Daily Archives: 07/11/2012

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Spread the Word: The Health Care Law is Working for Women


When the Supreme Court took up the Affordable Care Act last week, opponents asked the Court to overturn the new health care law entirely. But if that were to happen, women would lose vital protections — including coverage of women’s preventive services with no co-pays — that the law now guarantees.

Please help spread the word about what the new health care law is doing for women — share our new video, “I Will NOT Be Denied,” and help people understand what we’ll all lose if the Court strikes the law down.

Because of the new health care law, just in the past year:Over 20 million women with private insurance have received at least one preventive health care service without a co-pay or deductible. Over 39 million women no longer face lifetime limits on coverage, so they can get the health care they need. About 2.5 million young adults gained health coverage because they could stay on their parents’ plans until age 26. And these provisions are just the beginning. Will you please help tell the world what the law is doing for women? Please share our new video and help us tell opponents of affordable care “I Will NOT Be Denied.”™

Thank for all that you do on behalf of women and their families.

Sincerely,

Dania Palanker, Senior Health Policy Advisor

National Women’s Law Center

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Cargill needs to come clean … Ashley Schaeffer, Rainforest Action Network

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With palm oil in half of all products for sale in US grocery stores, we have the right to know the true cost of its production.image

Cargill is the #1 importer of palm oil into the US, but the company refuses to be transparent about who it does business with. For instance: Is Cargill still sourcing from the notorious palm oil company Duta Palma even though this company is embroiled in severe social conflicts with communities near its destructive palm plantations?

Dozens of people are gathering outside Cargill’s offices today in Minneapolis to ask the company to come clean about its operations.

Will you help us amplify their voices by writing to Cargill now and demanding transparency around its “no-trade list”?

In the past, Cargill has said Duta Palma was on its “no-trade list,” but the company has never made this list public and RAN has reason to believe Cargill’s policy of sourcing from any company that pays membership dues to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil allows it to get palm oil from Duta Palma.

Please email Cargill CEO Greg Page now and ask him to come clean.

In 2009, Rainforest Action Network released a case study documenting illegal rainforest burning by Duta Palma on community lands used by the people of Semunying Jaya in Borneo. Duta Palma doesn’t have permits to operate these plantations and police refuse to do anything about this blatant land theft and environmental destruction.

So community members took action themselves.

A few weeks ago, members of the Semunying Jaya community seized several pieces of machinery, trucks, bulldozers and chainsaws, then barricaded the doors of Duta Palma’s palm nursery, shutting down operations. The community members are now facing possible criminal charges for standing up for the health and safety of their home.

We have the right to know: Is Cargill profiting from the oppression of the people of Semunying Jaya by buying palm oil from Duta Palma? Please demand transparency now.

For the forests,

Ashley Schaeffer

Rainforest Agribusiness Campaigner

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Union of Concerned Scientists


Have you seen our latest report? It documents precisely how some of the nation’s top energy companies—such as ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips—have managed to stall progress on national legislation to rein in global warming emissions by inserting large amounts of money and misinformation into government policy making and politics.

“There isn’t any real science to say we are altering the climate path of the earth.” —Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO)

You can help end the disinformation on global warming.

Together, we can fight back against efforts to undermine our democratic system. Join us, and become a full member of the Union of Concerned Scientists today.

www.ucsusa.org

The report’s findings are truly eye opening, even for people like me who work on these issues every day. Consider, for instance, that: The 28 companies we investigated spent more than $300 million lobbying Congress in the run up to possible climate legislation; Koch Industries alone has spent more than $55 million since 1997 to misrepresent climate science or oppose safeguards to rein in global warming emissions; and The oil company ConocoPhillips has backed the campaigns of anti-climate candidates for Congress by a ratio of more than 15 to 1 over candidates who have supported science-based climate policies.

The numbers might sound discouraging, but while companies like these have money and influence with people in Washington, we have two ingredients on our side that they don’t: rock-hard scientific evidence and support from people like you.

Become a full member of UCS and make a vital contribution to the fight for a healthy environment and a safer world.

www.ucsusa.org

UCS is working to reduce global warming emissions by accelerating the transition away from dirty coal-fired power plants and oil-reliant vehicles, building support for stronger power plant emissions standards, and working at the state and federal level to increase use of clean, renewable energy.

But oil companies and corporate lobbyists continue to attack these critical efforts to protect our health and environment. That’s why we really need your help more than ever. Please become a member of UCS today.

Thanks in advance. And welcome aboard!

 

 

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch President

 

P.S. Remember, when you give to the Union of Concerned Scientists, you join a team more than 400,000 strong from all walks of life—scientists, teachers, business people, parents, engineers, and many other actively engaged citizens—working together to build a healthier environment and a safer world.

Black History, ~ Recent Post

CONGRESS: the Republican led House – the Senate proceeds to S.2237,Small biz Jobs/Tax Act


  • Convenes: 9:30amET July 11, 2012
  • Following the prayer and pledge, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.2237, the Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act, post-cloture.
  • The first hour will be equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees with the Republicans controlling the first half and the Majority controlling the final half.
  • We hope to begin consideration of S.2237 during Wednesday’s session. By unanimous consent, all time during morning business, adjournment and recess will count post-cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill.

All post-cloture debate time has been yielded back and the Senate adopted the motion to proceed to S.2237, the Small Business Jobs bill. Senator Reid offered the Reid for Landrieu amendment #2521 (substitute) and Reid amendment #2524 (text of H.R.9, Cantor bill), filled the so-called amendment tree, filed cloture on the new Landrieu substitute amendment and the underlying bill, and then moved to proceed to S.3364, a Stabenow bill to provide an incentive for businesses to bring jobs back to America.

He then asked consent to vitiate the cloture motions and that at 2:00pm tomorrow the Senate proceed to vote in relation to the Cantor language, the new substitute, and the underlying bill, as amended, if amended; Further, that the Senate proceed to a free standing bill to extend the 2001, 2003, and 2009 tax cuts for 98% of Americans and 96% of all small businesses as outlined by President Obama, that the only amendment in order be an amendment offered by Senator McConnell or designee, which is identical to the text of Hatch amendment #2491 (tax extension); and that upon the use or yielding back of 4 hours of debate, the Senate proceed to vote in relation to the McConnell amendment and on passage of the underlying bill, as amended, if amended.

Senator McConnell objected to the request.

Text of the unanimous consent request, brief summaries of the Cantor bill and the new substitute amendment, and the unofficial transcript of the Reid-McConnell exchange can be found below.

Unanimous Consent Request (McConnell objected)

Reid:   I ask unanimous consent that cloture be vitiated with respect to the substitute amendment and S.2237; that the motion to commit be withdrawn and amendment #s 2525 and 2522 be withdrawn; that at 2:00pm, Thursday, July 12th, the Senate proceed to votes in relation to the following amendments:

– Amendment #2524 (Cantor language);

– Reid for Landrieu Substitute amendment #2521;

That there be no other amendments or motions in order to the amendments or the bill prior to the votes other than motions to waive or motions to table; that upon disposition of the two amendments, the Senate proceed to a vote on passage of S.2237, as amended, if amended.

Further, that at a time to be determined by the Majority Leader, after consultation with the Republican Leader, the Senate proceed to the consideration of a bill to be introduced by Senator Reid, or designee, extending the 2001, 2003 and 2009 tax cuts for 98% of Americans and 96% of all small businesses as outlined by President Obama; that the only amendment in order to the bill be an amendment offered by Senator McConnell, or designee, which is identical to the text of amendment #2491, as filed by Senator Hatch, that the amendment not be divisible; that there be 4 hours of debate on the amendment and the bill equally divided between the two Leaders, or their designees, prior to a vote in relation to the McConnell, or designee, amendment; that upon disposition of the amendment, the Senate proceed to vote on passage of the bill, as amended, if amended; that there be no motions or points of order to the amendment or the bill.

Amendment summaries

The Reid amendment #2524, (text of H.R.9) creates a temporary 20% deduction from taxable income for businesses with fewer than 500 employees.  Cost = $46 billion over ten years.

The Reid for Landrieu substitute amendment #2521:.

Landrieu (tax only):  extends five tax benefits for small businesses (Cost = $4.4 billion over ten years):

  • 0% capital gains tax for certain small business stock
  • Expanded carryback of credits to recover prior taxes
  • Relief for corporations switching to Subchapter S corporations
  • Expanded expensing for certain capital investments
  • Higher deductions for start-up costs

In addition to several bipartisan measures aimed at strengthening the SBA, improving small business export promotion, and increasing transparency and oversight, Senator Landrieu’s amendment achieves the following:

Capital

  • Small Business Investment Company Program – Expands the SBIC program authority from $3 billion to $4 billion and raises the amount funds under common control can borrow from $225 to $350.
  • 504 Refinancing – Extends for one year the SBA’s authority to refinance short-term commercial real estate debt into long-term fixed rate loans.

Contracting

  • Permanently increases the SBA surety bond guarantee from $2 million $5 million
  • Creates parity in contracting by eliminating the caps on contracts awarded under the SBA’s women-owned business program and allows contracting officers to award sole source contracts to women-owned businesses.
  • Provides additional tools for the SBA Inspector General to combat contracting fraud, a measure previously passed by Unanimous Consent in the Senate.

Counseling

  • Reauthorizes the Small Business Development Center program at level funding through FY15.
  • Reauthorizes the Women’s Business Center program through FY15.

As a result of Senator Reid filing cloture on the Reid for Landrieu amendment #2251 (substitute) and S.2237, Small Business Jobs, the filing deadline for first degree amendments to the substitute and underlying bill is 1:00pm tomorrow, Thursday, July 12.

Unless an agreement can be reached, the cloture vote would occur 1 hour after the Senate convenes on Friday, July 13.

WRAP UP

No ROLL CALL VOTES

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Passed H.R.3001, To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Raoul Wallenberg, in recognition of his achievements and heroic actions during the Holocaust.

Passed H.R.4155, the Veterans Skills to Jobs Act.

Completed the Rule 14 proceed of S.3369, the DISCLOSE Act of 2012. (Whitehouse and others)

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The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on July 11, 2012.

www.Houselive.gov