~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

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.

Black History

the Senate ~~ CLIMATE CONGRESS 3/10 CHANGE ~~ the House


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The Senate stands adjourned until 4:00pm on Monday, March 10, 2014.

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 5:00pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

 At 5:00pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar #563, Carolyn B. McHugh, of Utah, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit with the time until 5:30pm equally divided and controlled in the usual form.

 At 5:30pm, there will be 2 roll call votes:

–        Motion to invoke cloture on the McHugh nomination and

–        Passage of S.1917, the Victims Protection Act of 2014.

If cloture is invoked on the McHugh nomination, the time during the vote on passage of S.1917 will count post-cloture on the McHugh nomination.

 As a reminder to all Senators, on Thursday, March 6th, cloture was filed on the following nominations in the following order. The corresponding post-cloture debate time in is parentheses following each nominee.

–        Executive Calendar #563, Carolyn B. McHugh, of Utah, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit (30 hours)

–        Executive Calendar #577, Matthew Frederick Leitman, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan (2 hours, equally divided)

–        Executive Calendar #578, Judith Ellen Levy, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan (2 hours, equally divided)

–        Executive Calendar #579, Laurie J. Michelson, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan (2 hours, equally divided) and

–        Executive Calendar #580, Linda Vivienne Parker, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan (2 hours, equally divided).

 When cloture is filed sequentially on several items, the Senate will consider one motion at a time. If cloture is not invoked or upon disposition of the nomination, the Senate would immediately proceed to the cloture vote on the next nomination listed. If cloture is invoked on a nomination, the corresponding amount of debate time will occur prior to a vote on confirmation of the nomination.

5:32pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #563, Carolyn B. McHugh, of Utah, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit;

Invoked: 62-34

6:03pmThe Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on passage of S.1917, Victims Protection Act of 2014;

Passed: 97-0

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

The Senate passed S.1917, Victims Protection Act, by a vote of 97-0.

The Senate is now in a period of morning business, with time controlled in alternating 45 minute blocks of time, with the Majority controlling the first block.

The Senate also reached an agreement that results in the following roll call votes at the times listed:

11:30am on Tuesday, March 11:

– 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

10:30am on Wednesday, March 12:

–          Confirmation of Executive Calendar #563, Carolyn B. McHugh, of Utah, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit

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

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

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

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

–          Confirmation of Executive Calendar #512 Sarah Bloom Raskin, of Maryland, to be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury

Upon disposition of the Raskin nomination, the Senate will begin consideration of S.1086, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Reauthorization.

WRAP UP

Roll Call Votes

1)      Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #563, Carolyn B. McHugh, of Utah, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit; Invoked: 62-34

2)      Passage of S.1917, Victims Protection Act of 2014; Passed: 97-0

Additional Legislative items

Completed the Rule 14 process of the following items in order to place the bills on the Legislative Calendar:

–          H.R.4118, the Delay Individual Mandate Penalty – IRS.

–          S.2097, the Unemployment Insurance Extension Act. (Heller)

No additional Executive items

Roll Call Votes

1)      Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #563, Carolyn B. McHugh, of Utah, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit; Invoked: 62-34

2)      Passage of S.1917, Victims Protection Act of 2014; Passed: 97-0

Additional Legislative items

Completed the Rule 14 process of the following items in order to place the bills on the Legislative Calendar:

–          H.R.4118, the Delay Individual Mandate Penalty – IRS.

–          S.2097, the Unemployment Insurance Extension Act. (Heller)

No additional Executive items

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

Last Floor Action: 3/7
4:39:08 P.M. – The House adjourned
pursuant to a previous special order.

The next meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on March 10, 2014.

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

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Clocks Go Forward on March 9

2 Comments

USA.govWe’ve got a time change coming up in the United States. Clocks go forward one hour on Sunday, March 9, which is the beginning of Daylight Saving Time (DST).
Most of the U.S. follows DST, but there are a few exceptions. These states and territories do not observe DST:

  • States – Hawaii, most of Arizona
  • Territories – American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

“an affront to what it means to live in America.”


Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called the GOP opposition to Adegbile “an affront to what it means to live in America.”Debo Adegbile rallyTell the Senate to confirm Debo Adegbile’s nomination to lead the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division when Harry Reid calls for another vote.Take Action

In a startling and disappointing vote, seven Democrats joined Senate Republicans to block the confirmation of Debo Adegbile, a voting rights legal expert, to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.1

Pointing to Adegbile’s participation while working for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in the filing of a “friend of court” legal brief — along with hundreds of other attorneys — asking that a Pennsylvania Appeals Court commute Mumia Abu-Jamal’s death sentence to life in prison, Republicans embarked on an all-out smear campaign designed to distract from Adegbile’s strong record of defending the freedom to vote.2

There’s still a chance to make this right. At the last moment, Senator Harry Reid cast a procedural ‘no’ vote, leaving the door open for another vote to confirm Adegbile.3

Join us in demanding that Senator Reid call for another vote and for the seven Democratic senators who opposed to reconsider Adegbile’s confirmation. We only need three Senators to change their votes.4 It only takes a moment.

The seven Democrats siding with the Republicans were Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Mark Pryor (D-AR), John Walsh (D-MT), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Chris Coons (D-DE). In a statement, President Obama called the 47-52 vote “a travesty based on wildly unfair character attacks against a good and qualified public servant.”5

By all accounts, Debo Adegbile is the ideal candidate for a role at the head of the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. He is one of the nation’s top civil rights attorneys and the leading expert on voting rights. He has defended the Voting Rights Act before the Supreme Court twice — the first time, successfully — and he was the only Black attorney to argue before the Supreme Court last term.6 At a time when right wing legislators across the country are waging all-out war on the right to vote for Black folks, women, the elderly, students, and any other demographic group that might be inclined to vote Democratic, an appointment like Adegbile’s would ensure that there was someone in the Justice Department who knows what’s at stake and will take a principled stand to defend the rights we all cherish, including the freedom to vote.

Join us in demanding another vote on Debo Adegbile’s confirmation. And when you are done, please ask your friends and family to do the same.

Thanks and Peace,

— Rashad, Arisha, Matt, Aimée, and the rest of the ColorOfChange team March 6th, 2014

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way.

References

1. “Democrats help block Obama’s DOJ pick,” Politico, 3-5-14 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3347?t=7&akid=3324.1689899.HV9wvE

2. “The Ugly Campaign To Punish A Civil Rights Lawyer Because He Helped Save A Man From Execution,” ThinkProgress, 2-10-14 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3348?t=9&akid=3324.1689899.HV9wvE

3. “Senate rejects Obama appointment of Debo Adegbile to top civil rights post,” Washington Post, 3-5-14 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3349?t=11&akid=3324.1689899.HV9wvE

4. “Senate Goes ‘Nuclear,’ Changes Nominee Filibuster Rules,” ABC News, 11-21-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3355?t=13&akid=3324.1689899.HV9wvE

5.”Obama Condemns the Senate for Blocking Confirmation of Voting Rights Advocate Adegbile,” PoliticsUSA, 3-5-14 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3350?t=15&akid=3324.1689899.HV9wvE

6. “Justice’s Civil Rights nominee has resume that includes ‘Sesame Street’ and voting rights,” Washington Post, 12-31-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3351?t=17&akid=3324.1689899.HV9wvE

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