Tag Archives: Congress

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Bush is Gone, But His Judges Are Here to Stay


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Filibuster Wars Return

Following a brief detente over executive branch nominations over the past few months, Republicans yesterday went back to their same old obstructionist ways.

First, Republicans used the filibuster to block an up-or-down vote on Rep. Mel Watt, who has been nominated to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency, an important agency that oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This is the first time since the Reconstruction Era that a sitting Member of Congress has been denied confirmation. Watt is also the first African-American FHFA nominee.

Republicans then filibustered the nomination of Patricia Millett for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, despite her sterling credentials as one of the most well-respected members of the Supreme Court bar, previous experience in both Democratic and Republican administrations, and the support of conservative legal luminaries like Ken Starr and Ted Olson.

The D.C. Circuit is second only to the Supreme Court in importance. It hears cases involving key national security issues and federal regulations like environmental and labor rules. During the Bush administration, all 11 seats on the court were happily filled by Republicans. But now that three vacancies have opened up, they are refusing to allow votes on President Obama’s nominees.

It’s no secret why — conservatives currently have a stranglehold on this important court and Republicans want to keep it that way. Of the eight current judges, four were appointed by Republicans and four were appointed by Democrats; however, five of six semi-retired senior judges who still hear cases were appointed by Republicans.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) indicated that Obama’s nominees will be voted on again and not-so-subtly threatened to change the filibuster rules if Republicans continue their blockade.

Why Courts Matter

The last 24 hours have provided important reminders about why the courts — and federal appeals courts in particular — matter.

In Texas, a three-judge panel of conservative Bush-appointed judges overruled an earlier ruling and reinstated Texas’ draconian new restrictions on abortion. The restrictions forced about one-third of Texas abortion clinics to close. Today.

And then this morning, D.C. Circuit Judge Janice Rogers Brown, one of Bush’s most radical appointees, issued a ruling against the Obamacare mandate that requires insurers to offer no-cost birth control.

Both of these vital cases will likely head to the Supreme Court, which also continues to be controlled by Republican-appointed justices, where they will face an uncertain fate.

BOTTOM LINE: The courts matter and it’s important that President Obama be allowed to exercise his constitutional duty to fill vacancies on the D.C. Circuit, other federal appeals courts, and district courts. Unless more progressive judges make it on to the bench, radical judges appointed by Bush and other Republicans will continue to try and drag the country backward and undermine hard won progressive victories.

Had enough? Click HERE to tell your senators that enough is enough and it’s time to allow a vote on the president’s nominees.

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Become a Charter Member


NMAAHC -- National Museum of African American History and Culture

Join NowThank you for spreading the word about the Smithsonian’s newest museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). However, not a roof beam can be raised, a nail hammered, or a window set into place without the steadfast commitment from friends like you.
That is why I hope you’ll become a Charter Member of the Museum. Every dollar you can give brings us one step closer to the day we open the doors on what will truly be a great addition to the Smithsonian’s family of museums.
The NMAAHC will present the dark days of slavery and also celebrate individual heroism and collective resiliency that was the Civil Rights Movement to the triumph of the election of the first African American president and beyond. But this history is not solely for African Americans. This history is America’s history.
Our challenge now is to raise the money we need to build this exciting addition to the American cultural landscape. Of the $500 million needed, Congress has committed to provide half of the funds required to build the Museum. This means we need your help to raise the additional $250 million in private donations to open the doors of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2015.
We broke ground in February 2012, but to continue construction, your generous support of the Museum as a Charter Member is critical. In return, you’ll be eligible for many special benefits:

  • For your gift of $25, you will receive a 10% discount at all Smithsonian gift shops and online, special E-updates about Museum events, programs and exhibitions, and your name added to the Museum’s prestigious electronic Honor Roll of Charter Members to be displayed at the Museum.
  • For your gift of $40, you will also receive a beautiful 8.5″ x 11″ Certificate of Appreciation, perfect for framing and proudly displaying your support of the Museum.
  • For your gift of $100, you will also receive the double CD Every Tone a Testimony, a fascinating aural history of African Americans in words, music and poetry.
  • For your gift of $250, you will also receive the book Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits, a beautiful collection of portraits and stories of prominent African Americans.

Please don’t delay in becoming a Charter Member. We need your help to build this great Museum. . With your help, we’ll build this important museum to honor the great legacy of the African American experience.
Sincerely,


Lonnie Bunch
Director
National Museu
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Check out OFA’s new video on immigration reform


Organizing for Action
With the shutdown behind us, Americans are looking to Congress to get back to solving problems instead of creating them.
And at the top of the legislative agenda is comprehensive immigration reform. The Senate passed a bill this summer (more than 100 days ago now), but so far the House has failed to move it forward.
We’re the ones who can help change that — OFA is doubling down on its immigration reform effort, and we want to show members of Congress exactly what they’re up against.
You’ve said immigration reform is something you’re willing to fight for, so we think you’ll like this — watch highlights from OFA’s organizing so far, and invite your friends to join you in this critical effort.

Video: OFA's taking on immigration reform

When reform passed in the Senate, it had the support of a bipartisan super-majority. It’s a no-brainer for a lot of reasons. It’s good for families, and it’s great for the economy — adding millions of jobs, and reducing the deficit by more than $800 billion.
It’s up to us to make sure the House knows they need to fix our broken immigration system.
Watch this video and see what OFA is doing to move the debate forward, then ask your friends and family to join in today:
http://my.barackobama.com/Organizing-for-Immigration-Reform-Video
Thanks,
Pedro
Pedro Morillas Immigration Campaign Manager Organizing for Action
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Doubling Down


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The GOP’s Anti-Obamacare Dead-Enders

The American people are not happy with the GOP for inflicting a government shutdown that cost $24 BILLION on the country in a failed and mean-spirited attempt to deny affordable health insurance to millions of Americans. A new memo from former Obama campaign pollster Joel Benenson presents an “array of public polling from a wide variety of outlets” demonstrating that the GOP’s effort to undermine Obamacare has hurt the party “on every front”:

– A Quinnipiac poll shows that 58% oppose Congress cutting off funding for the health care law to stop its implementation.

– Kaiser’s tracking poll has consistently found strong opposition to scrapping the health care law.  In late September, 56% disapproved of cutting off funding to the ACA.

– CBS / NY Times pollsters found 56% of voters want Congress to uphold the law and make it work as well as possible, compared to just 38% who want to stop it by defunding it.

– According to NBC/WSJ, only 39% support eliminating federal funding for the law while 50% oppose.

– In Gallup’s recent polling, just 29% want the law repealed, while 64% want it kept as it is, or kept with some changes.

– Even Tea Party supporters knew the Republican strategy was doomed, with a Fox News poll showing that 54% believed that the ACA would remain the law in spite of attempts to defund it.

In view of the unpopularity of their strategy and complete and total failure of the GOP to accomplish anything with their 16-day shutdown (other than sabotaging the economy and causing pain for millions of Americans) and more than 40 Obamacare repeal votes, one would think they’d shift gears.

One would be wrong. Even after the disastrous shutdown, the most prominent Obamacare opponents are simply doubling down on their failed campaign against the law:

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): The Tea Party lawmaker was the primary architect of the GOP’s shutdown strategy. But now that it’s failed, Cruz won’t admit defeat. “I would do anything, and I will continue to do anything, to stop the train wreck that is Obamacare,” he said on Thursday. He has also hinted that he hasn’t ruled out pushing for another government shutdown over Obamacare.

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA): Vitter tried to use the funding negotiations to push through an Obamacare-related amendment that would ultimately force Congress members and their staff to pay more for their health plans under the law. He was unsuccessful, and the final agreement didn’t include his amendment. But Vitter isn’t fazed and promises to keep pushing to amend the law anyway. “I’m not going away, and this issue is certainly not going away,” Vitter said on Fox News this week.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL): Speaking on the Senate floor over the summer, Rubio told his colleagues that shutting down the government represented “our last chance and our last best chance” to undermine Obamacare. Now, the senator is saying that Republicans will keep fighting anyway. This week, he told Fox News that there is going to an “all-out revolt” next year, once the rest of Obamacare’s major provisions take root. “And that is, I think, the moment to absolutely act and say we are going to get rid of this law and then look for opportunities in the future to replace it,” Rubio said.

The Heritage Foundation: During the shutdown battle, Heritage’s political arm told its supporters that it needed their support because “we only have one more chance to repeal Obamacare.” The group didn’t deliver. Now, Heritage is simply assuring its supporters that it won’t stop fighting the law. The group’s president, Jim DeMint, published an op-ed this week claiming that most Americans’ lives “are not dominated by the electoral cycle,” so those people “shouldn’t have to wait three more years for Congress to give them relief from this law.”

FreedomWorks: The right-wing group recently claimed that shutting down the government “may be the last best chance to defund Obamacare before it goes into effect.” Rather than adjusting their strategy, the group is now planning rallies to discourage young Americans from signing up for health coverage. The group says that Obamacare will still be a losing issue for Democrats up for re-election in red states — although outside polling has shown that the shutdown fiasco has made more than a dozen House seats more winnable for Democrats.

BOTTOM LINE: Albert Einstein once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. The American people are sending Republicans a message loud and clear: stop the insanity on Obamacare.

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Federal shutdown effects on Washington State


Washington State Convention Center
Washington State Convention Center (Photo credit: OZinOH)

NewsTribune.com

The federal government shutdown has prompted big cutbacks at the state Employment Security Department, which on Tuesday put half of its 1,669 staffers on furlough or reduced hours. About 833 workers are affected by the cutbacks, including about half who are working at 50 percent or 60 percent of full time and the other half who are furloughed…

SeattleTimes

OLYMPIA – More than 400 state workers were furloughed Tuesday and another 450 had their hours reduced because of the federal government shutdown, the state Employment Security Department said. The ESD, which processes unemployment claims, gets about 87 percent of its funding from the federal government, the Seattle Times said.

How does the federal shutdown affect Employment Security?

Employment Security is a state agency, but we get about 87 percent of our funding from the federal government – so our operations are closely tied to the fate of the federal budget.

Due to the federal shutdown, we’re no longer receiving federal funds to cover our unemployment-benefits and tax operations. In order to continue these critical services, we have laid off or reduced the hours of 50 percent of Employment Security staff who are not directly involved in processing benefit claims or collecting taxes. Only services that are funded, plus essential administrative support for the funded services, will be continued until a federal budget is approved.

Will unemployment benefits continue to be paid during the federal shutdown?

The federal government is continuing to provide money for unemployment benefits, but is not providing funds to cover the administrative cost of processing those claims. For the time being, we’ve decided to maintain these critical services using our limited state funds. Therefore, unemployment benefits will continue to be paid for at least a few more weeks.

Will WorkSource remain open?

WorkSource offices remain open for now, but with reduced capacity.

WorkSource is a partnership, where multiple state agencies and local organizations deliver a mix of employment and worker-training services throughout the state. The major partners are Employment Security and the 12 local workforce development councils. At this time:

  • Employment Security has federal funds available to maintain job-search services through next June, but some of our specialized funding streams are not available until Congress approves a budget (e.g., veterans employment services, labor-market information, etc.). Therefore, some of our capacity and expertise in the WorkSource centers was reduced beginning Oct. 8.
  • The workforce development councils also have lost access to much of their federal funding due to the federal shutdown. Contact them individually for information about their current status.

What isn’t getting done right now?

  • Unemployment-insurance fraud investigations are suspended.
  • Unemployment benefits overpayments and penalties aren’t being collected.
  • The second level of benefits appeals (Commissioner’s Review Office) is not available. Those appeals are on hold.
  • Claims staff can’t get assistance with benefits policy questions.
  • Labor-market data aren’t being updated, and reports aren’t being completed. (E.g., We won’t be able to release the September employment report next week.)
  • VISTA volunteers are still performing their community service, but they’re not getting their stipends.
  • Legislation isn’t getting implemented, including related communications and resources for employers and unemployed workers.
  • Most of our Lean improvement projects are inactive.
  • WorkSource employment services have been reduced by 15-25 percent in most WorkSource offices (with a few over 30%).
  • All veterans employment specialists have been furloughed.
  • Employer tax audits aren’t being conducted.
  • Only critical technology outages are being addressed. Technology improvements are on hold.
  • A wide range of federal reporting requirements aren’t being met, which could have repercussions down the line.
  • Technical assistance to workforce development councils is unavailable.
  • Unemployment-insurance orientation workshops have been suspended at WorkSource.

Please continue to monitor this website for updates.