President Obama Speaks …


President Obama discusses his Administration’s work to secure our nation, fight terrorism, renew American leadership in the world, better serve our troops and military families and honor our veterans. July 23, 2012.More

Urge Congress to protect the world’s forests from illegal logging


Rainforest Action Network
Urge your House rep to vote against the RELIEF Act, a Tea Party attempt to gut the Lacey Act
rainforest unzipped

Did you know that almost half of all rainforest destruction is done illegally?
Government corruption, lax laws and poor enforcement result in widespread illegal deforestation across the globe. This unofficial forest clearing makes it extremely challenging to truly protect critically endangered species like the orangutan or Sumatran tiger from extinction, and it contributes enormous amounts of carbon to our atmosphere.
And now the best law on the books to prevent illegal logging worldwide—the Lacey Act—is under attack.
Please send a letter today asking your congressional representative to vote against the RELIEF Act.
The Lacey Act prohibits illegally sourced wood and wood products from being imported into the U.S. and penalizes companies that trade or sell such products. It is a powerful tool for reducing global deforestation rates and protecting jobs in the American forest products industry. It has been so successful that other countries are looking to create their own versions of it.
But the Lacey Act is now under attack by those wishing to end environmental protections and regulations. Their proposals, such as the RELIEF Act, would effectively gut the Lacey Act, reversing years of hard-fought efforts to stop international deforestation.
The RELIEF Act would directly benefit notorious forest destroyers like Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) and would allow illegal loggers around the world to operate with impunity. The result would be a flood of illegal wood into the U.S. market.
Send a message today urging your representative to vote no on the RELIEF Act and any other bill that would weaken the Lacey Act.

Robin

For the forests,

Robin Averbeck             Rainforest Free Paper Campaigner             Twitter: @therightpaper

Bush-era tax cuts for the richest two percent


National Women's Law Center - Don't Discount Women: Demand Fair Change Not Spare Change
                Stand Up for Tax Fairness
                Call your Members of Congress at 1-888-744-9958 and tell them that it’s time for the richest Americans to pay their fair share.
Call 1-888-744-9958 today!

It’s go time!
In less than 24 hours Congress will start to vote on whether to end — or extend — the Bush-era tax cuts for the richest two percent.
Ending the Bush-era tax cuts on income above $250,000 per couple, as President Obama and Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) have proposed, would help restore fairness to the tax code and protect programs vital to women and their families. It would give 98 percent of Americans their full tax cuts next year. And the wealthiest two percent would still receive tax breaks on their first $250,000! We simply can’t afford to give even more tax breaks to those who need them least when so many women and families are struggling just to make ends meet.
Calling is easy. And only takes a couple of minutes. Dial 1-888-744-9958 and listen to easy instructions and a sample script.
Ending the Bush-era tax cuts on income above $250,000 would save about $1 trillion over the next ten years — funding that’s urgently needed to protect programs like child care, Pell Grants, Head Start, Medicaid, and Title X family planning services. It’s time to stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of women and families. The richest Americans need to start paying their fair share of taxes.
There’s no time to waste: Call your Members of Congress at 1-888-744-9958 and tell them that it’s time for the richest Americans to pay their fair share: we need to end the Bush tax cuts on income over $250,000.
Your Senators and Representative are getting ready to vote and they need to hear from you right NOW! Tell them that you expect them to stand up for women and families — and end the Bush tax cuts for the richest two percent!
Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher Joan Entmacher Vice President, Family Economic Security National Women’s Law Center   

P.S. When we are this close to a vote, calls are one of the most effective ways for us to make an impact. Please take just a few minutes to call your Members of Congress at 1-888-744-9958.

HIV/AIDS


This week, the 2012 International AIDS Conference is being held in Washington, D.C. The Conference provides an opportunity for Administration officials to reflect on the effect that HIV/AIDS has had in their own lives, and how far we’ve come in the fight against the terrible disease. Here, Brad Kiley, Director of the Office of Management and Administration, shares how HIV/AIDS has personally impacted his life.More

This week, the 2012 International AIDS Conference is being held in Washington, D.C. The Conference provides an opportunity for Administration officials to reflect on the effect that HIV/AIDS has had in their own lives, and how far we’ve come in the fight against the terrible disease. Here, John Berry, Director of the Office of Personnel Management, shares how HIV/AIDS has personally impacted his life.More

This week, the 2012 International AIDS Conference is being held in Washington, D.C. The Conference provides an opportunity for Administration officials to reflect on the effect that HIV/AIDS has had in their own lives, and how far we’ve come in the fight against the terrible disease. Here, Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, shares how HIV/AIDS has personally impacted her life.More

This week, the 2012 International AIDS Conference is being held in Washington, D.C. The Conference provides an opportunity for Administration officials to reflect on the effect that HIV/AIDS has had in their own lives, and how far we’ve come in the fight against the terrible disease. Here, Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff to the First Lady, shares how HIV/AIDS has personally impacted her life.More

This week, the 2012 International AIDS Conference is being held in Washington, D.C. The Conference provides an opportunity for Administration officials to reflect on the effect that HIV/AIDS has had in their own lives, and how far we’ve come in the fight against the terrible disease. Here, Grant Colfax, Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy, shares how HIV/AIDS has personally impacted his life.More

This week, the 2012 International AIDS Conference is being held in Washington, D.C. The Conference provides an opportunity for Administration officials to reflect on the effect that HIV/AIDS has had in their own lives, and how far we’ve come in the fight against the terrible disease. Here, Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, shares how HIV/AIDS has personally impacted her life.More