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Black History

the Senate ~~ CONGRESS 9/10 ~~ the House


A member of the Macedonian special police forces holds a baby as migrants try to cross into Macedonia near the southern city of Gevgelija, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 22 August 2015 Photo: EPA/Georgi Licovski

The Senate stands adjourned under the provisions of S.Res.250 until 9:30am on Thursday, September 10, 2015.

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of H.J.Res.61, the legislative vehicle for the Congressional disapproval of the proposed Iran nuclear agreement. Debate will be structured with alternating one hour blocks controlled by the two Leaders or their designees until 4:00pm; the Republicans will control the first hour starting at 10:00am.

As a reminder, during Wednesday session of the Senate, Senator McConnell filed cloture on McConnell substitute amendment #2640 and on H.J.Res.61. The cloture motion would ripen on Friday, but Senator McConnell said he is hopeful we’ll be able to get consent to have the vote tomorrow afternoon.

As a result of cloture being filed, the filing deadline for first degree amendments to the substitute and underlying joint resolution is 1:00pm tomorrow, Thursday, September 10. Amendments must be germane and timely filed if cloture were to be invoked.

WRAP UP

Roll Call Votes

  1. Motion to invoke cloture on McConnell substitute amendment #2640 to H.J.Res.61, Iran resolution of disapproval; not invoked: 58-42.

Legislative Business

Passed Calendar #188, S.1461 – to provide for the extension of the enforcement instruction on supervision requirements for outpatient therapeutic services in critical access and small rural hospitals.

Passed Calendar #190, S.1629 – DC Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency Act of 2015.

No Executive Business

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Last Floor Action:
 10:28:15 P.M. – The House adjourned.

The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on September 10, 2015.

Last Floor Action:
 12:36:42 P.M. -H. Res. 412
DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 412.

10:00:45 A.M. The House convened, starting a new legislative day.
10:00:51 A.M. The Speaker designated the Honorable David Young to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
10:01:24 A.M. MORNING-HOUR DEBATE – The House proceeded with Morning-Hour Debate. At the conclusion of Morning-Hour, the House will recess until 12:00 p.m. for the start of legislative business.
10:54:55 A.M. The House received a message from the Senate. The Senate passed S. 1603, and S. 349. Senate agreed to S. Res. 250.
10:54:56 A.M. MORNING-HOUR DEBATE – The House resumed with Morning-Hour Debate.
11:13:24 A.M. The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 P.M. today.
12:00:40 P.M. The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of September 10.
12:01:07 P.M. Today’s prayer was offered by Reverend Andrew Walton, Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, Washington, DC.
12:02:39 P.M. The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.
12:02:47 P.M. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mrs. Mimi Walters of CA to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
12:03:17 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.
12:33:58 P.M. The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on September 9, 2015 at 9:42 a.m.: Appointments: Congressional Award Board and Congressional-Executive Commission on the People’s Republic of China.
12:34:25 P.M. H. Res. 412 Considered as privileged matter. H. Res. 412 — “Providing for consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 411) finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3461) to approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3460) to suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran.”
12:36:42 P.M. H. Res. 412 DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 412.

1:50:40 P.M. H. Res. 412 The previous question was ordered without objection.
2:17:05 P.M. H. Res. 412 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 243 – 186 (Roll no. 491).
2:17:05 P.M. H. Res. 412 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
2:17:21 P.M. The Speaker laid before the House a message from the President transmitting a notification stating that the emergency with respect to the terrorist attacks on the United States of September 11, 2001, is to continue in effect for an additional year – referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed (H. Doc. 114-58).
2:20:00 P.M. H. Res. 411 Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 412. H. Res. 411 — “Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015.”
2:20:05 P.M. H. Res. 411 Resolution provides for consideration of 3 measures: H. Res. 411; H.R. 3460; and H.R. 3461.
2:20:16 P.M. H. Res. 411 DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 412, the House proceeded with 2 hours of debate on H. Res. 411.
4:57:32 P.M. H. Res. 411 The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
5:23:17 P.M. H. Res. 411 On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 245 – 186 (Roll no. 492).
5:23:17 P.M. H. Res. 411 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
5:27:06 P.M. H.R. 3461 Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 412. H.R. 3461 — “To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran.”
5:27:11 P.M. H.R. 3461 Resolution provides for consideration of 3 measures: H. Res. 411; H.R. 3460; and H.R. 3461.
5:27:28 P.M. H.R. 3461 DEBATE – The House proceeded with three hours of debate on H.R. 3461.
9:00:51 P.M. H.R. 3461 The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
9:00:59 P.M. H.R. 3461 POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – The Chair put the question on passage of H.R. 3461 and by voice vote announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Royce demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of passage until a time to be announced.
9:02:36 P.M. SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.
9:52:34 P.M. Mr. Gohmert moved that the House do now adjourn.
9:52:39 P.M. On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.
9:52:45 P.M.   The House adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on September 11, 2015.

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~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Help Keep #FixOvertime.org in the News … CAP


By

The Deadline To Submit Comments Is Tomorrow, Friday, September 4 at 4pm ET

 

It is crunch time for overtime.

We’ve written a lot about the importance of the Obama administration’s new overtime rule: it will go a long way to making sure that workers get paid for all the hours they work. But it won’t happen on its own. Special interests are trying to weaken the new rule. That’s why the Department of Labor needs to hear your support.

The deadline for comments is tomorrow, September 4 at 4pm ET. Visit FixOvertime.org to lend your support for the proposed overtime protections.

We don’t make many direct calls for action in The Progress Report, so you can rest assured that this one is important. Raising the overtime threshold to $50,440 will benefit millions:

  • More money in the pockets of workers leads to a stronger economy. Nearly 5 million workers will have the right to get paid for their extra work under the new overtime rule.
  • This rule is absolutely critical for increasing economic security for women and families. 54 percent of the employees newly covered by overtime reform are women. And 44 percent of formerly exempt single mothers will now be covered at the proposed threshold.
  • The Latino community would see disproportionately large benefits from the new overtime rule. Latino workers make up 11.6 percent of the salaried workforce but 15.5 percent of workers who would directly benefit from the rule. All in all, more than 2.1 million—or 34.4 percent of all Latino workers—would benefit from the new rule.
  • The new overtime rule will more than double the number of millennials who are guaranteed overtime pay. The new overtime rule will directly benefit 4.7 million millennials.
  • This is a huge boost for many low- and middle-income workers who need it the most. Pay for black and Latino women could rise by almost $250 per week under new overtime rule:

BOTTOM LINE: This is your last chance. Please go to FixOvertime.Org now to let the Department of Labor know you support the important new rule. Then forward this to your friends and family and ask they do the same!

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The Next Midwestern Assault on Unions


By

How Illinois And Missouri Are Continuing A Bad Trend For The Middle Class

This week, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner and the Republicans in the Missouri legislature have both shown that they are anti-middle class. Rauner and the Missouri legislature continue an assault on unions that has been particularly potent in the Midwest, to the detriment of workers across the region.

This Midwestern flavor of anti-unionism really took off back in 2005, when former Indiana Governors Mitch Daniels eliminated collective bargaining rights for public employee unions, which decimated public unions in Indiana. In 2012, Daniels continued his assault on unions by making Indiana a so-called “right-to-work” state, making it illegal for unions to collect dues from non-members, despite the fact that they negotiate employment conditions for all workers, union or otherwise. While conservatives claim that right-to-work creates more jobs, the evidence suggests that this policy costs the average full-time worker, unionized or not, $1,500 a year in lost wages.

A number of Midwest governors took Mitch Daniels’ example and ran with it. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker eliminated collective bargaining for most public employee unions in 2011, while Ohio Governor John Kasich tried, but failed to do the same in 2011 as well. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder mimicked Daniels’ agenda by making Michigan a right-to-work state in 2013. Both Michigan and Wisconsin saw union membership steeply drop as a result.

Now Governor Rauner and the Missouri legislature want to implement these union-bashing policies into their states. Rauner made headlines last year for supporting eliminating the minimum wage as a member of the 0.1 percent. But now, he has exceeded even those anti-worker by signing an executive order that effectively makes Illinois a right-to-work state for public unions.

Meanwhile, emboldened by the 2014 election, Republicans in Missouri are moving a “paycheck protection” bill through the legislature, which would “require some state workers to provide annual written authorization for union dues to be deducted from their paychecks,” according to the Washington Post. In addition to their attempt to slyly undermine unions, the Republican legislature will also attempt to pass a separate right-to-work bill. Instead of working to create a larger middle class, these Midwestern Republicans continue their attacks against unions, which have done so much to improve working conditions and help build the middle class.

BOTTOM LINE: Unions are incredibly important to creating an economy that works for everyone. These Midwestern Republicans have contributed to trends that weaken and shrink unions, even though research shows that unions and are one of the keys to an inclusive prosperity that decreases inequality and builds up the middle class.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Why The Middle Class Needs Unions


By

a repost

New Data Shows That Union Membership Continues To Decline

The rate of unionization among wage and salary workers went down in 2014, from 11.3 percent to 11.1 percent, according to annual data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics today. The number of unionized workers, at 14.6 million, was unchanged from 2013.

From the national debate over how to address income inequality, to President Obama talking about “middle class economics” in his State of the Union address, unions are more important than ever. In CAP’s recent report on inclusive prosperity, one of the key recommendations was to expand worker voice by making procedures governing collective bargaining fast and fair and remove the atmosphere of conflict that can surround representation elections and bargaining over initial contracts.

Check out the infographic below to see why the middle class needs unions.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Historic negotiations with Iran


VoteVets.orgThis is historic. Iran, and western governments, including the United States, have negotiated a framework that would end the immediate threat of a nuclear Iran.

As Major General (Ret.) Paul Eaton, Brigadier General (Ret.) Steven Anderson, and Colin Powell’s former Chief of Staff, Colonel (Ret.) Lawrence Wilkerson said:

“[This agreement] sends a very strong signal to all of us in the US, and especially those in Congress — the United States will stand up firmly to Iran, when Iran’s demands conflict with our best interests. There can be no doubt that our negotiating team, while fair, is tough.

At the same time, our team remains committed to negotiating a good deal, that will move the region away from another war in the Middle East, peacefully. That is in the best traditions of America, and its leadership role in the world. It is an ideal to which we all must remain committed – for America, for our military, and for our security.”

Join retired Generals Eaton, Anderson, Wilkerson and VoteVets and add your name in support of these historic negotiations with Iran.

This framework would set the stage for an incredibly strong deal, which would drastically cut back Iran’s nuclear capability, limit it to peaceful purposes, force it to submit to constant, intrusive inspections, and not see any relief in sanctions until it proves to nuclear inspectors that it is meeting benchmarks.

In short, it would defuse a major powder keg in the region, that would have led to a protracted war in the Middle East.

But this is not done. Hardliners in Congress still may try to derail a final agreement. We need to stand up to them. You can help do that, by signing on to the statement from retired Generals Eaton, Anderson, Wilkerson and VoteVets:

http://action.votevets.org/iran-negotiations

Thanks for your support, and we will keep you up to date.

Jon Soltz
 Iraq War Veteran
 Chairman, VoteVets.org