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This Week’s Battle in the War On Women

02/07/2013 Nativegrl77

Who Will Vote Against the Violence Against Women Act?

The Senate will return from a two-day break and debate the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The landmark law is supposed to be reauthorized every five years, as has happened every five years since 1994 without controversy or serious opposition. Unfortunately, Congress allowed the law to expire in September 2011 and vital programs are now in danger of losing funding. And, for the first time ever, Republicans are now blocking efforts to reauthorize the law.

Last year, the Senate passed a VAWA reauthorization — updated with expanded protections for immigrants, LGBT people, and Native Americans and other important changes — on an overwhelming, bipartisan basis. But here’s a reminder of the senators who opposed it last year:

Notice anything the opponents all had in common?

The reauthorization ultimately died in the House after Republicans under the leadership of Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) refused to take up the Senate bill because of its protections for immigrants, LGBT people, and Native Americans.

Undaunted, Senate and House Democrats have launched another all-out push to get VAWA over the line. Earlier this week, the Senate voted to begin debating the law. Astoundingly, eight Republican senators — all men — voted against merely debating the bill: Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), Tim Scott (R-SC), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Rand Paul (R-KY), Pat Roberts (R-KS), and James Risch (R-ID). Four of these senators, Sens. Cruz, Lee, Paul, and Risch, take their opposition even further and believe the law to be unconstitutional.

As we discussed yesterday, the GOP is attempting to “rebrand” itself. It would certainly be an auspicious start to this effort if Republicans once again oppose VAWA en masse and continue to block it in the House.

We’ll be watching the vote this week and be sure and keep you updated on supports protecting all women from violence and who does not.

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You Might’ve Missed

Five reasons fewer people than ever before trust Fox News.

The hidden impact of mixing alcohol and diet soda.

Virginia Senate GOP’s gerrymandering power grab is dead.

Republican congresswoman compares regulating for-profit colleges to the Holocaust.

Republican intransigence means Saturday mail delivery will soon be a thing of the past.

The GOP’s future is still stuck in the past.

Corporations haven’t been paying the full corporate tax rate for 45 years.

Meet Obama’s new pick to head the Department of the Interior.

Illegal partisan gerrymandering, Florida GOP edition.

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FAIR SHARE

02/07/2013 Nativegrl77 2 Comments

Tell Congress to protect Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and Social Security!

Conservative lawmakers are trying to put Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act on the chopping block instead of making the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share of taxes.

This week Health Care for America Now (HCAN) and its partners are planning a massive push to let the deficit fearmongers know where the American people stand: Cuts to these vital programs are unacceptable, and we cannot continue to let wealthy corporations get away with paying less than their fair share of taxes.

To break through the clutter, HCAN is using the social media tool Thunderclap to ensure that our message is heard. Thunderclap allows Twitter and Facebook users to send the same message at the same time, amplifying their words for maximum impact.

Choose “Support with Twitter” or “Support with Facebook” – or both! With your help, thousands of people across the country will demand that big corporations pay their fair share and that Washington not cut important programs like health care and Social Security.

Thanks,

Will O’Neill
Health Care for America Now

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Prison for rescuing wounded deer?

02/07/2013 Nativegrl77

Drop charges against Indiana couple for saving and rehabilitating a wounded fawn

Sign John’s Petition

Brian A Clark: Drop Charges against Connersville Police Officer and his wife

Started by: John, Greenwood, Indiana

Jeff and Jennifer Counceller thought were doing the right thing when they saved the life of an injured baby deer they found near their home in Indiana. But because they didn’t have a permit, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is prosecuting them and they could face up to 60 days in prison. The DNR should drop these charges now.

When they found the fawn on a neighbor’s porch in 2010, she was badly injured with puncture wounds that were infected and had maggots in them. Jennifer, a registered nurse and wound caretaker for the couple’s dogs and horses took the deer home and named it Dani and began nursing the deer back to health.

When they called the DNR they were told to return the deer to the wild and let nature take it’s course. That would have been a death sentence for the deer. Instead, they tried to find Dani a home at animal rescue operations, petting zoos and deer farms, but no one would take her. The Counceller’s decided to keep caring for the deer until it was strong enough to make it on it’s own in the wild.

This past summer the DNR started an investigation into the situation and a DNR official recommended they get a permit to rehabilitate Dani. The DNR then denied the permit application and then said the deer would have to killed.

Just before DNR officials arrived at the Counceller’s house to kill Dani she escaped through a gate that was left open. Now, the DNR has assigned a special prosecutor to the case and they’re charging both Jeff and Jennifer with illegal possession of a white-tailed deer.

Jeff is a police officer and Jennifer is a nurse – these are good people who were just trying to the right thing by saving an injured animal. They don’t deserve to go to jail and the DNR should drop all charges against them.

We’re asking that you sign the petition and also join the fight on our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/connersvillecharges

Click here to sign John’s petition, “Brian A Clark: Drop Charges against Connersville Police Officer and his wife”.

Black History

Congress: Republicans ::::::: Democrats

02/07/2013 Nativegrl77

the Senate Convenes: 9:30amET February 7, 2013

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of S.47, the Violence Against Women Act with the time until 12:00pm equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees.
Senator-designate Cowan, of Massachusetts, will be sworn in at noon on Thursday.
We hope to complete action on the Violence Against Women Act on Thursday.

The Senate has reached an agreement to consider amendments to S.47, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). As a result of this agreement, there will be 1 vote at 4:00pm today (Grassley substitute) and the remaining votes will occur next week.

The only first degree amendments in order to the bill are the ones listed below.

– Grassley substitute amendment #14;

– Leahy amendment the text of which is at the desk (sex trafficking),

– Portman amendment #10 (sex trafficking),;

– Murkowski amendment #11 (tribal protections);

– Coburn amendment #13 (consolidate DOJ rape programs);

– Coburn amendment #15 (notice to victims); and

– Coburn amendment #16 (party convention funding).

The time until 4:00pm today will be for debate on the Grassley substitute, with the time equally divided between the two Leaders, or their designees. At 4:00pm, the Senate will proceed to vote in relation to the Grassley substitute amendment #14.

No amendments are in order to any of the amendments in this list prior to votes in relation to the amendments.

Following any Leader remarks on Monday, February 11^th, the Senate will resume consideration of the bill, with the time until 5:30pm equally divided between the two Leaders, or their designees.

At 5:30pm, the Senate will proceed to vote in relation to the remaining amendments and passage of the underlying bill, as amended, if amended. Senator Cornyn will have 45 minutes under his control on the Republican side.

There will be 2 minutes for debate equally divided prior to each vote.

4:02pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the Grassley amendment #14 (substitute) to S.47, the Violence Against Women Act;

Not Agreed To: 34-65

WRAP UP

ROLL CALL VOTE

1) Grassley amendment #14 (substitute) to S.47, VAWA; Not Agreed to: 34-65

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Adopted H.Con.Res.11, providing for a joint session of Congress to receive a message from the President.

Adopted S.Res.27, designating the week of February 4 through 8, 2013, as “National School Counseling Week”.

No EXECUTIVE ITEMS

————————————————————–

Last Floor Action: 2/6
1:48:39 P.M. – The House adjourned pursuant to a previous special order.