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A Win For Workplace Fairness


President Obama Just Announced The Single Largest Expansion Of LGBT Workplace Protections In Our Country’s History

Progress

As many as 9 out of 10 voters believe federal law already protects LGBT workers from discrimination. But it doesn’t. And while the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) was passed by the Senate this year, it has stalled in the House; Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) has made it clear that there is “no way” ENDA will pass this year.

Enter the latest chapter of the Obama Administration’s “year of action.” The White House announced today that President Obama will issue an executive order requiring that all companies who contract with the federal government must not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Think Progress reporter Zack Ford has the details:

The order, expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, is an extension of orders previously issued by past presidents — most recently Johnson — similarly banning employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin among all contractors and subcontractors who do over $10,000 in business with the government in any one year.

The protections will reach over one million LGBT workers across the country, making it the single largest expansion of LGBT workplace protections in our country’s history. There continue to be 29 states that offer no employment protections on the basis of sexual orientation and 32 with no protections based on gender identity, but many LGBT workers in those states will now have workplace protections for the first time ever. As many as 43 percent of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people and 90 percent of transgender people have experienced some form of harassment or discrimination in the workplace.

As with Obama’s executive order raising the minimum wage for employees of federal contractors to $10.10, this order will cover an enormous number of people but still relies on Congress to pass a law making sure that millions more LGBT Americans have the freedom to work.

Recently, some LGBT advocates have been giving second thoughts to the current ENDA bill in Congress, based on a religious liberty exemption that could have the potential interpreted too broadly. Here’s Zack Ford again:

The LGBT movement has also become increasingly divided over whether ENDA in its current form is worth pursuing. After two decades of failed consideration in Congress, the bill has been weakened by an exemption that would grant religious organizations unprecedented privilege to continue discriminating against LGBT people. A number of state groups and legal organizations have recently dropped their support for ENDA because they believe that the exemption goes too far and codifies into law the idea that LGBT identities are incompatible with faith. The executive order is thus an important step even if ENDA eventually passes.

BOTTOM LINE: Americans of any sexual orientation and gender identity should have the freedom to work and the right to equal treatment in the workplace. President Obama’s latest executive action is the biggest expansion of those rights in American history. There is more left to be done when it comes to giving all Americans equal protection, and Congress should follow the President’s lead by passing a federal law that ends unfair and discriminatory workplace practices that hurt LGBT workers and their families.

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Teachers forced to sign a “morality contract”


by Dominick Mortarotti via Change.org

I go to a Catholic school in Oakland, and the local Bishop wants to be able to fire teachers for things like supporting gay rights or seeking infertility treatment. Please sign my petition calling on the local Diocese to change this offensive contract.

Petitions on Change.org are started by people like you who care deeply about an issue. It takes only a few minutes, and can change something big.
Start your own petition

My teachers are in trouble, and we need your help. I go to a Catholic high school in Oakland, CA, and the Bishop of our district just put out a terrible new contract which says my teachers could be fired for being gay, for supporting gay rights, for supporting a woman’s right to choose, even for using or supporting infertility treatments like in vitro fertilization.

No one at my school wants this contract: not the teachers, not the students, not even the administration.  

The Bishop in my district re-categorized teachers as ministers to be able to get around employment law and fire teachers for their beliefs or even their personal medical decisions. There’s also a broad ethical clause that would give the Diocese leeway to fire teachers for any belief they hold.

I started a petition on Change.org calling on the Diocese of Oakland to get rid of this offensive and outlandish contract. Please click here to sign my petition.

It has been really difficult to watch my teachers struggle with this terrible contract. Some of them have even quit over it. My favorite teacher is just a few years away from retirement, and she has to choose whether to live with this offensive contract or risk compromising her pension. She’s the teacher who taught me about having strong moral character and standing up for yourself. It’s awful to watch her question whether she should hide her own beliefs because she can’t afford to lose her job.

This isn’t just happening in Oakland. The Catholic church is putting out terrible contracts like this all over America, from Cleveland to Honolulu. 

But some communities are fighting back, and they’re winning. In Santa Rosa, the community fought back so hard against a contract like this that the local Diocese was forced to postpone it. I know we can do the same in Oakland — and make the Bishops think twice before they try to do this to teachers in another city.

Please sign my petition calling on the Diocese of Oakland to change the contract that would allow teachers to be fired for supporting gay rights or infertility treatments.

Thank you,

Dominick Mortarotti
Oakland, CA

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21st century policies ~~ by Valerie Jarrett Senior Advisor The White House


whitehousebannerI still remember the moment the value of a flexible work environment became crystal-clear for me.

I was working for Mayor Richard Daley in Chicago, and sitting in a particularly long cabinet meeting along with the Mayor’s corporation counsel, Susan Sher. Susan and I were both single moms, and dear friends — and frankly, we both had somewhere else to be.

As the meeting stretched on, and the two of us kept looking at our watches (and each other), the Mayor interrupted and asked where we needed to be that was more important.

Not quite sure what would happen, I blurted out the truth: “Susan and I both have second graders, and their Halloween Parade starts in 20 minutes — and it’s 25 minutes away.”

Without a second’s hesitation, the Mayor replied, “Well, then what are you doing here? You better get moving.”

We were fortunate that day to have an understanding boss willing to give us the flexibility we needed as parents — but in 2014, most working Americans still don’t have that.

It’s time for our workplace policies to match the realities of our families. That’s why, on June 23, we’re joining together with employers, business leaders, workers, academics, labor leaders, elected officials, and a diverse group of stakeholders and advocates to explore ways to take to scale the best practices designed to build 21st-century workplaces that meet the needs of 21st-century workers.

We’re calling it the White House Summit on Working Families, and you can add your voice to the conversation right now in two ways:

Our families and our workforce have undergone fundamental transformations over the past several decades. In 63 percent of families with children, all parents work. Thirty-two percent of families with children are single-parent households. And yet, employers report just 11 percent of workers have access to paid family leave that includes time off for caregiving.

It’s time our workplaces did something about that, and it’s going to take all of us to make it happen.

So, if you can relate at all to the story I described above — the need to choose between the very real responsibilities of being a worker and a parent — then working families’ issues are your issues.

If you’re a young woman wondering if you’re earning the same as your male counterpart, this is your battle, too.

If you’re a single, working dad struggling to balance the responsibilities of raising a family with the demands of a job, you’re in this fight.

It’s time for 21st-century workplaces that allow every American family to succeed — both at home, and at work.

Each story shared will expand this national conversation, and bring these issues to the forefront.

Add your voice — and pass it on.

Thank you,

Valerie

Valerie Jarrett
Senior Advisor
The White House

 

 

Black History

the Senate ~~ CONGRESS 6/20 ~~ the House


girlPollution

The Senate stands in adjournment until 2:00pm on Monday, June 23, 2014.

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 5:30pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

 

Following morning business, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session and proceed to a series of up to 4 roll call votes:

–          Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #779, Paul G. Byron, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida,

–          Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #780, Carlos Eduardo Mendoza, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida,

–          Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #781, Beth Bloom, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida, and

–          Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #836, Geoffery W. Crawford, of Vermont, to be United States District Judge for the District of Vermont.

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

Last Floor Action:6/19
11:09:33 P.M. – The House adjourned.

The next meeting is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on June 20, 2014.

9:00:15 A.M. The House convened, starting a new legislative day.
9:00:20 A.M. Today’s prayer was offered by Reverend John Boonzaaijer, The Chapel of the Cross, Dallas, Texas.
9:01:41 A.M. The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.
9:01:51 A.M. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Johnson of OH to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
9:02:16 A.M. The Speaker recognized Mr. Burgess for the purpose of introducing the guest Chaplain.
9:03:30 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.
9:15:41 A.M. H.R. 4870 Considered as unfinished business. H.R. 4870 — “Making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes.”
9:16:02 A.M. H.R. 4870 The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.
9:20:53 A.M. H.R. 4870 An amendment, offered by Mr. Rohrabacher, to prohibit the use of funds made available by this Act for Pakistan.
9:20:56 A.M. H.R. 4870 DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 628, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Rohrabacher amendment.
9:31:46 A.M. H.R. 4870 POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – At the conclusion of debate on the Rohrabacher amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Rohrabacher demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
9:32:50 A.M. H.R. 4870 An amendment, offered by Mr. Stockman, to prohibit the use of funds to destroy Department of Defense equipment or ammunition in Afghanistan without such equipment or ammunition first being offered to independent states of the former Soviet Union and major non-NATO allies that are willing to pay for transportation of such equipment or ammunition to such states or allies.
9:32:54 A.M. H.R. 4870 DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 628, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Stockman amendment, pending reservation of a point of order.
9:35:31 A.M. H.R. 4870 Mr. Frelinghuysen raised a point of order against the Stockman amendment. Mr. Frelinghuysen stated that the provisions of the Stockman amendment sought to change existing law and constituted legislation in an appropriations bill. The Chair sustained the point of order.
9:36:04 A.M. H.R. 4870 An amendment, offered by Mr. Stockman, to prohibit the use of funds for the procurement of weapons systems that contain rare earth materials, metals, magnets, parts, or components that are produced in Cuba, North Korea, the People’s Republic of China, or Venezuela.
9:36:06 A.M. H.R. 4870 DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 628, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Stockman amendment, pending reservation of a point of order.
9:38:56 A.M. H.R. 4870 Mr. Frelinghuysen raised a point of order against the Stockman amendment. Mr. Frelinghuysen stated that the provisions of the Stockman amendment sought to change existing law and constituted legislation in an appropriations bill. The Chair sustained the point of order.
9:39:27 A.M. H.R. 4870 An amendment, offered by Mr. Stockman, to prohibit the use of funds for any activity that would grant de jure or de facto support of territorial, maritime, or airspace claims made by the People’s Republic of China on the international waters or territories of other sovereign nations in the South China, East China, and Yellow Seas.
9:39:31 A.M. H.R. 4870 DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 628, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Stockman amendment, pending reservation of a point of order.
9:40:19 A.M. H.R. 4870 Mr. Frelinghuysen raised a point of order against the Stockman amendment. Mr. Frelinghuysen stated that the provisions of the Stockman amendment sought to change existing law and constituted legislation in an appropriations bill. The Chair sustained the point of order.
9:40:56 A.M. H.R. 4870 An amendment, offered by Mr. Gosar, to prohibit the use of funds to enter into any contract after the date of the enactment of this Act for the procurement of production of any non-petroleum based fuel for use as the same purpose or as a drop-in substitute for petroleum.
9:41:15 A.M. H.R. 4870 DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 628, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the First Gosar amendment.
9:49:59 A.M. H.R. 4870 POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – At the conclusion of debate on the Gosar amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Visclosky demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
9:50:13 A.M. H.R. 4870 An amendment, offered by Mr. Kildee, numbered 40 printed in the Congressional Record to prohibit the use of funds to be used in contravention of section 1034 of title 10, United States Code.
9:50:16 A.M. H.R. 4870 DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 628, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Kildee amendment No. 40.
9:54:02 A.M. H.R. 4870 On agreeing to the Kildee amendment; Agreed to by voice vote.
10:00:24 A.M. H.R. 4870 An amendment, offered by Mr. Gosar, to prohibit the use of funds for the following entities or in contravention of Title 18 U.S.C., Section 2339B: 1) The Government Iran; 2) The Government of Syria; 3) The Palestinian Authority; 4) Hamas; 5) The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
10:00:27 A.M. H.R. 4870 DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 628, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Second Gosar amendment.
10:07:22 A.M. H.R. 4870 POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – At the conclusion of debate on the Gosar amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Gosar demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
10:07:41 A.M. H.R. 4870 An amendment, offered by Mr. Franks (AZ), to prohibit the use of funds to transfer or divest the Electronic Proving Grounds at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.
10:07:43 A.M. H.R. 4870 DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 628, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Franks (AZ) amendment.
10:14:58 A.M. H.R. 4870 POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – At the conclusion of debate on the Franks (AZ) amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Franks (AZ) demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
10:15:17 A.M. H.R. 4870 An amendment, offered by Mr. Huizenga (MI), to prohibit the use of funds by the Defense Logistics Agency to implement the Small Business Administration interim final rule titled “Small Business Size Standards; Adoption of 2012 North American Industry Classification System” (published August 20, 2012, in the Federal Register) with respect to the procurement of footwear.
10:15:41 A.M. H.R. 4870 DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 628, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Huizenga amendment.
10:21:04 A.M. H.R. 4870 On agreeing to the Huizenga (MI) amendment; Agreed to by voice vote.
10:21:19 A.M. H.R. 4870 Mr. Frelinghuysen moved to rise.
10:21:29 A.M. H.R. 4870 On motion to rise Agreed to by voice vote.
10:21:47 A.M. H.R. 4870 Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 4870 as unfinished business.
10:22:16 A.M. The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.
11:20:26 A.M. The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of June 20.
11:20:34 A.M. Mr. Simpson filed a report from the Committee on Appropriations on H.R. 4923.
11:21:24 A.M. H.R. 4870 Considered as unfinished business. H.R. 4870 — “Making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes.”
11:21:35 A.M. H.R. 4870 The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.
11:48:52 A.M. H.R. 4870 On agreeing to the Lee (CA) amendment; Failed by recorded vote: 153 – 260 (Roll no. 332).
11:54:44 A.M. H.R. 4870 On agreeing to the Rohrabacher amendment; Failed by recorded vote: 92 – 320 (Roll no. 333).
11:59:56 A.M. H.R. 4870 On agreeing to the Gosar amendment; Failed by recorded vote: 205 – 208 (Roll no. 334).
12:04:18 P.M. H.R. 4870 On agreeing to the Gosar amendment; Agreed to by recorded vote: 280 – 133 (Roll no. 335).
12:08:22 P.M. H.R. 4870 On agreeing to the Franks (AZ) amendment; Failed by recorded vote: 163 – 248 (Roll no. 336).
12:09:00 P.M. H.R. 4870 Mr. Frelinghuysen moved for the Committee of the Whole to rise and report.
12:09:05 P.M. H.R. 4870 On motion to rise and report Agreed to by voice vote.
12:09:08 P.M. H.R. 4870 The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 4870.
12:09:58 P.M. H.R. 4870 The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
12:10:12 P.M. H.R. 4870 actThe House adopted the amendment as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
12:11:12 P.M. H.R. 4870 Mrs. Bustos moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on Appropriations.
12:11:23 P.M. H.R. 4870 DEBATE – The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Bustos 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 the Operations and Maintenance, Defense-Wide account by a total of $5 million (intended for sexual assault prevention); increase the Defense Health Program by a total of $10 million ($5 million intended to help alleviate the backlog at the department of Veterans Affairs by improving the electronic health records processing system and $5 million intended for treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries); and decrease the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation account by $15 million.
12:16:37 P.M. H.R. 4870 The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.
12:25:12 P.M. H.R. 4870 On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 190 – 220 (Roll no. 337).
12:32:05 P.M. H.R. 4870 On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 340 – 73 (Roll no. 338).
12:32:05 P.M. H.R. 4870 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
12:32:59 P.M. The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II 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 June 20, 2014, at 10:42 a.m. that that body had passed S. 1603 and that the Senate agreed to request by the House to return papers to the House on H.R. 4412.
12:33:19 P.M. H.R. 4412 Mr. Palazzo asked unanimous consent that the Clerk be authorized to engross the bill, H.R. 4412, in the form placed at the desk. Agreed to without objection.
12:34:00 P.M. COLLOQUY ON HOUSE SCHEDULE – The Chair recognized Mr. Hoyer for the purpose of engaging in a colloquy with Mr. Cantor on the expectations regarding the legislative schedule for the House during the upcoming week.
12:48:01 P.M. Mr. Cantor asked unanimous consent That, when the House adjourns on Friday, June 20, 2014, it adjourn to meet at 12:00 p.m. on Monday June 23, 2014 for Morning-Hour Debate. Agreed to without objection.
12:48:53 P.M. ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with further one minute speeches.
12:55:24 P.M. SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.
1:14:07 P.M. Mr. Woodall moved that the House do now adjourn.
1:14:13 P.M. On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.
1:14:14 P.M. The House adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on June 23, 2014.

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Some Bee Pollen Weight Loss Products Are a Dangerous Scam


 

 

06/19/2014 2:00 PM EDT
Bee pollen is not a miracle ingredient. It’s a gimmick, and a dangerous one for consumers. FDA is warning consumers to stop usingZiXiu Tang Bee Pollen, whichcontains potentially harmful pharmaceutical ingredients.Read the Consumer Update to learn more. Also available in Spanish (Español), Vietnamese (Trên trang này), Simplified Chinese (中文) and Tagalog (Tagalog).

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