Monthly Archives: May 2014

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

#Infrastructure


Why We Need to Invest in Infrastructure

The United States was once a leader in infrastructure, but we’re slipping. Repairing our crumbling roads and bridges will help position our economy for long-term growth.

“Every time we’ve invested in infrastructure, as Democrats, as Republicans — every time we’ve done it, the economy grows,” said Vice President Biden. “And it grows good, decent-paying jobs.”

Listen to the Vice President explain why we need to invest in our infrastructure:

Video player: Investing in American Ports Infrastructure

 

President Obama and Vice President Biden Honor America’s TOP COPS

The President and Vice President welcomed some of the country’s best law enforcement officials to the White House, honoring their remarkable service and sacrifice.

READ MORE

A Numbers-Based Case for Why It’s Time to Act on Infrastructure

President Obama is calling on Congress to pass a bill to put Americans to work repairing our crumbling roads and bridges — avoiding a crisis in the short term, and helping to position our economy for long-term growth.

READ MORE

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

the Senate ~~ CONGRESS 5/14 ~~ the House


Working_Families_Party

Schedule for Wednesday, May 14, 2014

The Senate stands adjourned until 9:30am on Wednesday, May 14, under the provisions of S.Res.444, as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator Harlan Mathews of Tennessee. Following Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R.3474, the legislative vehicle for the tax extenders legislation, post-cloture. At 11:15am, there will be a series of up to 5 roll call votes on the following items:

  1. Cloture on Executive Calendar #664, Steven Paul Logan, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona;
  2. Cloture on Executive Calendar #665, John Joseph Tuchi, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona;
  3. Cloture on Executive Calendar #666, Diane J. Humetewa, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona;
  4. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #650, Roy K. Williams, of Ohio, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development (voice vote expected); and
  5. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #539, Carlos Roberto Moreno, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Belize (voice vote expected).

Following the votes, the time until 5:15pm will be equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders, or their designees. At 5:15pm, there will be a series of up to 4 roll call votes on the following items:

  1. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #664, Steven Paul Logan, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona
  2. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #665, John Joseph Tuchi, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona
  3. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #666, Diane J. Humetewa, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona
  4. Adoption of the motion to proceed to H.R.3474, legislative vehicle for Tax Extenders (voice vote expected)

At 11:17am, the Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on cloture on Executive Calendar #664, Steven Paul Logan, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona;

Invoked: 58-37

Next:

  1. Cloture on Executive Calendar #665, John Joseph Tuchi, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona;
  2. Cloture on Executive Calendar #666, Diane J. Humetewa, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona;
  3. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #650, Roy K. J. (Jay) Williams, of Ohio, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development (voice vote expected); and
  4. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #539, Carlos Roberto Moreno, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Belize (voice vote expected).

11:45am The Senate began a 10 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #665, John Joseph Tuchi, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona;

Invoked: 62-35

12:04pm The Senate began a 10 minute roll call vote on cloture on Executive Calendar #666, Diane J. Humetewa, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona;

Invoked: 64-34

The following nominations were confirmed by voice vote:

  1. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #650, Roy K. J. (Jay) Williams, of Ohio, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development; and
  2. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #539, Carlos Roberto Moreno, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Belize.

Senator Cardin asked unanimous consent the Senate take up and pass Calendar #194, S.357, National Blue Alert Act of 2013.

 

Senator Coburn objected.

 

Senator Leahy asked unanimous consent the Senate take up and pass Calendar #162, S.933, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2013.

At 5:18pm, the Senate began a 15-minute roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #664, Steven Paul Logan, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona.

Confirmed: 96-0

At 5:44pm, the Senate began a 10-minute roll call vote on confirmation of Confirmation of Executive Calendar #665, John Joseph Tuchi, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona.

Confirmed: 96-0

At 6:02pm, the Senate began a 10-minute roll call vote on confirmation of Confirmation of Executive Calendar #666, Diane J. Humetewa, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona.

Confirmed: 96-0

The Humetewa nomination was confirmed 96-0. The Senate resumed Legislative Session and adopted the motion to proceed to H.R.3474 by voice vote. Senator Reid then offered the Wyden amendment #3060 (substitute with the text of Tax Extenders and ) and several other amendments to fill the amendment tree. He then filed cloture motions on the substitute amendment and underlying bill. Senator Reid then filed cloture on Executive Calendar #768, the nomination of Stanley Fischer, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

 

Senator Reid then moved to proceed to S.162, a bill to reauthorize and improve the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act.

 

The filing deadline for first degree amendments to the Wyden substitute amendment #3060 and H.R.3474 is 1:00pm tomorrow, May 15 and the filing deadline for second degree amendments to the Substitute amendment is 3:00pm tomorrow.

 

Amendments pending to H.R.3474

Reid for Wyden #3060 (Substitute – Tax Extenders plus Hire More Heroes Act)

Reid #3089 to #3060 (date change)

Reid #3090 to #3089 (date change)

Reid #3091 to H.R.3474 (date change)

Reid #3092 to #3091 (date change)

Reid motion to recommit the bill with #3093 (date change)

Reid #3094 to #3093 (date change)

Reid #3095 to #3094 (date change)

WRAP UP

Roll Call Votes

1)     Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #664, Steven Paul Logan, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona; Invoked: 58-37

2)     Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #665, John Joseph Tuchi, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona; Invoked: 62-34

3)     Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #666, Diane J. Humetewa, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona; Invoked: 64-34

4)     Confirmation of Executive Calendar #664, Steven Paul Logan, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona; Confirmed: 96-0

5)     Confirmation of Executive Calendar #665, John Joseph Tuchi, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona; Confirmed: 96-0

6)     Confirmation of Executive Calendar #666, Diane J. Humetewa, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona; Confirmed: 96-0

 

Legislative items

Adopted S.Res.314, a resolution commemorating and supporting the goals of World AIDS Day with Coons amendments to the resolution and the preamble.

 

Discharged the Judiciary committee and adopted S.Res.402, Expressing regret of the Senate for the passage of section 3 of the Expatriation Act of 1907 (34 Stat. 1228) that revoked the United States citizenship of women who married foreign nationals.

 

Additional Executive Items

Discharged the Commerce committee and confirmed PN1500, the nomination of Vice Adm. Paul F. Zukunft to be Admiral by unanimous consent.

 

Confirmed the following by voice vote:

–        Executive Calendar #650, Roy K. Williams, of Ohio, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and

–        Executive Calendar #539, Carlos Roberto Moreno, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Belize

The Senate has reached an agreement that results in a series of up to 5 roll call votes beginning at 11:15am tomorrow and as many as 5 roll call votes beginning at 1:45pm tomorrow. All votes after the first vote in each series will be 10 minute votes.

 

11:15am:

  1. Cloture on Executive Calendar #667, Rosemary Marquez, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona
  2. Cloture on Executive Calendar #668, Douglas L. Rayes, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona
  3. Cloture on Executive Calendar #669, James Alan Soto, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona
  4. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #693, Leslie Ragon Caldwell, of New York, to be an Assistant Attorney General (voice vote expected)
  5. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #541, Helen Meagher La Lime, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Angola (voice vote expected)

 

1:45pm:

  1. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #667, Rosemary Marquez, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona
  2. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #668, Douglas L. Rayes, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona
  3. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #669, James Alan Soto, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona
  4. Cloture on Executive Calendar #732, Gregg Jeffrey Costa, of Texas, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit
  5. Cloture on Reid for Wyden amendment #3060 to H.R.3474 (Tax Extenders substitute)

=======================================================

Last Floor Action:
1:02:51 P.M. – The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn pursuant to section 2(b) of H. Res. 576.

The next meeting is scheduled. for 2:00 p.m. on May 15, 2014.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Tobacco


 

Help FDA Keep Kids from Using Tobacco
05/09/2014 10:40 AM EDT
FDA monitors compliance with federal tobacco laws through surveillance, inspections, and investigations. Help FDA in your community by reporting potential violations of the law.
Did you know that the public plays a vital role in ensuring that tobacco products stay out of the hands of kids?
Every day in the U.S. more than 3,200 youth under age 18 smoke their first cigarette, and more than 700 become daily cigarette smokers. To help end youth access to tobacco products, FDA monitors compliance with federal tobacco laws through surveillance and inspections, and by investigating complaints from the public about potential violations.
Your report may help us identify possible violations of the laws that we enforce, such as not selling regulated tobacco products to anyone under age 18.
Read this consumer update to learn how to help FDA ensure that federal tobacco laws are being followed by reporting potential violations of the law.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Gun Safety


Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland and the Tacoma City Council unanimously passed groundbreaking legislation that will keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people and make Washington safer.

The new law will require background checks for all gun sales at gun shows held on city property. It’s a measure that will keep guns from getting into the hands of dangerous people, and it will save lives — but with background checks legislation on the ballot this fall, we need to keep up the pressure for comprehensive gun laws statewide.

Send a message to Mayor Strickland and the Tacoma City Council thanking them for unanimously passing this common-sense law, then sign up to get involved with the fight ahead:

This is just one of the victories we’ve seen for common-sense gun laws this year. In March, the Washington state legislature passed a law to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. These are huge victories for public safety — but all Washingtonians will still be at risk until we pass comprehensive public safety laws, and we’re going to need supporters like you to stand with us every step of the way.

I-594, the ballot initiative to require background checks for all gun sales in Washington state, is going to be on the ballot in this November’s election, and we’re going to be doing everything we can to pass this important bill into law. There’s a lot left to do, and it starts with thanking legislators in Tacoma for leading the way.

The tide is turning in favor of common-sense gun laws all across America, and Washington is helping lead the way. Send a message of thanks today, and sign up to get involved in the fight for background checks in Washington:

http://act.everytown.org/letter/tacoma-thank-you

Thanks for sending a message,

Everytown for Gun Safety

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Drafted


By

Michael Sam Becomes First Openly Gay Man Selected In The NFL Draft

Another barrier for equal rights for all fell on Saturday when Michael Sam, from the University of Missouri, was drafted into the NFL by the St. Louis Rams with the 249th overall pick. Sam, who was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Defensive Player of the Year for 2013, is the first openly gay man to be drafted into any of the four major professional sports in America.

The event happened just one day after Arkansas became the latest in a long line of states to see its same-sex marriage ban struck down.

In the immediate wake of Sam’s courageous decision to come out, NFL teams and players had encouraging things to say, with many general managers explicitly stating it would have no impact on their evaluation of Sam as a player. But “all the NFL personnel members” that Sports Illustrated spoke to off the record “believed that Sam’s announcement will cause him to drop in the draft.” It appears that if may have contributed: Sam is only the second person ever to hold the title of SEC Defensive Player of the Year and fall out of the top 33 picks of the NFL draft–let alone to number 249. Before the draft, he was projected to go 169th, in part because of a worse-than-expected performance at the NFL combine.

Buzz of the potentially historic moment had been building as draft day approached. Early last week, ESPN selected Sam as the winner of this year’s Arthur Ashe Courage Award, given to individuals who transcend sports. Then Sam signed a sponsorship agreement with Visa, tackling his off-the-field notoriety head on in a TV ad that aired during the first night of the NFL draft: “Judge me for what I do on the field,” he said. The audience for ESPN’s Saturday draft coverage, with a focus on Sam, was up 22 percent or almost 2 million viewers from the previous year.

When Sam was finally selected, he celebrated the moment as many others would: with an embrace and a kiss from his significant other, who just happens to be another man (watch the video of Sam getting the call saying he’d been picked here):

michaelsam

Sam now faces the next challenge in the process of becoming the first openly gay NFL athlete in history: making it through training camp and securing a spot on the roster. It’s not a given, according to those in the know: “Sam is considered undersized for an NFL defensive end and may have to become a linebacker in the pros.”

And to be sure, he will have to face more controversy around his sexual orientation. Even as he was selected, one Miami Dolphins player tweeted, “horrible.” But in an indication of how the league will treat any behavior of this nature, the player was promptly fined, suspended and forced to apologize.

BOTTOM LINE: The fight for LGBT equality took another big step forward on Saturday. Michael Sam became the first openly gay player drafted into one of America’s four major professional sports.