Daily Archives: 11/15/2013

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Pass a budget that ends sequestration!


AAUW Action Network

It’s been a month since Congress came to its senses and ended the unnecessary federal government shutdown that turned families’ lives upside down and cost our economy millions of lost days of work.

Now it’s time for our lawmakers to – finally – get down to business, and we can make them do it.

As part of the October budget deal that re-opened the federal government, Congress established a joint House-Senate budget committee to find a path forward. The committee is meeting now, and their report is due to the House and Senate by December 13. That gives lawmakers just one month to consider the recommendations of the committee and pass a budget before the short-term continuing resolution expires on January 15, 2014.

December and January might sound far away, but the committee is meeting now and making decisions about the programs we care about now. One decision they should make is to get rid of the misguided across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration, which began in March. The effects of sequestration have been painful so far, and they will only get worse over time. Congress must support a transparent appropriations process that ends sequestration once and for all.

Want to make sure low-income women, infants, and children have access to the food they need?

Want to protect access to services for domestic violence survivors?

Want to stand up for quality public education and safe school climates
free from bullying and harassment?

Then we need to contact our senators today and urge them to pass a budget that ends sequestration once and for all.

Congress should resist calls to enact “flexibility” or exempt defense spending when it comes to sequestration. Congress must end sequestration, period.

The AAUW Action Fund Lobby Corps delivered this message to senators this morning, and now it’s time for you to drive it home. Please, take two minutes to urge your senators to support a transparent appropriations process that ends sequestration!

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

the War on Holidays …


By 

Which Companies Are Ruining Thanksgiving For Their Workers?

It’s that time of the year: conservatives are once again decrying the non-existent War on Christmas.

Meanwhile, retailers across the country are engaged in a very real War on Thanksgiving by forcing their low-wage workers to come in and work on Thanksgiving Day so the rest of us can start shopping a few hours earlier.

Here’s the ThinkProgress guide to the War on Thanksgiving.

war_on_thanksgiving_graphic-01
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The world’s poorest communities need trees.
   

Every time we do a tree-planting, I hear  back from local residents, who tell us how the trees we’ve planted have helped  them provide for their families and have allowed them to live happier and  healthier lives.

They’re really thanking YOU, our generous  supporters. But our work is not done yet.

For every dollar you donate, we’ll plant one more  tree.

Trees provide food, energy and income, helping  communities to achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability.  Trees also filter the air and help stave off the effects of climate change.

With your generous donation, you can improve the lives of  some of the world’s most vulnerable citizens.

Last year, Earth Day Network made an  important commitment to the Global Poverty Project to plant 10 million trees in impoverished areas  around the world over the next five years.

We need your help to meet our goal. Please  consider contributing to this critical effort today.

John Maleri
Associate Director of Earth Day, Earth Day  Network

P.S.  Thanks to our partners at WeWood, there’s a special new opportunity to support  The Canopy Project. You’ll receive a gift you’ll love!
Black History

the Senate ~~ CONGRESS 11/15~~ the House


 Check out to see if your member of Congress voted with Republicans

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2013/roll587.xml

EmptyhouseChamber

The Senate stands adjourned until 2:00pm on Monday, November 18, 2013.

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 5:00pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

For the information of all Senators, cloture was filed on the following items on Thursday, November 14th:

–       Executive Calendar #381, the nomination of Robert Leon Wilkins, of the District of Columbia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit;

–       H.R.3204, Drug Quality and Security Act; and

–       Motion to proceed to S.1197, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014.

The filing deadline for all first degree amendments to H.R.3204,the Drug Quality and Security Act is 3:00pm on Monday. The filing deadline for all second degree amendments to H.R.3204 is 4:00pm on Monday.

At 5:00pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider the nomination of Robert Wilkins to be US Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit with the time until 5:30pm equally divided and controlled in the usual form.

At 5:30pm, there will be up to 4 roll call votes:

1)      Motion to invoke cloture on the Wilkins nomination

If cloture is not invoked on the Wilkins nomination,

2)      Motion to invoke cloture on H.R.3204, the Drug Quality and Security Act

If cloture is invoked on H.R.3204,

3)      Passage of H.R.3204

Upon disposition of H.R.3204,

4)      Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.1197, the National Defense Authorization Act.

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Last Floor Action:
1:36:42 P.M. – On approving the Journal
Agreed to by voice vote.

Last Floor Action:
9:15:32 A.M. -H. Res. 413
DEBATE – The
House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 413.

Final vote on RepFredUpton’s bill http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2013/roll587.xml

The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on November 18, 2013.

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