Daily Archives: 08/30/2011

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Congress: in pro forma Session … out until 9/6


The Senate will meet on the following dates and times for pro-forma sessions
only with no business conducted:

–          Friday, August 5th at 10:00am,

–          Tuesday, August 9th at 11:00am,

–          Friday, August 12th at 12:00pm,

–          Tuesday, August 16th at 11:00am,

–          Friday, August 19th at 10:00am,

–          Tuesday, August 23rd at 2:30pm,

–          Friday, August 26th at 11:15am,

–          Tuesday, August 30th at 10:00am,

–          Friday, September 2nd at 10:00am;

When the Senate convenes at 10:00am on Friday, September 2nd, it
will adjourn until 2:00pm on September 6, 2011.  Following any Leader remarks,
the Senate will be in morning business until 5:00pm with Senators permitted to
speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Following morning business, the Senate will be in Executive Session to
consider Calendar #109, Bernice Bouie Donald, of Tennessee, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the 6th Circuit with 30 minutes of debate equally
divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley.

The next roll call votes will be at 5:30pm on Tuesday, September
6th.  The first roll call vote will be on confirmation of the Donald
nomination.  The 2nd will be a cloture vote on the motion  to proceed
to H.R.1249, the Patent Reform bill.

*******************************************************************************************************

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF AUGUST 30, 2011
112TH CONGRESS – FIRST SESSION

11:04 A.M. –  The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn pursuant to sections 3 and 4 ofH. Res. 375. The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on September 2, 2011.

11:03 A.M. –  DISPENSING WITH LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS – Pursuant to section 4 ofH. Res. 375, the Chair announced that no legislative business would be conducted on this day.

11:02 A.M. –  PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair led the House in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.APPROVAL OF THE JOURNAL – Pursuant to section 5 ofH. Res. 375,     the Chair announced that the Journal of the last days’ proceedings was approved.

11:01 A.M. –  Today’s prayer was offered by Reverend William George, S.J., Archdiocese of Washington, Washington, DC.

11:00 A.M. –  The Speaker designated the Honorable Steve Stivers to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.

The House convened, starting a new legislative day.

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August …Jason Rosenbaum, DSCC Director of Online Communications


We need to win August. Let me tell you why.

Every single month is a separate fundraising battle with the GOP. Winning these battles means we pick up momentum, and more races get funded. Losing these battles means momentum is lost, and we won’t be able to fund enough races. Pretty simple.

But does that matter now, in late August? You bet it does. Losing a monthly fight will allow Republicans to attack early, taking potentially competitive seats off the map right now. Imagine if Barbara Boxer’s first Senate run had ended before it started because a flood of unanswered attack ads drove her out of the race.

If we win every monthly battle, we can protect future progressive champions and current champions like Sherrod Brown, and make sure President Obama sees four more years. If everyone joins in and we can raise $55,000 in the next three days, it should be enough to win August.

And besides, wouldn’t beating the GOP to end the summer be worth $5? Click here to help make it happen.

Each month is a competition, plain and simple, us vs. the Republicans. Help win August.

Best,
Jason

—
Jason Rosenbaum
DSCC Director of Online Communications

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Fools … James Carville

1 Comment

I’m sorry but these Tea Partyin’ fools in Congress have got to go.

They’re trying to gut the New Deal, attack workers, and end Medicare. But when it comes to tax breaks for their billionaire and Big Oil buddies, it’s hands off.

The Republicans may have Karl Rove’s secret donors and the Tea Party ditto-heads on their side but we’ve got committed grassroots folks like you to help get out the truth.

And boy do we need you right now. Democrats’ campaign to kick the Tea Party right outta Congress is just $38,701 short of their $500,000 goal before the August FEC deadline hits in 24 hours.

Contribute $3 or more today and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a group of House Democrats.

The media and pundits will use our grassroots fundraising totals to judge our will to call out the GOP on their hypocrisy and lies — so I’m asking you to act right now.

Every dollar you give goes right back out the door to help take the fight right to Republicans on their home turf with targeted advertising, grassroots organizing, and rapid response research.

Give today and help Democrats stand strong at this critical deadline.

James Carville

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Abuse at Hershey


Hundreds of foreign exchange students paid to come to America this summer, expecting opportunities to learn English and experience American culture.

Instead, the exchange students found themselves forced to work in back-breaking, round-the-clock production lines packing chocolates at a Hershey’s plant in Pennsylvania at low wages. When the students complained, Hershey‘s threatened to have them deported.

Now the exchange students are fighting back. They just walked out of the Hershey’s plant and into the streets to protest the abusive conditions and to demand big changes to Hershey’s deceptive “cultural exchange” program.

And they’ve teamed up with the National Guestworker Alliance to start a petition demanding that Hershey’s compensate the exchange students, and turn their work into good jobs for local workers. Click here to add your name.   www.change.org

Yana, a 19-year-old girl from Ukraine, lifts boxes that weigh 40 pounds — nearly half her weight. Peng, a 21-year-old economics student from China, also lifts heavy boxes during his eight-hour shifts at the warehouse.

Hundreds of students from Ghana, Turkey, Mongolia, and other countries each paid up to $6,000 for the privilege to come to America in a cultural exchange program this summer. Now Hershey’s pays them around $8 an hour for their warehouse work, minus costs of housing — leaving many students broke, tired, and disillusioned.

Why would Hershey’s want to use foreign exchange students as cheap, manual labor? According to the National Guestworker Alliance, a group helping the students, it’s about profit. Hershey’s is laying off 500 American workers in the next year. The company’s strategy is apparently paying off: Hershey’s pocketed $130 million in just the last three months.

The foreign exchange students are asking Hershey to refund the thousands of dollars the students paid to come to America. And that’s not all: The students also want Hershey’s to convert their low-paying positions to living wage jobs for local residents in Pennsylvania.

Please sign the petition to Hershey’s demanding the company refund the students’ costs to come to America and give their jobs back to American workers who live near the warehouse.

http://www.change.org/petitions/hershey-stop-exploiting-student-guestworkers

Thanks for being a change-maker,

– Jess and the Change.org team

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Join us Tonight for national call with Rep. Gutierrez …Marissa Graciosa, Reform Immigration FOR America


National Call Tonight
To discuss impact on our community

DHS has announced they’ll perform a case-by-case review of the 300,000 deportation cases currently in proceedings in an effort to focus only on deporting high-priority criminals. We’ve already seen some positive effects from this announcement – several DREAMers and spouses have been removed from detention and/or had their deportation cases stayed.
However, there’s still confusion about what this announcement means for our community and our continual fight for humane, comprehensive immigration reform.Join Reform Immigration FOR America, Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), and other immigration experts to discuss the impact of this announcement on our communities and where our movement goes from here.

WHO: Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), immigration experts, and YOU!
WHAT: National Call to discuss DHS announcement
WHEN: Tuesday, August 30th, 8pm Eastern (English call) // 9pm Eastern (Spanish call)
RSVP: English Call @ 7pm OR Spanish Call @ 8pm

We’ll hear how the announcement is affecting those in deportation proceedings, discuss the political implications of the announcement, and you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions about what the announcement means for you.

Please forward to anyone you feel may be impacted by the DHS announcement. We’ll have a call at 8pm for English speakers and a call at 9pm for Spanish speakers. RSVP now!

Talk to you Tonight,

Marissa Graciosa
Reform Immigration FOR America