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Daily Archives: 05/07/2012
“Out of Many, We are One.”
West Wing Week: 5/4/12 or “Out of Many, We are One.” <<< click on link to view the Video
Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that’s happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President traveled to Afghanistan to sign a historic Strategic Partnership Agreement, visit with our troops and address the American people about responsibly ending the war. The President also traveled to Fort Stewart to sign an Executive Order to protect service members and their families from deceptive marketing practices, spoke at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner, welcomed the Prime Minister of Japan, and spoke at the Building and Construction Trades conference.
268 U.S. Representatives and 71 Senators expressed their support for the Special Diabetes Program
 It is with immense joy that I share with you the good news: with your help, 268 U.S. Representatives and 71 Senators expressed their support for the Special Diabetes Program by signing onto the House and Senate Special Diabetes Program Dear Colleague letters! You can view the House letter here, and the Senate letter will be up on www.diabetes.org soon. This is a great first step as we work toward the program’s reauthorization this year.The SDP represents an important investment from the federal government to combat, prevent and cure diabetes. It has produced advances in halting and reversing the complications of diabetes; progress in identifying environmental triggers of type 1 diabetes; and a 28% reduction in the incidence of end-stage renal disease in the Native American communities – among its many other accomplishments. Last month, we asked those of you living in the Congressional districts and states of Representatives and Senators who had yet to sign-on to this letter of support to email your legislators encouraging them to do so. And your voices were heard! Together, we will continue to educate Members of Congresson the importance of SDP and work toward its reauthorization. But for now, let’s all celebrate this first success in our efforts toward extending this vital program into the future.Sincerely,
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L. Hunter Limbaugh Chair of the Board, | Find out more about the American Diabetes Association’s advocacy efforts: |
Congressional Budget Office: Monthly Budget Review & S.2224
S. 2224, A bill to require the President to report to Congress on issues related to Syria
As ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on April 26, 2012
S. 2224 would require the President to submit to the Congress reports on Syrian opposition groups and on stockpiles of weapons in Syria. Based on information from the Administration, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would have discretionary costs of less than $500,000 in 2013, assuming availability of appropriated funds. Enacting S. 2224 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
Based on the Monthly Treasury Statement for March and the Daily Treasury Statements for April
USA.gov and being energy efficient
Basic Tips for an Eco-Friendly Home
Many people think that having an environmentally friendly house means spending thousands of dollars on solar panels or planting a garden on the roof to keep the house cool during the summer time.
That’s not really the case. There are many things you can do to help the environment without having to transform your home, or even spend too much money. In fact, you might end up saving hundreds of dollars per year in the process.
The following tips will help you get started.
Use ENERGY STAR Appliances
Refrigerators. Microwaves. Air conditioners. Heaters. Dishwashers. These are the appliances that eat up more than half of the $2,200 an average family spends in energy costs per year. However, you can do your part to help the planet and also save up to 30 percent of the electricity bill by using energy efficient products that have the ENERGY STAR symbol.
To enjoy some of the benefits of appliances with the ENERGY STAR symbol,
- Replace the five most used light bulbs in the home with energy-efficient bulbs. This could save you $65 per year in electricity bills.
- Replace, whenever you can, old and energy inefficient appliances such as air conditioning units and heating equipment. These devices alone typically consume more than half of the energy in a house.
The ENERGY STAR website has tips for saving energy and finding ENERGY STAR products.
Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
An easy way to reduce damage to the environment is to use cleaning products that are biodegradable and have low toxicity levels. These products could also make your home safer, as the lower toxicity might reduce the chance of accidental poisonings.
To use eco-friendly cleaning products:
- Avoid those products that are highly flammable and are labeled as dangerous or poisonous.
- Buy solvent free or bio-based products such as those made with citrus or pine.
- Buy products that are certified by third parties such as Green Seal or Scientific Certification Systems.
You can also clean your house by using simple, non-toxic household substances such as white vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice and borax. However, be careful because these substances don’t work well on all surfaces.
Recycle, Recycle, Recycle
The Environmental Protection Agency says that recycling is one of the best ways to help the environment. But beyond recycling, it’s important to properly dispose household items like cleaning products, oils, batteries, pesticides and other products containing hazardous components that can harm both humans and the environment.
Your local government recycling program can give you more information on which products can be recycled and how to dispose of dangerous household items.
Heritage Month … Asian-Pacific American
May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month.
The month-long observance was officially designated in 1992 and the month of May was chosen to commemorate the first Japanese immigrants to the U.S. on May 7, 1843 and to recognize the Chinese immigrants who helped lay tracks for the transcontinental railroad, which was completed on May 10, 1869.
Visit asianpacificheritage.gov to learn more about the contributions of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States.
the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf.
Greenpeace says … the White House and BP have been hiding the truth about the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf.
The (horrible) picture below is of a “critically endangered” Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle. It’s just one of many never-before-seen images we’ve obtained that paints a very different picture than what we were being told at the time. We have to act.
Other pictures show garbage bags full of dead sea turtles, a dolphin struggling to hold on for life in the poisoned water and sperm whales swimming through a sheen of oil. What else about the Gulf disaster is the White House and Big Oil hiding from the public before they finish the settlement?
It’s not too late. The government has yet to announce the amount of money BP owes for the damages caused by the disaster.
Take action and demand that the White House immediately make publicly available all the images, files and documentation before they reach a settlement with BP.
WWW.Greenpeaceusa.org
It’s important that the public know exactly what BP is being held accountable for and that the White House is holding the oil giant to it in the settlement.
President Obama likes to talk about how much land and coastal area his administration has opened up for drilling. The administration has even given oil giant Shell the green light to drill for oil in the pristine waters off the coast of Alaska this summer. Is this damage the risk that the administration finds acceptable with offshore drilling?
Enough.
Tell the White House to publicly release everything they have around the Gulf disaster, make BP pay what they owe and put a stop to ALL new offshore drilling right now.
Sincerely,
John Hocevar Greenpeace USA Ocean Campaign Director
P.S. Send the White House a message and then forward this to your friends and family. We have to expose the truth about the BP disaster in the Gulf if we want to stop offshore drilling.
Congress: the Republican led House – – the Senate considers S.2343,Stop Student Loan Rate Hike Act&Judicial nominees 3.5yrs later
The Senate stands in adjournment under the provisions of S.Con.Res.43, the adjournment resolution.
The Senate will convene at 2:00pm on Monday, May 7, 2012.
Following the prayer and pledge, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.2343, the Stop Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act.
At 4:30pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider the following items:
- Executive Calendar #508 Jacqueline H. Nguyen, of CA, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit
- Executive Calendar #568 Kristine Gerhard Baker, of AR, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas
- Executive Calendar #569 John Z. Lee, IL, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois
with 60 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees. Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 5:30pm), the Senate will conduct up to 3 roll call votes on the Nguyen, Baker and Lee nominations. It is possible the Baker and Lee nominations will be confirmed by voice vote.
As a reminder to all Senators, on Thursday, April 26th, cloture was filed on the motion to proceed to S.2343, the Stop Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act. By consent, the roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.2343 will be at 12:00pm on Tuesday, May 8th.
If the Senate does not receive a message from the House that it has adopted S.Con.Res.43, the Senate will convene on the following dates at the following times for pro forma sessions only, with no business conducted:
- Monday, April 30, at 10:30am
- Thursday, May 3, at 8:30am
—- The Senate confirmed the following nominations by unanimous consent during today’s session:
- Executive Calendar #512, Ajit Varadaraj Pai, of Kansas, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission for a term of 5 years from July 1, 2011 and
- Executive Calendar #513, Jessica Rosenworcel, of Connecticut, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission for a term of 5 years from July 1, 2010.
WRAP UP
ROLL CALL VOTE
1) Confirmation of Executive Calendar #508, Jacqueline H. Nguyen, of California, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit; Confirmed: 91-3
LEGISLATIVE ITEMS
Began the Rule 14 process of H.R.2050, Idaho Wilderness Water Resources Protection Act (Republican request)
Began the Rule 14 process of H.R.2240, Lowell National Historical Park Land Exchange Act (Republican request)
Began the Rule 14 process of H.R.4849, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Backcountry Access Act (Republican request)
Began the Rule 14 process of H.R.4628, the Interest Rate Reduction Act (Republican request)
EXECUTIVE ITEMS
Confirmed the following:
- Executive Calendar #512, Ajit Varadaraj Pai, of Kansas, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission for a term of 5 years from July 1, 2011
- Executive Calendar #513, Jessica Rosenworcel, of Connecticut, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission for a term of 5 years from July 1, 2010
- Executive Calendar #568, Kristine Gerhard Baker, of AR, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas by voice vote
- Executive Calendar #569, John Z. Lee, of IL, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois by voice vote
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CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF MAY 7, 2012
112TH CONGRESS – SECOND SESSION
. -SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.7:11:44 P.M. -ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with further one minute speeches.7:11:13 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 118Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.7:11:12 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 118On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 375 – 0 (Roll no. 198).7:05:02 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 118Considered as unfinished business. H. Con. Res. 118 — “Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run.”7:04:28 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 117Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.7:04:27 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 117On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 377 – 0 (Roll no. 197).6:57:02 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 117Considered as unfinished business. H. Con. Res. 117 — “Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service.”6:56:44 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 105Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.6:56:43 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 105On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 376 – 0 (Roll no. 196).6:32:30 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 105Considered as unfinished business. H. Con. Res. 105 — “Authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha.”6:31:07 P.M. -UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of adoption of motions to suspend the rules which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.6:30:27 P.M. -Mr. Woodall filed a report from the Committee on Rules on H. Res. 643.6:30:20 P.M. -The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of May 7.5:04:33 P.M. -The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 P.M. today.5:03:40 P.M. -S. 1302Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.5:03:37 P.M. -S. 1302On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.4:55:37 P.M. -S. 1302DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1302.4:55:36 P.M. -S. 1302Considered under suspension of the rules.4:55:28 P.M. -S. 1302Mr. Issa moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. S. 1302 — “To authorize the Administrator of General Services to convey a parcel of real property in Tracy, California, to the City of Tracy.”4:54:58 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 118At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.4:50:34 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 118DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Con. Res. 118.4:50:32 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 118Considered under suspension of the rules.4:50:21 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 118Mr. Denham moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution. H. Con. Res. 118 — “Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run.”4:49:41 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 117At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.4:44:44 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 117DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Con. Res. 117.4:44:42 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 117Considered under suspension of the rules.4:44:26 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 117Mr. Denham moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution. H. Con. Res. 117 — “Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service.”4:44:01 P.M. -H.R. 4097Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.4:43:59 P.M. -H.R. 4097On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.4:31:18 P.M. -H.R. 4097DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4097.4:31:15 P.M. -H.R. 4097Considered under suspension of the rules.4:31:02 P.M. -H.R. 4097Mr. Mica moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. H.R. 4097 — “To amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and for other purposes.”4:30:25 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 106Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.4:30:22 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 106On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.4:21:29 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 106DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Con. Res. 106.4:21:26 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 106Considered under suspension of the rules.4:20:34 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 106Ms. Herrera Beutler moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution. H. Con. Res. 106 — “Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby.”4:20:32 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 105At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.4:02:05 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 105DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Con. Res. 105.4:02:03 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 105Considered under suspension of the rules.4:01:51 P.M. -H. Con. Res. 105Mr. Harper moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution. H. Con. Res. 105 — “Authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha.”4:01:31 P.M. -The Speaker announced that votes on suspensions, if ordered, will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. today.4:00:00 P.M. -The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of May 7.2:10:09 P.M. -The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 4:00 P.M. today.2:08:15 P.M. -ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House continued with one minute speeches.2:07:31 P.M. -The House received a communication from the Honorable Elijah E. Cummings. Pursuant to Rule VIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, Representative Cummings notified the House that he had been served with a subpoena for documents and testimony issued by the District Court of Maryland, Baltimore County, in connection with civil litigation currently pending before that court and that after consultation with the Office of General Counsel, he had determined that compliance with the subpoena was not consistent with the privileges and rights of the House.2:06:53 P.M. -The House received a communication from Harry T. Spikes II, Special Assistant, Office of Representative Elijah E. Cummings. Pursuant to Rule VIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, Mr. Spikes notified the House that he had been served with a subpoena for documents and testimony issued by the District Court of Maryland, Baltimore County, in connection with civil litigation currently pending before that court and that after consultation with the Office of General Counsel, he had determined that compliance with the subpoena was not consistent with the privileges and rights of the House.2:06:23 P.M. -The House received a communication from the Honorable Pete Sessions. Pursuant to Rule VIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, Representative Sessions notified the House that he had been served with a subpoena issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas for deposition testimony and that after consultation with the Office of General Counsel, he had determined that compliance with the subpoena was not consistent with the privileges and rights of the House.2:05:51 P.M. -The House received a communication from the Honorable Kay Granger. Pursuant to Rule VIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, Representative Granger notified the House that she had been served with a subpoena issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas for deposition testimony and that after consultation with the Office of General Counsel, she had determined that compliance with the subpoena was not consistent with the privileges and rights of the House.2:02:42 P.M. -ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.2:02:18 P.M. -PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Wilson of SC to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.2:02:11 P.M. -The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.2:01:07 P.M. -Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Patrick J. Conroy.2:00:32 P.M. -The Speaker designated the Honorable Adrian Smith to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.2:00:24 P.M. -The House convened, starting a new legislative day.
House Hearings for Today
| 8:30 am | Hearing: Field hearing entitled “An Examination of the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Real Estate Owned (REO) Pilot Program”Committee on Financial Services: Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises | 2:00 pm | Markup: H.R. 4966, The Sequester Replacement Act of 2012 and The Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012Committee On The Budget: Full Committee | 5:00 pm | Hearing: H.R. 5326 – Making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposesCommittee on Rules: Full Committee |
