Monthly Archives: March 2010

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Thank Senate Democrats … Public Option supporters


Senators Bennet, Brown, Merkley, Gillibrand, Kerry, Leahy, Franken, Whitehouse, Burris, Sanders, Feinstein, Reed, Boxer, Udall (NM), Mikulski, Lautenberg, Schumer, Shaheen, Specter, Menendez, Inouye, Johnson, Stabenow, Levin, Durbin, Murray, Bingaman, Cardin, Klobuchar, and Casey have shown bold leadership — asking Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to pass the public health insurance option through reconciliation, which only needs a simple majority in the Senate. Click on the picture and sign the note

Thanks

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News this Tuesday .. and what’s on CSPAN


GM has announced a recall of over 1.3 million compact cars, including the new colt and just about every version of the Pontiac stating they have steering problems when driven at 15mph.  DWTS has picked the new cast and talk about politics and pop culture colliding … one of our infamous astronauts Buzz Aldrin has succumbed to the attraction of fringe and sequence, the news and reviews of Leno’s return will be hot and heavy, especially since one of his guest will be ex-gov of Alaska and Tea party member Sarah Palin; some will mark the anniversary of 2landing on Iwo jima.  The weather outside is still frightful in parts of the NE of our country, the Politics is getting uglier and people on the Hill are down right rude; Republican rude that is. Speaking of Republicans… who are you for Kay Bailey Hutchinson or Rick Perry the Secessionist; the Texas primary is today and if i had to pick one it would be Kay Bailey because she seems just a little more human than the other candidate; and as a person of colour Perry and his Tea Party ways scare me and the future of Texans of colour.

It is a day that people who are unemployed, on furlough, doctors who are missing that 21%, Medicare patients out of luck and other Federal employees laid off, are hopefully pissed at the Political Party of NO; and will not only vote accordingly come 2010 and 2012 they will be calling Senator Bunning, Kyl, and McConnell to tell them enough .  The Senate is on the floor right now battling out the pros and cons of doing what’s right on the Jobs bill that Bunning says is a jobless bill that needs to be paid for… status quo is that most emergencies are voted yes on and dealt with later…Bunning has decided to flip it …  eventually,  a vote will take place with the hope of getting everything back together because humpty sure fell off the wall, even people in the Bunning party of no are hoping to get the vote over and done with a whole lot of yeas… this in itself should bring out more outraged and be just one more piece of evidence on how the Party feels about Americans… Republican Senator Heller was among the rude and nasty aspect of his party.    After a full day of strange behavior and Republican filibustering  a vote on a the Bunning amendment, failed —–  HR4691 passes 78yeas  19nays

Today the Public Option is looking even more alive;  there are reports that 9 more Democrats are considering a yes vote, which, could mean 39more Democrats have the courage  to get the Peoples Work done.  Congress needs to listen … 53% of us voted for change we can believe in … we aren’t dumb we heard exactly what that would entail, Democrats in both the House and Senate need to support the President at this moment; and yes it is a defining moment for them all.

other news …

The President introduced Home Star today, getting energy rebates buying energy efficient batteries, appliances, window, insulation and more by getting an instant rebate, supposedly helps the small business and the home improvement buyer does not have to wait for 3 to 6 months for the check, Obama also has included 4Republican points for health care

And what is on CSPAN today … stay informed;live-stream

**The US House will be in session around 12:30ET and the Senate is on the floor battling out the pros and cons of doing what’s right on the Jobs bill that Bunning says is a jobless bill that needs to be paid for… status quo is that most emergencies are voted yes on and dealt with later…Bunning has decided to flip it

Senate Continues “jobs agenda” legislative week

The Senate continues work on a package of legislation including extending jobless benefits and health care which ran out on Sunday. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) continues to object to the legislation. Because the legislation, which included funding for highway projects, was not extended, two thousand federal transportation workers are being furloughed without pay this week. watch Senate Floor: C-SPAN2 at 10am ET    read AP: Federal Workers Now Out of work read The Hill: Must-Pass Bills Falter

Subcmte. Examines International Internet Censorship

Following Google’s announcement that they would no longer abide by the Chinese govern-
ment’s censorship laws, the Senate Judiciary Subcmte. will question business practices in China and discuss the issue of global Internet freedom. Google representatives will testify on the rights of their business partners and censorship of Google’s online products.

watch Sen. Jud. Hearing: C-SPAN3 at 10am ETvisit Hearing Witness List read NYT: New Scrutiny on Censorship Issues

Toyota Recall Continues To Be Scrutinized on Capitol Hill

Hearings into Toyota’s vehicle recall continue today as Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood, Toyota executives and a top transportation official explain the handling of the vehicle acceleration problems. In a recent letter to DoT, Commerce Cmte. Chair Rockefeller (D-WV) requested further investigation into NHTSA’s oversight of the company.

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Breaking News … from Adam Green PCCC.org

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Akansas Lt. Gov Bill Halter is running against Sen. Blanche Lincoln in a Democratic primary! Click here to learn more and help him.

Mike Bennet - under attack

BIG NEWS: Bill Halter, the popular Arkansas Lt. Governor, just announced he will run against Senator Blanche Lincoln in the Democratic primary this year.

Blanche Lincoln is one of the worst corporate Democrats in Washington. She took millions from corporate interests and then joined Joe Lieberman in attempting to kill the public health insurance option.

Bill Halter is a populist — in his announcement today, he attacked Wall Street and the insurance companies! Corporations will attack him back, so we’re teaming up with other progressives to raise his campaign $500,000 in one week.

Can you stand with Bill Halter? Click here to chip in $5 and see a video we put together about his candidacy.

Then, please forward this email to every progressive you know who is sick and tired of corporate Democrats like Lincoln, Lieberman, and the rest.

An early show of strong fundraising will help Halter’s candidacy instantly be seen as credible.

This is the best opportunity we’ll have in 2010 to show corporate Democrats in the Senate that when they oppose change, there will be payback.

Please chip in $5 to Bill Halter today.

Thanks for being a bold progressive.

— Adam Green, Stephanie Taylor, Aaron Swartz, Max Berger, Forrest Brown, and the PCCC team

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March madness countdown … and what’s on CSPAN


It’s Monday, and the Cape Wind meeting with Sec Salazar, Tribes and Energy Management happens today, the Senate is back in session battling it out on Ui benefits and more around 2pmET watch it live-stream; the House is not in session today.

The impact of just one Senator, Bunning, has put a complete stop to all types of construction projects, including Medicare programs that will need to be put on hold and leaving people who need a doctor without; putting not just construction workers out of work temporarily, but doctors will be losing 21%payments and they won’t be taking new patients.

The President along with Colin Powell/wife and Sec of Ed Arne Duncan will be announcing the 900million dollars in grants for the education program called Helping a America become a Grad Nation in association with Americas Promise Alliance.

PATTY MURRAY (D-WA):

“I’ve been consistently supportive of a public option so that Washington’s families and businesses have choices in their health care options and so insurance companies are finally forced to compete for the business of the American people. Nothing has changed that support. I don’t know whether the votes exist in the Senate right now, but if the public option came up for a vote as we move ahead with reform, including under reconciliation, I would vote yes.”

Thank you Patty Murray

on CSPAN today …

Partisan Divide Affects Unemployment Benefits

Sen. Maj. Ldr. Reid (D-NV) plans to introduce a bill in the Senate to extend federal unemployment and other benefits. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) blocked passage of the House-approved package of provisions on Friday. The benefits began to phase out yesterday, potentially leaving some people without unemployment and health benefits until a final Senate vote.

visit CNN Politics: Lone Senator Blocks Unemployment

watch Congressional Agenda: Now on C-SPAN

Rep. Hoyer on Fiscal Responsibility and PAYGO legislation

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) will talk about fiscal responsibility in a speech at the Brookings Institution. He’s expected to discuss the new bipartisan fiscal commission charged with recommending solutions for reducing the federal deficit, and also the “PAYGO” legislation recently enacted into law that requires federal spending or tax cuts to be offset by savings or revenue increases.        watch Brookings Institute: C-SPAN at 1pm ET

read Additional Event Information

Commission Evaluates Teamwork Among Contractors

The Commission on Wartime Contracting will hold a hearing on how to improve cooperation among contract agencies in Iraq and Afghanistan. This hearing builds on previous testimony that exposed problems with planning and organizing contract projects. Government witnesses are set to testify on their actions to promote interagency coordination.

Cato Institute Discussion on States and the Right to Bear Arms The Cato Institute hosted a panel of legal scholars to preview the Supreme Court case McDonald v. Chicago and its implications for gun rights and other constitutional liberties.

Washington, DC                    watch Cato Institute Panel
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Public Option Garners Avalanche of Support in Senate


Adam Green

Adam Green

Co-founder, Progressive Change Campaign Committee

Posted: March 1, 2010 01:18 AM

In the wake of last week’s “bipartisan summit” — which proved that no Republicans in Congress will vote for health care reform — an avalanche of Democratic senators are announcing today that they will vote YES for the public health insurance option if it is brought up in “reconciliation.”

Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) are the latest to announce their support, raising the number of senators on record from 0 to 30 in under 2 weeks.

The below statements were released to the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), Democracy for America, and Credo Action — three groups who have been organizing thousands of Americans daily on this issue and who gathered over 200,000 signatures on a petition telling Congress that Americans want a good bill with a public option over a “bipartisan” bill without one. A tally of senators supporting the public option in reconciliation is at WhipCongress.com.

DICK DURBIN (D-IL):

Durbin Communications Director Joe Shoemaker: “Sen. Durbin has long been a supporter of the public option. I don’t know whether the votes exist in the Senate right now, but if the House version of the public option came up for a vote in reconciliation Sen. Durbin would vote yes.”

PATTY MURRAY (D-WA):

“I’ve been consistently supportive of a public option so that Washington’s families and businesses have choices in their health care options and so insurance companies are finally forced to compete for the business of the American people. Nothing has changed that support. I don’t know whether the votes exist in the Senate right now, but if the public option came up for a vote as we move ahead with reform, including under reconciliation, I would vote yes.”

JEFF BINGAMAN (D-NM):

“I have long been a supporter of the public option, and I have voted for it every time it has come before the Senate. I drafted the public option provision in the HELP Committee and co-sponsored the public option amendment in the Finance Committee. If the public option came up for a vote in reconciliation I would vote yes.”

BEN CARDIN (D-MD):

Cardin spokesperson Sue Walitsky: “Senator Cardin has always been a strong supporter of the public option. As a member of the Budget Committee, he has always considered reconciliation a viable option for passing health care reform. If there is a vote in reconciliation on the House public option, Senator Cardin would vote yes.”

AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN):

“I support the House bill version of the public option which is based on negotiated rates, and if that came up for a vote in reconciliation I would vote yes. I do not support a public option based on Medicare rates because it exacerbates geographic disparities that already hurt Minnesota.”

Previously, 24 other senators signed Sen. Michael Bennet’s letter calling for the public option through reconciliation plus Majority Leader Harry Reid made big news by endorsing the idea:

Reid spokesperson Rodell Mollineau: “Senator Reid has always and continues to support the public option as a way to drive down costs and create competition…If a decision is made to use reconciliation to advance health care, Senator Reid will work with the White House, the House, and members of his caucus in an effort to craft a public option that can overcome procedural obstacles and secure enough votes.”

target

We are finding out who our real friends are. These senators deserve praise for embracing the will of the people. Polls show that voters in state after state overwhelmingly want the public option — and progressives will keep pushing others senators to take a stand until 50 votes are reached.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee will spend thousands of dollars this week on an online ad campaign in the states of at least 10 senators who should be for the public option but have refused to issue a statement so far, reaching at least 1 million people online.

First up: Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa — and we’ll soon be naming more. Jon Stewart lampooned Harkin last week for previously saying, “I’d say right now we have well over 55 votes for a public option, but we need 60” — while now shrugging his shoulders and saying not even 50 exist.

Harkin also claimed on MSNBC that nobody has fought harder for the public option than him. I’ve been a longtime Harkin fan, but at this point, that claim is laughable. I can name at least 30 senators who have fought harder than Harkin, with more likely to come.

People can help fund the online ads pressuring Harkin and others here — and can join 200,000 others in signing the petition to Harkin and others here.

The avalanche of Senate support for the public option will continue. Who do you think is next to take a stand?

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