Your Weekly White House Latino Update

 

Buenos Dias,I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season! Although many are enjoying time with family and friends, we know there is a lot at stake and a lot to do to resolve the fiscal issues our country is facing in a balanced way. To that end, recently, President Obama renewed his call to prevent a tax increase on the middle class. “If Congress does nothing, every family in America will see their taxes automatically go up at the beginning of next year,” the President said. “A typical middle-class family of four would see its income taxes go up by $2,200. That’s $2,200 out of people’s pockets. That means less money for buying groceries, less money for filling prescriptions, less money for buying diapers. It means a tougher choice.” As a major force in our economy and as a community who will have much at stake if our nation does not reach a balanced deal by the end of this year, Latinos will surely feel the effects immediately. To read more about what middle-class tax cuts mean to Hispanic families check out our new Middle-Class Tax Cut’s Impact on Hispanic-American Families fact sheet, also available in Spanish HERE. Personally, I know what this impact will mean for my family, but we want to hear from you. The President asked the American people to speak loudly by sharing what $2,000 means to them online on Facebook and via Twitter using the hashtag #My2k. Join the conversation and share your story. President Barack Obama meets with President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico in the Oval Office, Nov. 27, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) President Obama also recently welcomed President-elect of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto to the Oval Office. They discussed the close relationship between Mexico and the United States, and the President noted that President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto’s reform agenda is one that Americans will watch closely. Watch their full remarks here. A giant red AIDS ribbon is put on display in honor of World AIDS Day on the North Portico of the White House, Nov. 30, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) Lastly, 2012 has been another busy and inspirational year in our collective efforts to prevent and treat HIV. A few days ago, the White House hosted Rosie Perez, key scientists, policymakers, and community stakeholders to commemorate World AIDS Day. For HIV positive Latinos, there are many challenges to making sure that they live healthy lives. Treatment for HIV is very expensive, and Latinos are the most uninsured racial/ethnic group in the US. With the passing of the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans will have access to no co-pay HIV education and screening services. Clearly, there is much work to be done—and changing people’s lives for the better is often an incremental process – but trust that we will continue making strides to make this an AIDS-free generation. To read more about World AIDS Day at the White House, click here. As always, please share with your networks and we hope you have a happy and safe holiday season! Julie Chavez Rodriguez Associate Director White House | Office of Public Engagement Agency Updates Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Webinar Series November 27, 2012 The Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program at the U.S. Department of Education provides grants to assist HSIs to expand educational opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic Students. Please join members of the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Division for an informational webinar addressing preparation for a possible grant competition in 2013. NASA Announces Leadership Changes At Glenn And Johnson November 16, 2012 NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced leadership changes Friday for the agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and Johnson Space Center in Houston. Ellen Ochoa will succeed Michael Coats as Johnson’s center director. Ochoa has served as Johnson’s deputy director since September 2007. She is a four-time space shuttle astronaut who previously served as director and deputy director of flight crew operations at Johnson. Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against North Carolina Company November 30, 2012 The Justice Department announced that it reached an agreement with Gamewell Mechanical Inc., a subsidiary of Woodfin Heating Inc., based in Salisbury, N.C., resolving claims that the company violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), when it terminated three employees based on the incorrect assumption that they were undocumented foreign nationals when they were in fact U.S. citizens. Blog Highlights Cecilia Muñoz: Hispanic-American Families Just Can’t Afford Tax Increases As the debate over the so-called “fiscal cliff” in Washington continues, much of the conversation centers on deficit reduction, revenues, and tax rates. But what is easily lost in that conversation is the very real meaning this has for Hispanic-American families all across America. Download the fact sheet and spread the word regarding the implications of the Fiscal Cliff on Hispanic-Americans. (Also available in Spanish HERE.) Honoring the Memory of My Grandfather, César E. Chávez In October, the President traveled to Keene, California to honor the memory of César Estrada Chávez, by designating the property at Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz as a National Monument. As a granddaughter to César E. Chávez, read why this dedication was especially powerful and moving to Julie Rodriguez. You can also read the President’s remarks, and find more information from the Department of the Interior on the National Monument. The Untold Story About the U.S.-Mexico Border Violence Narco-trafficking. Illegal Immigration. A place of great insecurity. Listen to the national media and these are the images they would have you believe define and characterize the U.S.-Mexico Border. Though Mexico confronts serious security challenges and works hard to tackle them, the benefits derived from scale and magnitude of our economic partnership with Mexico literally dwarfs those challenges. Get Involved Apply for the Summer 2013 White House Internship Program The application for the Summer 2013 White House Internship Program is now open. This hands-on program is designed to mentor and cultivate today’s young leaders, strengthen their understanding of the Executive Office of the President and engage them in public service opportunities. Learn more about the program and the application process. The deadline to apply is January 27, 2013. Apply for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellowship CHCI Fellowships seeks to enhance participants’ leadership abilities, strengthen professional skills and ultimately produce more competent and competitive Latino professionals in public policy areas. This fellowship offers the opportunity to gain hands-on experience at the national level in the public policy area of their choice. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2013. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2013 and this fellowship offers the opportunity to gain hands-

What Does $2,000 Mean to You?

Surrounded by Americans who had written into the White House in support of his plan, President Obama today renewed his call to prevent a tax increase on the middle class:

“If Congress does nothing, every family in America will see their taxes automatically go up at the beginning of next year,” the President said. “A typical middle-class family of four would see its income taxes go up by $2,200. That’s $2,200 out of people’s pockets. That means less money for buying groceries, less money for filling prescriptions, less money for buying diapers. It means a tougher choice between paying the rent and paying tuition. And middle-class families just can’t afford that right now.”

To help find an agreement President Obama pledged to keep up the pressure — meeting with lawmakers, labor leaders, and business executives. And he called on the American people to speak up and add their own voices to the debate.

Add your voice – tell us what $2,000 means to you and your family.

In Case You Missed It

Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog:President Obama Welcomes Mexico President-Elect Enrique Peña Nieto
Yesterday afternoon, President Obama welcomed Enrique Peña Nieto, the President-elect of Mexico, to the Oval Office.Giving Tuesday
America has a tradition of generosity. Yesterday was Giving Tuesday, a new nationwide effort to raise attention and motivate action for the common good. It’s a trend worth encouraging.

Fighting Human Trafficking in Cambodia
On each leg of his trip to Southeast Asia this week, President Obama raised with foreign leaders one of his priority human rights issues: ending human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery

The Untouched Landscapes of Antarctica​

 

The Untouched Landscapes of Antarctica Does Africa seem tame to you, with its conga lines of safari vehicles and camps with crystal chandeliers? Do you long for that frisson of the in&#64257nite? Then Antarctica is the place for you&#8212immense, unowned, unspoiled, and populated by some of the world’s most enchanting (and brutal) creatures.

Conde Nast Traveler

the CBO : Unemployment Insurance : Recession

H.R. 6429, STEM Jobs Act of 2012

As posted on the Web site of the House Committee on Rules (Committee Print 112-34) and later amended on November 28, 2012

Estimate of the statutory Pay-As-You-Go effects for H.R. 6429 and Effects on Direct Spending and Revenues for H.R. 6429

Unemployment Insurance in the Wake of the Recent Recession

The unemployment insurance (UI) system is a partnership between the federal government and state governments that provides a temporary weekly benefit to qualified workers who lose their job and are seeking work. The amount of that benefit is based in part on a worker’s past earnings. CBO estimates that UI benefits totaled $94 billion in fiscal year 2012 (when the unemployment rate was 8.3 percent, on average), a substantial increase over the $33 billion paid out in fiscal year 2007 (when the unemployment rate was 4.5 percent, on average).

CBO Releases a Report on Unemployment Insurance

Unemployment insurance benefits topped $150 billion during 2010—when the annual unemployment rate peaked at 9.6 percent—up from $33 billion in fiscal year 2007.

As discussed in today’s CBO report—Unemployment Insurance in the Wake of the Recent Recession—benefits grew not only because of increased layoffs of workers, but because of several changes to the unemployment insurance (UI) system over the last few years.

Tell Republicans to DITCH the Pledge

Grover Norquist’s iron grip on Republicans in Congress is so strong that they’re afraid to raise taxes on billionaires even one red cent.

But now some Republicans claim they’re coming to their senses about Grover and his anti-tax pledge.

If you agree that it’s time to stop protecting tax cuts for the rich, then sign our petition to Boehner, Cantor and the Republicans.

Click here to help us reach 250,000 strong telling Republicans to abandon Grover Norquist and his pledge to protect millionaire tax breaks.

The fiscal cliff deadline is only weeks away. If you agree that President Obama’s plan to end reckless tax breaks for the rich is the right course for our nation, now’s the time to say it.

Add your name right now and tell Republicans to ditch Grover and his pledge to protect millionaire tax cuts once and for all.

must see Vid

 

whitehouse has uploaded President Obama, Vice President Biden and President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico.

President Obama, Vice President Biden and President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico bywhitehouse

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden welcome President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico to the White House to mark his election. November 27, 2012.

Don’t let Congress junk the Farm Bill

 

		Tell Congress to Pass a Healthy Farm Bill Farmers growing healthy food items such as organic milk often face hurdles that others do not. Congress is past overdue in passing legislation that would address these imbalances. Tell Congress you want a Farm Bill that invests in organic dairy & healthy-food farmers, NOW! A Farm Bill for Organic Dairy & Healthy-Food Farmers Imagine this: billions of taxpayer dollars support the production of unhealthy processed foods and sugary drinks, while farmers supplying healthier items such as organic milk are overlooked or even penalized. Worse, despite an overdue and ticking timeline, Congress is sitting on its hands instead of passing legislation to address these imbalances. Sound like a bad dream? Unfortunately, it’s reality—but it doesn’t have to be. Recent reports from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) showed how smarter agriculture policies can help farmers grow more of the healthy fruits and vegetables we need and boost local economies along the way. Now, a new UCS study, Cream of the Crop: The Economic Benefits of Organic Dairy Farms, reveals that public investment in organic dairy farmers would pay off in multiple ways. In addition to producing a healthier product and safeguarding the environment, organic dairy farms generate greater economic opportunity and more jobs in rural communities compared with conventional dairies. But current agriculture policy favors big polluting CAFOs (confined animal feed operations) over organic dairy farms. And because Congress has failed to act on the now-overdue 2012 Farm Bill—the 5-year legislative package that shapes U.S. agriculture—the limited programs that currently help organic dairy farmers are at risk. We can change this, but we need quick action. Tell Congress: pass a Farm Bill—one that calls for investments in organic dairies and other healthy-food farmers—NOW. Sincerely, Ashley Elles National Field Organizer UCS Food and Environment Program

must see Vids

 

President Obama and President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico + 5 videos by whitehouse   142 video   West Wing Week PLAYLIST by whitehouse CNBC Anchor Accuses Democrat Of Tanking Stock Market On Air + 4 videos by tpmtv   Haiti’s Treasures: Out of the Rubble – Working Through a Worst Case… + 3 videos by smithsonianchannel Jane McAlevey: Building the Labor Movement in Obama’s Second Term

a message from Jim Dean of DFA

I’ll be blunt: This right-wing idea that we’re going to cut Medicare while extending the Bush tax cuts for the rich is morally bankrupt.

Our country can’t afford these tax cuts and our seniors can’t afford to live without vital programs like Medicare — especially when the economy is still recovering. Medicare keeps millions of seniors out of poverty every year, allowing them to get at least the basic medical care they need.

This is a right-wing assault on America’s social safety net and we need your help to stop it cold.

Can you chip in $10 right now to help fuel the campaign to protect Medicare?

George Bush’s tax cuts for the rich wiped out record surpluses built by President Clinton and didn’t create one new job in the eight years President Bush was in the White House. But listening to Republicans today, you’d think that vital programs like Medicare are solely responsible for our budget woes. They’re lying — and they know it.

The Congressional Budget Office reports that Republican cuts to Medicare — like those outlined in the Ryan plan — would do little to shrink the deficit.

President Obama and Democrats hold all the cards here. We need them to stand strong and debunk the Republican lies and spin.

Stand up to the right-wing assault on Medicare — Please contribute $10 right now.

Thank you for everything you do.

-Jim

Jim Dean, Chair
Democracy for America