Monthly Archives: March 2010

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Monday mad weather News …&cspan.org live stream


Easter break has both Chambers of Congress a little more quiet than usual.  I can’t lie the heat in both Chambers was exciting, irritating and anyone watching has to admit seeing our Political process at work or being abused was upsetting.  The crap that was done to Americans 8years ago led to a change we can all believe in and voted for.  Republicans keep saying the people don’t want this; actually, change is just what this country needs and again, 53% voted for.  It is with great pride to see Democrats finally act like Politicians trying to do the work of the people while Republicans continued to use procedural moves to block or stall the governing party and that was  sad… The process was just getting fun, what with all the fighting or debating as the Politicians like to say.  The break will be a time for Democrats to be with family and sell health care reform; as a good thing for all of us and why.  It was a good Month;there will be many more to come with the help of all Americans who so want to get back on track and be number one in the nation again.

Other News … Cspan.org live-stream

watch State Briefing on START Treaty

**Pres. Obama met with U.S. troops after an unannounced visit to Afghanistan that included a meeting with President Hamid Karzai. The two met briefly at the Presidential Palace in Kabul to discuss “benchmarks for progress” during Mr. Karzai’s second term.

watch Pres. Obama Greets Troops in Afghanistan watch Pres. Obama & Pres. Karzai Speak to Press

**reports are that female bombers kill 37 innocent people in Moscow injuring 65

C-SPAN Radio's New iPhone App

Think tanks Host Event On The Future Of Nuclear Weapons. After Friday’s announcement of a new U.S.-Russia arms reduction treaty, the Brookings Institution and American Enterprise Instit. present findings from a report examining the future of nuclear weapons. They will discuss the Administration’s goal to reduce nuclear weapons, as well as the strategies employed for their use.

Commission looks at Iraq contracting drawdown. At a hearing held by the Commission on Wartime Contracting (CWC) in Iraq and Afghanistan, witnesses will discuss plans to reduce the workforce of nearly 100,000 contractor employees in Iraq as part of the U.S. agreement to draw down its military forces. In particular, the hearing will look at Texas-based KBR, Inc, which has reported 2009 revenues of $4.8 billion from the contract with the military.watch Hearing: Panel 1 watch Hearing: Panel 2

U. S Treasury Holds Symposium On Women in Finance.  Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner speaks at a forum recognizing the contributions of women in the financial sector. The event also includes two panel discussions focusing on the economic recovery and the challenges women face in the financial community. Participants will include FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair and the heads of the Small Business Administration and Securities and Exchange Commission.

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The President’s Recess appointments and why


Fifteen Appointees Have Waited an Average of 214 Days for Senate Confirmation

WASHINGTON –After facing months of Republican obstruction to administration nominees, President Obama announced his intent to recess appoint fifteen nominees to fill critical administration posts that have been left vacant, including key positions on the economic team and on boards that have been left with vacancies for months.

“The United States Senate has the responsibility to approve or disapprove of my nominees.  But if, in the interest of scoring political points, Republicans in the Senate refuse to exercise that responsibility, I must act in the interest of the American people and exercise my authority to fill these positions on an interim basis,”  said President Barack Obama. “Most of the men and women whose appointments I am announcing today were approved by Senate committees months ago, yet still await a vote of the Senate.  At a time of economic emergency, two top appointees to the Department of Treasury have been held up for nearly six months. I simply cannot allow partisan politics to stand in the way of the basic functioning of government.”

Following their appointment, these nominees will remain in the Senate for confirmation.

Obama Administration appointees have faced an unprecedented level of obstruction in the Senate.

  • President Obama currently has a total of 217 nominees pending before the Senate.  These nominees have been pending for an average of 101 days, including 34 nominees pending for more than 6 months.
  • The 15 nominees President Obama intends to recess appoint have been pending for an average of 214 days or 7 months for a total of 3204 days or almost 9 years.
  • President Bush had made 15 recess appointments by this point in his presidency, but he was not facing the same level of obstruction.  At this time in 2002, President Bush had only 5 nominees pending on the floor.  By contrast, President Obama has 77 nominees currently pending on the floor, 58 of whom have been waiting for over two weeks and 44 of those have been waiting more than a month.
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Weekend News &reviews … cspan.org


It’s Sunday and while re-broadcasts of  the President and Nancy Pelosi signing the HCR into law is exciting …reports are that our President made a surprise visit to Afghanistan, his first;updates when needed.  This week was great even the low points were exciting and eye-opening because it gave me new energy…we have a fight on our watch ladies and gentlemen … to push the US to be the best it can be, to be more self-sufficient, to be number ONE again.  We have a chance to move into the 21st Century and with that we can also be compassionate enough to help other Americans;  to pitch in a little more so that others can begin to do better, to finally demand no force financial regulations; oh the list of good things are so long it’s just incredible.  The last administration left such a mess the clean-up could last years. This week, we saw President Obama act with resolve, he pushed back, stayed the course…with nancy pelosi’s/harry reid’s help  passed HCR, showed tough love to Israel, russia/US agreement to reduce nuclear arms, use a well-used procedure to get his cabinet filled because Republicans have decided to break him if and or make sure he cannot govern the way a President should,possibly create more sanctions for Iran to think about and took the student loan process away from the banks and guess what? we will save 60billion dollars to re-invest in … Americans people!!! We the People… good …no that’s huge

It’s Saturday …Some not all Democrats have definitely shown Americans exactly who are the adults in both Chambers of Congress.  The world didn’t end, no one saw anything different happen with the exception of the New Law of the Land that will help everyone not just poor people.  If implemented correctly, smoothly HCR will cover over 30mil people and create  an obvious up-tick in employees; it will also move us into the 21st Century and that is about time. The fight is not over  as concerned voters, we need to push movement toward climate, immigration, education and more

What’s on CSPAN… and Updates

Discussion On The Function, Budget and Oversight of FEMA.  This week on Newsmakers, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate describes how the agency has changed since Hurricane Katrina. He also discusses the function, budget and oversight of FEMA. In 2003 the agency was absorbed into the new Department of Homeland Security, due to security changes following the Sept. 11 attacks.

watch Pres. Obama’s Weekly Address

Other News …or Updates

the media is reporting that “the people” are not onboard the bill or law … who are they asking? or polling? we don’t know how many on the right voted in any one poll on any given day

In direct response to the party of no, the party that said hell no to Boehner, Cantor, Palin and those on the right who have been blocking the Obama administration and it’s right to govern the President has or will make recess appointments and believe me i am relieved.

The House is on it’s Easter Break

Senate business

Convenes: 9:30am3/27/2010 Morning Business until 12:30pm with the time equally divided and controlled between Senators Stabenow and Coburn or their designees.

Votes:
Unanimous Consent:
Passed HR4957, FAA Extension Act (extends to April 30, 2010; current extension expires March 31, 2010).

Passed S.3162, a bill to clarify the health care provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that constitutes minimum essential coverage.

Passed HR4621, the Prevent deceptive Census Look Alike Mailings Act.

Passed HR4573, Haiti Debt Relief and Earthquake Recovery Act.

Passed H.J.Res. 80, 65th anniversary of the Blinded Veterans Association.

Adopted S.Res.117, 80th anniversary of the Daughters of Penelope.

Adopted S.Res.412, designating September 2010 as “National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month”

Adopted S.Res.427, designating the first week of April 2010 as “National Asbestos Awareness Week” (with Baucus amendment to the preamble).

Adopted S.Res.471, recognizing the University of Southern Mississippi

Adopted S.Res.472, a resolution in recognition and support of “National Safe Digging Month”.

Adopted S.Res.473, designating April 4, 2010, as “National Association of Junior Auxiliaries Day”

S.Res.474, supporting the designation of April as “Parkinson’s Awareness Month”.

Passed S.3191, Satellite Home Viewer (10 year extension)

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Republican mis-information …UNDER THE RADAR tp


TP  HEALTH CARE — FACT CHECK: HEALTH CARE REFORM WILL NOT MOVE MILITARY HEALTH CARE ‘TO THE DEPARTMENT THAT HANDLES WELFARE’: This week, Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA) told KUSI in San Diego that one of the most offensive parts of the health care reform law is that it will move TriCARE, the health program covering service members and their families, out of the Defense Department and “to the department that handles welfare.” He added that once members of the military find out, “all hell is going to break loose.” But there is no basis to Bilbray’s claim, which he has repeated to other outlets. The Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services administers the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, aka “welfare,” and nothing in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act says that TriCARE will be moved there. “Those who depend on TriCARE should rest assured — TriCARE will not change under health insurance reform,” HHS spokesman Nick Papas told The Progress Report. TriCARE spokesman Austin Camacho has also said, “Tricare is a DoD agency, and I’m quite sure it will stay that way.” Even Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), appearing on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal on Monday, insisted that the Affordable Care Act won’t affect military care. “It is unfortunate that some continue to raise what is now even more clearly a false alarm that is apparently meant to frighten veterans and their families in order to prompt them to oppose the pending legislation,” said Vietnam Veterans of America President John Rowan. The American Legion, usually one of the most conservative veterans groups, has said military members “can rest assured that their TRICARE benefits are secure under the law signed by President Obama.”

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Action Alert … change.org


Don’t Let Texas Rewrite History

If you thought that decisions made by the Texas State Board of Education don’t affect you, think again.

Led by right-wing ideologues, the Texas board recently gave preliminary approval to a plan that would radically change what children across the country learn in history class.

The ultra-conservative majority on the board — many of whom are explicitly anti-science and believe that the United States is a “Christian nation” — took the curricula proposed by teachers and made over a hundred changes, questioning the separation between church and state and diminishing the role of women and minorities.

But it gets worse. Since Texas is one of the largest textbook markets in the country, material written to cater to the Texas curricula will find its way into textbooks across the country unless textbook publishers take a stand.

We can’t allow a small group of extreme ideologues on the Texas State Board of Education to re-write history. Click here to tell textbook publishers to stand up to Texas extremists.

Children who use textbooks conforming to the new standards will not learn anything about the political philosophy of Thomas Jefferson or his thoughts on the separation of church and state. When they learn about the Civil War, they’ll have to study Jefferson Davis’ inaugural address alongside Abraham Lincoln’s. And when they study the civil rights movement they’ll have to learn about the “unintended consequences” of affirmative action and Title IX.

In a particularly glaring rewriting of history, when reading about Joe McCarthy students will be told that he was right all along about communist infiltration into the U.S. government.

This is outrageous. We will have failed our children and imperiled our future if we cannot teach accurate history. We can’t let far-right ideologues co-opt our educational system.

Click here to tell the textbook publishers: Don’t let Texas rewrite history.

Thank you for standing up for the American educational system.

– The Change.org Team in partnership with CREDO Action

 Click here to sign your name

The job of textbook publishers is to educate our children, not indoctrinate them.