Congress: the Republican House Appropriations Cmte wants to decrease foreign food aid – the Senate motion to proceed with HR1249,America Invents Act


the Senate Convened at 10:00am September 7, 2011

  • Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business for one
    hour with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each with the
    time equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees
    with the Majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the
    final half.
  • Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the
    motion to proceed to H.R.1249, the America Invents Act.
  • The Senate will recess from 12:30pm until 2:15pm to allow for the weekly
    caucus meetings.
  • At 2:30pm, there will be 30 minutes for tributes to the late Senator Mark O.
    Hatfield as if in morning business with Senators permitted to speak therein for
    up to 10 minutes each.
  • By unanimous consent, all time during adjournment, recess and morning
    business will count post-cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.1249.
  • The Senate expects to begin consideration of the America Invents Act during
    Wednesday’s session.  Senators will be notified when votes are scheduled.

The Senate is considering H.R.1249, the America Invents Act with the time until
6:30pm for debate only.

The Senate has entered into a unanimous consent agreement providing for up to
4 roll call votes at approximately 4:00pm during Thursday’s session of the
Senate including passage of H.R.1249, the America Invents Act, as amended, if
amended and an additional roll call vote following the Joint Session on
Thursday.

The details of the agreement are below.

The following amendments are the only first degree amendments in order to
H.R.1249:

Coburn #599 (PTO public enterprise fund);

Sessions #600(strike Section 37 regarding patent
term extensions); and

Cantwell #595 (transitional program for covered
business method patents).

There will be up to five hours of debate on the amendments divided in the
following manner:

75 minutes for Senator Coburn, or his
designee;

1 hour for Senator Sessions, or his designee;

45 minutes for Senator Cantwell, or her
designee;

1 hour for Senator Grassley, or his designee;
and

1 hour for Senator Leahy, or his designee.

Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 4:00pm), the
Senate will proceed to votes in relation to the amendments in the following
order:

Sessions #600

Cantwell #595

Coburn #599 and

Passage of H.R.1249, as amended, if
amended

No amendments, points of order or motions will be in order to any of the
amendments prior to the votes.

Senator Reid also announced Senators should expect an additional roll
call vote after the Joint Session on Thursday on the motion to proceed to
Calendar #153, S.J.Res.25, a joint resolution relating to the disapproval of the
President’s exercise of authority to increase the debt limit (McConnell and
others).

Adopted H.Con.Res.74, providing for a joint session of Congress to receive a
message from the President

Adopted S.Res.219, a resolution designating September 13, 2011, as “National
Celiac Disease Awareness Day.”

Adopted S.Res.258, supporting the designation of National Adult Education and
Family Literacy Week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
112TH CONGRESS – FIRST SESSION

7:45  P.M. –  SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.

7:44  P.M. –  ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.

7:06  P.M. –  POINT OF PRIVILEGE – Mr. Kucinich rose to a point of privilege and the Chair announced that it had been made aware of Mr. Kucinichs’ intention and that a valid basis existed for the point of privilege. Mr. Kucinich was recognized to proceed for up to one hour on his point of privilege.

7:05  P.M. –  Ms. Foxx filed a report from the Committee on Rules onH. Res. 392.

H. Con. Res. 67:
authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run 

6:53  P.M. –  Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 379 – 0(Roll no. 692).

6:31  P.M. –  Considered as unfinished business.

6:30  P.M. –  UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of adoption of a motion to suspend the rules which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of September 7.

6:15  P.M. –  The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for  6:30 P.M. today.

H.R. 2832:
to extend the Generalized System of Preferences, and for other purposes 

6:14  P.M. –  On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

5:45  P.M. –  DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate onH.R. 2832.Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Camp moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of September 7.

5:37  P.M. –  The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.

H. Con. Res. 67:
authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run 

5:36  P.M. –  At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

5:31  P.M. –  DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate onH. Con. Res. 67.Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Denham moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.

5:30  P.M. –  The Speaker announced that votes on suspensions, if ordered, will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. today.The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of September 7.

2:13  P.M. –  The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.

H. Con. Res. 74:
providing for a joint session of Congress to receive a message from the President 

2:12  P.M. –  Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to without objection.

Considered as privileged matter.

2:10  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 September 7, at 9:47 a.m.: That the Senate appointed members to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.The House received a communication from Margaret Mott, Casework Director, Office of Congressman Howard Berman. Pursuant to Rule VIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, Ms. Mott notified the House that she had been served with a subpoena issued by the United States District Court for Central District of California, for witness testimony and that after consultation with the Office of General Counsel, she had determined that compliance with the subpoena was consistent with the privileges and rights of the House, except to the extent that questions sought out privileged information.

2:02  P.M. –  ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.

2:01  P.M. –  PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Poe of TX to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.The Speaker announced approval of the Journal.  Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.

Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Patrick J. Conroy.

2:00  P.M. –  The House convened, starting a new legislative day.

Join the Next Big Fight to Protect Consumers …Ben Betz, People For the American Way


Today, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs is holding a hearing on the nomination of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). It’s the beginning of what will be a very big fight.

Wall Street and Republicans don’t want CFPB oversight and have made clear their intentions to sabotage this important agency in any way to prevent it from protecting consumers. Since the CFPB requires a permanent director in order to operate with full authority, Senate Republicans see defeating the nomination of Richard Cordray as priority #1 in crippling the Bureau.

We need to keep significant pressure on Senate Democrats to stand unified and use every tool they can to confirm Cordray. And we need to keep grassroots pressure on Republicans to challenge the financial industry’s iron grip on their party and do the right thing for American consumers.

Cordray was picked by Professor Elizabeth Warren to be one of her top deputies in setting up the CFPB. As Ohio’s attorney general, Cordray earned a reputation of being tough on the financial industry.  He was among the first attorneys general to take action in the nationwide foreclosure investigation into the mishandling of paperwork and successfully sued AIG, exposing banks’ use of hidden fees and other consumer exploitations.

After you sign the petition, please call your senators’ office to back up the message.

Help us get the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau working! Help to confirm Richard Cordray as its director.    www.pfaw.org 

— Ben Betz, Online Strategy Manager

This will be a sustained campaign that could call for various actions and constituent contacts, but the petition is the way we want to register support for Cordray first and foremost. If we can get enough Americans to sign, we’ll be able to make a splash on Capitol Hill when we deliver the signatures to the Senate

Final push for NY-09 …Rep. Joe Crowley


House Republicans are investing heavily in an upcoming special election in New York in the hopes of electing another radical right-wing member to their caucus. We cannot afford to let this happen.

Republicans are trying to wrest NY-09 away from Democrats with smears and misleading attacks. Democratic candidate David Weprin is spreading his message that everyday Americans, families and seniors, not millionaires and Big Oil, should come first.

Meanwhile, his opponent is a radical right-winger ready to fight alongside John Boehner and the tea party. He has promised to push for drastic budget cuts and is even on record as rejecting the Republican’s budget and plan to end Medicare because it did not go far enough.

 The election is just one week from today. We must immediately raise $25,000 in rapid response funds to help David fight Republican attacks in these final days.

www.dccc.org

David’s opponent may have his deep-pocketed right-wing supporters to help him — and national Republicans ready to swoop in — during the final push before the election, but we are depending on grassroots supporters like you.

Your generous donation will help David with get out the vote efforts and to spread his message about the need to protect Medicare and Social Security. Even just a small gift today could go a long way.

Can you chip in today        www.dccc.org

Thank you,

Congressman Joe Crowley
DCCC National Finance Chairy to help give David critical resources in the final days before the special election?

the 2012 election: our grassroots fundraising program…Julianna Smoot, BarackObama.com


Today we’re launching something that could change the 2012 election: our grassroots fundraising program.

Because you’re one of this campaign’s earliest supporters, we’re counting on you to be a part of it.

Other campaigns rely on powerful special interests to grow, but we’ve rejected that top-down model from the very beginning.

Grassroots fundraising opens up the process of building this campaign to anyone who wants to take the reins, putting the power in the hands of supporters like you who have already chipped in to own a piece of it.

All you have to do to get started is to sign up for your own personal page. You can get creative and customize it however you’d like — from setting a goal for yourself to uploading a photo and telling the story of why you’re getting involved. Then you’re all set to start inspiring people in your networks to step up and support the President.

By the end of the day today, thousands of people will join the first class of 2012 grassroots fundraisers, and I think you should be one of them.

www.barackobama.com

As a 2012 grassroots fundraiser, you can recruit five new supporters or 500. Either way, the people you bring into this campaign will continue to grow it themselves, and wouldn’t be taking that step without you.

If it sounds familiar to you, it’s because that’s the basis of all of our organizing — one supporter reaching out to the next, who reaches out to two more. Before you know it, you’re no longer just a handful of people doing their best to re-elect the President. You’ve helped build a movement.

The people on the other side of the aisle have shown they believe in a very different kind of politics. So much of their strategies involve taking advantage of new ways to get around campaign finance restrictions — even allowing special interests to pool unlimited sums of money from corporations to try to influence the election for Republicans.

We’re better than that. We’re empowering everyday supporters to build this campaign themselves.

In one month, we’ll close the books on this fundraising quarter — and we’ll show that our grassroots network can go toe to toe with anyone.

But that starts with you. Sign up today:

www.barackobama.com

can’t wait to see what you can do.

Thanks,

Julianna

Julianna Smoot
Deputy Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Congress: -Another day of Republicans avoiding their duty to Americans


Senate Convenes at  2:00pm September 6, 2011

  • Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business until
    5:00pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
  • Following morning business, the Senate will be in Executive Session to
    consider Calendar #109, Bernice Bouie Donald, of Tennessee, to be United States
    Circuit Judge for the 6th Circuit with 30 minutes of debate equally
    divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees.
  • At approximately 5:30pm, the Senate will conduct 2 roll call votes on the
    following:

    • Confirmation of Bernice Bouie Donald to be US Circuit Judge for the
      6thCircuit
    • Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.1249, the Patent
      Reform bill
  • At approximately 5:30pm today, the Senate will conduct two roll call votes on the following:- Confirmation of Calendar #109, the nomination of Bernice Bouie Donald, of Tennessee, to be US Circuit Judge for the 6th Circuit

    – Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.1249, the Patent Reform bill

    5:36pm The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of the nomination of Bernice Bouie Donald to be United States Circuit Judge for the 6th Circuit; Confirmed: 96-0

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    6:05pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.1249, the Patent Reform bill; Invoked: 93-5

    There will be no further roll call votes during today’s session of the Senate.

     

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF SEPTEMBER 6, 2011
112TH CONGRESS – FIRST SESSION

10:03 A.M. –  The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn pursuant to sections 3 and 4 of H.Res. 375. The next meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on September 7, 2011.DISPENSING WITH LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS – Pursuant to section 4 ofH. Res. 375, the Chair announced that no legislative business would be conducted on this day.

10:02 A.M. –  PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair led the House in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.APPROVAL OF THE JOURNAL – Pursuant to section 5 ofH. Res. 375,     the Chair announced that the Journal of the last days’ proceedings was approved.

10:00 A.M. –  Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Patrick J. Conroy.The Speaker designated the Honorable Allen B. West to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.

The House convened, starting a new legislative day.

politics,pollution,petitions,pop culture & purses