Monthly Archives: January 2014

Black History

the Senate ~~~ CONGRESS 12/19 ~~~ the House


beaseedforchangestickersGREENWRAP UP For  12/16/2014

Roll Call Votes

  1. Cloture on Executive Calendar #1084, Sarah R. Saldana, to be an Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security; Invoked: 53-41.
  2. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #1084, Sarah R. Saldana, to be an Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security; Confirmed: 55-39.
  3. Cloture on Executive Calendar #1150, Antony Blinken, to be Deputy Secretary of State; Invoked: 53-40.
  4. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #1150, Antony Blinken, to be Deputy Secretary of State; Confirmed 55-38.
  5. Cloture on Executive Calendar #1144, Colette Honorable, to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Invoked: 65-28.
  6. Passage of H.R.5771, the Tax Extenders Legislation; Passed: 76-16.
  7. Motion to invoke cloture on Stephen R. Bough, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Missouri; Invoked 51-38.
  8. Confirmation of Stephen R. Bough, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Missouri; Confirmed: 51-38.

 

Legislative Business

Passed H.R.3608: Grand Portage Band Per Capita Adjustment Act

Passed H.R.4030: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 18640 NW 2nd Avenue in Miami, Florida, as the “Father Richard Marquess-Barry Post Office Building”.

Passed Calendar #131, S.684 with committee-reported amendments and Johnson amendment: Mni Wiconi

Passed Calendar #513, S.1800: Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act with committee-reported amendments and Barrasso amendment

Adopted Calendar #648, S.Res.595: Nobel Laureates Satyarthi and Yousafzai

Adopted S.Res.226: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of James Cleveland ‘Jesse’ Owens

Adopted S.Res.564: Centennial of the Passenger Pigeon Extinction, with amendment at the desk

Adopted H.Con.Res.125: Adjournment Sine Die Resolution by voice vote

 

Executive Business

The Senate confirmed the following nominations by voice votes:

  1. Executive Calendar #979, Daniel J. Santos, to be a Member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board for a term expiring October 18, 2017;
  2. Executive Calendar #635, Frank A. Rose, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Verification and Compliance);
  3. Executive Calendar #1144, Colette Honorable, to be Member of FERC;
  4. Executive Calendar #840, Estevan Lopez, to be Commissioner of Reclamation;
  5. Executive Calendar #922, Marcus Jadotte, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce;
  6. Executive Calaendar #901, Jonathan Stivers, to be an Assistant Administrator of USAID;
  7. Executive Calendar #735, John Cruden, to be an Assistant Attorney General;
  8. Executive Calendar #553, Christopher Smith, to be Assistant Secretary of Energy;
  9. Executive Calendar #1070, Jorge Alonso, District Judge – IL;
  10. Executive Calendar #1071, Haywood Gilliam, District Judge – CA;
  11. Executive Calendar #1072, Amit Mehta, District Judge – DC;
  12. Executive Calendar #1073, Allison Burroughs, District Judge – MA;
  13. Executive Calendar #1075, John Blakey, District Judge – IL;
  14. Executive Calendar #1076, Amos Mazzant, District Judge – TX;
  15. Executive Calendar #1077, Robert Pitman, District Judge – TX;
  16. Executive Calendar #1078, Robert Schroeder, District Judge – TX;
  17. Executive Calendar #1145, Joan Azrack, District Judge – NY;
  18. Executive Calendar #1146, Elizabeth Dillon, District Judge – VA; and
  19. Executive Calendar #1147, Loretta Biggs, District Judge – NC.

 

The Senate confirmed the following nominations by unanimous consent:

BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS

#900 Karen Kornbluh – to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2016

CHEMICAL SAFETY AND HAZARD INVESTIGATION BOARD

#651 Richard J. Engler – to be a Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board for a term of five years

#970 Manuel H. Ehrlich, Jr. – to be a Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board for a term of five years

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

#1079 Nicholas J. Rasmussen – to be Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence

INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

#514 Mark E. Lopes – to be United States Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank for a term of three years

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

#1104 Leigh A. Bradley – to be General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

#1141 Mark R. Rosekind – to be Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

#933 Helen Tierney – to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs

MORRIS K. UDALL AND STEWART L. UDALL FOUNDATION

#644 Charles P. Rose – to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation for a term expiring May 26, 2019

#645 Mark Thomas Nethery – to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation for a term expiring October 6, 2018

#646 Anne J. Udall – to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation for a term expiring October 6, 2016 (Reappointment)

#737 Camilla C. Feibelman – to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation

LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION

#844 Martha L. Minow – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2017

#845 Charles Norman Wiltse Keckler – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2016

#862 Gloria Valencia-Weber – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2017

#864 John Gerson Levi – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2017

#865 Robert James Grey, Jr. – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2017

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION

#757 Thomas Hicks – to be a Member of the Election Assistance Commission for a term expiring December 12, 2017

#1085 Matthew Vincent Masterson – to be a Member of the Election Assistance Commission for a term expiring December12, 2017

#1086 Christy A. McCormick – to be a Member of the Election Assistance Commission for a term expiring December 12, 2015

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

#1099 Isobel Coleman – to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U. N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador

#1100 Isobel Coleman – to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations during her tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

#790 Paige Eve Alexander – to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

#1110 Robert M. Scher – to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense

#1111 David J. Berteau – to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

#1090 Jess Lippincott Baily – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Macedonia

#1091 Robert Francis Cekuta – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Azerbaijan

#1092 Margaret Ann Uyehara – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Montenegro

#1093 Richard M. Mills, Jr. – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Armenia

PN2092 – Micheal P. O’Rielly, (FCC)

PN1279 – Laurie Mikva (Legal Services)

PN1280 – Victor Maddox (Legal Services)

PN2065 – Joseph Pius Pietzyzk (Legal Services)

PN1916 – James Huffman (Udall)

The Senate also confirmed Calendar #618, James Cole, Jr. to be General Counsel, Department of Education;

Calendar #1005, PN1804, Arthur Lee Bentley III, of Florida, to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida for the term of four years; and

Calendar #1062, PN1806, David Rivera, of Tennessee, to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee for the term of four years.

Next session 1/6/2015

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the House did not meet on 12/19

Last Floor Action:12/16
12:08:02 P.M. – The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn pursuant to H. Con. Res. 125.

The next meeting is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on January 2, 2015. resolution. Agreed to without objection.

12:00:00 P.M. The House convened, starting a new legislative day.
12:00:34 P.M. The Speaker designated the Honorable Randy Neugebauer to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
12:01:40 P.M. Today’s prayer was offered by Br. Thomas More Garrett, Dominican House of Studies, Washington, DC.
12:02:01 P.M. Pursuant to section 3(a) of House Resolution 775, the Journal of the last day’s proceedings was approved.
12:02:07 P.M. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair led the House in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
12:02:50 P.M. The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on December 12, 2014 at 6:20 p.m.: That the Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 121, H. Con. Res. 123 and that the Senate agreed to the House Amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 3979.
12:03:20 P.M. The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on December 13, 2014 at 4:25 p.m.: That the Senate passed H.J. Res. 131.
12:03:55 P.M. The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on December 15, 2014 at 8:56 a.m.: That the Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 122 and agreed to the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 83.
12:04:11 P.M. The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on December 15, 2014 at 9:55 a.m.: That the Senate passed H.R. 2591 and H.R. 5859.
12:05:15 P.M. The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on December 16, 2014 at 9:03 a.m.: That the Senate passed H.R. 2754, H.R. 3572, H.R. 1206, H.R. 1378, H.R. 5050, H.R. 5185, H.R. 5816, S. 706, H.R. 3027, H.R. 4416, H.R. 4651, H.R. 5331, H.R. 5562, H.R. 4276, and H.R. 5687.
12:06:44 P.M. The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on December 16, 2014 at 10:57 a.m.: That the Senate passed H.R. 2901, H.R. 1068, H.R. 2866 amended, and S. 1744.
12:07:00 P.M. Without objection, the Chair announced that when House adjourns today, it shall adjourn to meet at noon on Friday, December 19, 2014, unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its adoption of H. Con. Res. 125, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution. Agreed to without objection.
12:08:02 P.M. The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn pursuant to H. Con. Res. 125. The next meeting is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on January 2, 2015. resolution. Agreed to without objection.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

By The Numbers …


By 

Obamacare Numbers to Know

Yesterday was a big day for millions of Americans. The health coverage they received under the Affordable Care Act went into effect. For many of these millions, it may be the first time they’ve ever had the security of quality, affordable health coverage.

Here are some key numbers to know as we enter this new, exciting phase of Obamacare:

2,000,000….the record number of Americans who visited HealthCare.gov on December 23.

6,000,000+….the total number of Americans who have obtained health coverage through the state and federal health care marketplaces or Medicaid since October 1.

2,100,000+….the number of Americans who have obtained private health insurance through the state and federal health care marketplaces.

3,900,000….the number of Americans who were found to be eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program just during the months of October and November alone.

4,800,000….the number of low-income Americans who will not receive health coverage simply because Republican governors and legislatures in half the states are refusing to expand Medicaid.

10,000….the actual number of Americans nationwide who “would be unable to renew their cancelled policies, unable to receive subsidized coverage through the marketplace or Medicaid, and unable to enroll in catastrophic coverage,” which is a far cry from Republican claims that 5 million people would lose coverage because their substandard plans were cancelled by insurance companies.

BOTTOM LINE: Obamacare is working and millions of Americans have health coverage right now thanks to the Affordable Care Act — and millions more will get covered before open enrollment ends in March. Every Republican attempt to dismantle, disrupt, and destroy the law is now an attempt to take away coverage from these Americans and the tens of millions of others who have benefited from the law, including women, seniors, young people, and those with pre-existing conditions.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Stop the massacres


                                Dear friends in the Avaaz Community,


Up to 15,000 dolphins are being killed every year in Peru’s waters — for bait to catch endangered sharks. A new report has forced the government to respond but they’re not taking enough action yet and meanwhile the dolphins and the sharks are being killed. We can stop the massacre by threatening Peru’s international reputation as a tourism destination. Sign now and share: 
SIGN THE PETITION

I just saw a report on the news in Peru showing how fishermen are slaughtering up to 15,000 dolphins every year — for bait to catch endangered sharks. The entire story made me sick — and now I’m fighting to end this nightmare. Will you join me?
My government is starting to react, but they’re not taking enough action yet. Dolphin hunting is already illegal and punishable with several years in prison, but authorities are turning a blind eye — allowing thousands of dolphins and sharks to be butchered. The government cares a lot about Peru’s international reputation, especially for tourism, and if we can make them feel embarrassed with a massive global campaign, I’m sure they’ll start taking action to end the massacre.
Once I deliver a million signatures from all over the world to the government of Peru, Avaaz will place ads in tourism magazines in countries where most of our tourists come from and the government won’t be able to ignore us! Help me stop the brutal slaughter by signing now:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/dolphin_hunt_peru/?biEWLbb&v=33625
When I saw this horrific hunt I realised I needed to do something about it before our dolphins and sharks are gone forever. So I decided to set up a petition and shared it with my friends and in less than 24 hours over 10,000 people had signed it!
Our oceans are under attack. Sharks and dolphins already face threats from pollution, climate change and entanglement in fishing gear. They play an important role as ocean predators and need to be protected — not butchered. Many marine ecosystems are on the verge of collapse from which they won’t recover and they will not wait while our politicians dither around making empty statements.
Tourism is Peru’s third largest industry, growing faster than any other South American country. Visitors are coming to see our pristine wilderness and eco-tourism is very important. We can create a serious threat by taking out hard-hitting ads in key countries where most visitors are coming from. Our government will realise people not only love our country because of the Machu Picchu and local gastronomy but also because they love our oceans and wildlife. Sign now and share this with everyone:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/dolphin_hunt_peru/?biEWLbb&v=33625
As an Avaaz member I’ve been truly amazed at our ability to help protect our oceans. At first, I wanted to get 15,000 signatures to represent the 15,000 dolphins that are killed every year but together we can represent all the dolphins and the sharks that can be saved in Peru’s waters!
With hope and excitement,
Zoe — together with the Avaaz Community Petitions Team
This petition was started on the Avaaz Community Petitions Site. It’s quick and easy to start a petition on any issue you care about, click here: http://avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?30311
MORE INFORMATION:
Dolphins killed for shark bait in Peru (CNN) http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/22/world/americas/dolphins-killed-peru/
Dolphin Slaughter Fueled by Illegal Shark Trade (National Geographic) http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/24/dolphin-slaughter-fueled-by-illegal-shark-trade/
Revealed: brutal reality of world’s ‘biggest dolphin hunt’ (The Ecologist)  http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2122747/revealed_brutal_reality_of_worlds_biggest_dolphin_hunt

Black History

the Senate ~~ CONGRESS 1/3 ~~ the House


capitol29

The Senate will meet for a pro forma session only with no business conducted at 11:45am on Friday, January 3, 2014.

 Additionally, only if the Senate does not receive a message that the House has adopted S.Con.Res.30, the adjournment resolution, the Senate will meet on the following dates and times:

–          Tuesday, December 24th at noon

–          Friday, December 27th at noon and

–          Tuesday, December 31st at noon

Schedule for Monday, January 6, 2014

The Senate will convene at 2:00pm on Monday, January 6, 2014. Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.1845, the Unemployment Insurance Extension Act with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

 At 3:00pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to resume consideration of Executive Calendar #452, the nomination of Janet Yellen, of California, to be Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System with the time until 5:30pm equally divided and controlled in the usual form prior to a vote on confirmation of the Yellen nomination.

At 5:30pm, there will be 2 roll call votes:

–          Confirmation of the Yellen nomination and

–          Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.1845, the Unemployment Extension Act.

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Last Floor Action:12/26
12:10:09 P.M. – The Speaker announced
that the House do now adjourn pursuant to S. Con. Res. 30.

The next meeting is
scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on January 3, 2014.

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~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

On this day … Isaac Asimov – A writer, credited with inventing science fiction


Isaac Asimov
Born: 1929 | Died: 1992 72 years old
He is credited with inventing modern science fiction and wrote and edited more than 500 works during his lifetime.

Born on January 2, 1920, in Petrovichi, Russia, Isaac Asimov immigrated with his family to the United States and became a biochemistry professor while pursuing writing. He published his first novel, Pebble in the Sky, in 1950. An immensely prolific author who penned nearly 500 books, he published influential sci-fi works like I, Robot and the Foundation trilogy, as well as books in a variety of other genres. Asimov died in New York City on April 6, 1992.

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