Pop Quiz:
What would America look like under Rep. Ryan’s (R-Wis.) radical, Tea Party-inspired
budget?

A. A typical 65-year-old would spend $6,359 more
per year out of pocket for health care by 2022 because Medicare’s promise would
be replaced with underfunded vouchers.

B. At least 15 million people
would lose Medicaid health care.

C. $4.2 trillion in new
tax cuts would be handed out mostly to corporations and the rich.

D. All
of the above.

If you
answered D, all of the above, you’re right. The House Republican budget would do
all of those things.

All but four House Republicans voted for
this radical proposal. The
Senate will consider it this week.

How many Senate Republicans
will vote to give even more tax cuts to Wall Street and the wealthy and pay for
them by cutting deeply into services for seniors, children and low- and
middle-income working families?

Let’s make sure every
U.S. senator knows this “right-wing social engineering” bill—which is what
former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich recently called Rep. Ryan’s
budget—is not used as a starting point for a debate over America’s
future.

Here’s how you can help stop this
radical, Tea Party-inspired budget:

Forward this message to five friends—ask them to oppose the Ryan budget and make
sure it gets voted down in the Senate.

In
Solidarity,

Manny Herrmann
Online Mobilization Coordinator,
AFL-CIO

P.S. Want to read more about the Ryan budget? Read and share the full post on the AFL-CIO Now
Blog.

Sources:
http://blog.aflcio.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/medicare_costs_by_state.pdf
http://blog.aflcio.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/medicaid_losses_by_state.pdf
http://www.aflcio.org/issues/jobseconomy/jobs/upload/house_budget2012.pdf

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Our plan this summer …Mitch Stewart, BarackObama.com

05/31/2011 Nativegrl77

You’ve been hearing from Messina about our overall strategy and what’s at stake in this election. My job as the Battleground States Director is to report back to you on the nuts and bolts of what we’re building in communities across the country.

I want to take you through it in detail, so you can understand how to get involved and shape our organization where you live.

We’re going to build it from the ground up. And we’re going to use this summer to roll out our team model and organizing structure through grassroots planning sessions in homes and by videoconference.

Here’s the full briefing — watch it here, and if you’re willing to get involved now and be part of the organization in your community, let me know:

———————

Some of these planning sessions are already under way, and we’re starting to get some feedback. I got one email from a supporter named Steven, who hadn’t been involved at all since 2008, and only went to his grassroots planning session on a whim.

As a result, he’s all-in — he wants want to get involved fast, and also has all sorts of new ideas for how he can apply his skills better this time and which friends and colleagues he can reach out to about joining the campaign.

The subject line of his email about the meeting was “Inspiring night.”

This kind of organization-building isn’t just an electoral strategy — it’s a reflection of what we believe in as voters and citizens. It’s a commitment to the kind of politics that begins in backyards and living rooms and empowers every single American to get involved and organize for the changes they want to see.

At a moment when it feels like the only thing that separates our opponents is how quickly they want to end Medicare as we know it, winning this way — driven locally, powered by the grassroots — will be a rebuke to those in Washington who still think that people across the country don’t have a seat at the table where decisions are made.

I’m asking you to pull up a chair. If you’re willing to get involved now, at this crucial point in the campaign, let me know here:

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Battleground States Director
Obama for America

P.S. — If you don’t have time to watch the video, here’s a quick rundown on where we stand:

— Messina mentioned the one-on-one initiative last month. We’re going to talk with every person who volunteered or made a donation last time. So the staff and I started making calls and meeting with people one-on-one. And then those people started having their own one-on-ones with others. So far more than 75,000 individual conversations have happened across the country. The results are a massive army of newly energized volunteers, plus thousands of pages of ideas and feedback that will inform how we shape our organization nationally.

— Grassroots planning sessions are under way across the country — we’ve had dozens so far with more than a hundred still to come. Everyone has been or will be invited to one.

— You heard about our Summer Organizer Program when we asked you to help recruit them. Well, there are now hundreds across the country, and they start next week. We were pleasantly surprised that the number of applicants far exceeded what we saw when we launched this program in 2008, and you’ll be hearing more about them — and in many cases from them directly — in the coming months.

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Congress: Are they really working for us or against Americans -the Republican led House:plays with&votes on the Debt Ceiling @4:45-6:30pmET -the Senate

05/31/2011 Nativegrl77

The Senate Convenes at 10:00amET May 31, 2011

and … In order that President Obama fails to make any and all Appointments like Elizabeth Warren and possibly Goodwin Liu Republicans have decided to act like children and continue to deny the President a full staff in his 1st term by holding Per-forma Sessions only.

Pro-forma session only, with no business conducted

State work period May 30-June 4

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next meeting in the House is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on May 31, 2011.

The House will vote on the raising the Debt Limit today –The debate on the debt ceiling starts at 4:45pmET the vote is set for 6:30pmET today in a vote of 97 – 318 fails to agree to raise debt ceiling with 82 Dems voting with the Republicans

Technicaly, this week is a State work period May 30-June 4

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF MAY 31, 2011
112TH CONGRESS – FIRST SESSION

7:52 P.M. – SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House resumed Special Order speeches.

7:51 P.M. – Mr. Reed filed a report from the Committee on Rules on H. Res. 287.

7:39 P.M. – SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative
business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.

7:30 P.M. – ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with further one minute speeches.

H.R. 1194:: to renew the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to
approve demonstration projects designed to test innovative strategies in State
child welfare programs

7:29 P.M. – Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.

7:15 P.M. – DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R.
1194.Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Davis (KY) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

7:14 P.M. – The Speaker announced that votes on suspensions, if ordered, will be
postponed until a time be announced.

H.R. 1954:: to implement the President’s request to increase the statutory limit on the
public debt

7:10 P.M. – Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Failed by the Yeas and Nays:
(2/3 required): 97 – 318, 7 Present (Roll
no. 379).

7:00 P.M. – Considered as unfinished business.

S. 1082:: to provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small
Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and for other
purposes

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without
objection.

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and
Nays: (2/3 required): 387 – 33 (Roll
no. 378).

6:52 P.M. – Considered as unfinished business.

H.R. 1484:: to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the appeals process of the
Department of Veterans Affairs and to establish a commission to study judicial
review of the determination of veterans’ benefits

The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without
objection.

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the
Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 419 – 1 (Roll
no. 377).

6:28 P.M. – Considered as unfinished business.

6:27 P.M. – UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was
the question on adoption of motions to suspend the rules which had been debated
earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.

S. Con. Res. 16:: authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for
an event to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha

6:25 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.

6:16 P.M. – DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. Con.
Res. 16.Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Lungren, Daniel E. moved to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution.

S. 1082:: to provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small
Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and for other
purposes

6:15 P.M. – At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered.
Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that
further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

6:08 P.M. – DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S.
1082.Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Graves (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

H.R. 802:: to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a VetStar Award
Program

6:07 P.M. – At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered.
Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that
further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

6:00 P.M. – DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R.
802.Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Miller (FL) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

H.R. 1484:: to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the appeals process of the
Department of Veterans Affairs and to establish a commission to study judicial
review of the determination of veterans’ benefits

5:59 P.M. – At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered.
Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that
further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

5:47 P.M. – DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R.
1484.Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Miller (FL) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

H.R. 1954:: to implement the President’s request to increase the statutory limit on the
public debt

5:46 P.M. – At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered.
Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that
further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

4:46 P.M. – DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R.
1954.Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Camp moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

4:45 P.M. – The Speaker announced that votes on suspensions, if ordered, will be
postponed until 6:30 p.m. today.The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of
May 31.

2:11 P.M. – The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is
subject to the call of the Chair.

2:03 P.M. – ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.Mr. Culberson filed a report from the Committee on Appropriations on H.R.
2055.

2:02 P.M. – PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Cravaack 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.

2:00 P.M. – Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Patrick J. Conroy.The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of
May 31.

12:10 P.M. – The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is
scheduled for 2:00 P.M. today.

12:01 P.M. – MORNING-HOUR DEBATE – The House proceeded with Morning-Hour Debate. At the
conclusion of Morning-Hour, the House will recess until 2:00 p.m. for the start
of legislative business.The Speaker designated the Honorable Tim Griffin to act as Speaker pro
tempore for today.

12:00 P.M. – House convened, starting a new legislative day.

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Tell UW: Cut the contract with human rights abuser

05/27/2011 Nativegrl77

Can you imagine handing millions of dollars to a corporation charged with everything from racial discrimination and poverty wage rates to union busting and price gouging?

Neither can the students of the University of Washington.

That’s why they started a campaign to urge UW President Phyllis Wise to cut the university’s contract with food service provider Sodexo, an international human rights abuser. Click here to sign their petition.

http://www.change.org/petitions/stand-with-40-uwashington-students-who-were-arrested?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&alert_id=iJpiuKFvCW_TyRIWBJMSA

The world’s 22nd largest employer, Sodexo has a record of human rights violations that has been condemned by the National Labor Relations Board and Human Rights Watch. In the last decade alone, they’ve been accused of:

•Failing to provide safety equipment required by Colombian law, such as hardhats, to workers at their Carbones de la Jagua coal mine.

•Segregating Guinean employees, including managers, from European and other non-Guinean staff during meals at an iron mine in Simandou.

•Paying U.S. workers such low wages that they qualify for federal anti-poverty programs and denying requests for overtime.

•Intimidating—and retaliating against—workers in the U.S., Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Morocco in response to attempts to unionize.

What’s more, Sodexo has a nasty habit of cheating clients. One Sodexo scheme to squeeze extra cash from New York’s public institutions resulted in a lawsuit and a $20 million settlement.

Yet President Wise isn’t budging.

Over the past seven months, UW students have led protests, delivered letters, and met with administration officials in an effort to prevent their tuition dollars from flowing into Sodexo’s deep pockets.

Rather than engaging with students, UW officials are throwing up barriers to dialogue.

In fact, UW officials chose to arrest 40 students attending sit-ins rather than talk to them.

UW students need public support to break the gridlock.

To stand with Washington students and pressure President Wise to cut UW’s contract with Sodexo, sign here:

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Dems to McHenry: Apologize to Elizabeth Warren

05/27/2011 Nativegrl77

Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings and Congresswoman Jackie Speier, joined by Democratic Members of the Subcommittee on TARP and Financial Services, sent a letter to GOP Chairman Patrick McHenry yesterday asking him to apologize for his “disrespectful treatment” of Elizabeth Warren during Tuesday’s hearing.