Black History

CONGRESS – the Republican led House : Scheduled to do only about 8days of work prior to Election2012 : the Senate led by Dems


the Senate Convened 9:30amET

  • Following the prayer and pledge, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.3457, the Veterans Jobs Corps Act, post-cloture.
  • The first 70 minutes will be equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees with the Republicans controlling the first half and the Majority controlling the final half.
  • All time during adjournment, recess, and morning business will count post-cloture on the motion to proceed to S.3457, by unanimous consent.  The Senate will begin consideration of S.3457, the Veterans Jobs Corps Act on Wednesday.  Senators will be notified when votes are scheduled.

The Senate is currently considering the motion to proceed to S.3457, Veterans Jobs Corps Act of 2012, post-cloture. At this time, we are not able to obtain consent to adopt the motion to proceed or to yield back any post-cloture time. As a result, senators should expect a roll call vote at approximately 8:45pm tonight on adoption of the motion to proceed.

The Senate adopted the motion to proceed to S.3457, the Veterans Jobs Corps Act, by a vote of 84-8.

Senate Reid then offered the Murray substitute amendment #2789, filled the remaining slots on the amendment tree with technical amendments, and filed cloture motions on the Murray substitute and the underlying bill. The cloture vote on the substitute will occur one hour after the Senate convenes on Friday. Senators should expect that vote to occur as early as 1am Friday morning.

Senator Reid then moved to proceed to S.3521, Tax Extenders.

Senator Paul asked consent that it be in order to offer 2 amendments to the Veterans Jobs Corps Act. The first amendment (#2783) would eliminate foreign aid to Libya and Egypt and the second amendment would eliminate foreign aid to Pakistan. Senator Reid objected.

WRAP UP

ROLL CALL VOTE

1)      Motion to proceed to S.3457, the Veterans Jobs Corps Act; Agreed to: 84-8

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Passed H.R.6336, an Act to direct the Joint Committee on the Library to accept a statue depicting Frederick Douglas from the District of Columbia and to provide for the permanent display of the statue in Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol.

Adopted S.Res.551, commending the four American public servants who died in Benghazi, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, for their tireless efforts on behalf of the American people and condemning the violent attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi.

Adopted S.Res.552, a resolution recognizing the month of October 2012 as “National Principals Month”

Adopted S.Res.553, designating September 22, 2012, as “National Falls Prevention Awareness Day” to raise awareness and encourage the prevention of falls among older adults.

No EXECUTIVE ITEMS

———————————————————————————————————

http://www.houselive.gov/

House hearings …

Session
12:00 am Hearing: User Fees in the Aviation Industry: Turbulence AheadCommittee on Small Business: Full Committee
9:00 am Hearing: Chairman Johnson Announces Hearing on the  Direct Deposit of Social Security Benefits Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security
9:45 am Hearing: Where the Jobs Are: There’s an App for ThatCommittee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade
9:45 am Hearing: Dawood National Military Hospital, Afghanistan: What Happened and What Went Wrong? Part IICommittee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee
10:00 am Hearing: A Review of and Update on the Management of FAA’s NextGen ProgramCommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Aviation
10:00 am Hearing: Examining NASA’s Development of the Space Launch System and Orion Crew CapsuleCommittee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee
10:00 am Hearing:  Operational Contracting Support: Learning from the Past and Preparing for the FutureCommittee on Armed Services: Full Committee
10:00 am Hearing: The Obama Administration’s Abuse of PowerCommittee on the Judiciary: Full Committee
10:00 am Hearing: DOE’s Nuclear Weapons Complex: Challenges to Safety, Security, and Taxpayer StewardshipCommittee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
10:00 am Hearing: The EMP Threat: Examining the ConsequencesCommittee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies
10:00 am Markup: Markup of Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 2827, a bill to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to clarify provisions relating to the regulation of municipal advisors, and for other purposes and H.R. _____, The Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act of 2012Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee
10:00 am Hearing: Beijing as an Emerging Power in the South China SeaCommittee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee
2:00 pm Hearing: Joint Hearing: Organ Harvesting of Religious and Political Dissidents by the Chinese Communist PartyCommittee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights
2:00 pm Hearing: Resilient Communications: Current Challenges and Future AdvancementsCommittee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications
2:00 pm Hearing: Mismanagement of Funds at the National Weather Service and the Impact on the Future of Weather ForecastingCommittee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight
2:30 pm Hearing:  *UPDATE:  NEW TIME* Chairman Herger Announces Hearing on Implementation of Health Insurance Exchanges and Related Provisions Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health
3:00 pm Hearing: H.R. 6365-National Security and Job Protection ActCommittee on Rules:
3:00 pm Hearing: H.R. 6213-No More Solyndras ActCommittee on Rules: Full Committee
3:00 pm Hearing: H.J. Res. 117-Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013Committee on Rules: Subcommittee on the Legislative and Budget Process
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Nancy Pelosi House Dems in the Newsroom


 

 

It’s been more than 250 days since the GOP took control of the House, and  Americans are still asking: Where are the jobs, House Republicans?
The  middle class is hurting, and the Republicans’ only answer is a plan to  end Medicare and give tax breaks to Big Oil and companies that ship jobs  overseas.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Why We Vote: Obama Rescinds Controversial Bush “Conscience Clause”


 

Care2

Why We Vote: Obama Rescinds Controversial Bush “Conscience Clause”

NOTE: This election will be decided on turnout.  We’ll be running posts from the past three and a half years to remind ourselves why we really do need to vote – and get our friends out too!

After two years of trying, the Obama administration finally succeeded, late last week, in rescinding the “conscience clause,” a federal regulation designed to protect pharmacists and health care workers who want to refuse to provide care based on moral or religious grounds. This often translated into pharmacists being able to deny their customers contraceptives or HIV medications, and health care workers refusing to perform in-vitro fertilizations for lesbians or single women. An ambulance driver in Chicago even rejected a woman’s need for transportation for abortion, and there were reports of drugstore workers refusing to sell condoms to men they perceived to be gay.

The new rule only leaves space, which is far less controversial, for doctors and nurses who conscientiously refuse to perform abortions or sterilizations. Health care workers who feel that their rights have been violated can also file complaints.

As the Washington Post points out, this is likely to spark intense debate, especially since Republican legislators are trying to ensconce these regulations in law. The Bush regulation, which was put in place in the last days of his presidency, would have cut off federal funding to institutions that did not comply with these conscience rules. One of the most commonly cited objections to the regulation was that the rules extended far beyond health care workers, allowing receptionists to refuse to make appointments for abortions and janitors to decline to clean up operating rooms where abortions were performed.

This is a clear victory for women’s ability to access abortion, and more generally for people to gain access to contraceptives, HIV medications, and other procedures to which some may morally object.

“Without the rescission of this regulation, we would see tremendous discrimination against patients based on their behavior and based just on who they are,” said Susan Berke Fogel of the National Health Law Program, an advocacy group based in the District. “We would see real people suffer, and more women could die.”

But some Republicans are, clearly, eager to undermine this step forward.  We will continue to watch what happens in Congress, and keep you posted on future choice victories or encroachments on women’s rights.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/obama-administration-rescinds-controversial-bush-conscience-clause.html#ixzz26APFFkcP

 

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Profits Over People, Medicare Edition


By ThinkProgress War Room

Romney’s Plan to Pad Insurance Company Profits

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan’s plan to end Medicare as we know it and turn it into a voucher plan is bad enough on its face. It doesn’t do anything to actually rein in health care costs. It just shifts costs — potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars for future retirees — from the government onto the backs of seniors.

But it gets worse. We learned over the weekend that all the extra money out of our pockets is going to give insurance companies some extra large profits. Here’s President Obama, who was in Florida yesterday, describing the findings of a new study:

In fact, one report just said that by the end of the next decade, our opponent’s plan would mean as much as $16 billion to $26 billion in new profits for insurance companies.  So basically, your costs would rise by the thousands so that their profits could rise by the billions.

How much more are you going to be on the hook for in order to pump up the profits on insurance companies? Check out this handy infographic to find out:

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You May Have Missed

In his defense, Mitt Romney cites five studies that actually just further prove his plan would raise taxes on the middle class.

In new stump speech, Romney suggests Obama is anti-God.

One hedge fund millionaire is trying to buy a seat in Congress.

Paul Ryan once touted defense cuts he now claims to not have voted for.

Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) attacked Sandra Fluke.

Romney’s amazing and dishonest gymnastics on health care.

President Obama said Nikki Minaj’s “endorsement” of Mitt Romney was a joke — and she said the president was right.

Poll finds Obama surging after Democratic convention.

Obamacare has led to a record drop in uninsured young people.

politics,pollution,petitions,pop culture & purses