Congress‘s lame duck session is proving more interesting than expected. Don’t miss out on these three important ThinkProgress stories from this week:
1. What You Need To Know About The Michigan GOP’s ‘Right-To-Work’ Assault On Workers
2. 11 Reasons You’re Glad Jim DeMint Is Leaving The Senate
3. After Spending $9 Million To Defeat Her, Wall Street Watches Sen-Elect Warren Join Banking Committee
Best,
Igor Volsky
Deputy Editor, ThinkProgress
the Senate Convenes: 2:00pmET December 10, 2012
Tonight’S.5:30pm vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.3637, a bill to temporarily extend the transaction account guarantee program, will now occur at 2:15pm tomorrow, Tuesday, December 11. If cloture is invoked on the motion to proceed tomorrow, the Senate will immediately adopt the motion to proceed and the Majority Leader will be recognized. The vote has been moved because many senators are having problems returning to DC due to fog in the Northeast that has caused flights to be canceled or delayed. There will be no roll call votes during today’s session of the Senate.
The Senate has reached an agreement to consider the nominations of John Dowdell and Jesus Bernal at a time to be determined by the Majority Leader, in consultation with the Republican Leader. When the Senate considered the nominations, there will be 30 minutes for debate equally divided in the usual form. Following the use or yielding back of time, the Senate will proceed to vote on confirmation of the nominations in the order listed.
– Executive Calendar #762 John E. Dowdell, of Oklahoma, to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Oklahoma; and
– Executive Calendar #829 Jesus G. Bernal, of California, to be U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California.
No ROLL CALL VOTES
LEGISLATIVE ITEMS
Passed H.R.3187, the March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act.
Adopted S.Res.612, a resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Arlen Specter, distinguished former Senator for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
No EXECUTIVE ITEMS
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The next meeting in the House is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on December 11, 2012.
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Unleash Clean Power
The Union of Concerned Scientists has a practical plan to cut U.S. oil use in half over the next 20 years, which will save billions of dollars each year, dramatically cut global warming emissions, and ease many other serious problems, including oil spills, the high cost of oil and gas price spikes, and health threats from air pollution that have become the all-too-familiar face of oil.
A key piece of that plan is cleaner fuels. Imagine a future where the fuel in our cars and the electricity that powers our homes and businesses come from fast-growing grasses and agricultural and other wastes, which can serve as non-food sources of biofuel or bioenergy. This future may not be far off if we put smart policies in place to spur growth in this emerging industry.
In the coming weeks, an innovative company—INEOS Bio—will begin producing clean fuel and electricity from vegetative waste at a first-of-its-kind biorefinery. And this plant is just the beginning. Our new report, The Promise of Biomass, finds that, by 2030, we could sustainably produce enough non-food bioenergy to make four times the corn ethanol produced in the United States in 2010, or nearly 20 percent of total U.S. power consumption that year.
But the policies that have set the stage for clean bioenergy to become a large-scale power source are under attack from the fossil fuel industry and its allies, who profit handsomely from the status quo. If Congress fails to act, a key policy supporting production of clean bioenergy from sustainable, non-food sources will expire at the end of 2012, slowing the development of this burgeoning industry at a critical time.
Choose a clean power future.
Urge your member of Congress to promote innovation by extending production tax credits for clean, non-food-based fuels and renewable electricity.
Sincerely,
Rachel Cohen
National Field Organizer
Clean Vehicles Program
Union of Concerned Scientists
Over the last week we’ve asked you what $2,000 more in taxes would mean to you and your family, and we’ve already received more than 370,000 responses — including one from Tiffany.
Today, President Obama will meet Tiffany and her family in their Northern Virginia home, where he’ll talk more about why it is so important for Congress to pass the middle-class tax cuts before the end of the year, both for families like hers and our economy.
Meet Tiffany, and find out why $2,000 means so much to her family.
Continuing the Progress in Tribal Communities
Yesterday, President Obama hosted the 2012 White House Tribal Nations Conference at the Department of Interior. This conference continued to build upon the President’s commitment to strengthen the government-to-government relationship with Indian Country
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Dear Friend of the Museum,I want to thank you for making 2012 an exciting year of progress for the Museum.
It has been a busy, productive year.
Of course, the biggest event over the past 12 months was our groundbreaking in February. It was marked by a special ceremony attended by President and Mrs. Obama, and featured speeches by the President and other dignitaries. This event stands as one of our major milestones and accomplishments thus far. Today, our future site on the National Mall is a hive of activity. The bulldozers, backhoes and other construction equipment are drawing a lot of attention from people visiting the Capitol, the national monuments, and the museums that line the Mall. I cannot begin to tell you how excited we are knowing that in 2015, the National Museum of African American History and Culture will open its doors and take its place among the great family of Smithsonian institutions — provided we continue to progress on schedule. Your support is vital to the Museum. Now, before we ring in the New Year, I hope you will consider making a special year-end contribution and help ensure we stay on schedule. Remember, your gift is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law — so, while you are helping the Museum, you are benefiting with a tax deduction, too. Let me take this opportunity to wish you and yours all the best in the coming year. Thank you for your kind generosity to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture — and for making this dream a reality.
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Be a Seed for Change 
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