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Monthly Archives: September 2010
Today at 4: AFL-CIO Officers Answer Your Questions
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Hundreds of you have submitted questions for the live webcast today with the AFL-CIO officers at 4 p.m. EDT.
Tune in at www.aflcio.org.
On the first anniversary of their election as the AFL-CIO’s top leadership team, Richard Trumka, Liz Shuler and Arlene Holt Baker will answer questions about the state of the union movement, the upcoming elections, how to confront our continuing jobs crisis and more.
During the webcast, you also can participate in a live conversation on the site and share your thoughts with other online activists.
Don’t miss the live webcast today at 4 p.m. EDT at www.aflcio.org.
In solidarity,
AFL-CIO Working Families e-Activist Network
P.S. Please forward this e-mail to friends and invite them to tune in, too.
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Sean Hannity is failing science
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Sean Hannity is failing science.
Okay—that may not be shocking to you and me, but it ought to be. It is unconscionable that an opinion leader like Hannity ignores the facts about climate change every chance he gets—which is a lot, given that he’s one of the most popular Fox News personalities. Even worse, he’s become a bad influence on his fellow students (and his viewers), replacing established scientific facts with his own talking points.
And he’s not alone. Pundits and talking heads take to the airwaves virtually every day to promote bad science and distort the facts. They’re not just failing science—they’re failing their viewers, and it’s up to the Union of Concerned Scientists and people like you to tell them that they aren’t making the grade.
Take a look at Sean’s failing grades—pictured at right—and then send a note to his parent (company) and tell them to put Sean on time out until he’s ready to get the science right.
We can’t make good decisions about climate change or a whole range of other issues without strong science and reliable information. And unless people like you and me speak out, cable TV is going to continue to promote bluster and ideology when they should be educating their viewers with solid facts.
Please join me—tell Fox News that Sean Hannity is failing science.
Sincerely,
Kate Abend
National Field Organizer
UCS Climate and Energy Program
P.S. While Sean Hannity is spreading bad science, we believe in spreading the truth. Our new ad series, Curious for Life, does just that. Check out the ads here—and join us in drowning out the Hannitys of the world with curiosity, truth, and science.
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CONGRESS: The 100 Vote Senate
It’s common wisdom that nothing gets done in the U.S. Senate without a 60 vote supermajority, but this common wisdom is entirely too optimistic. Although only a small minority of senators object to any one of President Obama’s judicial nominees, confirmations have slowed to such a glacial pace that Republican control over federal trial courts increased since Obama took office. Likewise, a massive 372 bills that passed House during the Obama presidency have yet to receive a vote in the Senate. Only a handful of these bills were even remotely controversial in the House, and 44 of them passed the House unanimously. Such obstruction works, even against uncontroversial bills and nominations, because the Senate’s system of filibusters, delay tactics and secret holds empowers just one senator to bring the institution to a standstill. The Senate does not operate by majority rule; It does not really even operate by supermajority rule. Increasingly, the Senate can only act unanimously.
THE TOOLS OF OBSTRUCTION: The most valuable commodity in the Senate is not votes, it is time. Sixty senators can break a filibuster through a process known as “cloture,” but filibustering senators can force up to 30 hours of post-cloture debate once a filibuster is broken. Although 30 hours may not seem like a lot, when you multiply it across the hundreds of judges, ambassadors and other officials that require Senate confirmation — not to mention the 372 unpassed bills — it adds up to more time than there actually exists to move business forward on the Senate floor. For example, take Obama’s 44 unconfirmed judicial nominees. At 30 hours per nominee, it would take nearly two months to confirm each of these judges, and that’s assuming the Senate worked around the clock on both weekdays and weekends, and that it passed no bills, confirmed no other nominees, and took up no other matters for this entire period. Moreover, in part because just one senator can initiate a filibuster, it’s possible for the Senate’s single most radical member to bring the entire body to a standstill. To top all of this off, that one senator often doesn’t even need to reveal who they are thanks to “secret holds.” According to one count, there are 132 secret holds on Obama’s judicial nominees and no way to know who is behind them.
THE COST OF OBSTRUCTION: The Senate is not a rubber stamp, and it can and should reject bills that don’t deserve to be law. But as long as the right can — under cover of secrecy — delay Senate business into oblivion, it is unlikely that more than a few the 372 languishing bills will ever be considered on their merits. Beyond essential bills to prevent catastrophic global warming and mitigate the damage caused by the Supreme Court‘s egregious decision allowing unlimited corporate funds into American elections, these bills were almost entirely uncontroversial in the House. They include measures to prevent prisons from becoming breeding grounds for AIDS, to authorize relief for torture victims, and to ensure that college dorms are equipped with fire sprinklers. Even bills to enable a full investigation into BP’s catastrophic oil spill and to ensure that BP is held accountable for this spill are being denied a Senate vote. Meanwhile, obstructing Obama’s judicial nominees has one purpose: maintaining the right’s stranglehold on the federal judiciary. Until this stranglehold is broken, everything from health care reform and stem cell research to the environment and the fairness of American elections is in jeopardy.
THE POWER OF ONE: Obstructionism could get a whole lot worse if any one of the Tea Party’s radical slate of candidates joins the Senate. Under the Senate’s anachronistic rules, just one senator can forbid any Senate committee from holding hearings after 2pm. Likewise, a single senator can demand that every proposed amendment to a pending bill be read aloud — wasting hours of time in the process. Indeed, the Senate’s ability to function is built upon unanimous consent agreements. If just one senator refuses to join any of these agreements, the body will effectively shut down. This is not an academic concern. When Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle served in the state legislature, it was common to say that bills passed “62 to Angle,” because of Angle’s pattern of casting solitary “no” votes. Likewise, Kentucky GOP candidate Rand Paul has promised to oppose any budget which includes a penny of deficit spending, effectively demanding that the Senate do the impossible. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), who is already staking out a role as the leader of the Senate’s emerging extremist faction, admitted that his goal for the Senate is “complete gridlock.” In other words, next year’s Senate class could include a number of senators who simply aren’t in touch with reality, and it only takes one to sabotage the entire legislative body.
The Progress Report
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what’s going on in Congress today!HR5297 passes 61-38 debates&votes
The Senate CONVENES: 9:30AMET September 16, 2010
Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R.5297.
HR5297 passes 61-38! Republicans stated this is a small biz bailout Democrats and a couple of Republicans truly want to help create jobs, give small biz a chance to manufacture things get the middle class and America back on track!
DADT and The Dream Act=immigration will be voted on next week
At 10:45am, the Senate will proceed to vote on the motions listed below:
– Grassley Motion to Suspend Rule 22, Paragraph 2, for the purpose of proposing and considering amendment #4433 (to extend expiring tax incentives for biodiesel and renewable diesel) (This vote is subject to an affirmative 67- vote threshold); and
– Hatch motion to Suspend Rule 22, Paragraph 2, for the purpose of proposing and considering the following Motion to Commit:
Hatch Motion to Commit H.R.5297 to the Committee on Finance of the Senate with instructions to report the same back to the Senate with changes to make permanent the research credit under section 41 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1996 (This vote is subject to an affirmative 67-vote threshold).
The second vote in the series will be 10 minutes in duration and there will be 2 minutes for debate prior to each vote.
At 12:00 noon, the Senate will proceed to a series of up to 2 roll call votes in relation to the following items:
– Motion to invoke cloture on H.R.5297, as amended (60-vote threshold); and
– Passage of H.R.5297, as amended (majority vote threshold).
Senator Reid moved to proceed to S.3454, the Department of Defense Authorization bill, and filed cloture on the motion to proceed.
There will be no further roll call votes during today’s session of the Senate. The next vote will occur at 2:15pm on Tuesday, September 21. That vote will be on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the Department of Defense Authorization bill.
Votes:
234: Grassley Motion to Suspend Rule 22, Paragraph 2, for the purpose of proposing and considering amendment #4433: (to extend expiring tax incentives for biodiesel and renewable diesel) (This vote is subject to an affirmative 67- vote threshold);
Not Agreed To: 41-58
235: Hatch Motion to Suspend Rule 22, Paragraph 2, for the purpose of proposing and considering the following Motion to Commit:
Hatch Motion to Commit H.R.5297 to the Committee on Finance of the Senate with instructions to report the same back to the Senate with changes to make permanent the research credit under section 41 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1996 (This vote is subject to an affirmative 67-vote threshold);
Not Agreed To: 51-48
236: Motion to Invoke Cloture on H.R.5297, as amended (60-vote threshold);
Invoked: 61-38
237: Passage of H.R.5297, as amended (majority vote threshold);
Passed: 61-38
Unanimous Consent:
Passed H.R.6102, an act to amend the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2010 to extend the authority of the Secretary of the Navy to enter into multiyear contracts for F/A-18E, F/A-18F and EA-18G aircraft.
Adopted S.Res.627, Designating September 16, 2010, as “The American Legion Day”.
Adopted S.Res.628, a resolution recognizing the 10th anniversary of the National Book Festival.
Adopted S.Res.629,a resolution recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month and celebrating the heritage and culture of Latinos in the United States and their immense contributions to the Nation.
The Senate confirmed the following nominations by unanimous consent:
• Jill Long Thompson to be a Member of the Farm Credit Administration Board
• Marilyn Brown to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
• William Sansom to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
• Neil McBride to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
• Barbara Short Haskew to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
• Joshua Gotbaum to be Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
• Carl Wieman to be an Associate Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President
• Dennis Toner to be a Governor of the United States Postal Service
• Elisabeth Ann Hagen to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety
• Sara Louise Faivre-Davis to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation
• Lowell Lee Junkins to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation
• Myles Watts to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation
• Catherine Woteki to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics
• Francisco Sanchez to be Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade
• J. Patricia Wilson Smoot to be a Commissioner of the United States Parole Commission
• Robert Orr to be United States Director of the Asian Development Bank
• Richard Lobo to be Director of the International Broadcasting Bureau, Broadcasting Board of Governors
• Mimi Alemayehou to be Executive Vice President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
• Mark Feierstein to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development
• Nisha Desai Biswal to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development
• Michael Camunez to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce
• Charles Blahous, III to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, and a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund
• Robert Reischauer to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, and a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund
The Senate will convene again on Monday September 20, 2010 at 2:00pmET
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The next meeting in the House is for September 20, 2010 at 2:30pmET
CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF SEPTEMBER 16, 2010
111TH CONGRESS – SECOND SESSION
2:42 P.M. –
SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.
2:41 P.M. –
The Speaker laid before the House a message from the President transmitting a notification of the continuance of the national emergency with respect to persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism – referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed (H. Doc. 111-145).
2:39 P.M. –
Mr. Poe of TX requested the following general leaves to address the House on September 23: himself for 5 min and Mr. Jones for 5 min.
2:34 P.M. –
ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House continued with further one minute speeches.
The House received a message from the Senate. The Senate passed H.R. 5297 amended.
2:33 P.M. –
ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House continued with further one minute speeches.
2:32 P.M. –
Mr. Sablan asked unanimous consent That, when the House adjourns on Monday, September 20, 2010, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 21, 2010, for Morning-Hour Debate. Agreed to without objection.
Mr. Sablan asked unanimous consent That, when the House adjourns on Thursday, September 16, 2010, it adjourn to meet at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, September 20, 2010. Agreed to without objection.
2:31 P.M. –
Mr. Sablan asked unanimous consent that, the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Price, may be recognized on the legislative day of Wednesday, September 22, 2010, to offer the resolution that he noticed on Thursday, September 16, 2010, without further notice under clause 2(a)(1) of rule IX. Agreed to without objection.
expressing the support for and honoring September 17, 2010 as “Constitution Day”
2:30 P.M. –
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.
Considered as unfinished business.
expressing condolences to and solidarity with the people of Pakistan in the aftermath of the devastating floods that began on July 22, 2010
2:29 P.M. –
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 396 – 2 (Roll no. 531).
2:22 P.M. –
Considered as unfinished business.
2:21 P.M. –
MOMENT OF SILENCE – The Chair asked that the House observe a moment of silence in remembrance of our brave men and women in uniform who have given their lives in the service of our Nation in Iraq and in Afghanistan and their families, and all who serve in our Armed Forces and their families.
to amend the miscellaneous rural development provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to make loans to certain entities that will use the funds to make loans to consumers to implement energy efficiency measures involving structural improvements and investments in cost-effective, commercial off-the-shelf technologies to reduce home energy use
2:20 P.M. –
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On passage Passed by recorded vote: 240 – 172 (Roll no. 530).
2:01 P.M. –
The previous question was ordered without objection.
On agreeing to the Butterfield amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
Amendment offered by Mr. Butterfield.
The amendment requires certain provisions be met in order for funds to be made available. The amendment also states that the provisions of the Act shall be suspended and shall not apply if the Act will have a negative effect on the national budget deficit of the United States.
2:00 P.M. –
On motion to recommit with instructions Agreed to by voice vote.
1:54 P.M. –
DEBATE – The House proceeded with ten minutes of debate on the Shadegg motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment which requires certain provisions be met in order for funds to be made available. The amendment also states that the provisions of the Act shall be suspended and shall not apply if the Act will have a negative effect on the national budget deficit of the United States.
1:51 P.M. –
Mr. Shadegg moved to recommit with instructions to Energy and Commerce.
1:50 P.M. –
The House adopted the amendments en gross as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 4785.
1:49 P.M. –
On agreeing to the Holden amendment Agreed to by recorded vote: 402 – 0 (Roll no. 529).
1:20 P.M. –
UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of adoption of an amendment which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.
1:19 P.M. –
On agreeing to the Butterfield amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
1:15 P.M. –
DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 1620, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Butterfield amendment.
Amendment offered by Mr. Butterfield.
An amendment numbered 4 printed in House Report 111-594 to require the Department of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, to consider passive house retrofits when identifying qualified energy efficiency measures.
1:11 P.M. –
On agreeing to the McCarthy (NY) amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
1:08 P.M. –
DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 1620, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the McCarthy (NY) amendment.
Amendment offered by Mrs. McCarthy (NY).
An amendment numbered 3 printed in House Report 111-594 to require that lenders providing loans under this Act give priority to active duty members of the Armed Forces and to veterans.
1:07 P.M. –
On agreeing to the Cuellar amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
1:04 P.M. –
DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 1620, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Cuellar amendment.
Amendment offered by Mr. Cuellar.
An amendment numbered 2 printed in House Report 111-594 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to provide assistance and technical advice to the qualified entities providing loans under this bill to increase the participation of economically distressed rural communities with unemployment rates above the national average.
1:03 P.M. –
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – At the conclusion of debate on the Holden amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Holden demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
12:59 P.M. –
DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 1620, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 20 minutes of debate on the Holden amendment.
Amendment offered by Mr. Holden.
An amendment numbered 1 printed in House Report 111-594 to clarify that loan funds under the bill may not be used to purchase manufactured homes, makes technical corrections to a Comptroller General report, prohibits provision of funds to certain contractors and makes ineligible for loans certain Federal Employees. It also requires the Secretaries of Energy and Agriculture to take steps to prevent misuse of funds. Prohibits any additions to direct spending in regards to provisions within this Act. Does not allow an entity with an ongoing capital repayment obligation to the Treasury due to the Troubled Assets Relief Program to participate in the programs within this Act. Ensures that funds provided under this bill would supplement and not supplant other energy efficiency funding.
12:25 P.M. –
GENERAL DEBATE – The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 4785.
12:24 P.M. –
The Speaker designated the Honorable John T. Salazar to act as Chairman of the Committee.
House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 1620 and Rule XVIII.
Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4785 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Specified amendments are in order. The resolution waives all points of order against the amendment in the nature of a substitute except those arising under clause 10 of rule XXI. The resolution makes in order only those amendments printed in Part B of the report. All points of order against the amendments in part B except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI are waived. The resolution provides that the Chair may not entertain a motion to strike out the enacting words of the bill.
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1620.
12:12 P.M. –
NOTIFICATION OF INTENT TO OFFER RESOLUTION – Mr. Price (GA) notified the House of his intent to rise to a question of the privileges of the House and to offer a resolution. Mr. Price (GA) was recognized to notice the form of his proposed resolution. The Chair subsequently announced that under rule IX, a resolution offered from the floor by a Member other than the majority leader or the minority leader as a question of the privileges of the House has immediate precedence only at a time designated by the Chair within 2 legislative days after the resolution is properly noticed. The Chair announced that it would not, at that point, make the determination required by the rule, but that the form of the resolution would appear in the Congressional Record.
to designate the Federal building under construction at 1220 Echelon Parkway in Jackson, Mississippi, as the “Chaney, Goodman, Schwerner Federal Building”
12:11 P.M. –
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 409 – 0 (Roll no. 528).
12:02 P.M. –
UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of adoption of a motion to suspend the rules which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.
providing for consideration of the bill ( H.R. 4785) to amend the miscellaneous rural development provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to make loans to certain entities that will use the funds to make loans to consumers to implement energy efficiency measures involving structural improvements and investments in cost-effective, commercial off-the-shelf technologies to reduce home energy use
12:01 P.M. –
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 225 – 188 (Roll no. 527).
11:51 A.M. –
On ordering the previous question Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 226 – 186 (Roll no. 526).
10:25 A.M. –
DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 1620
10:22 A.M. –
Considered as privileged matter.
10:10 A.M. –
ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches which by direction of the chair, would be limited to 5 per side of the aisle.
10:06 A.M. –
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Olson to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.
10:05 A.M. –
Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Daniel Coughlin.
The House convened, starting a new legislative day
Be a Seed for Change 
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