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Simple changes to food labels can make a big difference


Dept. of Health & Human Services

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday proposed to update the Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods to reflect the latest scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease.

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FDA Proposes Updates to Nutrition Facts Label.

The proposed label also would replace out-of-date serving sizes to better align with how much people really eat, and it would feature a fresh design to highlight key parts of the label such as calories and serving sizes.Read more about the announcement by clicking here.

Black History

the Senate ~~ CONGRESS 3/11 ~~ the House


climatephoto

The Senate stands adjourned until 9:00am on Tuesday, March 11, 2014.

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 11:30am with the time equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees with the Majority controlling the first hour and the Republicans controlling the second hour.

 At 11:30am, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session and there will be up to 4 roll call votes:

– Cloture on Executive Calendar #577, Matthew Frederick Leitman, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan

– Cloture on Executive Calendar #578, Judith Ellen Levy, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan

– Cloture on Executive Calendar #579, Laurie J. Michelson, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan

– Cloture on Executive Calendar #580, Linda Vivienne Parker, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan

There will be 2 minutes of debate prior to each vote and all votes after the first vote will be 10 minutes in duration.

Following the cloture vote on the Parker nomination, the Senate will recess until 2:15pm to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.

We may consider additional nominations during Tuesday’s session.

By unanimous consent, the Senate passed H.R.2019, a bill to eliminate taxpayer financing of political party conventions and reprogram savings to provide for a 10-year pediatric research initiative through the Common Fund administered by the National Institute of Health.

11:32pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #577, Matthew Frederick Leitman, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan;

Invoked: 55-43

At 12:00pm, the Senate began a 10 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #578, Judith Ellen Levy, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan;

Invoked: 56-42.

12:18pm The Senate began a 10 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #579, Laurie J. Michelson, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan;

Invoked: 56-43

12:36pm The Senate began a 10 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #580, Linda Vivienne Parker, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan

Senator Vitter asked unanimous consent the Senate take up and pass H.R.3521, Department of Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Lease Authorization Act of 2013, as amended by a Vitter amendment (pay-for through price controls for prescription drugs in the Department of Defense). Senator Sanders objected.

Senator Sanders then asked the Senate take up and pass S.1950, as amended by the Sanders substitute amendment, which is the text of S.1982, the Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act. Senator Vitter objected.

WRAP UP

Senate Floor Wrap Up for Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Roll Call Votes

  1. Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #577, Matthew Frederick Leitman, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan; Invoked: 55-43
  2. Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #578, Judith Ellen Levy, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan; Invoked: 56-42
  3. Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #579, Laurie J. Michelson, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan; Invoked: 56-43
  4. Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #580, Linda Vivienne Parker, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan; Invoked: 56-42

 

Additional Legislative Items

H.R.2019, Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Savings Act

S.J.Res.32, a joint resolution providing for the reappointment of John W. McCarter as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

S.Res.378 , condemning illegal Russian aggression in Ukraine

S.Res.379 , congratulating the Pennsylvania State University IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (“THON”) on its continued success in support of the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital

S.Res.380 , supporting the goals and ideals of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day

S.Res.381, congratulating the athletes from the U.S. who participated in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games as members of the U.S. Olympic Team

Began the Rule 14 process to place the following bills on the Legislative Calendar of Business:

–        S.2110, Medicare SGR Repeal and Beneficiary Access Improvement Act of 2014

–        H.R.4152, to provide for the costs of loan guarantees for Ukraine

 

Additional Executive Items

The Senate confirmed the following military nominations by unanimous consent:

AIR FORCE

#670 Brig. Gen. Travis D. Balch, to be Major General

ARMY

#673 Brig. Gen. Michael E. Williamson, to be Lieutenant General

#674 Col. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., to be Major General

#675 Maj. Gen. Kevin W. Mangum, to be Lieutenant General

MARINE CORPS

#676 To be Major General-

Brig. Gen. William T. Collins

Brig. Gen. James S. Hartsell

#677 Lt. Gen. Robert E. Schmidle, Jr., to be Lieutenant General

NAVY

#678 Rear Adm. Jan E. Tighe, to be Vice Admiral

All nominations on Secretary’s Desk in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy

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

Last Floor Action:
7:29:44 P.M. – SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES –
The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded
to Special Order speeches.

Last Floor Action:
12:12:45 P.M. – The Speaker announced
that the House do now recess.

The next meeting is scheduled for 2:00 P.M. today.

Last Floor Action: 3/10
2:02:46 P.M. – The Speaker announced that
the House do now adjourn.

The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on  March 11, 2014.

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

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Kill Keystone: the Carbon Mega-Bomb

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Avaazpix


Right now, our government is deciding whether to approve a monster oil pipeline that would unleash devastating levels of carbon pollution from Canada’s dirty tar sands. The State Department is holding a public comment process before the big decision, and insiders say they want a mandate to stand up to industry pressure. Let’s help by flooding the comment process with an overwhelming mandate to kill this carbon bomb — we only have days left:

SIGN THE PETITION

Right now, our government is about to make the defining climate decision of Obama’s presidency — whether to approve a monstrous pipeline that will transport up to 830,000 barrels a day of the world’s dirtiest oil from Canada across the US.
If approved, the Keystone XL pipeline will help pump billions of dollars into the pockets of a few companies… but also millions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere. It’s been called “a fuse to the biggest carbon bomb on the planet”. Bold public action has delayed it once, and a court ruling the other week has dealt a serious blow to the project. Now, if we act fast and in massive numbers, we can help kill it for good.     Secretary of State John Kerry, responsible for the US’s relationship with the world, has opened a final round of comments from the public. He knows this decision is a vital litmus test for US global leadership to avert climate disaster. Avaaz members from every country will turn it into a truly global referendum by flooding the consultation with a million voices calling on them to kill Keystone and take the leadership role they say they want in the fight to save the planet. We only have days until it closes – join here:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_keystone_xl_pipeline_loc_us/?biEWLbb&v=36703
The heat from Big Oil is already intense — they’ve bought out the ads in DC subways that politicians pass through to get to work. If we hit a million signers, Avaaz will fight back on the DC battleground, taking out ads right next to theirs so Secretary Kerry and his staff see the people’s voices first and loudest.
Big Oil ads are just the tip of the iceberg. We know that our government is under fire from industry lobbyists who will make serious money from the pipeline. But it will be at the cost of all of our futures. Tar sands oil is the dirtiest dirty fossil fuel ever cooked up – releasing 3-4 times the global warming pollution of normal petrol!
Last year, Obama said he’d let Keystone go ahead only if it was found to be in our national interest and if it could be proven that it wouldn’t worsen the climate crisis for future generations. And Kerry has spent decades fighting for the climate and even opposed Keystone as a Senator. Pipeline supporters are answering with claims of more construction jobs and greater independence from petro-states. But Obama knows that the real jobs are in clean energy and that climate change is perhaps the greatest threat to US and global security there is.
We’re already winning. Three years ago, this pipeline was a foregone conclusion. But then people-power swung into action — thousands were arrested at the largest act of civil disobedience in the US in decades, and Obama refused the initial proposal. Let’s do our part now by collecting over a million comments in the US and around the world and give Kerry and President Obama the public cover they need to reject the Keystone carbon bomb:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_keystone_xl_pipeline_loc_us/?biEWLbb&v=36703
Wherever we are in the world — Alberta, Canada, where the pipeline would begin; the UK, still recovering from historic floods; Australia, just emerging from a summer ravaged by record fires, or any other country where extreme weather is taking its toll — we’re all downstream from climate change. If we stand together today, we can all be a part of a victory to stop this crazy pipeline and help build a strong climate movement.
With hope,
Pascal, David, Luis, Antonia, Emma, Patri, Wen, Ricken, and the Avaaz team
SOURCES:
Pressure is on Kerry as Keystone pipeline decision nears (Washington Post):  http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/pressure-is-on-kerry-as-keystone-pipeline-deci…
Pipeline Fight Lifts Environmental Movement (New York Times): http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/25/us/keystone-xl-pipeline-fight-lifts-environmental-movement.html
10 Reasons to Oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline (The Huffington Post): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rose-ann-demoro/10-reasons-to-oppose-the-_1_b_4791713.html
Oil sands pollution two to three times higher than thought (Yahoo News): http://news.yahoo.com/oil-sands-pollution-two-three-times-higher-thought-210153802.html How Much Will Tar Sands Oil Add to Global Warming? (Scientific American): http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tar-sands-and-keystone-xl-pipeline-impact-on-global-warmin…
Foreign Company Tries To Seize U.S. Land For Keystone Pipeline (Forbes): http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2014/02/24/foreign-company-tries-to-seize-u-s-land-for-keysto…

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Victory in Washington


Team –
House Bill 1840, the critical Washington State legislation meant to protect victims of domestic violence from gun crimes, passed unanimously in the State Senate Thursday night.
This victory was hardly inevitable. Last year, a similar bill didn’t even make it to the Senate floor for a vote.
But this time, more than 600 Americans for Responsible Solutions members got to work and urged their State Senators to support the bill.
State by state, supporters like you are changing the debate on gun violence prevention and passing laws to keep our communities safe.
Our work in Washington State is far from over. An initiative to expand background checks for gun sales is headed to the ballot statewide this fall. We’re gearing up for a tough campaign and we’ll continue to be in touch with updates.
For now, thank you for helping build this movement.
All the best,
Peter Ambler
Strategy Director, Co-Founder, Americans for Responsible Solutions
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SNAP


By 

Raising The Minimum Wage Would Save Taxpayers Billions On Food Stamps

Our colleagues at the Center for American Progress released a report yesterday showing that raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour would lower government spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by a whopping $46 billion over the next 10 years.

Just a few months ago, Republicans pushed deep cuts in SNAP, also known as food stamps, of $40 billion. What this research proves is that the best way to reduce safety net spending is not by slashing this vital assistance that lifts millions out of poverty; it’s by improving families’ bottom lines by ensuring they are not earning poverty wages to begin with.

Those billions of dollars in savings also represent taxpayer subsidies for low-wage employers. Many of these employers pay their workers so little that they can’t even afford to make ends meet, leaving them to rely on government assistance to get by.  Raising the minimum wage will essentially roll back those subsidies, helping elevate millions out of poverty. Take a look at the infographic below to see how taxpayers are picking up the tab for corporations:

minwage_snap

The report also provides a state-by-state breakdown of the decrease in SNAP expenditures, as well as the reduction in the number of people who would be stop enrolling in the program.  For example, if Texas raised its minimum wage from the federal level of $7.25 to $10.10, it would save almost $450 million on SNAP expenditures in 2014 alone, and roughly 350,000 people would no longer use the program. Click here to see the interactive version, and an image of it is below:

minwage_infographic

BOTTOM LINE: No matter your political persuasion, this research adds to the commonsense case to raise the wage. It’s not only good for taxpayers, workers, businesses, and creating an economy that works for everyone, it will also help low-income workers get on the ladder of opportunity and climb out of poverty and into the middle class.

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