The Senate re-Convenes on 7/11/2011 @2pmET

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of S.1323.

The next roll call vote will be at approximately 5:30pm on Monday, July 11, 2011 on the motion to proceed to S.1323, a bill to express the sense of the Senate on shared sacrifice in resolving the budget deficit equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees.

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CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF JULY 8, 2011
112TH CONGRESS – FIRST SESSION

2:25 P.M. –

The House adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on July 11, 2011.

On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.

Mr. Gohmert moved that the House do now adjourn.

1:26 P.M. –

SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.

1:24 P.M. –

ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded further with one minute speeches.

H.R. 2354:

making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and for other purposes

Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 2354 as unfinished business.

1:23 P.M. –

On motion that the committee rise Agreed to by voice vote.

Mr. Frelinghuysen moved that the committee rise.

12:45 P.M. –

GENERAL DEBATE – The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 2354.

The Speaker designated the Honorable Ted Poe to act as Chairman of the Committee.

House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 337 and Rule XVIII.

12:44 P.M. –

Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2354 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be read by paragraph. Bill is open to amendments. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived.

Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 337.

12:43 P.M. –

MEMBERS TO PERFORM DUTIES OF THE CHAIR – Mr. Cantor asked unanimous consent that the Speaker may appoint Members to perform the duties of the Chair for the duration of the period from August 8, 2011, through September 6, 2011, as though under clause 8(a) of rule I. Agreed to without objection.

12:42 P.M. –

Mr. Cantor asked unanimous consent That, when the House adjourns on Friday, July 8, 2011, it adjourn to meet on Monday, July 11, 2011 at 12:00 p.m. for Morning-Hour Debate. Agreed to without objection.

H. Res. 340:

providing for consideration of the bill ( H.R. 1309) to extend the authorization of the national flood insurance program, to achieve reforms to improve the financial integrity and stability of the program, and to increase the role of private markets in the management of flood insurance risk, and for other purposes

12:10 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 269 – 146 (Roll no. 533).

12:04 P.M. –

Considered as unfinished business.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question on adoption of H. Res. 340, which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.

H.R. 2219:

making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and for other purposes

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 336 – 87 (Roll no. 532).

11:55 A.M. –

On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 188 – 234 (Roll no. 531).

11:38 A.M. –

The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.

11:30 A.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Barrow motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to increase funds for the Department of Defense-Wide Yellow Ribbon Program by $200 million.

Mr. Barrow moved to recommit with instructions to Appropriations.

11:29 A.M. –

The House adopted the amendments en gross as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.

11:28 A.M. –

The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 2219.

On motion to rise and report Agreed to by voice vote.

Mr. Young (FL) moved for the Committee of the Whole to rise and report.

11:23 A.M. –

On agreeing to the Kucinich amendment Failed by recorded vote: 169 – 251 (Roll no. 530).

11:19 A.M. –

On agreeing to the Polis amendment Failed by recorded vote: 113 – 307 (Roll no. 529).

11:16 A.M. –

On agreeing to the Huelskamp amendment Agreed to by recorded vote: 236 – 184 (Roll no. 528).

11:11 A.M. –

On agreeing to the Flake amendment Failed by recorded vote: 100 – 321 (Roll no. 527).

11:05 A.M. –

On agreeing to the Flake amendment Failed by recorded vote: 118 – 295 (Roll no. 526).

11:01 A.M. –

On agreeing to the Flake amendment Failed by recorded vote: 39 – 380 (Roll no. 525).

10:35 A.M. –

UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question on adoption of amendments which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.

POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – At the conclusion of debate on the Kucinich amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Kucinich demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.

10:29 A.M. –

DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions H. Res. 320, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Kucinich amendment under the five-minute rule.

Amendment offered by Mr. Kucinich.

An amendment to prohibit the use of funds for military operations in or against Libya except under a declaration of war against Libya pursuant to clause 11 in section 8 of article I of the Constitution.

10:28 A.M. –

The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.

Considered as unfinished business.

H. Res. 337:

providing for consideration of the bill ( H.R. 2354) making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and for other purposes

10:25 A.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.

10:01 A.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 337.

10:00 A.M. –

Considered as privileged matter.

H. Res. 340:

9:59 A.M. –

POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – At the conclusion of debate on H. Res. 340, the Chair put the question on adoption of the resolution and by voice vote announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. McGovern demanded the yeas and nays, and the Chair postponed further proceedings on adoption of the resolution until later in the legislative day.

The previous question was ordered without objection.

9:19 A.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 340.

Considered as privileged matter.

9:04 A.M. –

ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches which by direction of the Chair, would be limited to 5 per side of the aisle.

9:03 A.M. –

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Fleming to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

9:02 A.M. –

The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.

9:01 A.M. –

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

9:00 A.M. –

The House convened, starting a new legislative day.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Higher standards, better cars. Take action! UCS

07/07/2011 Nativegrl77

The Union of Concerned Scientists is proud to unveil the 2011 Hybrid Scorecard. More automakers are delivering real environmental benefits at good value, yet others continue to try and use the “hybrid halo” to peddle small benefits, bigger, dirtier engines, and lots of unnecessary bells and whistles. To find out how they stack up, check out the fully updated Hybrid Scorecard homepage.

Hybrid technology stands poised to play an important role in transforming vehicles in America. But only strong clean car standards will push the automakers to produce more of the hybrids that will rate high on our scorecard for environmental impact, efficiency, and value. The vehicles occupying the top of our scorecard prove such an expansion CAN be done. Strong clean car standards ensure that it WILL be done.

The Obama administration is deciding right now whether to set clean car standards as high as 60 miles per gallon (mpg) through 2025. That number matters—for our wallets and for our environment. And right now, we need big numbers of people telling the White House to deliver for U.S. consumers.

You and your fellow UCS supporters have taken public action, engaging the Department of Transportation on their blog and commenting on President Obama’s weekly address on YouTube—now it’s time to go right to the source.

We need you, and as many of your friends as you can muster, to send emails straight to President Obama telling him you want the kind of cars a 60 mpg standard can deliver.

Take Action Today!

Let’s make history together,

Scott Nathanson
National Field Organizer
UCS Clean Vehicles Program

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The State of Public Education …The Black Institute

07/07/2011 Nativegrl77

As you know, education continues to be a vitally important issue in American society.At The Black Institute, we believe that every student can be a scholar and thus deserves the opportunity to receive an excellent education…period! The education debate is at the forefront of issues that the American people care about because it affects not only our lives but those of our children, our grandchildren and future generations. Not long ago, the NAACP signed on to a lawsuit against the NewYork Department of Education against the forced cohabitation traditional public schools and charter schools. Click here to read Bertha’s Lewis Op-Ed here on this issue.

Let your voice be heard by leaving a comment on your thoughts.

In Solidarity,

The Black Institute Team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Exxon warned years before Yellowstone spill -Brant Olson

07/07/2011 Nativegrl77

By now you have likely heard about last weekend’s horrifying oil spill in which Exxon’s pipeline ruptured and spilled 42,000 gallons of crude oil onto Yellowstone River’s overflowing banks.

What we’ve learned since the spill is that federal regulators warned Exxon about problems with its pipeline in 2009. Then Friday happened, spilling oil into one of the world’s most beautiful places.

Here is the full story. In July 2009, federal inspectors found evidence that an above-ground span of Exxon’s pipeline in Montana had become submerged under a creek and was piling up debris. Nearly 20 months later, in March of this year, Exxon reported that it was “evaluating control measures to keep future debris from accumulating over the pipeline.”

Last weekend, in the same region cited in the inspection, the same pipeline ruptured during record flooding of the Yellowstone River. Oil has already been found hundreds of miles away.

Exxon’s spill in Montana is just the latest in a string of accidents as long as the industry is old. And while Big Oil says that it is learning from its mistakes, even its newest pipelines can’t seem to contain the increasingly corrosive oil, much of which is mined from Canada’s tar sands.

We don’t need more pipelines. And we don’t need more dirty oil. Most analysts actually expect a steady decline in U.S. demand for oil. What we do need is a system of regulations and penalties that keep our communities safe from the pipelines already in the ground

Thanks for taking action to stop more oil spills!

For a clean energy future,

Brant Olson
Freedom From Oil Campaign Director

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Rebuild the Dream …

07/07/2011 Nativegrl77

I trust my neighbors more than any Wall Street bank, hedge fund, or oil company. I think we all do.

But we keep letting the banks and multinational corporations, and their high-priced lobbyists, call the shots in our economy.

You know what? I think they’re doing a terrible job. Now it’s time for us, the American people, to come up with our own vision.

So today we’re launching a new effort. And we need your help.

Our goal is to help create a “Contract for the American Dream“—a people-powered plan for creating an economy that works for ALL of us.

When it is completed, this document will be very special. For one thing: thousands of us will have created it TOGETHER, as a community of friends and neighbors.

You are an important part of this community, and you have a key role to play in this effort:helping to choose the best ideas for fixing our economy.

It won’t take long, and you don’t need to be an expert. Just visit our new site and rate which ideas you think will make a real difference. We have some great ideas from progressive leaders. And you can add your own, too. No idea is too big or too small, too tame or too out there. We need your brain engaged on this.
To help get started, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich made a short video about how we can invest in creating more good jobs.
Check it out, then help rate some proposals!

We’re building this Contract with a deep belief that folks like us—all across America—have enough wisdom and common sense to come up with workable solutions to our nation’s problems. By putting our heads together, and combining our best thinking on a national basis, we believe we can craft a plan that unites our struggles for economic fairness and opportunity.

The key to this idea working is simple: we need as many people as possible to participate. We need you to submit ideas and to give feedback. The more people who join in to help craft the Contract, the better it’s going to be.

This week we’re going to focus on four areas. We are starting today with good jobs. Over the coming days, we’ll look for solutions to problems in other areas—from education, to labor rights, to taxes.

Then, on July 16 and 17, thousands of Americans are going to gather in living rooms, community centers, and church basements across the country. In just ten days, people will discuss and help sort the top ideas we have generated together. Between now and then, it’s up to all of us to feed the very best, most creative, most inspiring ideas into the conversations.

Can you help right now—by rating ideas and submitting your own?

http://www.moveon.org

Thanks for all you do.

–Van Jones