assured me that there is religious liberty in the country but approximately 44 churches have been destroyed. When I asked about the government cracking down on pastors and religious leaders, he did say that there are Russian Orthodox churches in Ukraine and there have been some spies associated with those churches.
I ran into Mark again the next day and we continued our conversation. As in the United States and other countries around the world, there are annual Prayer Breakfast events in Ukraine. I shared with Mark that I would love to be able to attend that event sometime.
As Kristine and I walked the halls of the Cannon Building we could hear the voices of the protestors who had entered the building and occupied space in the rotunda of that building. The Cannon Rotunda is not to be confused with the Rotunda in the Capitol Building. The public can freely enter congressional office buildings. The presence of the roughly 200 protestors had been coordinated to enter through different doors and assemble on the first floor in the Cannon’s Rotunda.
On Wednesday, I began delivering my notes of encouragement to offices on the Senate side. I left my note in the office of Senator J.D. Vance. Given recent occurrences, it might be sometime before he sees it.
With the anticipation of protests happening around the city, soon entrance to the House and Senate office buildings was restricted to visitors with official business. With my ID, I had no trouble moving freely throughout the buildings.
Since the buildings were closed to the public, the hallways were empty and reminiscent of the days of COVID.
On my delivery route, I would see various displays including placards regarding the hostages in Gaza, the recent passing of Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, a flag with the names of the 13 soldiers killed in the Afghanistan evacuation and a Black Lives Matter flag outside one office.
Along the way, I saw Representative Thomas Massey of Kentucky whose wife recently passed away unexpectedly. I handed him my card and as we locked eyes, he said, “I appreciate you.” Pray for the Massey family.
With the time approaching for Netanyahu’s speech, I made my way to a congressional office where I knew I could sit and watch the speech. Getting a ticket to sit in the gallery would be difficult although I did ask in a couple of Democrat offices where I thought the member might have a guest ticket available.
As I watched the speech from a member’s office, I could see out the window a sniper rifle perched on top of the Capitol. I also observed the schedule for the representative which showed various meetings for the day in addition to the three-vote series that went late into the night.
While I did my rounds on the Hill, Kristine did some sightseeing and encountered protestors along the way. There was a heavy security presence so she always felt safe.
I spoke and prayed with several members of Congress throughout the day. I asked one Republican member who he thought would be the Democrat choice for Vice President and he speculated Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona might be the potential running mate for Kamala Harris.
Near the end of the day, I saw Mark Levin who is a well-known columnist, lawyer, political commentator, radio personality, and writer. I assume that he was on the Hill to attend Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech. He graciously allowed me to take a picture with him.
From Washington, DC, Kristine and I took the train to New York State where we will spend the weekend with friends. When we arrived at Union Station, crews were cleaning the area where the protestors had burned American flags and defaced a monument the previous day.
The House and Senate are beginning their August break. While I still have events on my calendar for the coming month, I will return to the Hill in September when Congress returns. I still believe the coming months will be intense. Pray for peace in our nation.
Thanks for your continued prayers and support of The Word on the Hill.
God bless.
Steve
