Feb 11, 2012 by whitehouse
President Obama urges Congress to extend the payroll tax cut to prevent a tax hike on 160 million hardworking Americans.
Tell us what $40 means to you and your family. What would you have to go without or give up if Congress doesn’t act?
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They’re at it again. I’m sure you remember the feverish news cycle — federal unemployment insurance (UI) benefits were set to expire right before the holidays in December. House Republicans passed a bill that would slash the UI safety net (and more). At the last minute, Congress agreed to continue federal UI benefits for two months. But that extension expires in less than a month. We need your help to prevent millions of unemployed workers from losing the lifeline of UI benefits. Tell Congress: Fully Renew Unemployment Insurance for 2012 — no cuts, no barriers to benefits! The House Republican leadership is still pushing to dismantle UI, with drastic benefit cuts and new barriers that would prevent many jobless workers from accessing these vital benefits. If we don’t act now to ask for a ‘clean’ renewal of federal UI benefits, harsh cuts and punitive barriers to benefits could be tacked on to the bill. The bill passed by House Republicans in December called for slashing benefits by more than half in states with the highest unemployment, denying benefits for workers without a high school diploma or GED, drug testing applicants for UI benefits, making jobless workers pay for their reemployment services, and allowing states to divert unemployment benefit funds to uses other than paying worker benefits. With unemployment expected to remain above 8 percent this year and long-term unemployment still at record highs, Congress must continue federal UI benefits through 2012. Tell Congress to do right by millions of Americans struggling to get back on their feet! Don’t let it get down to the wire again — ask your Members of Congress TODAY to pass a clean UI extension with no cuts or barriers to benefits! Thank you for all that you do to help us protect women and their families. Millions of Americans depend on these benefits, and we will keep you updated as the deadline draws closer. Sincerely, |
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P.S. You can find out more about the importance of federal UI benefits to women here and the latest on how women are faring in the recovery here. |
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Washington DC is broken.
Washington state needs a representative who knows what it takes to fix the system and bring jobs back home. Darcy Burner is an engineer by training and a politician by necessity. She’ll work to get government working for all of us again — not just Wall Street.
In 2009, Darcy became the first President and Executive Director of ProgressiveCongress.org, a non-profit based in Washington, D.C. that works with the Congressional Progressive Caucus on public health, civil rights, education, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity. She is one of the progressive movement’s strongest allies.
With the overwhelming support of DFA members across the district, I am honored to announce Democacy for America’s endorsement of Darcy Burner for Congress.
Help send a true progressive to Congress by signing up to volunteer for Darcy Burner.
Help send a true progress to Congress by contributing $3 to Darcy Burner’s campaign.
Since we first endorsed Darcy Burner in 2006, she has work relentlessly to advance the progressive movement both in WA and in DC. Now, we need a progressive champion like Darcy inside Congress, someone with the tenacity and energy to bring real reforms.
We ask you to support Darcy with your vote, with your time and with your resources.
-Jim
Jim Dean, Chair
Democracy for America
Here’s something that President Obama laid out in his State of the Union that I think deserves special attention:
Recent news reports have raised questions about whether members of Congress are profiting from inside information about the very businesses they’re supposed to be regulating — information about pending legislation that could move markets and generate investor profits.
The President offered one simple fix: End insider trading by members of Congress, extending the rules that apply to anyone else whose jobs give them access to sensitive information about businesses.
If you think this simple effort at good government should be a priority during this campaign, it’s up to you to speak out. Say you support the President and spread the word:
http://barackobama.com/Ban-Insider-Trading
Thanks,
James
James Kvaal
National Policy Director
Obama for America
P.S. — Here’s the full quote from the State of the Union:
“Send me a bill that bans insider trading by members of Congress; I will sign it tomorrow. Let’s limit any elected official from owning stocks in industries they impact. Let’s make sure people who bundle campaign contributions for Congress can’t lobby Congress, and vice versa — an idea that has bipartisan support, at least outside of Washington.”
Just another rant …
Ten months into President Obama taking office I watched heard and read several comments about President Obama. Reports of folks feeling the President, having taken a great first step toward change just had not gone far enough to sedate or fulfill the promises he made to special interest groups during his campaign. I was very surprised at the astounding lack of patience, suddenly realized President Obama would be held at a different standard and that the odd negative comments which were becoming bold, louder and more frequent …were actually coming from people left of center.
Change takes time
Now, I can’t speak for anyone else but history tells us that Africans and their descendants, which covers so many countries because we all know most were rounded up and shipped out for labour know struggle like nobody’s business. Yes, others have suffered in the timeline of slave life but how many can offer up a story of Black slaves laying the foundation or buildings free for more years than anyone wants to admit to and some in the southern states are trying to eliminate from history books. Yes, there have been some improvements made but Black People still suffer from higher rates of arrest, incarceration, pregnancy unemployment and still fighting for 21st Century civil rights. Yet, even with all the hurdles blocking some aspects of progress for African Americans and decades of Caucasian Presidents. A man with a funny name and big ears who also happens to be bi-racial gains steam in Illinois, gets spotted for potential, becomes a US Senator and while in the Senate works for the people then is tapped to be a part of the Convention blowing everyone away with an awesome speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. Yes, a lot happened before 53% of Americans voted for a Black Man for the first time but shocking (sarcasm), we also found after governing for a little over ten months that discrimination is alive and well. It was odd to see some our own run hold grudges and ignore what voters needed them to do … govern let alone support the first black President. It became clear that more Blacks definitely had the President’s back, 53% had patience but was growing thin listening to folks in the media giving viewers subliminal messages that we should expect President Obama to govern with a hammer, use his power and get their issues passed quickly. I have said it before … here is when schoolhouse rock comes to mind … and I sing it every time I hear those who think they voted for a King or Dictator. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to hear people who seem smart, use great verbiage, can recite a law or two not to mention wonderful knowledge congressional protocol and dangle their degrees when necessary yet, they forget that Congress creates debates and votes yea or nay to ALL Federal laws of the land. Ok, a chill of states’ rights came over me
Change takes time …
especially when the gauntlet of obstruction was laid down … say day 1 after taking office and three years later Teapublicans are still stating that their main job is to make sure the President Obama is a one term President, not to get Americans back to work, not to pass bills that will move us forward.
Change takes a Congress that will compromise and cooperate with President Obama unlike the first 2yrs when members of Congress seemingly left our President to save their congressional seats … I get that but they also stopped working for We the People and allowed the Teapublicans into Congress
Change takes time … but
The Democratic Party had problems to overcome and clearly, the 2010 exposed those cracks
I have to say seeing members of Congress and the professional left seemingly lose common sense and some seemed to have lost their minds was very disturbing then now it just irritates me that they feel perfectly ok with blaming President Obama for what should get done in Congress. It took decades of bad behavior that set up the possibility for a big recession. The notion that our economic collapse could be rectified in 1-2 years still boggles my mind yet the professional left pushed, complained and whined for that list of demands or mandates that have never been President and should watch that schoolhouse rock video more than once or take a civics class. What they should be doing is pressing their representatives in Congress to do their jobs , uh create a law for the good of all Americans not just a select few instead of whining and sitting on the side lines after giving money. I say be proactive not reactive. Yes, giving money is definitely necessary but giving money is not the end of any political campaign or a move toward change we can ALL believe in. It is only a start. It is obvious that money and 53% voted, helped get Barack Obama into office, but the work of Governing is troublesome. When we have people like Mitch McConnell telling Americans he has one job and it is to make President Obama a one term President instead of doing the Peoples Business we all have wonder how much progress can even be imagined let alone be accomplished at all. The party of NO has filibustered progress in both Chambers of Congress more than any other, refuses to think about their fellow Americans with 15miilion people still unemployed yet, Indies and some special interest groups like the list below still have issues with the President Obama.
Yes, hold the President accountable but do not sit on the sidelines and demand change if you are not helping the President achieve a win for all Americans.
In 2009, we heard …
**Environmentalist… like Phil Radford, exec director/Greenpeace USA stated among other things,” Obama is missing in action” as it relates to global warming …in an article written by Bryan Walsh from Time Magazine…
**Gay/Lesbian leaders… are starting to make comments about Obama not going far enough on don’t ask/don’t tell but today he announced he will enact federal benefits for same sex couples …moving too slow? Too little too late? come on… People of colour know what being impatient means …
**Health-care liberals… are impatient and talking about how they put Obama in office and threatening a change in 2012 …
**Wall Street … flexed their muscles to show Obama who really is in charge of the market … but bad behavior needs to be regulated
**Hispanics … are upset
It is time for them to help President Obama
Yes, change will happen and contrary to how folks feel we are going in the right direction but President cannot do it all, we need to call, write and march to let Congress know what We the People voted for …
A change we can believe in
Other News …
President Obama and Vice President Biden at House Democratic Retreat
Pres. Obama Discusses College Costs
Sec. Panetta Presents Defense Dept. FY 2013 Budget
DNI Director Clapper Gives Keynote on Information Sharing at CSIS
Be a Seed for Change 
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