Tell Senate leaders : the time is NOW !


Reformimmigrtn

Donna De La Cruz, Reform Immigration FOR America

Our Senators leading the work on immigration reform in the Gang of Eight have been debating for weeks — but have yet to put forward a bill. Every day that they delay, more families are torn apart and more chances at the American dream are denied.

Our communities cannot wait any longer! So this week, immigrant rights activists across the country are making calls, sending messages, visiting their legislators’ offices and taking action to urge our leaders to support immigration reform for 11 million undocumented Americans.

Send your message to the Gang of Eight and other Senate leaders and tell them that the time is NOW for real reform that keeps families together and creates a roadmap to citizenship!

Send a message for families like Jennifer’s. Jennifer lost her husband, father of their four young children, when he was deported without any criminal record. She now has to balance working two jobs and raising her children alone. Instead of asking for toys, Jennifer’s kids ask if they can have their dad back.

If we can deliver a flood of messages to Senate leadership now, we can fix our broken system and save millions of other immigrant families from separation.

Together, the power of our community is undeniable. Take part in this national week of action and send your message now.

With hope,

Donna De La Cruz Reform Immigration FOR America

PS: Every message makes a difference! Click here to send a fax with your message to Senate leaders today.

Pour une agricultur​e durable


The Nicolas Hulot Foundation has launched a petition on Change.org to support a reform of the CAP, which goes in the direction of sustainable agriculture for the future.   CAP stand for : Common Agricultural Policy

 

Change.org
                          La Politique Agricole Commune de l’Union européenne est en cours de réforme. C’est l’occasion de demander à nos dirigeants de défendre une agriculture durable, juste et solidaire.                       
      Signez la pétition

 

Chaque année, vous donnez, souvent sans le savoir, 100 euros pour soutenir majoritairement une agriculture gourmande en énergie et en pesticides.

En tant que citoyens européens, vous financez par vos impôts la PAC : la Politique Agricole Commune des États membres de l’Union européenne. Un budget annuel colossal de 50 milliards d’euros par an, qui ne sert qu’en minorité une agriculture durable, et qui n’encourage pas les agriculteurs qui optent pour des pratiques plus écologiques, pourvoyeuses d’emploi, justes et solidaires. Il faut que cette tendance s’inverse.

Nous avons une occasion d’agir sans précédent : la PAC est actuellement en cours de réforme et cela ne se produit que tous les 7 ans. La Fondation Nicolas Hulot a donc lancé une pétition sur Change.org afin de soutenir une réforme de la PAC qui va dans le sens d’une agriculture d’avenir.

Cliquez ici pour signer notre pétition.

Nous demandons que cette réforme soit organisée autour de quatre principes : favoriser l’installation de nouveaux agriculteurs, accorder plus d’aides aux systèmes agricoles les plus respectueux de notre environnement, répartir de manière plus équilibrée les aides entre les types d’agricultures et les différents pays, et ne plus pénaliser les agricultures du Sud.

À la Fondation Nicolas Hulot, nous avons toujours eu à cœur de créer des passerelles entre les citoyens et les décideurs politiques. Cette réforme de la PAC est une opportunité sans précédent d’agir sur un sujet qui vous concerne.

Aujourd’hui même, les députés européens sont invités à voter un premier texte, avant que les discussions entre le Parlement européen, la Commission européenne et les représentants des états membres ne s’engage. En cette date symbolique, vous avez la possibilité de faire entendre votre voix sur la manière dont cet argent est utilisé. Plus vous serez nombreux à soutenir ces principes, plus la portée de notre action sera importante.

Cliquez ici pour signer notre pétition pour une agriculture d’avenir, écologique, juste et solidaire.

En espérant compter sur votre soutien,

Nicolas Hulot,

Président de la Fondation Nicolas Hulot pour la Nature et l’Homme

Official Google Blog


 

officalgoogle

Tenth annual Global Code Jam registration opens today

Posted: 12 Mar 2013 12:03 PM PDT

Algorithmic competitions are to programmers what tournaments are to tennis players: an opportunity to feel the rush of competition, learn new techniques and face off against their best counterparts from around the globe. Code Jam, Google’s worldwide online programming competition, gives developers a chance to use their favorite programming languages to solve algorithmic problems created by a team of contest champions at Google.

Our 10th annual global Code Jam kicks off next month, starting with a qualification round on April 12. After three more online rounds, the top 25 contestants will be invited to Google’s London office on August 16 for a final matchup and a chance to win the coveted title of Code Jam Champion.

With more than 20,000 participants last year, Code Jam has grown leaps and bounds since it began in 2003*. To celebrate the competition’s 10th anniversary, we’ve raised the stakes: the winner will claim $15,000, and will automatically qualify for the 2014 Code Jam finals to defend his or her title.

If you’re up to the challenge of solving tough problems and coding elegant solutions (and perhaps debugging less elegant solutions), then register now. Want to warm up for the Qualification Round with a problem or two? How about finding the margin of safety for contestants on a television show, optimizing a tower defense game or swinging through the jungle on vines? You have a whole month to prepare yourself for the first hurdle on Friday, April 12.

Posted by Onufry Wojtaszczyk, Software Engineer, Google Code Jam

*To the mathematically inclined (all of our competitors), 2003-2013 sounds like enough time for 11 Code Jams. Nevertheless, this one will actually be our tenth global contest: we went through a major format change between 2006 and 2008, and there wasn’t a global contest in 2007.

Bills & Hearings in the House


Watch Most Recent House Floor Activity

Bills for the Week of Mar. 11, 2013

Items that may be considered under suspension of the rules

H.R. 1035 To require a study of voluntary community-based flood insurance options and how such options could be incorporated into the national flood insurance program, and for other purposes           [PDF]
              Added              03/08/2013 at 12:48 PM
H.R. 749 Eliminate Privacy Notice Confusion Act           [PDF]                  [XML]
              Added              03/08/2013 at 12:48 PM

Items that may be considered pursuant to a rule

H.R. 890 Preserving Work Requirements for Welfare Programs Act of 2013           [PDF]                  [XML]
:: Rules Committee Print 113-3, showing the text of H.R. 890 as ordered reported by the Committee on Ways and Means and H.R. 987 as introduced.           [PDF]                  [XML]
H.R. 803 SKILLS Act           [PDF]                  [XML]
              Added              03/07/2013 at 02:01 PM
:: Rules Committee Print 113-4, showing the text of H.R. 803 as ordered reported by the Committee on Education and the Workforce           [PDF]                  [XML]
              Added              03/07/2013 at 02:01 PM

HOUSE Hearings for MARCH 3/13

Time (EST) Session
9:30 am Hearing: Oversight Hearing – Water Infrastructure FinancingCommittee on Appropriations: Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
10:00 am Hearing: Oversight Hearing on “The reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act”Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee
10:00 am Hearing: Examination of Litigation AbusesCommittee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution And Civil Justice
10:00 am Hearing: POSTPONED:Is U.S. Homeland Security Threatened by the European Union Not Designating Hezbollah as a Terrorist Organization?Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence
10:00 am Hearing: Addressing Transparency in the Federal Bureaucracy: Moving Toward A More Open GovernmentCommittee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee
10:00 am Hearing: STEM Education: Industry and Philanthropic InitiativesCommittee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Research
10:00 am Hearing: Chairman Nunes Announces Hearing on  U.S.-India Trade Relations: Opportunities and ChallengesCommittee on Ways and Means:
10:00 am Hearing: Meeting Patient Care Needs: Measuring the Value of VA Physician Staffing StandardsCommittee on Veterans’ Affairs: Subcommittee on Health
10:00 am Hearing: DHS Cybersecurity: Roles and Responsibilities to Protect the Nation’s Critical InfrastructureCommittee on Homeland Security: Full Committee
10:00 am Hearing: FBI Headquarters ConsolidationCommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management
10:00 am Hearing: Public and Outside Witnesses HearingCommittee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
10:00 am Hearing: National Forest Management and its Impacts on Rural Economies and CommunitiesCommittee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry
10:00 am Hearing: Oversight Hearing – Federal Emergency Management Agency – Hurricane Sandy FundingCommittee on Appropriations: Homeland Security
10:00 am Hearing: Hearing entitled “Mortgage Insurance: Comparing Private Sector and Government-Subsidized Approaches” Committee on Financial Services: Housing and Insurance
10:00 am Hearing: Oversight Hearing – Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection ServiceCommittee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
10:00 am Hearing: Impact of the Continuing Resolution, Sequestration, and Declining Operations and Maintenance Budgets on Military Personnel and Family Related ProgramsCommittee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel
10:00 am Hearing: DOE Management and Oversight of Its Nuclear Weapons Complex: Lessons of the Y-12 Security FailureCommittee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
10:00 am Hearing: “Keeping College Within Reach:  Examining Opportunities to Strengthen Federal Student Loan Programs”Committee on Education and the Workforce: Committee on the Education and the Workforce
10:15 am Hearing: Obamacare’s Impact on JobsCommittee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health
10:30 am Markup: Budget for Fiscal Year 2014Committee On The Budget: Full Committee
11:00 am Hearing: Oversight Hearing – National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationCommittee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
11:30 am Hearing: Investigating and Prosecuting 21st Century Cyber ThreatsCommittee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, And Investigations
12:00 pm Hearing: Oversight Hearing – Syria (CLOSED)Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
2:00 pm Hearing: The Rebalance to Asia: Why South Asia Matters -Part IICommittee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
2:00 pm Hearing: Information Technology and Cyber Operations: Modernization and Policy Issues to Support the Future ForceCommittee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Intelligence, Emerging Threats & Capabilities
2:30 pm Hearing: Gulf War: What Kind of Care are Veterans Receiving 20 Years Later?Committee on Veterans’ Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
2:30 pm Hearing: urthering Asbestos Claim Transparency -FACT- Act of 2013Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law
2:45 pm Hearing: Oversight Hearing – Hurricane Sandy Supplemental ImplementationCommittee on Appropriations: Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies
2:45 pm Hearing: Oversight Hearing – American Battle Monuments Commission, U.S. Court of Appeal for Veterans Claims, Armed Forces Retirement Home, and Army National Cemeteries Program Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
3:00 pm Hearing: Federal Financial Support for Energy Technologies: Assessing Costs and BenefitsCommittee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy
3:00 pm Hearing: H.R. 803—SKILLS ActCommittee on Rules: Full Committee

CONGRESS: Republican led House ::::::: ::::::: the Senate led by Democrats HR933


March 2013
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The Senate stands in adjournment until 9:30am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013.

  • Following any Leader remarks, the Senate resume the motion to proceed to Calendar #21, H.R.933, the continuing appropriations bill.
  • During Tuesday’s session, cloture was filed on the motion to proceed to H.R.933, the continuing appropriations bill.  If no agreement is reached, the cloture vote will be Thursday morning

The Senate adopted the motion to proceed H.R.933, Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013.

Senator Reid then called up Mikulski-Shelby amendment #26, as modified (substitute). The substitute is the text of The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013, which includes separate divisions for the Fiscal Year 2013 Agriculture; Commerce, Justice and Science; Defense; Homeland Security; and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Acts.

We are in a period for debate only until the managers of the bill come to the floor, around 10:30am.

We expect the first amendments to the bill to be offered by Senator Cruz (Affordable Care Act funding) and Senator Harkin (Labor-HHS).

Senator Cruz called up amendment #30, which prohibits funds for the Affordable Care Act. The managers are talking about an appropriate time to vote in relation to the amendment, could be around the noon hour. Senators will be notified when a vote time is set or expected.

The following amendments are pending to H.R.933, the continuing appropriations bill:

The following amendments have been considered to H.R.933:

  • Cruz amendment #30 (defund Obamacare) Not Agreed to: 45-52
  • McCain amendment #33 (Guam) Not Tabled: 48-50; agreed to by voice vote

The Senate has reached an agreement that results in a vote in relation to the Cruz amendment #26 (defund ACA) at 2pm.

The time until 2pm is equally divided and controlled between Senator Mikulski and Cruz, or their designees. At 2pm the Senate will proceed to vote in relation to the Cruz amendment. No amendments are in order to the amendment prior to the vote. We expect a motion to table the Cruz amendment.

Upon disposition of the Cruz amendment, the next amendment in order is a Harkin amendment relative to Labor-HHS Appropriations.

2:02pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the Cruz amendment #30 (defund Obamacare)

Not Agreed to: 45-52

Senator Harkin has called up amendment #53 (Labor-HHS flexibility). The Harkin amendment replaces the Labor-HHS division of the CR/omnibus with the text of the full Labor-HHS appropriations bill.

Senator McCain has offered amendment #33 (strikes certain DoD Operation and Maintenance grants to Guam).

Votes are possible in relation to the Harkin amendment #53 (Labor-HHS) and McCain amendment #33 (strikes certain DoD Operation and Maintenance grants to Guam) in the not too distant future. Another message will be sent if and when an agreement is reached.

The time until 5:30pm will be equally divided and controlled between Senators McCain and Durbin, or their designees. At 5:30pm, the Senate will proceed to vote in relation to the McCain amendment #33.

The McCain amendment #33 strikes $13 million for construction of a regional public health laboratory and $106.4 million for civilian water and wastewater improvements in Guam through the Office of Economic Adjustment; and strikes the Department of Defense authority to make grants, conclude cooperative agreements, and supplement other Federal funds.

5:34pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the Durbin motion to table McCain amendment #33 (Guam and grant authority);

Not Tabled: 48-50, Agreed to by voice vote

The McCain amendment #33 was not tabled 48-50 and was then adopted by voice vote.

Senator Inhofe then asked unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment in order to call up amendment #29 (Farms-EPA oil spill and prevention rule). Senator Boxer reserved her right to set aside the pending amendment unless Senator Inhofe would be willing to agree to a 60 vote threshold. Senator Inhofe agreed and the amendment was called up.

There will be no further roll call votes this evening, however, additional amendments may be offered and debated

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

WRAP UP

ROLL CALL VOTES

1) Cruz amendment #30 (defund the Affordable Care Act) to H.R.933, the continuing appropriations bill; Not Agreed to: 45-52

2) McCain amendment #33 (Guam) Not Tabled: 48-50

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Adopted S.Res.76, Designating room S-126 of the United States Capitol as the “Senator Daniel K. Inouye Room” in recognition of his service to the Senate and the people of the United States.

Began the Rule 14 process of S.558, To prohibit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from awarding any grant, contract, cooperative agreement, or other financial assistance under section 103 of the Clean Air Act for any program, project, or activity outside the United States. (Paul)

No EXECUTIVE ITEMs

7:53PMET This evening Senator Reid filed cloture on the Mikulski-Shelby substitute amendment #26, as modified, and the underlying bill, H.R.933, the Continuing Resolution. However, we hope to reach an agreement to complete action on the bill without cloture.

The filing deadline for first degree amendments to the substitute and underlying bill is 1:00pm tomorrow, Thursday, March 14.

If cloture is invoked, germane amendments must have been filed at the desk prior to the deadline to be considered in order post-cloture. Please send a signed copy of the amendment to the cloakroom prior to the deadline so that we may file it at the desk for you. If you have already filed, there is no need to re-file.

 

*************************************************************

Watch Most Recent House Floor Activity

Last Floor Action: 3/12
8:10:14 P.M. – The House adjourned.

The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on March 13, 2013.

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