
The Affordable Care Act had its most successful day ever and more than 7 million Americans have now enrolled:
And we’re starting TODAY by calling out everything terrible in the just-released Paul Ryan Republican Budget. Check out our new ad:
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Over the past months, I’ve been working on a report documenting the practices of Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (KLK), one of the most notorious producers of Conflict Palm Oil on the planet. I knew when I started that KLK’s practices were devastating, but nothing could have prepared me for what RAN has uncovered.
The sheer magnitude of the abuse that KLK has engaged in—from destruction of pristine tropical forest in Indonesia, to attempted land grabs from Indigenous communities in remote areas of the island of Papua New Guinea, to outright slavery and child labor—was shocking.
The expanse of this egregious behavior is breathtaking. And unfortunately, due to the murky world of palm oil traders and suppliers, KLK is able to continue to operate with absolute impunity while major traders like Cargill continue to purchase the palm oil it produces to sell to food manufacturers in the United States and around the world.
As long as Cargill continues to purchase Conflict Palm Oil, no questions asked, from reprehensible companies like KLK, KLK and its peers have absolutely no motivation to change. Why stop using child labor or stealing land when nobody is holding them accountable?
This has to change, and it will with your help.
Cargill needs to implement a responsible palm oil sourcing policy that blacklists any company that produces Conflict Palm Oil and engages in horrific human rights abuses immediately. Time is running out. Cargill is lagging behind other traders that have realized that business as usual is no longer tenable.
Please send your message to Cargill’s new CEO. It’s crucial that Cargill hears from you.
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For the forests and the people that call them home, |
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Robin Averbeck
Senior Forest Campaigner |
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Tell Congress: Restore Our National Parks |
The Senate stands adjourned until 9:30am on Thursday, April 3, 2014.
Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R.3979, the legislative vehicle for the Unemployment Insurance Extension Act.
The time during adjournment will count post-cloture on the Reed amendment #2874.
We hope to reach an agreement on the Unemployment Insurance bill as well as some Executive nominations during Thursday’s session.
The Senate has reached an agreement on H.R.3979, the legislative vehicle for the Unemployment Insurance Extension bill. Under the agreement, there will be up to 3 roll call votes (2 expected) at 2:30pm today and one roll call vote at 5:30pm on Monday. The details of the agreement are below.
At 2:30pm today, all post-cloture time on the Reed amendment #2874 will be considered expired. The following amendments will be withdrawn: #2875, #2877 and #2878.
Senator Sessions or his designee will then be recognized to raise a budget point of order against the Reed amendment #2874; once the budget point of order is raised, Senator Murray or her designee will be recognized to make a motion to waive.
At 2:30pm today, there will be up to 3 roll call votes (2 expected):
1) Murray or designee motion to waive the Budget Act with respect to the Reed amendment #2874 (60-vote threshold)
2) If the motion is successful (which is expected), adoption of the Reed amendment #2874, as amended, if amended (expected voice vote)
3) Motion to invoke cloture on H.R.3979, as amended, if amended (60-vote threshold)
If cloture is invoked on H.R.3979, all post-cloture time will be expired at 5:30pm on Monday, April 7th and the Senate will vote on passage of H.R.3979, as amended, if amended.
2:33pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on the Murray motion to waive the Sessions Budget point of order;
Agreed To: 60-36
The motion to waive the Budget point of order was agreed to 60-37. The Senate then agreed to Reed amendment #2874 by voice vote.
At 3:02pm, the Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on H.R.3979, Emergency Unemployment Benefits Extension Act;
Invoked: 61-35
This will be the last vote of the week. The next vote will be at 5:30pm on Monday, April 7. That vote will be on passage of H.R.3979, as amended.
Senator Walsh asked unanimous consent to take up and pass H.R.2559 and S.255, as amended with the Committee-reported amendment. Senator Toomey objected to both requests on behalf of Senators Cruz and Coburn.
H.R.2559, To withdraw certain Federal land and interests in that land from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws and disposition under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws and to preserve existing uses.
S.255, A bill to withdraw certain Federal land and interests in that land from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws and disposition under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws.
The Senate ratified the following fisheries treaties by division votes:
112-4 Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Un reported, and Unregulated Fishing
113-1 Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean
113-2 Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean
113-3 Amendment to the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries
The Senate ratified the following fisheries treaties by division votes:
112-4 Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Un reported, and Unregulated Fishing
113-1 Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean
113-2 Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean
113-3 Amendment to the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries
The Senate passed S.404, Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Protection Act, as amended with the Committee-reported amendment.
WRAP UP
Roll Call Votes
1) Murray motion to waive on the Sessions Budget point of order with respect to the Reed substitute amendment #2874 to H.R.3979; Waived: 60-37
2) Motion to invoke cloture on H.R.3979, the legislative vehicle for the Emergency Unemployment Benefits Extension Act, as amended; Invoked: 61-35
Additional Legislative items
Passed S.404, a bill to preserve the Green Mountain Lookout in the Glacier Peak Wilderness of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmi National Forest with a committee-reported amendment.
Adopted S.Res.384, A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate concerning the humanitarian crisis in Syria and neighboring countries, resulting humanitarian and development challenges, and the urgent need for a political solution to the crisis by voice vote.
Discharged the Judiciary committee and adopted S.Res.394, designating April 5, 2014, as “Gold Star Wives Day”.
Adopted H.Con.Res.88, to authorize the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby.
Executive items
Ratified the following treaties by division vote:
Executive Calendar #1, treaty document #112-4, Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Un reported, and Unregulated Fishing
Executive Calendar #2, treaty document #113-1, Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean
Executive Calendar #3, treaty document #113-2, Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean
Executive Calendar #4, treaty document #113-3, Amendment to the Convention on Furure Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries
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| 10:00:17 A.M. | The House convened, starting a new legislative day. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10:00:32 A.M. | The Speaker designated the Honorable Robert Pittenger to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10:00:46 A.M. | MORNING-HOUR DEBATE – The House proceeded with Morning-Hour Debate. At the conclusion of Morning-Hour, the House will recess until 12:00 p.m. for the start of legislative business. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10:06:16 A.M. | The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 P.M. today.————————————————————————————————————————————————–
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I have 44 years of experience working in the poultry industry including as a chicken inspector. I saw meat covered in feces and worse come through my plant every day. Because of trained government inspectors like myself, this meat was kept from ever reaching anyone’s plate. Now, the USDA is about to make a decision that could stop government inspectors like me, leaving regulation of the chicken industry to the private companies themselves. This could allow for unsanitary chickens to be accidentally approved by rushed workers without important safety oversight. As a mother, grandmother, and retired chicken inspector, I can’t sit back and watch. I started a petition on Change.org asking the USDA to keep contaminants off of chicken by rejecting the poultry industry’s demands for fewer regulations. Click here now to sign. USDA inspectors are crucial to ensuring safe chicken meat, and the poultry industry wants to reduce the amount of time they’re given to inspect chicken to a fraction of a second. I know from experience that not being able to inspect the full carcass means dangerously contaminated birds are often approved by rushed inspectors. Earlier this year, a concerned mom started a petition on Change.org asking the USDA to stop using low-grade meat product in school lunches, and she won. I know that if enough people sign my petition, the USDA won’t bow to the chicken industry’s dangerous requests — it’s important to act now, because they could make a decision soon. Thank you for your support. Phyllis McKelvey P.S. Notice anything different? We just rolled out a redesigned website — we hope you like it! We’re proud to be the world’s largest petition platform, empowering you (and 20 million other people!) to make the change you want to see. Click here to read more about who we are, and here to read about how we keep our tools completely free for people like you. |
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