The Senate Convenes at 10:00amET May 24, 2011

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 3pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Following morning business, the Senate will resume the motion to proceed to S.1038, a bill to provide for the extension of expiring provisions of the PATRIOT Act until June 1, 2015 with the time until 5pm equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees.

Votes:

75: Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.1038, a bill to provide for the extension of expiring provisions of the PATRIOT Act until June 1, 2015;

Invoked: 74-8

There will be no further roll call votes during today’s session.

Unanimous Consent:

adopted S.Res.195, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS

LEGISLATIVE DAY OF MAY 24, 2011

112TH CONGRESS – FIRST SESSION

9:40 P.M. –

The House adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on May 25, 2011.

On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.

Mr. Bartlett moved that the House do now adjourn.

9:30 P.M. –

SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House resumed Special Order speeches.

Ms. Foxx filed a report from the Committee on Rules on H. Res. 276.

8:41 P.M. –

SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.

8:39 P.M. –

ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with further one minute speeches.

H.R. 1216:

to amend the Public Health Service Act to convert funding for graduate medical education in qualified teaching health centers from direct appropriations to an authorization of appropriations

8:38 P.M. –

Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 1216 as unfinished business.

On motion that the Committee rise Agreed to by voice vote.

Mr. Guthrie moved that the Committee rise.

8:26 P.M. –

Mr. Guthrie raised a point of order against the Weiner amendment Mr. Guthrie stated that the amendment violated clause 10 of rule XXI by increasing mandatory spending. The Chair sustained the point of order.

8:21 P.M. –

DEBATE – The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Weiner amendment under the five-minute rule pending reservation of a point of order.

Amendment offered by Mr. Weiner.

An amendment numbered 1 printed in the Congressional Record to add a new paragraph providing that provisions of the bill shall not take effect until the date that the Comptroller General of the United States determines there is no primary care physician shortage in the United States.

8:20 P.M. –

POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – At the conclusion of debate on the Foxx amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Pallone demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the Foxx amendment until a time to be announced.

8:02 P.M. –

DEBATE – The Committee of the Whole continued with debate on the already pending Foxx amendment.

8:01 P.M. –

The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.

Considered as unfinished business.

H.R. 1540:

to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2012 for military activities of the Department of Defense and for military construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2012, and for other purposes

7:58 P.M. –

Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 1540 as unfinished business.

6:48 P.M. –

GENERAL DEBATE – The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 1540.

The Speaker designated the Honorable Steve Womack to act as Chairman of the Committee.

House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 269 and Rule XVIII.

Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1216 and H.R. 1540. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments. The rule provides for 1 hour of general debate and waives all points of order against consideration of the measures. The rule provides one motion to recommit H.R. 1216 with or without instructions. The rule also provides that after general debate on H.R. 1540, the Committee of the Whole shall rise without motion and that no further consideration of the bill shall occur except pursuant to a subsequent order of the House.

Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 269.

H.R. 1216:

to amend the Public Health Service Act to convert funding for graduate medical education in qualified teaching health centers from direct appropriations to an authorization of appropriations

6:45 P.M. –

Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 1216 as unfinished business.

On motion that the committee rise Agreed to by voice vote.

6:44 P.M. –

Mr. Guthrie moved that the committee rise.

On agreeing to the Cardoza amendment Failed by recorded vote: 182 – 232 (Roll no. 337).

6:37 P.M. –

On agreeing to the Tonko amendment Failed by recorded vote: 186 – 231 (Roll no. 336).

6:29 P.M. –

On motion that the committee rise Failed by recorded vote: 14 – 397 (Roll no. 335).

6:02 P.M. –

Mr. Weiner moved that the committee rise.

3:55 P.M. –

DEBATE – The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Foxx amendment number 7 under the five-minute rule.

Amendment offered by Ms. Foxx.

An amendment numbered 7 printed in the Congressional Record to to prohibit the use of funds provided for graduate medical education from being used to provide abortion or training in the provision of abortion. Additionally, funds would not be provided to a teaching health center if the institution discriminates against individual health care entities that refuse to provide abortion under go training in the provision of abortion, or offer referral for abortion services.

3:54 P.M. –

POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – At the conclusion of debate on the Cardoza amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced the noes had prevailed. Mr. Cardoza demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until a time to be announced.

3:42 P.M. –

DEBATE – The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Cardoza amendment number 9 under the five-minute rule.

Amendment offered by Mr. Cardoza.

An amendment numbered 9 printed in the Congressional Record to require the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study of the extent of physician shortages in areas with significant shortages. The study should also examine the effects of expanding and establishing new medical graduate programs as directed by the health care overhaul law on the number of physicians were the funding not rescinded by the bill

3:41 P.M. –

POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – At the conclusion of debate on the Tonko amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced the noes had prevailed. Mr. Tonko demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until a time to be announced.

3:33 P.M. –

DEBATE – The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Tonko amendment number 2 under the five-minute rule.

Amendment offered by Mr. Tonko.

An amendment numbered 2 printed in the Congressional Record to conduct a study of the number of primary care physicians that would be trained as a result of the funding provided in the health care overhaul law compared to the number of physicians that would be trained should funding be eliminated or rescinded.

2:43 P.M. –

GENERAL DEBATE – The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 1216.

2:42 P.M. –

The Speaker designated the Honorable Ted Poe to act as Chairman of the Committee.

House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 269 and Rule XVIII.

2:41 P.M. –

Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 269.

H. Res. 269:

providing for consideration of the bill ( H.R. 1216) to amend the Public Health Service Act to convert funding for graduate medical education in qualified teaching health centers from direct appropriations to an authorization of appropriations; providing for consideration of the bill ( H.R. 1540) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2012 for military activities of the Department of Defense and for military construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2012, and for other purposes; and waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules

2:39 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 238 – 181 (Roll no. 334).

2:31 P.M. –

On ordering the previous question Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 233 – 179 (Roll no. 333).

1:13 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 269.

Considered as privileged matter.

1:10 P.M. –

PRINTING OF PROCEEDINGS IN RECORD – Ms. Foxx asked unanimous consent that the proceedings had during the recess be printed in the Congressional Record of today. Agreed to without objection.

H. Res. 274:

electing a Member to a certain standing committee of the House of Representatives

1:09 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to without objection.

Considered as privileged matter.

S. 990:

to provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and for other purposes

1:06 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.

1:01 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 990.

Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Graves (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

1:00 P.M. –

The Speaker announced that votes on suspensions, if ordered, will be postponed until later in the legislative day.

12:46 P.M. –

ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches which by direction of the Chair, would be limited to 15 per side of the aisle.

The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of May 24.

12:16 P.M. –

The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:45 P.M. today.

JOINT MEETING – The Speaker announced that the Joint Meeting was dissolved. The House remains in recess until approximately 12:45 p.m.

10:58 A.M. –

JOINT MEETING – The House has reconvened in Joint Meeting with the Senate to receive an address by His Excellency Binyamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel

The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of May 24.

10:05 A.M. –

The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The House will reconvene in Joint Meeting with the Senate for the purpose of receiving His Excellency Binyamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.

10:02 A.M. –

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Ms. Ros-Lehtinen to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.

10:01 A.M. –

Today’s prayer was offered by Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn, The Conservative Synagogue, Westport, Connecticut

10:00 A.M. –

The Speaker designated the Honorable Eric Cantor to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.

The House convened, starting a new legislative day.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

RAN -BREAKING NEWS: RAN Activists Unfurl 50′ Banner “Chevron Guilty-Clean Up Amazon

05/23/2011 Nativegrl77

Climbers are hanging from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge right now, calling on Chevron to take responsibility for its oil pollution in the Ecuadorean Amazon.

The 30,000 Ecuadoreans affected by Chevron’s oil pollution in the Amazon issued a moving “Open Letter to the United States” last week, calling on Americans to stand with them in demanding justice. Today, a group of Rainforest Action Network activists heeded their call by unfurling a banner reading “Chevron Guilty-Clean Up Amazon” from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, which lies in the shadow of Chevron’s Richmond refinery:

Wednesday is Chevron’s annual shareholder meeting, and I’ll be joining a delegation of Ecuadoreans who will be in attendance in order to take their calls for justice directly to the company’s management, shareholders, and board members.

We’re trying to get 30,000 Americans to sign the solidarity petition, one for each of the Ecuadoreans affected by Chevron’s reckless pursuit of profits. The petition will be delivered to Chevron by me and the Ecuadorean delegation. Sign it now.

But hurry! There are only 48 hours left for you to sign. Chevron’s shareholder meeting is this Wednesday, May 25th. Stand with the Ecuadoreans by signing the petition now.

For a cleaner future,

Ginger Cassady

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

ColorOfchange.org —It’s a “fact” that Black women are ugly?

05/23/2011 Nativegrl77

Nearly 20 years after a black parent documented how hard it was to hear, “Mommy, I want to be white,”1 Psychology Today reinforced the false and hurtful sentiment that Black women aren’t attractive.

Last week they published an article claiming it to be scientific fact that Black women are less beautiful than women of other races,2 penned by Satoshi Kanazawa, who is notorious for hiding behind pseudoscience to promote discredited racist and sexist ideas.3

By giving Kanazawa a platform and validating his ideas, Psychology Today dehumanized Black women and girls everywhere. After widespread public outcry, they removed the article from their website.4 But that alone won’t erase the damage they’ve done by validating these discredited ideas — the editors need to apologize, explain how this happened, and let us know that it won’t happen again. Please join us in demanding they do so immediately, and then ask your friends and family to do the same:

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/827?akid=1987.1174326.Gg4MZA&t=3

Kanazawa’s article is flawed from top to bottom.5 Using a dataset from an unrelated study of teenagers, he draws the obviously false conclusion that Black women are “objectively” less attractive than women from other racial groups.

Kanazawa has a long history of hiding behind pseudo-science to express racist and sexist views. He once wrote an article asking “Are All Women Essentially Prostitutes?” and another suggesting that the US should have dropped nuclear bombs across the entire Middle East after 9/11 because it would have wiped out Muslim terrorists.6

So why does Psychology Today continue to give him a platform? Black women constantly face both subtle and explicit messages that they are valued less than women of other races — messages that are especially damaging to Black girls. Now Psychology Today has served as launching point for yet another attack, this time in the name of science.

Almost as if to cover up the racism inherent in his piece, Kanazawa says that black men are, “if anything more attractive” than their counterparts of other races because of “greater testosterone.”7 But even here Kanazawa relies on the same pseudoscience to describe black men in familiar terms — brutish, hypermasculine, oversexed, exotic. And that’s dangerous, too.

He uses a modern-day version of the faulty logic used to dehumanize blacks as inferior for hundreds of years, from the social Darwinists and eugenicists of the 19th century to The Bell Curve just 15 years ago. Psychology Today has a responsibility not to give such false logic a stage, nor validation.

To undo the damage it’s done, Psychology Today needs to explicitly reject Kanazawa’s ideas. Please join us in demanding that their editors apologize, explain how this article was published in the first place and what they’ll do to ensure it won’t happen again in the future. It takes just a moment

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/827?akid=1987.1174326.Gg4MZA&t=4

Thanks and Peace,

— Rashad, James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Matt, Natasha, and the rest of the ColorOfchange.org team

~ my 2cents ...

Monday mashup … &some News

05/23/2011 Nativegrl77

It’s Monday, cold and though it feels like autumn, again last week was a damn good week not only for the President but also for We the People; nothing even remotely feels like Armageddon as suggested by that old man I refuse to name here. The President is in Ireland and not only visiting his ancestry town like “the media” would like the viewers to believe but to make sure the people of Ireland and Europe know that he and Americans definitely are partners in Peace. The President will also be in the UK and will visit the Queen as well as affirm the partnership there too.

Living on the left coast does not protect us from mother nature but what has been happening in the mid, east and gulf coast is hard to watch even giving to the Red Cross just does not seem like enough. I have to say anyone living there has to think about what your Republican Governors wanted to do for the last 3.5yrs and that is to get rid of FEMA, Tornado, and Volcano alert systems. I say this among other poor if not bad policies needs to be taken seriously when as we all know is the worse tornado season ever. I want you all to think about what your neighborhoods would look like and what you personally would be going through without help from the government unless you can pay for the services or if you are able to take care of yourself like ron paul offers up as the way things should be. Yes, the weather here is odd and while it has been raining the wind blowing our weather has not been as unpredictable as the east coast and that is Mother Nature, different regions have different types of weather we accept that unlike the Republican Tea Party. The Political Party of NO is also unpredictable and not in a good way. I say our government on both sides of the aisle should work for all Americans no matter what race, creed religion etc. but they have done anything but act for We the People. It has taken some way too long to find out they had a plan, that Pledge to America was in my opinion a document of lies by crooks who intend to privatize everything that is not nailed down by the rule of law or that Congress can deal with. The Republican Party continues to do everything they can to stop change. They continue to stop All Americans trying to move into the 21st Century with an opportunity for good health, to stop being denied or be discriminated against, to have relief because your student will be covered under your insurance until the age of 26; the right has said this is a welfare program… College is not cheap; people lose everything in some cases from having to pay out of the nose because of the lack of good health care coverage or no coverage at all; small businesses will be able to get tax credits for hiring and maybe afford to provide health care too.

Oh yeah, to the Republican Tea Party equality, health care and respect for all are bad ideas even novel … wonder why no one else thought about or tried to improve the lives of Americans … oh wait; Presidents in the past have tried but no one was able to until now. The HCR bill is not perfect but can and will be adjusted over the next few years.

It’s time re-enforce the ideology of the Democratic Party. The new law of the land is just a beginning of change we can all believe in. It’s change that is also the beginning of what 53% heard, listened and voted for. We not only will expect it to continue We The People must participate in keeping this change happening by calling when we need to push Democrats to push forward into the 21st Century, sign Petitions to show the numbers that continue to support climate change, stop out-sourcing, education, energy and green jobs for all projects.

The change we voted for will not come easy and President cannot do it alone. It is a moment in which we in the Democratic Party need to rise up, voice our opinion, and shut down the negative noise of Republican members of Congress. Remind Republican Governors that they have definitely made a mistake that will result in a big come back for the Democratic Party who will govern for all Americans not just a select few.

Other News …

90 Dead in Joplin Missouri After Deadliest American Tornado in 60 Years

Five ways Moneygall is welcoming Obama ‘home’ to Ireland

Justices Order California to Shed 30000 Prisoners

Reuters

Fan’s view: Miami Heat ready to feast on Chicago Bulls

Iceland Set to Reopen Airports

Scott Brown won’t back GOP Medicare overhaul

Gingrich: I’m not a ‘Washington figure’

Los Angeles Times

FDA Warns Against Use of Food Thickening Gel After 2 Reported Infant Deaths

Dollar hits 2-month high against euro

Some Dentists Reluctant to Treat Kids on Medicaid: Study

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

You can help stop abuse of science …Kevin Knobloch, Union of Concerned Scientists

05/23/2011 Nativegrl77

Dr. Rosemary Johann-Liang spent seven years working for the government. Her job was to make sure that the prescription drugs we take and give to our families are safe and effective.

Become a member today and help UCS hold the Obama administration and its agencies accountable for protecting science by implementing reforms that will outlast their time in office.

But four years ago, she was reprimanded by her bosses for recommending that the popular diabetes drug Avandia carry a warning label because the drug had been linked to a significant increase in the risk of heart attacks. Her superiors not only failed to act on her recommendation, but they also took away her oversight role in the safety review of the drug. Avandia is made by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline—which, according to a Senate investigation, intimidated physicians and sought ways to downplay findings that a rival drug might reduce cardiovascular risk.

Unfortunately, Dr. Johann-Liang is not alone. Thousands of scientists, across various federal agencies, have told us they fear retaliation for blowing the whistle on political interference in their work.

The Union of Concerned Scientists called attention to widespread attacks on science like this during the Bush administration. Now, the administration has changed, but the system that allows politics to undermine science largely has not.

Please help UCS lock in government reforms to protect scientists and ensure the best available science informs key decisions about our health, safety, and environment—become a member today.

www.ucsusa.org

Federal agencies are working right now to develop stringent new policies to protect scientists from political pressure by special interests. Working with government scientists and other policy experts, UCS has developed resources for agencies to draw upon and is working to ensure these policies:

Protect scientists who report political interference in agency work;

Prevent conflicts of interest on science advisory committees;

Allow scientists to share their research and scientific analysis with the public and the press; and

Increase transparency so the public knows what science agencies consider when making policy decisions.

We need your help to ensure federal agencies adopt strong policies that protect science—now and into the future.

Please become a member today. www.ucsusa.org

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch

President

P.S. When you join UCS, you join more than 79,000 UCS members who also believe that decisions about our health, safety, air, and water should fully consider the best available science. Please join us today and help us keep politics out of science.