What do you believe in? National Women’s Law Center


National Women's Law Center
What do you believe in?
Whether for our families or our country, we believe in making responsible and balanced budget decisions. We believe in making sure the wealthiest Americans and corporations pay their fair share. And we believe in protecting the programs and services that millions of vulnerable women and their families count on.
Are you with us?
Take a stand in support of fair budgets by sharing our button today! The more shares, the more visibility for our cause.
Graphic - Say Yes to a Fair Budget

There were key developments on the federal budget this week.
The House and Senate each released its own budget for FY2014. They could not be more different. The House budget slashes critical services for vulnerable families while the Senate invests in early childhood programs, protects programs vital to women and families, and advances tax fairness.
Here’s what you need to know.
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan‘s budget would:

  • Give massive tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and corporations by lowering the top individual and corporate tax rate to 25 percent.
  • Repeal the Affordable Care Act — denying millions of women and families access to affordable health insurance.
  • Dramatically cut funding for programs like Head Start and child care assistance, which help women work and children learn.
  • Dismantle core safety net programs by turning Medicaid and SNAP (Food Stamps) into block grants.
  • Cut funding for K-12 education, Pell Grants, job training, and domestic violence prevention.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray’s budget would:

  • Increase investments in early learning and home visiting programs, giving more children access to the prekindergarten, child care, Head Start and Early Head Start opportunities.
  • Protect Social Security and core safety net programs.
  • Permanently extend the improvements in the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit that lift millions of women and children out of poverty.
  • Expand access to affordable health insurance and preventive care services by continuing to implement the Affordable Care Act.
  • Close corporate tax loopholes and limit unfair tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.

Two budgets. Two visions. We need to speak up for the vision that puts women and their families first.
Please join us in support of fair budgets by sharing our button today.
Thanks for all your support!
Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher Vice President for Family Economic Security National Women’s Law Center    Judy Waxman Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights National Women’s Law Center     Helen Blank Director of Child Care and Early Learning National Women’s Law Center    

P.S. For more information about what’s happening with the House and Senate budgets, please check out NWLC’s latest resources.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)


03/14/2013 10:55 AM EDT
Bravo! is voluntarily recalling its 2 lb tubes of Bravo! Raw Food Diet Chicken Blend for Dogs and Cats, product code: 21-102, batch ID code 6 14 12, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The recall involves 2 lb. Bravo! Chicken Blend frozen raw diet tubes (chubs) made on June 14, 2012 only; no other products or sizes are involved.

Wells Fargo and US Bank don’t want you to read this


Wall Street banks have found another way to economically exploit our communities by putting a new name on an old practice. Payday loans are now being offered by banks such as Wells Fargo, US Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Regions Bank and others under the deceptive name of “Direct Deposit Advances.” No better than the cash advance stores concentrated in underbanked neighborhoods, these supposedly reputable banks trap families and individuals in a cycle of debt — with fees and interest equivalent to an annual percentage rate (APR) in excess of 300% — saddling customers with debt that takes an average of nearly 6 months to escape.

Banks target these predatory loans at Black and Latino communities. These racially-discriminatory lending practices, like redlining, have been in use for generations to prevent minority communities from building economic stability, wealth and subsequent political power. The bank practices that created the housing crisis have decimated Black wealth, which is now at its lowest in 25 years.

Please help stop big banks from pushing struggling families further into poverty.

We’re joining forces with our friends at CREDO Action to fight back against Wall Street banks pushing payday loans, by urging federal banking regulators to halt this exploitative practice. CREDO Action is a social change organization that fights for progressive values by engaging its over 3 million members in activism on a wide variety of issues, and together CREDO Action and ColorOfChange members can help put an end to payday lending by Wall Street banks.

Thanks and Peace,

Rashad

Bills and Hearings in the House 3/15


9:00 am Hearing: Unaffordable: Impact of Obamacare on Americans’ Health Insurance PremiumsCommittee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health
9:30 am Hearing: Chairman Brady Announces Hearing on  MedPAC’s Annual March Report to CongressCommittee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health
10:00 am Hearing: The Posture of the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa CommandCommittee on Armed Services: Full Committee
10:00 am Hearing: RESCHEDULED: Oversight Hearing – Sandy Disaster Relief and RecoveryCommittee on Appropriations: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies

:::::: CONGRESS ::::::


EmptyhouseChamber

The Senate stands in adjournment until 2:00pm on Monday, March 18, 2013.

The filing deadline for all 2nd degree amendments to the Mikulski-Shelby substitute amendment #26 and H.R.933 is 4:30pm on Monday.

The managers of the bill will work on a finite list of amendments to the continuing appropriations bill over the weekend.

Senators should expect a roll call vote at 5:30pm.  There will either be a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Mikulski-Shelby substitute amendment #26 or several votes in relation to amendments to the bill.

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Watch Most Recent House Floor Activity

Last Floor Action:
6:48:40 P.M. -The House adjourned. 3/14

The next meeting is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on March 15, 2013.

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