the Progress Report

Survey Says: Americans Want A Jobs Plan

By         ThinkProgress War Room              on Sep 14, 2011 at 4:49 pm

More Reviews Are In: The American People Want a Jobs Plan

Last week, we showcased some positive reviews of the president’s jobs plan from independent economists. Today, we look at the positive reviews of the plan from the American people.

Here’s the rundown.

What do people care about? J-O-B-S

• 65 percent told CNN that they’d rather see the president and Congress pay attention to jobs rather than “reducing the budget deficit” (29 percent).
• 46 percenttold Bloomberg that “unemployment and jobs” are the most important issue facing the country right now, compared to 12 percent who cited the federal deficit and 18 percent who said government spending.

Who do people trust more to deliver on jobs? (Hint: It’s not the Republicans)

• By a 46 percent to 37 percent margin, Americans trust President Obama over Republicans on the economy.
• Americans also favor the president’s jobs plan by a 43 percent to 35 percent margin.
• A second poll found that the public favors the president’s jobs plan by a 45 percent to 32 percent margin.

The American people overwhelmingly support the elements of the president’s jobs plan

• 74 percent support using federal funds to put teachers, firefighters, and cops to work.  A second poll found this proposal was supported by 71 percent of Americans.
• 65 percent support cutting the payroll tax for workers.
• 64 percent support federal spending to repair our crumbling roads, bridges, and schools.
• 52 percent support increasing federal aid to unemployed workers.

Americans are ready to let the Bush tax cuts go

• By a 54 percent to 40 percent margin, Americans wants to end the Bush tax cuts for those making more than $250,000
• A plurality of Americans (48 percent) are ready to let the Bush tax cuts for all taxpayers expire, something that would immediately bring the budget much, much closer to balance.

IN ONE SENTENCE: We have a jobs crisis, and the American people strongly support the steps the president has proposed to put Americans back to work — including asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You May Have Missed

How Denmark’s labor choices have led to higher wages than in the U.S.

A new TV show advances the conversation about marriage equality by focusing on a gay couple’s newlywed status.

A GOP governor proposes to manipulate the Electoral College in Pennsylvania for his party’s gain in 2012.

While protesting outside of a middle school, anti-abortion activists target the sixth grade daughter of the landlord of a Maryland abortion clinic.

A Minnesota mom calls on Bachmann to condemn anti-gay bullying with 130,000 signatures asking Bachmann to speak out against anti-gay bullying.

BP’s risky efforts to cut costs caused the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Protect Your Care, a pro-health care organization, launched www.lethimdie.com to put more heat on the 2012 candidates to denounce Tea Party extremists who would let the uninsured die.

The potential for growing conflict between Turkey Israel poses a dangerous dilemma for the U.S.

With Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s upcoming visit to the United Nations General Assembly quickly approaching,new questions are raised about Ahmadinejad’s political strength within Iran and his ability to stand up to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Sign Here: Tell Congress to Rebuild America

For the past decade, Congress has had no problem spending over $120 billion to rebuild schools, roads, bridges and other essential infrastructure in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, America’s infrastructure is crumbling and millions of people are out of work.

All the Republican leaders in Congress voted to approve massive amounts of funding to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan without a penny in offsets. But now they are opposing President Obama’s proposal to rebuild America even though it’s fully paid for.

Contact your member today and demand we invest at least as much in our own communities as we did in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Click here to contact your Member of Congress.

Other recent Progress Reports

Sep 13, 2011: Let Him Die?

Will the 2012 Candidates Maintain Their Silence About Tea Party Extremists? If you watched last night’s GOP presidential debate, you were treated to the shocking spectacle of the Tea Party crowd cheering on the death of someone who didn’t have health insurance but required intensive care for six months. Watch the shocking video: Rep. Ron [...]

Sep 12, 2011: Assessing Security 10 Years After 9/11

The anniversary of the 9/11 attacks was marked by memorial services honoring the victims of the terror attacks 10 years ago. While politics were put aside by Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton — all of whom participated in services over the weekend — many pundits and policymakers took the 10th anniversary as a time to [...]

Sep 9, 2011: Pass This Jobs Bill Now

The Reviews Are In Last night, President Obama announced the American Jobs Act, an ambitious $447 BILLION proposal to tackle our nation’s job crisis; modernize our crumbling roads, bridges, and schools; and help lay a foundation for a stronger, more competitive American economy. In addition, the president announced that housing regulators are moving toward a [...]

Sep 8, 2011: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!

Will the GOP Help Get America Back to Work? Tonight, President Obama will address a joint session of Congress and lay out an ambitious plan to address the unemployment crisis gripping the country. Here’s a preview of what to expect. WHAT: Small business tax incentives to encourage small businesses to hire more workers immediately. An [...]

2 Facebook pages that shouldn’t exist …Shelby Knox, Change.org

Facebook says that hate speech and incitements to violence are banned and will be removed from their site. So why are they maintaining a page called “Riding Your Girlfriend Softly Cause You Don’t Want to Wake Her Up”? And another page about “throwing bricks at sluts” that includes a photo gallery of portraits asking “Bang or Brick”?

There has even been an organized effort to use Facebook’s own reporting system to flag these and other pages that encourage rape and violence against women so they’ll be taken down. But Facebook hasn’t done a thing.

Now, Change.org member John Raines is going straight to the top. He started a petition on Change.org telling Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to take down these pages and take a stronger stand against violence against women.

Will you sign John’s petition to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg? Sign on, and tell Facebook to remove pages promoting rape and violence against women now.

When 1 in 3 American women will be sexually abused and/or assaulted in her lifetime, pages like these — and the reactions they elicit — are downright scary. Tens of thousands of people have “liked” these pages. Some people even use them as platforms to share rape fantasies and receive explicit tactics for how to carry them out.

John has seen the devastating impact of sexual violence and rape firsthand, on his own family. That’s why he created this petition on Change.org to get Facebook to enforce its existing policies and to make it clear that content promoting rape and violence against women violates Facebook’s Terms of Service and won’t be tolerated.

Please sign John’s petition. Tell Facebook to stop providing a platform to promote rape and violence against women.

Thanks for being a change-maker,

- Shelby and the Change.org team

P.S. The Troy Davis petition that we emailed you about earlier this week is being delivered to the Parole Board today with more than 230,000 signatures from Change.org members, in advance of Troy’s final hearing on Monday. We’ll keep you updated.

Stopped and Frisked : NYC Councilman on NYPD

In May of 2010 New York City Councilman Jumaane Williams spoke out against the NYPD‘s”Stop and Frisk” policy and highlighted the prejudices of the system.

“If you have more melanin in your skin you are more likely to be stopped…we should be allowed to walk freely.” Councilman Williams

At this year’s Labor Day Parade in Brooklyn Jumaane Williams was inappropriately profiled and detained by the NYPD. Councilman Williams has written a special guest blog for us here at The Black Institute about the situation.

Read it and tell us what you think about how we can move forward towards change!

The BlackInstitute
http://www.theblackinstitute.org/

Gays are “more dangerous” than terrorists​? …Joe Solmonese, Human Rights Campaign

Rep. Sally Kern‘s latest anti-LGBT rant is hateful incitement against the LGBT community.

Tell Oklahoma‘s political leaders to denounce Rep. Sally Kern’s inflammatory remarks.

Send a letter now >>

Just last week, Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern told a talk show host that homosexuality is a bigger threat to the United States than terrorism.

Sorry, WHAT?

That’s right. Kern claimed that because young people learn that “homosexuality is normal and natural” and because they’re “bombarded” with it every day, it is “more dangerous” than terrorist attacks. It’s vile.

Tell Oklahoma’s governor and top legislators to immediately denounce Kern’s remarks without delay.

As if comparing gays and lesbians to terrorists wasn’t bad enough, in the same interview, Kern also blamed the AIDS crisis on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community – recycling the outdated, tired charge that gays are responsible for the epidemic, instead of calling for more support of programs to prevent new HIV infections.

Sadly, this story is all too familiar and Kern has been censured for unrelated but equally outlandish remarks before. Kern made anti-LGBT comments like these three years ago that were captured on tape. But in the three years since, we’ve learned all too well what words alone can do – especially from elected officials.

Worse, Kern couldn’t care less about keeping her vile views under wraps this time around. Instead, she’s written a book criticizing the efforts of people like you and me to confront right-wing hate like hers. She casts herself as a truth-teller, standing tall in the face of “angry homosexuals” who speak out time and again against her extremism.

We’ve called out Kern before for her hatred, but public statements that could potentially incite people to violence are completely over the line. Carmen, we can’t let this kind of hatred go unanswered.

Kern must be held responsible. Sign the letter to Oklahoma’s leaders now: “Kern’s comparison of homosexuality to terrorism is as offensive as it is dangerous. I call on you to immediately condemn her hate speech.”

Our campaign for equality has traveled a long road, Carmen. We’ve unfortunately circled back to Kern and her unique brand of hate once again, but with your help, this will be the last time we ever need to. Thank you for taking a minute to stand with us and speak out.

Keep it up,

Joe Solmonese
President

did you know? …

 

Climate Change… chief victims of global warming are women, we grow the food, walk miles for water and gather the firewood.

Fend off Allergies … by eating more leafy greens, having high levels of folic acid may decrease your risk of wheezing and silence some genes, including those of the immune system. author,Elizabeth Matsui MD

A software program  www.GoodGuide.com  can calculate the impact of a product, created by Dara o’rouke,phd UC Berkeley, can help make smart choices,  done from your iPhone while shopping

Making a glass jar impacts our environment, you have to burn a gas furnace 24hrs at 2000 degrees, this consumes a  huge amount of energy.

According to the WTC wiping  your feet off before home entry can reduce tracking pesticides by 25%,removing shoes can cut the amount of dust by 10 times, clean carpets every 18months instead of every 12months and save $300

the EPA states the air indoors is 2 to 5times more polluted, install smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, open windows daily, buy air cleaning plants, english ivy, Philodendron, spider; green cleaning recipes at Planetgreen.discovery.com

Rachel Carson‘s book Silent Spring, an early voice for our environment in 1962..get it

Buy local … less packaging if you buy local, more fresh tasty choices …support local farmer’s markets and community gardens

Raising Beef accounts for 18% of global warming emissions worldwide

You can reduce your carbon footprint just by switching to vegetarian meals for 1day,save about 860calories &9pounds of carbon,if done for 2weeks, a reduction of carbon by 122pounds and 12,460calories, losing about 3lbs or more.

State Voter ID Laws Draw National Scrutiny … what about North Carolina

ABC News’ Michael Ono reports:

The Department of Justice is reviewing, and has the power to reject a controversial new law passed in South Carolina that requires a registered voter to present a government -issued photo ID before his or her vote is counted.

Gov. Nikki Haley signed the bill into law in May and she’s not alone. Four other states have passed similar voter ID laws in 2011, including Wisconsin, Texas, Tennessee and Kansas. But thanks to the DOJ, South Carolina’s law could still be rejected by federal officials.

And while other states have passed voter photo ID laws in the past, the laws passed in 2011 are by far the strictest with the exception of the law passed in 2005 by the state of Indiana.

Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act empowers the DOJ to review election laws passed in select southern sates as well as Alaska and some counties throughout the country.  Crafted in a time of great racial stife, the act was meant to codify the power of the 15th Amendment, which forbids racial discrimination at the polling booth.

South Carolina, which is subject to federal review, is the only state to have petitioned the Obama Justice Department for approval while other states such as Texas opted to clear their law through the D.C. District Court, which is also permitted.

Critics of a stricter photo ID law argue that the requirement will make it tougher for poor and minority voters to cast their ballot while proponents call it a common sense provision.

Voters without the means to produce correct documents or the disabled can verify their identity through an affidavit but many still see the ID requirements as too burdensome.

“A number of state legislatures have taken up these bills and I think that it’s a growing concern nationally that the effect is going to be the suppression of the vote,” said Victoria Middleton, executive director for the South Carolina ACLU.

Republicans, in 2010, swept state legislatures across the country and have used the ensuing authority to pass various controversial measures, including laws that restrict funding to Planned Parenthood at the state level.

As for why the Obama Justice Department might be interested in the South Carolina law, fewer eligible minority voters could hurt the president because they tend to vote Democratic.

“These kinds of voter ID laws could make a difference on the margins and President Obama is fighting for every last percentage he can get,” said David Wasserman, a political analyst for the Cook Political Report.

As many as 11 percent of the voting population, or about 21 million people, do not have access to a government issued ID, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law.  Still, studies highlighted by the Heritage Foundation show that photo ID laws have no effect on minority voter turnout.

Wisconsin College students voting in their local college towns might also have trouble voting because the new voter ID law in Wisconsin require the ID to show an address that matches their voting precinct when many students will have an ID that comes from their hometown.

“It’s a significant impediment to a lot more casual younger voters,” Wasserman said.

And the college city of Madison, Wis., generates the state’s largest number of Democratic votes, according to Wasserman.

Still, there are many who like the new voter ID laws and disapprove of the DOJ’s inquiry, arguing that the federal government has no business in “pre-clearing” state election laws.

“It’s a historical artifact of the civil rights era,” said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch. “The idea that South Carolina needs to be treated today by the federal government is absurd.”

Hans von Spakovsky, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said, “The kind of widespread discrimination that occurred just doesn’t happen today.”

Some Democratic politicians aren’t so sure. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois will hold hearings on the new laws today in the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights.  South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is the ranking Republican member on that Subcommittee and will attend the hearing.

the Official White House blog

• The Truth about
  Clean Energy Jobs

  Posted by Dan Leistikow on
  September 15, 2011 at 11:06 AM EDT

  Ed note: This has been cross posted from energy.gov

  The Washington Post’s assertions today about the Department of Energy’s loan
  programs today are both incomplete and inaccurate.

  Here are the facts:  over the past two years, the Department of Energy’s Loan
  Program has supported a robust, diverse portfolio of more than 40 projects that
  are investing in pioneering companies as we work to regain American leadership
  in the global race for clean energy jobs.  These projects include major advances
  for our renewable power industry including the world’s largest wind farm,
  several of the world’s largest solar generation facilities, and one of the
  country’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plants.  Collectively, the
  projects plan to employ more than 60,000 Americans, create tens of thousands
  more indirect jobs, provide clean electricity to power three million homes, and
  save more than 300 million gallons of gasoline a year, all while investing in
  American competitiveness. What matters to the men and women who have those jobs
  is that the investments that this Administration is making are helping to keep
  factories open and running.

  When the Washington Post claims that the program has created 3,500 jobs, here
  is what the reporters are excluding:

  • 33,000 American auto jobs saved at Ford: The Post article
    does acknowledge that the program enabled Ford to modernize its factories to
    produce more fuel efficient vehicles, which a Ford spokeswoman credits for
    “helping retain the 33,000 jobs by ensuring our employees can build
    the fuel-efficient cars people want to drive.”
  • More than 7,300 construction jobs: Many of the projects
    funded by the program are wind and solar power plants, which create significant
    numbers of construction jobs but once built can be operated inexpensively
    without a large workforce.  But the Washington Post chose to ignore all of those
    jobs.  If a community built a new highway or a bridge that employed 200 workers
    directly during construction – and many more in the supply chain — and that
    also strengthened the local economy by making it faster to transport goods,
    would anyone say that the project created zero jobs?
  • Supply chain jobs: While these jobs aren’t reflected in
    official government estimates because of the difficulty in obtaining a precisely
    accurate count, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.  When a company spends $100
    million or $200 million building a wind farm or a solar power plant, most of
    that economic value actually goes into the supply chain – creating huge
    manufacturing opportunities for the United States.

  In fact, when you look at the Washington Post’s graphic, you can see that the
  program has already created or saved roughly 44,000 jobs.  Many of the projects
  it has funded are just getting going, and many of the loans won’t even go out
  the door until the next few weeks.  Others have not ramped fully up to scale.
  But we are on pace to achieve more than 60,000 direct jobs – and many more in
  the supply chain.

  Here’s a simple example:

  Last year, the Department awarded a loan guarantee to build the Kahuku wind
  farm in Hawaii.  It employed 200 workers during construction.  Those wind
  turbines were built in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  The project also features a state of
  the art energy storage system supplied by a company in Texas.  The supply chain
  reached 104 U.S. businesses in 21 states.  But by the Washington Post’s count,
  none of those jobs – not even the 200 direct construction jobs – should
  count.

  What’s critically important and completely ignored by the Washington Post, is
  that the value of this program can’t be measured in operating jobs alone.  The
  investments are helping to build a new clean energy industry here in America.
  We are now on pace to double renewable energy generation from wind and solar
  from the time the President took office.  Yet we are still in danger of falling
  behind China and other nations that are competing aggressively for leadership in
  these technologies.  This is a race we can and will win, but only if we make
  these investments today. These investments will pay dividends not just in
  today’s jobs but in entire industries and supply chains – and in cleaner air and
  water for our children and grandchildren.

  One of the goals of the program is to create projects that will encourage the
  private sector to take the financing risk on other, similar projects on its
  own.  If we can show, for example, that a commercial scale cellulosic biofuel
  plant in Iowa can succeed, the private sector will likely finance many more of
  them around the country.

  America’s economic strength has been built on technological leadership.  The
  next great technological revolution is the clean energy revolution, and this
  Administration is committed to making sure that America will continue to lead
  the world.

  Learn more about Economy, Energy & Environment

• Office
  Hours 9/14/11 or “Make Voices Heard”: Stephanie Cutter Answers Your Questions on
  Twitter

  Posted by Kori Schulman on
  September 14, 2011 at 7:51 PM EDT

  Today, Stephanie Cutter, Assistant to the President and Deputy Senior
  Advisor, answered your questions on the American
  Jobs Act during a session of White House Office Hours. See a transcript of
  the question and answer below, or over on Storify.

  If you didn’t have a chance to join us live, there are more Office Hours
  focused on the American Jobs Act this week. Take a look at the schedule and
  be sure to follow @WHLive for more
  chances to engage.

  Assistant to the President and Deputy Senior Advisor Stephanie Cutter answers
  Twitter questions on the American Jobs Act during a session of White House
  Office Hours. September 14th, 2011 (Photo by Mori Rothman)
  read
  the rest
  Learn more about Economy

• 17
  Years After Violence Against Women Act, Vice President Calls on New Generation
  to Take Action

  Posted by Amy Dudley on September
  14, 2011 at 7:26 PM EDT

  Last night, Vice President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden held a reception at the
  Naval Observatory to celebrate the 17^th anniversary of the Violence
  Against Women Act (VAWA) being signed into law, as well as call on a new
  generation to take action to reduce the high rates of violence and assault that
  continues to threaten young men and women across the country.

  Speaking before a crowd that included many of the men and women who supported
  the Vice President’s efforts to see the Act become law on September 13, 1994,
  the Vice President remarked on how it was VAWA that exposed a “flaw that lay as
  part of the fabric of American society”– the fact that the mere discussion of
  violence and abuse being committed against women was considered by many to be
  taboo.

  Beyond shattering this notion, the law redefined the way domestic violence is
  handled through changes in law enforcement, improvements in the criminal justice
  system and the establishment of shelters and services for victims.

  read
  the rest
  Learn more about Family, Women

• Campaign to
  Cut Waste in Action: $2 Billion Saved

  Posted by Jack Lew on September
  14, 2011 at 6:53 PM EDT

  Ed note: this article has been cross-posted
  from the OMB blog

  When he launched the Campaign to Cut Waste in June, President Obama asked the
  Vice President to take on a new role holding the Cabinet accountable for cutting
  waste in their agencies to help make government more efficient and responsive to
  the American people. As a part of that effort, the Vice President today convened
  the first Cabinet waste reduction meeting and announced over $2 billion in
  anti-waste measures.

  In these challenging budgetary times, ensuring that every agency is rooting
  out waste and saving taxpayer dollars is more important than ever. We have made
  great strides in the last two years – shrinking contract spending for the first
  time in 13 years, identifying $3 billion in cost reductions from IT projects
  across government, and getting rid of property we no longer need and working
  aggressively to realize the President’s goal of saving $3 billion in real estate
  costs by the year 2012 – but we must continue to be vigilant and innovative
  about driving efficiency. That’s why the President and Vice President have made
  the Campaign to Cut Waste an Administration-wide priority.

  read the
  rest
  Learn more about Fiscal
  Responsibility

• President
  Obama: “Tax Relief for Every Worker and Every Small Business”

  Posted by Nikki Sutton on September 14, 2011 at 6:29
  PM EDT
  President Barack Obama is shown a piece of cut aluminum during a tour of
  WestStar Precision, a small business that will benefit from the proposed
  American Jobs Act, in Apex, N.C., Sept. 14, 2011. With President Obama are, from
  left, employee Barry Blackman, co-owners, Ervin and Susan Portman, and North
  Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

  While in North Carolina today, President Obama met with Erv Portman, the
  owner of WestStar Precision, a company that creates parts for airplanes and one
  of the 170,000 small businesses in North Carolina alone that would benefit from
  the American Jobs Act. The jobs
  bill that President Obama sent
  to Congress this week will help companies like Erv’s by cutting taxes when
  they hire new employees and raise the salaries of their current employees and by
  cutting their payroll taxes in half. The President also announced
  a new policy that will accelerate payments to small business government
  contractors so they can reinvest that money in the economy and drive job
  growth.

  After talking with employees at WestStar Precision, President Obama headed
  over to North Carolina State University where he was greeted by over 9,000
  people who are ready to get the economy moving again, including many students.
  Here’s what the President
  said:

  I came to talk about how America can get back to a place where we’re creating
  good middle-class jobs again -– jobs that pay well; jobs that offer some
  security; jobs that are available for all the young people who are going to be
  graduating from N.C. State.  Because I know that’s what the students are
  thinking about.  And we can do that if we can finally get Washington to act -–
  if we can get folks to stop worrying so much about their jobs and start worrying
  a little more about your jobs.

  President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the American Jobs Act in the
  William Neal Reynolds Coliseum at North Carolina State University in Raleigh,
  N.C., Sept. 14, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
  Includes
  Video
  read
  the rest
  Learn more about Economy

• Getting
  Money to Small Businesses Faster

  Posted by Jeff Zients on
  September 14, 2011 at 3:02 PM EDT

  Today, the President announced a new policy that will accelerate payments to
  small business contractors so they can reinvest that money in the economy and
  drive job growth.

  Small businesses are the primary engine of job creation and job growth across
  the country. However, in today’s economic climate many face tight budgets and
  limited resources. With these challenges in mind, last week in his address to
  Congress the President emphasized the need to take common sense steps to give
  small businesses the flexibility they need to invest and hire. And that is what
  we are doing today.

  The Federal Government pays small businesses nearly $100 billion each year
  for goods and services. By taking actions that will enable these payments to be
  made as promptly as possible, we will improve cash flow for small businesses and
  provide them with a more predictable stream of resources.

  read the
  rest
  Learn more about Economy

• Cabinet
  Accountability for Cutting Waste

  Posted by Jack Lew on September
  14, 2011 at 2:35 PM EDT

  When he launched the Campaign to Cut Waste in June, President Obama asked the
  Vice President to take on a new role holding the Cabinet accountable for cutting
  waste in their agencies to help make government more efficient and responsive to
  the American people. As a part of that effort, the Vice President today convened
  the first Cabinet waste reduction meeting and announced over $2 billion in
  anti-waste measures.

  In these challenging budgetary times, ensuring that every agency is rooting
  out waste and saving taxpayer dollars is more important than ever. We have made
  great strides in the last two years – shrinking contract spending for the first
  time in 13 years, identifying $3 billion in cost reductions from IT projects
  across government, and getting rid of property we no longer need and working
  aggressively to realize the President’s goal of saving $3 billion in real estate
  costs by the year 2012 – but we must continue to be vigilant and innovative
  about driving efficiency. That’s why the President and Vice President have made
  the Campaign to Cut Waste an Administration-wide priority.

  read the
  rest
  Learn more about Fiscal
  Responsibility

• Be
  Part of the Joining Forces Community Challenge

  Posted by Dr. Jill Biden on
  September 14, 2011 at 2:05 PM EDT

  I’m writing today about a very special project, the Joining Forces
  Community Challenge.

  In that past few years, the First Lady and I have seen incredible examples of
  people and organizations reaching out to our military families in creative and
  meaningful ways.  Individuals and groups are coming together in communities all
  across this country to make a difference in the lives of our service members by
  hosting baby showers, providing free accounting help during tax season, or
  recognizing military families during community events.  As an Army mom, I am
  especially grateful for this outreach.

  To recognize and celebrate these individuals and organizations, the First
  Lady and I launched the Joining Forces Community Challenge earlier this summer.
  The challenge will award several national prizes later this year that recognize
  citizens and organizations for their efforts in support of military
  families.

  First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden greet people while visiting the
  Warrior and Family Support Center in San Antonio, Texas, April 13, 2011. The
  First Lady and Dr. Biden met with service members and their families during
  their visit to the facility, which helps care for family members of Wounded
  Warriors whose recovery is expected to last a long period of time. The center
  was built with private donations and is run by volunteers from the surrounding
  community. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
  read the
  rest
  Learn more about Family, Veterans

• Watch
  Live: President Obama on the American Jobs Act in North Carolina

  Posted by Cecilia Muñoz on
  September 14, 2011 at 11:46 AM EDT

  Ed. Note: The event has now ended. Watch video
  and see photos from the event.

  Today, President Obama will visit Raleigh, North Carolina to continue the
  conversation with Americans on why Congress needs to pass the American Jobs Act to put workers
  back to work. Watch the President live beginning at 12:55 p.m. EDT at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

  In advance of the President’s visit, Governor Beverly Perdue and mayors
  across North Carolina explained the importance of passing the American Jobs Act.
  Governor Beverly Perdue said, “My top priority is creating jobs. I’m pleased
  that the President put forward the American Jobs Act. Congress should pass a
  plan quickly that encourages companies to hire, helps unemployed people get back
  to work, and puts more money in the pockets of working families.”

  read
  the rest
  Learn more about Economy

• From One
  Homeowner to Another: “Help is Out There.”

  Posted by Phyllis Caldwell and Raphael
  Bostic on September 14, 2011 at 11:35 AM EDT

  Ed note: This post has been cross-posted from treasury.gov

  Foreclosure can have a devastating effect on families and communities.
  According to recent data, roughly one in 11 homeowners has missed two or more
  mortgage payments. As many Americans struggle with their mortgage payments and
  don’t know where to turn for help, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the
  U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have joined forces with
  the Ad Council to launch a new
  phase of the Foreclosure Prevention Assistance Public Service Advertising (PSA)
  Campaign.

  http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/DAJr2r-m2kE?rel=0

  read the
  rest
  Learn more about Economy, Additional
  Issues

• American
  Jobs Act and Your Community

  Posted by Jon Carson on September
  14, 2011 at 10:07 AM EDT

  The purpose of the American
  Jobs Act, which President
  Obama sent to Congress this week, is simple: put more people back to work
  and put more money in the pockets of working Americans. The President’s plan
  will rebuild the economy the American way — based on balance, fairness and the
  same set of rules for everyone from Wall Street to Main Street.

  The American Jobs Act reflects a commitment to strengthen the recovery and
  help increase access to jobs for all Americans. To see what impact the Jobs Act
  will have on your community, click on the link below.

  read the
  rest
  Learn more about Economy

• President
  Obama: “Every Child Deserves a Great School”

  Posted by Nikki Sutton on September 13, 2011 at 7:34
  PM EDT
  President Barack Obama delivers remarks to students, faculty and staff at
  Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School in Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 13, 2011. The
  President highlights his American Jobs Act proposal to put workers back on the
  job by rebuilding and modernizing schools across the country. (Official White
  House Photo by Pete Souza)

  It was a hot afternoon in Columbus, Ohio today when President
  Obama spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of over 3,000 people at Fort Hayes Arts
  and Academic High School. He laid out how the American Jobs Act will put
  teachers back in the classroom and get construction workers, carpenters and
  electricians back on the job modernizing
  America’s schools.

  Even though the September sun felt more like midsummer, students are back in
  school at Fort Hayes and on days like today they’re glad to have
  air-conditioning, one of many recent renovations to buildings on campus that
  were originally built during the Civil War. The American Jobs Act would make it
  possible to renovate at least 35,000 schools like Fort Hayes across the country.
  As the President said, putting construction workers back on the job rebuilding
  schools is just common sense for the economy and for the education of our
  kids:

  When buildings are that old, they start falling apart.  They start leaking,
  and ceiling tiles start to cave in, and there’s no heat in the winter or
  air-conditioning in the summer.  Some of the schools the ventilation is so poor
  it can make students sick.

  How do we expect our kids to do their very best in a situation like that?
  The answer is we can’t.  Every child deserves a great school, and we can give it
  to them, but we got to pass this bill.

  Includes
  Video
  read
  the rest
  Learn more about Economy, Education

• Office
  Hours 9/13/11 or “We Need the American Jobs Act Now”: David Plouffe Answers Your
  Questions on Twitter

  Posted by Kori Schulman on September 13, 2011 at 7:30
  PM EDT

  Today, David Plouffe, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor, answered
  your questions on the American Jobs Act during a special session of White House
  Office Hours. See a recap of the Twitter Q&A below, or over on Storify.

  If you didn’t have a chance to join us live, there are more Office Hours
  focused on the American
  Jobs Act this week. Take a look at the schedule
  and be sure to follow @WHLive for
  more chances to engage.

  Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor David Plouffe responds to
  questions on Twitter during a session of White House Office Hours focused on the
  American Jobs Act. September 13, 2011.
  read
  the rest
  Learn more about Economy

• More
  Organizations and Businesses Respond to the American Jobs Act

  Posted by Jon Carson on September
  13, 2011 at 5:22 PM EDT

  Yesterday, President Obama sent The
  American Jobs Act to Congress and urged Congress to pass the bill right away
  to get the economy moving. Organizations and businesses continue
  to respond to the President’s call to put partisanship aside and do what is
  right for the American people. Here is what organizations around the country are
  saying about the American Jobs Act:

  UNITE HERE, John W. Wilhelm, President

  On behalf of UNITE HERE’s 250,000 members who work in the hotel, food
  service, gaming and manufacturing industries, I applaud the President’s vigorous
  and inspired push to put America back to work. We join him in calling for the
  Congress to act and to act now!

  Public Transportation Association (APTA), William Millar,
  President

  On behalf of the more than 1,500 members of the American Public
  Transportation Association I commend President Obama for his remarks last night
  that highlighted creating and supporting jobs through investing in
  transportation infrastructure. The $50 billion in direct funding proposed in the
  American Jobs Act will go a long way to jump start needed transportation
  investments.  Every $1 billion in public transportation investment supports or
  creates 36,000 jobs.  Also, for every $1 invested in public transportation, $4
  is generated in economic returns.

  International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers
  (IFPTE), Gregory J. Junemann, President

  The President’s plan is needed now, more than ever, and we encourage all
  Americans and every member of Congress to get on board in pushing this plan into
  law. President Obama made a great speech in outlining his plan for the
  restoration of the nation’s economy. And he called on all of us—each and every
  one of us—to support him. We must answer his call with meaningful action. Reach
  out to every member of Congress and demand the swift passage of the American
  Jobs Act.

  Fraternal Order of Police, Chuck Caterbury, National
  President

  President Obama has presented us with a sound, no nonsense, blueprint for
  getting Americans back to work and jumpstarting the economy. We support and
  applaud this effort and will work to ensure its passage by
  Congress.

  read
  the rest
  Learn more about Economy

• The
  Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act

  Posted by Susan B. Carbon on
  September 13, 2011 at 3:50 PM EDT
• http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/0u_0ZdI3GDY?rel=0&hd=1Ed. Note: Cross-posted from the Department of Justice blog.
  Learn how you can take action to stop violence against women at WhiteHouse.gov/1is2many.Marking the 17th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) helps
  us both appreciate the great strides that have been made in addressing all types
  of violence against women and recognize the fact that more needs to be done to
  create a society free from domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence
  and stalking. The Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)
  remains committed to addressing these crimes in a broad and comprehensive
  manner.The concept of a coordinated community response is one of the most critical
  and visible achievements of VAWA.   In the years since VAWA’s enactment by
  Congress in 1994, we have witnessed a sea-change in the ways that communities
  respond to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence.
  VAWA encourages communities to bring together stakeholders from diverse
  backgrounds to share information and to use their distinct roles to improve our
  responses to and prevention of violence against women. These groups include, but
  are not limited to: victim advocates, police officers, prosecutors, judges,
  probation and corrections officials, health care professionals, leaders within
  faith communities, and survivors of violence.  New programs and amendments have
  strengthened the law and enhanced our work.
  Includes
  Video
  read the
  rest
  Learn more about Family, Women

• First
  Lady Michelle Obama’s Message to Teens: Work Hard and Believe in
  Yourself

  Posted by Colleen Curtis on September 13, 2011 at
  2:26 PM EDT
  First Lady Michelle Obama addresses the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National
  Design Awards luncheon in the East Room of the White House, Sept. 13, 2011.
  Standing behind Mrs. Obama is Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian
  Institution. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

  Some of the nation’s leading design talents joined First Lady Michelle Obama
  today to help educate Washington DC teens about career opportunities in their
  field. The designers, who are being honored by the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum
  for their extraordinary contributions to design in 10 different categories, took
  part in a Teen Design Fair before attending a luncheon at the White House, which
  was hosted by Mrs. Obama.

  During her remarks at the luncheon, the First Lady praised the winners for
  breathing “new life into our homes and our workplaces, the clothes we wear, the
  products we use every day, and even the most basic ways we process information.
  A trip to the park is just a bit more refreshing.  A book or a chart more
  readable.”  She also addressed the aspiring designers in the room, and
  emphasized the hard work that goes into great design:

  I want you young folks, and as you look around the room, understand that you
  see some of the sharpest minds alive, some of the most accomplished designers in
  the world.  But understand that none of these people came here ready-made — all
  right?  They’re here today because they hatched an idea or they followed a dream
  – and more importantly, they worked every day, they worked hard every day, to
  get here.

  So to the young people here, I want you to realize that you can share a meal
  with some of our nation’s greatest talent, you can walk on the same floors as
  Presidents and as heads of state. And if you work hard enough, if you believe in
  yourself, you can earn an award just like this in a few decades…

  The 2011 National Design
  Awards recipients are:

  • Lifetime Achievement: Matthew Carter
  • Design Mind: Steven Heller
  • Corporate and Institutional Achievement: Knoll
  • Architecture Design: Architecture Research Office
  • Communication Design: Rick Valicenti
  • Fashion Design: J. Mendel
  • Interaction Design: Ben Fry
  • Interior Design: Shelton, Mindel & Associates
  • Landscape Architecture: Gustafson Guthrie Nichol
  • Product Design: Continuum

• What
  You Missed: Open for Questions with News One, Hello Beautiful, Black Planet, The
  Urban Daily & TheGrio

  Posted by Kori Schulman on September 13, 2011 at 2:09
  PM EDT
  President Barack Obama drops by an Interactive One panel discussion in the
  South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Sept. 12,
  2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

  Yesterday, the White House hosted an “Open for Questions” event with
  InteractiveOne, a network of sites that includes NewsOne.com,
  TheGrio.com,
  TheUrbanDaily.com, HelloBeautiful.com, and BlackPlanet.com. During the discussion,
  President Obama made a surprise
  appearance to speak about the American Jobs Act that he sent
  to Congress earlier in the day and to answer questions.

  Administration officials including Melody Barnes, Director of the Domestic
  Policy Council; Shaun Donovan, US Secretary for Housing and Urban Development;
  Jason Furman, Principal Deputy Director of the National Economic Council; Marie
  Johns, Deputy Administrator of the US Small Business Administration; and
  Ambassador Ron Kirk, US Trade Representative answered questions on a range of
  topics submitted by InteractiveOne readers, as well as questions from a live
  audience and from Twitter.

  Watch the video of President
  Obama’s surprise visit or check out the full panel discussion below:

  Includes
  Video
  read
  the rest
  Learn more about Economy, Urban Policy, Additional
  Issues

• Open for
  Questions: The American Jobs Act

  Posted by Kasie Coccaro on September 13, 2011 at
  12:45 PM EDT

  On Thursday, September 15^th at 2:00PM EDT, the
  White House will host a special “Open for Questions” event.

  Last week, President Obama unveiled the
  American Jobs Act before a Joint Session of Congress and yesterday the
  President sent
  the American Jobs Act to Congress. This plan puts more people back to work
  and puts more money in the pockets of working Americans. On Thursday,
  September 15^th at 2:00PM EDT Obama Administration officials
  will answer questions submitted through Facebook, Twitter, and the White House
  website during a live event that you won’t want to miss.

  Participating Obama Administration include:

  • Jason Furman, Asistant to the President & Principal Deputy Director of
    the NEC
  • Jon Carson, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of the Office
    of Public Engagement

  Right now, you can submit questions through:

  • Ask questions in advance on the White House facebook wall
  • Ask us through a form
    on WhiteHouse.gov

  On September 15th at 2:00 p.m. EDT, you can watch and engage
  live:

  • Ask the panel questions on Twitter with the hashtag #WHChat
  • Ask question through the White House Live facebook
    app
  • Watch the event on WhiteHouse.gov/live
  Learn more about Economy

• How America Creates
  Jobs

  Posted by Secretary Tom Vilsack
  on September 13, 2011 at 12:18 PM EDT

  On Saturday, I visited the Port of Miami to see firsthand the success story
  of American agriculture and the jobs it is creating. Despite historic natural
  disasters, our agriculture business is booming.

  Last year, almost $920 million in agricultural goods moved through the port,
  nearly double the amount from 2006. And this year it’s on pace to exceed that
  total by 8.5 percent. Those exports alone are helping support nearly 8,400
  American jobs.

  At the same time, the port is beginning work on a major tunnel and a
  deep-dredge project that will provide jobs for construction workers to keep it
  among the busiest in the nation. These are steps – much like those proposed by
  President Obama in the American
  Jobs Act – that are already underway to grow the economy and create
  jobs.

  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack speaks at the Port of Miami on Saturday,
  September 10, 2011 after meeting with leaders from agriculture and business
  industries. (Photo by Ryan Holloway in Miami-Dade County)
  read
  the rest
  Learn more about Economy

• Affordable
  Care Act in Action: Fewer Uninsured Young Adults in America

  Posted by Kathleen Sebelius on
  September 13, 2011 at 10:27 AM EDT

  Ed note: This post has been cross-posted from healthcare.gov

  We know that young adults are the age group most likely to be uninsured and
  before health reform was enacted, many young Americans lost their health
  insurance when they left home or graduated from school. This meant that your
  sons or daughters – who might be college students or in their first job  – were
  often forced to choose between paying their rent or maintaining their health
  insurance. A policy in the Affordable Care Act changes this, by allowing young
  adults to be on
  their parents’ plan until age 26.

  Today, a new
  report shows that the Affordable Care Act is working. According to the
  Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey released today, there was a
  significant increase in the number of 18-24 year olds with health insurance in
  the U.S. over the past year.

  The report showed that the percentage of young adults with insurance
  increased from 70.7% in 2009 to 72.8%   in 2010.  That translates into 500,000
  more young people with insurance.  We expect even more will gain coverage in
  2011 when the policy is fully phased in.

  Young people sometimes think they’re invincible, but it’s important for
  everyone to have insurance. One car accident, one slip in a shower, or one
  sudden illness can result in months or even years of health care bills that can
  bankrupt the average family if that son or daughter is uninsured.

  This 2% increase in coverage for young people came as the number of Americans
  under 65 with insurance went down slightly. The Affordable Care Act will help
  provide coverage at a decent price for millions of uninsured Americans starting
  in 2014, when millions of Americans will have access to affordable insurance
  options.

  To read more about the health insurance coverage data released today, please
  visit
  this page.

Congressional Budget Office:

• The Medium-Term Budget Outlook and Policy Options
  CBO Director Doug Elmendorf’s presentation to the Macroeconomic Advisers’ Washington Policy Seminar

Congress:the Republican led House is offering bills on the Floor to keep Govt from creating jobs or helping&passes it… -the Senate trying to complete action on H.J.Res.66 and H.R.2887, the FAA and Highway extensions

CALL YOUR Representative … tell them to stop this insane behavior which is being led by Republicans in the House of Representatives

the Senate Convenes at 9:30am September 15, 2011

• Following Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business
  for one hour with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each
  with the Majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the
  final half.
• Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of
  H.J.Res.66, a joint resolution regarding Burma Sanctions and the legislative
  vehicle for additional FEMA funds.
• As a reminder, Senator Reid filed cloture on the Reid substitute amendment
  #602 (the text of the Burma language and the FEMA language) and H.J.Res.66
  during Wednesday’s session.  Unless an agreement is reached, a cloture vote on
  the Reid substitute amendment #602 will occur Friday morning.  The filing
  deadline for all first degree amendments to the Reid substitute amendment #602
  and H.J.Res.66 is 1:00pm on Thursday, September 15^th.
• We hope to reach an agreement to complete action on H.J.Res.66 and H.R.2887,
  the FAA and Highway extensions during Thursday’s session of the Senate.
  Senators will be notified when votes are scheduled.

2:41PM  Senator Coburn just asked the following three consent requests which Reid
objected to:

1)      Proceed to House passed bill, H.R.2887, Surface and Air
Transportation Extension bill, agree to a Coburn substitute amendment (4 month
FAA extension) and pass the bill, as amended;

2)      Proceed to House passed bill, H.R.2887, Surface and Air
Transportation Extension bill, agree to a Coburn amendment repealing the 10
percent transportation enhancement mandate, and pass the bill, as amended;
and

3)      Proceed to House passed bill, H.R.2887, Surface and Air
Transportation Extension bill, agree to a Coburn substitute amendment (6 month
surface transportation extension and repeal of 10 percent transportation
enhancement mandate, and pass the bill, as amended.

Senator Reid then asked the following consent which Senator Coburn objected
to:

Proceed to House passed bill, H.R.2887, Surface and Air Transportation
Extension bill, have only three amendments in order:

-          Coburn (regarding transportation enhancements);

-          Paul ( regarding limitation on highway trust funds); and

-          Paul (regarding FAA funding levels)

That there be up to two hours of debate on the amendments prior to votes on
the amendments; that the amendments have a 60 vote affirmative threshold; and
upon disposition of the amendments, the Senate proceed to a vote on passage of
the bill, as amended, if amended.

12:36PM The Senate has reached an agreement to complete action on H.J.Res.66.  At
approximately 4:00pm, the Senate will conduct 3 roll call votes in relation to
the following:

• Coburn #610 (offset re: duplicative programs) (60-vote threshold)
• Paul #613 (offset re: Foreign Aid)(60-vote threshold) and
• Reid substitute amendment #602, as amended, if amended (text of Burma
  language and additional FEMA funding language)(60-vote threshold)

If the Reid amendment #602, as amended, if amended, reaches the 60-vote
threshold, H.J.Res.66, as amended, will be agreed to.  If the Reid amendment
#602, as amended, if amended, does not achieve the 60-vote threshold, the
cloture motions will be withdrawn and the resolution will be returned to the
calendar.

9:47am The filing deadline for all first degree amendments to the Reid substitute
amendment #602 and to H.J.Res.66, a joint resolution regarding Burma Sanctions
and the legislative vehicle for additional FEMA funds is 1:00pm today.

If your Senator has a germane first degree amendment and would like to
preserve his or her right to offer, please send a signed copy of the amendment
to the cloakroom prior to the deadline.  If you have already filed, there is no
need to re-file.

VOTES

4:02pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the Coburn amendment #610
(offset-duplicative programs) to the Reid substitute amendment #602 (FEMA and
Burma Sanctions) to H.J.Res.66; Not Agreed to: 54-45 (60-vote threshold)

4:34pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the Paul amendment #613 (offset with
Foreign Aid funds) to the Reid amendment #602 (Burma Sanctions and FEMA) to
H.J.Res.66; Not Agreed to: 20-78 (60-vote threshold)

The Senate has entered into a consent agreement to complete action on
H.R.2887, FAA and Highway extensions.  Following the roll call vote on the Reid
substitute amendment #602 to H.J.Res.66 (which will occur imminently), there
will be 10 minutes of debate and 3 roll call votes in relation to the
following:

-          Paul amendment to H.R.2887(regarding limitation on highway trust
funds)(60-vote threshold)

-          Paul amendment to H.R.2887 (regarding FAA funding levels)(60-vote
threshold)

-          Passage of H.R.2887, as amended, if amended (majority-vote
threshold)

5:00pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the Reid amendment #602 (Burma
Sanctions and FEMA) to H.J.Res.66; Agreed to: 62-37.

5:31pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the Paul Amendment to H.R.2887
(regarding limitation on highway trust funds) (60-vote threshold); Not agreed
to: 14-84.

5:51pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the Paul amendment to H.R.2887 (regarding FAA funding levels) (60 vote threshold); Not agreed to: 36-61.

6:08pm The Senate began a roll call vote on passage of H.R.2887, the Surface and
Air Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011; Passed 92-6.

Confirmed Executive Calendar #358 Wendy Ruth Sherman – to be an Under
Secretary of State (Political Affairs).

Adopted S.Res.268, relative to the death of Senator Malcolm Wallop

Adopted S.Res.269, designating the week beginning September 19, 2011, as
“National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week”.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF SEPTEMBER 15, 2011
112TH CONGRESS – FIRST SESSION
SHAME on Republicans for legislating against Labor Relations, Unions and Government … 232 -186 where is the outrage

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3:34  P.M. -  The House adjourned pursuant to a previous special order. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on September 19, 2011.

On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.

Mr. Gohmert moved that the House do now adjourn.

 

3:32  P.M. -  The Speaker laid before the House a message from the President transmitting a report with regards to Iceland’s commercial whaling activities. – referred to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Natural Resources and ordered to be printed (H. Doc. 112-54).

 

1:58  P.M. -  SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group – Pursuant to 22 U.S.C 276d and the order of the House of January 5, 2011, the Speaker appointed the following members of the House to the Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group: Mr. Dreier, Mr. Lungren, Daniel E.,Mrs. Miller of MI, Mr. Smith of NE, Mr. Huizenga of MI, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Welch and Mr. Larsen of WA .

 

 

1:52  P.M. -  ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.Mr. Cantor asked unanimous consent That when the House adjourns on Thursday, September 15, 2011, it adjourn to meet at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, September 19, 2011. Agreed to without objection.

H.R. 2587:

to prohibit the National Labor Relations Board from ordering any employer to close, relocate, or transfer employment under any circumstance 

1:21  P.M. -  Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 238 – 186(Roll No. 711).

 

1:11  P.M. -  On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 189 – 235(Roll no. 710).

 

12:45 P.M. -  The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.

 

12:38 P.M. -  DEBATE – The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Bishop (NY) motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment prohibiting the Act from limiting the National Labor Relations Board’s authority to order an employer to maintain or restore jobs within the United States that have been or will otherwise be outsourced to a foreign country in violation of the National Labor Relations Act.Mr. Bishop (NY) moved to recommit with instructions to Education and the Workforce.

 

The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.

 

11:17 A.M. -  DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate onH.R. 2587.

 

11:16 A.M. -  Rule provides for consideration ofH.R. 2587with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments. The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Education and the Workforce now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted.

 

11:15 A.M. -  Considered under the provisions of ruleH. Res. 372.

 

11:14 A.M. -  Mr. Woodall filed a report from the Committee on Rules onH. Res. 399.

 

H.R. 2867:

to reauthorize the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, and for other purposes 

11:13 A.M. -  Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 391 – 21(Roll no. 709).

 

11:06 A.M. -  Considered as unfinished business.UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of adoption of a motion to suspend the rules which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.

H. Res. 372:

providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2587) to prohibit the National Labor Relations Board from ordering any employer to close, relocate, or transfer employment under any circumstance 

11:05 A.M. -  Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 239 – 176(Roll no. 708).

 

11:04 A.M. -  ADJUSTMENT OF WHOLE NUMBER OF HOUSE – Under clause 5(d) of Rule XX, the Chair announced to the House that, in light of the administration of the oath the gentleman from Nevada, the Honorable Mark Amodei and the gentleman from New York, the Honorable Bob Turner, the whole number of the House is adjusted to 434.

 

10:50 A.M. -  OATH OF OFFICE – Representative-Elect Mark Amodei, Second District, State of Nevada and Representative-Elect Bob Turner, Ninth District, State of New York, presented themselves in the well of the House for the purpose of taking the Oath of Office which was administered by the Speaker of the House.

 

10:46 A.M. -  The House received a message from the Clerk. The Clerk transmitted to the House a scanned copy of a letter received from Mr. Robert Brehm and Mr. Todd Valentine, Co-Executive Directors, New York State Board of Elections, indicating that, according to the unofficial returns of the Special Election held September 13, 2011, the Honorable Bob Turner was elected Representative to Congress for the Ninth Congressional District, State of New York.

 

10:45 A.M. -  The House received a message from the Clerk. The Clerk transmitted to the House a scanned copy of a letter received from Mr. Scott Gilles, Deputy Secretary of Elections, on behalf of Nevada Secretary of State, the Honorable Ross Miller, indicating that, according to the unofficial returns of the Special Election held September 13, 2011, the Honorable Mark E. Amodei was elected Representative to Congress for the Second Congressional District, State of Nevada.

 

H. Res. 372:

providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2587) to prohibit the National Labor Relations Board from ordering any employer to close, relocate, or transfer employment under any circumstance 

On ordering the previous question Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 234 – 177(Roll no. 707).

 

9:18  A.M. -  DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate onH. Res. 372.

 

9:16  A.M. -  Considered as privileged matter.

 

9:02  A.M. -  ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches which by direction of the Chair, would be limited to 5 per side of the aisle.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Scott of SC to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

 

The Speaker announced approval of the Journal.  Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.

 

9:00  A.M. -  Today’s prayer was offered by Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki, Bishop of Springfield, Illinois.The Speaker designated the Honorable Ted Poe to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.

The House convened, starting a new legislative day.