Daily Archives: 12/13/2012

President Obama’s Message to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.


 

 
 
 
U.S. government officials, investors, entrepreneurs, NGO leaders, and policy makers from more than 50 countries are gathered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates for the third annual summit, which was created following President Obama’s 2009 speech at Cairo University.

Hostages


ThinkProgress War Room

Another Way the GOP Favors the Wealthy Over Everyone Else

While much of the discussion around the fiscal showdown has rightly focused on the top tax rates for the wealthiest Americans, there are a lot of other very important tax issues to sort. Notably, many expanded tax credits for low-wage workers and other important tax credits, such as the American Opportunity tax credit, will disappear at the end of the year if they are not extended.

The Senate has already passed a bill extending these important tax credits as well as the current tax rates for 98 percent of Americans and 97 percent of small businesses, but Republicans are holding those tax cuts hostage in order to get more tax breaks for the wealthy.

Our colleagues put together a handy infographic showing how Republican plans would impact different families.

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You Might’ve Missed

“New” Republican fiscal cliff offer: permanently extend tax cuts for the rich.

The public doesn’t care for Speaker Boehner’s handling of the fiscal showdown.

Rape gaffe candidate blames loss on “liberal media.”

POLL: Obama has overwhelming “mandate” to raise taxes on the rich, protect Medicare and Social Security benefits.

Liberals promise to fight any effort to raise the Medicare eligibility age.

How workers can repeal the Michigan GOP’s anti-union power grab.

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s ridiculous comments on marriage equality.

The Federal Reserve made a big move to help improve the economy.

Things in Syria are getting even worse.

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Sierra Club


Spokane Speaks Out Against Coal Exports

Spokane Speaks OutEight hundred people turned out in Spokane to one of seven public hearings being held across Washington State to get community input on coal-export terminals proposed for the Washington and Oregon coasts.

More than 60 trains a day carrying coal in open cars will pass through Spokane’s neighborhoods if the terminals are built. Spokane residents gave the terminals and coal trains a resounding thumbs-down.

“You kicked butt!” a Spokane city councilman told the local Sierra Club organizer after the hearing. Seattle, Portland, and a growing number of Pacific Northwest cities have passed resolutions opposing the coal-export boondoggle.

 

Act now: Urge policymakers to take the chained CPI off the table


 

National Women's Law Center - Don't Discount Women: Demand Fair Change Not Spare Change
 
 
Why are policy makers thinking about cutting Social Security behind closed doors? Because it’s easier for them if you don’t really know what’s happening.

Well, the cat is out of the bag.

According to recent news reports, the chained CPI is officially on the table and gaining buzz in the current deficit reduction negotiations. If the chained CPI (a new and lower Consumer Price Index) is adopted the cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) that Social Security recipients depend on would be calculated in a new way that cuts the value of benefits each year. And no matter how Washington insiders try to spin it, it means a CUT to Social Security benefits.

Act now: Urge policymakers to take the chained CPI off the table during budget negotiations.

Need a reason to take action? How about five?

  1. The chained CPI will cut the value of benefits each year.
  2. The cuts add up — quickly. The cut in the value of benefits will be equivalent to the cost of a week’s worth of food each month by age 80 and nearly two weeks’ worth by 95 for the typical single elderly woman.
  3. The chained CPI cuts everyone’s benefits — including today’s beneficiaries — as soon as it goes into effect.
  4. It particularly hurts women because, on average, they live longer than men and are already more likely to be poor.
  5. It’s less accurate because it doesn’t account for the real increases in the cost of living the elderly face each year.

Oh, and there’s a 6th! As the White House has pointed out, Social Security isn’t the cause of our deficits. So switching the COLA to the chained CPI is just an underhanded move to balance the budget on the backs of the elderly, especially elderly women.

Your voice can make a difference! Tell your Members of Congress and President Obama that the chained CPI should NOT be part of deficit reduction talks.

Thanks for all of your support!

Sincerely,
 
Joan Entmacher   Joan Entmacher
Vice President, Family Economic Security
National Women’s Law Center 		 

P.S. Are you on Facebook? Help us spread the word about what the chained CPI would really mean for women.

P.P.S. Read just one of the many news reports here.

Sierra Club


 

 
DEADLINE: Friday.
Protect our families from deadly soot pollution!
Soot kills
Send Your Letter

Any day now, the EPA is scheduled to announce its long-awaited rule on soot pollution — the tiny “particulate matter” that comes from burning coal and causes health problems ranging from asthma to heart attacks.

With the decision coming soon, big polluters are making one last-ditch effort to weaken or kill this life-saving soot safeguard.1

The White House needs to know that big polluters aren’t the only ones watching. Send President Obama one last message asking him to stand firm and protect our families.

Tens of thousands of Americans like you have weighed in over the last year. You pushed the EPA to look at the science and protect our families’ health from this deadly pollution. Now you have one last chance to make sure the EPA follows through on its months of studies.

Send one more message to the White House before Friday’s deadline. Tell the president and his environmental team to stick to their guns and deliver a strong, scientific safeguard against soot.

Time and again, you’ve shown that grassroots power can beat big polluters’ lobbyists. With industry groups rallying at the 11th hour, now is the time to finish strong.

Thanks for everything you do to protect the environment,

Mary Anne Hitt
Beyond Coal Campaign Director
Sierra Club

P.S. We won the first round in this fight thanks to a groundswell of grassroots action, and that’s exactly how we’ll win the next round. People power is something Big Coal will never have, so let’s press our advantage. Send a copy of this message to your friends and family, and spread the word on your social networks with the share buttons below.

[1] Colman, Zack and Geman, Ben, Overnight Energy, The Hill, December 11, 2012

Help Kids Eat and Stay Healthy : Kids.gov Update


During the holidays, yummy food and tasty treats are everywhere. With all of those tempting goodies, it would be easy to let children’s healthy eating habits slide, but holidays can still be healthy. Visit Kids.gov for some tips to help your kids stay on track with good eating habits. And don’t forget to remind your kids to wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. This will help them from getting sick and spreading germs to the rest of the family, because no one wants to be sick during the holidays.

CARE2


 

Rape is really confusing. I mean, how do you know if you’re raping someone? If they’re unconscious and you decide to have sex with them, is…

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CONGRESS: the Republican led House :::::: the Senate led by Dems


capitol14

the Senate Convened at 9:30amET 12/13/2012

  • Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 11:30am with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each with the first hour equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees with the Republican controlling the first 30 minutes and the Majority controlling the second 30 minutes.
  • Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of S.3637, the transaction account guarantee (TAG) extension legislation with the time until 12:00pm equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees. It will be in order for the Republican Leader or his designee to make a point of order against the bill. If a point of order is raised, it will be in order for the Majority Leader or his designee to make a motion to waive the Budget Act.
  • At 12:00pm, there will be up to 2 roll call votes. The first vote will be on motion to waive the Budget Act with respect to S.3637 and if the motion is successful, there will be a second roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on S.3637. (If a budget point of order is not raised, there will be a cloture vote at noon.)
  • Additional votes in relation to judicial nominations are expected during Thursday’s session.

Senator Toomey raised a budget point of order {302(a) allocation of new authority and outlays deemed by the budget control act} against S.3637, the FDIC TAG program (transaction account guarantee) extension. Senator Johnson (SD) moved to waive all applicable budget points of order.

At 12:00 noon, the Senate will proceed to vote on the Johnson (SD) motion to waive all applicable budget points of order. Under the previous order, if the point of order is waived (60-affirmative vote threshold) there would be an immediate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the bill. If 60 votes on the motion to waive is not achieved, there cloture motion would be vitiated.

12:01 noon The Senate began a roll call vote on the Johnson (SD) motion to waive all applicable budget points of order with respect to S.3627, TAG extension;

Not Waived: 50-42

The motion to waive the budget points of order was not agreed to 50-42. Cloture on the TAG extension bill was vitiated. The point of order was sustained and the bill was sent back to committee.

At 2:15pm the Senate will proceed to votes on confirmation of the following nominations:

- Executive Calendar #830 Lorna G. Schofield, of New York, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York; and

- Executive Calendar #832 Frank Paul Geraci, Jr., of New York, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of New York.

We expect a roll call vote on confirmation of the Schofield nomination and a voice vote on the Geraci nomination.

The Senate is now in a period of morning business until 1:45pm with senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. At 1pm Senator Snowe will be recognized to speak for up to 45 minutes to deliver her farewell remarks. At 1:45pm the Senate will turn to Executive Session to consider the nominations listed above with the time equally divided in the usual form.

2:18pm The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #830, Lorna G. Schofield, of NY, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York; Confirmed: 91-0

The Schofield nomination was confirmed by a roll call vote of 91-0. The Senate then confirmed the Geraci nomination by voice vote.

Senator Reid then moved to proceed to H.R.1, the legislative vehicle for the Hurricane Sandy Emergency Supplemental. We are working on an agreement to adopt the motion to proceed to the Supplemental.

We are in a period of morning business until 4:30pm with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
The Senate also passed S.3313, Women Veterans and Other Health 

WRAP UP

ROLL CALL VOTES

1) Motion to waive the Budget Act with respect to S.3637, the transaction account guarantee (TAG) extension legislation; Not Waived: 50-42

2) Confirmation of Executive Calendar #830, Lorna G. Schofield, of NY, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York; Confirmed: 91-0

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Passed S.3313, the Women Veterans and Other Health Care Improvements Act of 2012 with a committee-reported amendment, a Murray amendment and a committee-reported title amendment by voice vote.

Discharged the Judiciary Committee and passed H.R.6116, a bill to provide for direct review of decisions of the Virgin Island Supreme Court by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Discharged the Veterans’ Affairs committee and passed S.2045, to amend title 38, United States Code, to require judges of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to reside within fifty miles of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.

Adopted S.Res.616, a resolution to authorize the production of records by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

EXECUTIVE ITEMS

Confirmed Executive Calendar #832, Frank Paul Geraci, Jr., of NY, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of New York by voice vote.

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Watch Live House Floor Proceedings

House Hearings

9:00 am Markup: H.J. Res 819, H.R. 4216, H.R. 6014Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee
10:00 am Hearing: Northeast Corridor Future: Options for High-Speed Rail Development and Opportunities for Private Sector ParticipationCommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Full Committee
10:00 am Hearing: State of Uncertainty: Implementation of PPACA’s Exchanges and Medicaid ExpansionCommittee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health
10:00 am Business Meeting: CLOSED: Business MeetingHouse Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Full Committee
10:30 am Hearing: Ongoing Intelligence ActivitiesHouse Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Full Committee

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