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CONGRESS: the Republican led House / the Senate considers S.2237


  • Convenes: 9:30amET July 12, 2012
  • Following the prayer and pledge, the Majority Leader will be recognized.
  • The first hour will be equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees with the Majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the final half.
  • As a reminder, cloture was filed on the Landrieu substitute amendment #2521 and S.2237, the Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act on Wednesday.  As a result, the filing deadline for first degree amendments the Landrieu substitute amendment and to S.2237 is 1:00pm on Thursday.
  • Unless an agreement can be reached, the cloture votes will be on Friday but Senator Reid announced we hope to come to an agreement to have them tomorrow.

As a reminder, the filing deadline for first degree amendments to S.2237, the Small Business Jobs bill, is 1pm today.

During his opening remarks this morning, Senator Reid announced he has a general agreement with the Republican Leader that we will try to schedule the cloture votes on the Landrieu substitute amendment #2251 and the underlying Small Business Jobs bill today. If no agreement can be reached, those votes would occur tomorrow. Senators will be notified when any votes are scheduled.

This morning Senator Reid moved to proceed to S.3369, a bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to provide for additional disclosure requirements for corporations, labor organizations, Super PACs and other entities (DISCLOSE Act).

The Senate has reached an agreement that results in a series of 3 roll call votes beginning at 2pm today. Those votes will be in relation to the following items:

–       Reid amendment #2524 (text of H.R.9, Cantor tax bill)

–       Motion to invoke cloture on Landrieu amendment #2521 (Substitute) (If cloture on the substitute is invoked, all post-cloture debate time would be yielded back and the amendment would be agreed to)

–       Motion to invoke cloture on of S.2237, the Small Business Jobs bill

There will be 2 minutes for debate equally divided between the votes. All after the first vote will be 10 minutes in duration.

 60 votes needed

2:00pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the motion to table the Reid amendment #2524 (Cantor – H.R.9); Tabled: 73-24

2:30pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Landrieu substitute amendment #2521 to S.2237, the Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act; Not Invoked: 57-41

2:50pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on S.2237, the Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act; Not Invoked:  53-44

ROLL CALL VOTES

1)      Motion to table the Reid amendment #2524 (text of H.R.9, Cantor tax bill); Tabled: 73-24

2)      Motion to invoke cloture on Landrieu amendment #2521 (Substitute) Not Invoked: 57-41

3)      Motion to invoke cloture on of S.2237, the Small Business Jobs bill; Not Invoked: 53-44

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Passed H.R.3902, the District of Columbia Special Election Reform Act by voice vote.

Discharged the Banking Committee and passed H.R.2527, the National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act with a Gillibrand substitute amendment.

Began the Rule 14 process of H.R.6079, the Repeal of Obamacare Act. (Republican request)

No EXECUTIVE ITEMS

At 5pm on Monday, there will be 30 minutes for debate on Executive Calendar #662, the nomination of Kevin McNulty, of New Jersey, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey, prior to a vote on confirmation of the nomination.

Senator Reid filed cloture on the motion to proceed to S.3369, the DISCLOSE Act. By consent, following the 5:30pm vote on the McNulty nomination, there will be 10 minutes for debate prior to the cloture vote on the motion to proceed to S.3369.

 

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The House is scheduled to meet at 9:15amET July 12, 2012

 the House adjourned at 1:55pmET

www.Houselive.gov

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Spread the Word: The Health Care Law is Working for Women


When the Supreme Court took up the Affordable Care Act last week, opponents asked the Court to overturn the new health care law entirely. But if that were to happen, women would lose vital protections — including coverage of women’s preventive services with no co-pays — that the law now guarantees.

Please help spread the word about what the new health care law is doing for women — share our new video, “I Will NOT Be Denied,” and help people understand what we’ll all lose if the Court strikes the law down.

Because of the new health care law, just in the past year:Over 20 million women with private insurance have received at least one preventive health care service without a co-pay or deductible. Over 39 million women no longer face lifetime limits on coverage, so they can get the health care they need. About 2.5 million young adults gained health coverage because they could stay on their parents’ plans until age 26. And these provisions are just the beginning. Will you please help tell the world what the law is doing for women? Please share our new video and help us tell opponents of affordable care “I Will NOT Be Denied.”™

Thank for all that you do on behalf of women and their families.

Sincerely,

Dania Palanker, Senior Health Policy Advisor

National Women’s Law Center

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Cargill needs to come clean … Ashley Schaeffer, Rainforest Action Network

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With palm oil in half of all products for sale in US grocery stores, we have the right to know the true cost of its production.image

Cargill is the #1 importer of palm oil into the US, but the company refuses to be transparent about who it does business with. For instance: Is Cargill still sourcing from the notorious palm oil company Duta Palma even though this company is embroiled in severe social conflicts with communities near its destructive palm plantations?

Dozens of people are gathering outside Cargill’s offices today in Minneapolis to ask the company to come clean about its operations.

Will you help us amplify their voices by writing to Cargill now and demanding transparency around its “no-trade list”?

In the past, Cargill has said Duta Palma was on its “no-trade list,” but the company has never made this list public and RAN has reason to believe Cargill’s policy of sourcing from any company that pays membership dues to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil allows it to get palm oil from Duta Palma.

Please email Cargill CEO Greg Page now and ask him to come clean.

In 2009, Rainforest Action Network released a case study documenting illegal rainforest burning by Duta Palma on community lands used by the people of Semunying Jaya in Borneo. Duta Palma doesn’t have permits to operate these plantations and police refuse to do anything about this blatant land theft and environmental destruction.

So community members took action themselves.

A few weeks ago, members of the Semunying Jaya community seized several pieces of machinery, trucks, bulldozers and chainsaws, then barricaded the doors of Duta Palma’s palm nursery, shutting down operations. The community members are now facing possible criminal charges for standing up for the health and safety of their home.

We have the right to know: Is Cargill profiting from the oppression of the people of Semunying Jaya by buying palm oil from Duta Palma? Please demand transparency now.

For the forests,

Ashley Schaeffer

Rainforest Agribusiness Campaigner

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Union of Concerned Scientists


Have you seen our latest report? It documents precisely how some of the nation’s top energy companies—such as ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips—have managed to stall progress on national legislation to rein in global warming emissions by inserting large amounts of money and misinformation into government policy making and politics.

“There isn’t any real science to say we are altering the climate path of the earth.” —Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO)

You can help end the disinformation on global warming.

Together, we can fight back against efforts to undermine our democratic system. Join us, and become a full member of the Union of Concerned Scientists today.

www.ucsusa.org

The report’s findings are truly eye opening, even for people like me who work on these issues every day. Consider, for instance, that: The 28 companies we investigated spent more than $300 million lobbying Congress in the run up to possible climate legislation; Koch Industries alone has spent more than $55 million since 1997 to misrepresent climate science or oppose safeguards to rein in global warming emissions; and The oil company ConocoPhillips has backed the campaigns of anti-climate candidates for Congress by a ratio of more than 15 to 1 over candidates who have supported science-based climate policies.

The numbers might sound discouraging, but while companies like these have money and influence with people in Washington, we have two ingredients on our side that they don’t: rock-hard scientific evidence and support from people like you.

Become a full member of UCS and make a vital contribution to the fight for a healthy environment and a safer world.

www.ucsusa.org

UCS is working to reduce global warming emissions by accelerating the transition away from dirty coal-fired power plants and oil-reliant vehicles, building support for stronger power plant emissions standards, and working at the state and federal level to increase use of clean, renewable energy.

But oil companies and corporate lobbyists continue to attack these critical efforts to protect our health and environment. That’s why we really need your help more than ever. Please become a member of UCS today.

Thanks in advance. And welcome aboard!

 

 

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch President

 

P.S. Remember, when you give to the Union of Concerned Scientists, you join a team more than 400,000 strong from all walks of life—scientists, teachers, business people, parents, engineers, and many other actively engaged citizens—working together to build a healthier environment and a safer world.

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