Jason takes on an insurance company to help save his dad

“My dad, Henry, had a terrible heart attack last fall that left him with severely impaired cognitive and motor skills. His doctors said that rehab would help him get better, but his insurance provider — Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts — refused to pay.

I started a petition on Change.org and almost 200,000 people signed it. Now Blue Cross has agreed to pay for my dad’s care.” -Jason Warren

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Jason Rosenbaum, BoldProgressives.org

04/02/2012 Nativegrl77

On Thursday, the Republican-controlled Congress voted for the second year in a row to end Medicare.

That’s what Republicans do when they are in control — vote to end Medicare, wage war on women, and give more tax cuts to the rich. What would a Congress controlled by progressives look like?

Progressive candidates around the country — including Darcy Burner in Washington’s 1st congressional district — answered that question this week. They took the fight directly to their Republican opponents.

Watch the video of Darcy and others in action around the county — and sign their petition holding Republicans accountable for wanting to end Medicare.

Darcy started a petition to her Republican opponent, John Koster, to hold him accountable and to show Republicans in Congress that there is a political price to be paid on the campaign trail.

Darcy collected signatures, and then she worked with Rob Zerban — who is running against Paul Ryan, the author of the plan to end Medicare — to deliver her signatures, along with thousands of others from candidates around the country, to Ryan’s office in Wisconsin!

This is what a progressive Congress in action would look like — activists and organizers like Darcy standing and fighting for the things America believes in, like Medicare and Social Security.

Click here to watch the video of Darcy (and other candidates) in action, and then sign on to their petition — more deliveries are being planned.

Thanks for being a bold progressive.

— Jason Rosenbaum, Adam Green, Stephanie Taylor, and the PCCC team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Health Care for America Now … Supports Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act

04/01/2012 Nativegrl77

Health Care for America Now was able to bring people from across the country to the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court this week to tell their stories about how Obamacare is already helping them and millions of Americans.

Click here to see a photo gallery of activity on the Supreme Court steps.

Stacie Ritter’s twin girls, childhood cancer survivors who can not be denied care due to pre-existing conditions.

For three days the justices heard oral arguments on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. Outside, thousands of people gathered to fight the Republican attack on this law and health care programs like Medicaid and Medicare.

HCAN and our allies were out in force and made a big splash in the media. Here are just a few of the people who were able to tell the national press their stories:

Theodore Method is a military veteran and retired postal worker from Virginia whose wife has Alzheimer’s disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and congestive heart failure and is now living in a nursing home where Theodore goes to feed her lunch every day. If his wife’s Medicaid benefits were cut, Theodore would have to exhaust his own retirement funds to maintain his wife’s standard of care and would quickly run out of resources for both of them.
Spike Dolomite Ward was uninsured when she was diagnosed last year with Stage 3 breast cancer. Now she is covered and receiving chemotherapy thanks to Obamacare’s Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.
Stacie Ritter is a Pennsylvania mom to twin daughters who survived leukemia after the family battled with the insurance company and filed for bankruptcy. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, her daughters can never again be excluded from coverage because of pre-existing conditions. We know these stories had an impact on those who heard them this week.

We know these stories had an impact this week. Please watch the videos showing how important the health care law is here and here.

We will continue to fight the tea party and extremist Republicans to protect this law and put people before profits. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to providing affordable, quality health care for all.

Thanks,

Will O’Neill Health Care for America Now

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Social Security Online: some Questions Answers and popular Topics

03/30/2012 Nativegrl77

Replace a Social Security card for an adult

See all answers

Social Security Card

Retirement

Disability

Medicare

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Employer Wage Reporting

See all topics

Black History

Congress: the Republican led House continues to pass bills that will go no where,wasting taxpayer $$$ – Senate Convenes Monday,4/16/2012

03/30/2012 Nativegrl77

the Senate Convenes: 2:00pm April 16, 2012

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.2240, the Paying a Fair Share Act.
As a reminder to all Senators, cloture was filed on the motion to proceed to S.2230, the Paying a Fair Share Act on Thursday, March 29^th.
At 4:30pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar #460, Stephanie Dawn Thacker, of WV, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit with up to 60 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees.
Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 5:30pm), there will be a roll call vote on confirmation of the Thacker nomination. There will then be a 2^nd roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.2230, the Paying a Fair Share Act.
If the House does not adopt S.Con.Res.38, the adjournment resolution, the Senate will also meet on the following dates at the following times in pro forma sessions only, with no business conducted:

Monday, April 2^nd at 2:00pm
Thursday, April 5^th at 11:00am
Monday, April 9^th at 10:00am
Thursday, April 12^th at 2:00pm

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Tell Republicans Compromise is NOT a dirty word

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGSLEGISLATIVE DAY OF MARCH 30, 2012 112TH CONGRESS – SECOND SESSION en-usPursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:00:03 EDTYes11:08:36 A.M. -The House adjourned pursuant to S. Con. Res. 38. The next meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on April 16, 2012.11:08:35 A.M. -On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.11:08:19 A.M. -Mr. Dreier moved that the House do now adjourn.11:07:01 A.M. -COMMITTEE FILING AUTHORITY – Mr. Dreier asked unanimous consent that all committees have until 5 p.m. on Friday, April 13, 2012, to file reports to accompany measures. Agreed to without objection.11:06:52 A.M. -S. Con. Res. 38Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.11:06:48 A.M. -S. Con. Res. 38On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to without objection.11:05:03 A.M. -S. Con. Res. 38Considered as privileged matter. S. Con. Res. 38 — “Providing for a conditional adjournment or recess of the Senate and an adjournment of the House of Representatives.”11:03:46 A.M. -The House received a message from the Senate. The Senate agreed to S. Con. Res. 38 and passed H.R. 2297 with an amendment.11:03:10 A.M. -PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Dreier to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.11:03:04 A.M. -The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.11:01:09 A.M. -Today’s prayer was offered by Reverend Dr. Barry Black, Chaplain, United States Senate, Washington DC.11:00:38 A.M. -The Speaker designated the Honorable Jeff Denham to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.11:00:25 A.M. -The House convened, starting a new legislative day.