Tag Archives: Congress

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wicked weather Wednesday … &some News

11/02/2011 Nativegrl77

featured photo by Nick Lippert

just another rant … dang it’s cold

I received a comment in response to an article about Government regulations which I appreciate

HIM: Submitted on 2011/11/01 at 11:32 AM |

In reply to Stopping Obama/any President …and Regulatory agencies such as EPA, HHS, from issuing demands upon the people which will hurt us……kill our economy « Ordinarycitizenextraordinarytimes Blog.

ME:re: Getting the facts straight on regulation.
What we need are MORE Regulatory agencies doing their jobs … period
No disrespect, but the notion that there is over or excessive regulation going on in a time when lack of it created our … the USA financial crisis , it created the BP spill and tell me you have not forgotten the Massey Mine disaster have you? There are things that need strict guidelines and most parents want Clean Air, Clean Water and not only affordable health care but some of us would actually pay a smidge more to make sure that food, flights and anything else that seems too big to handle for an individual can be by the Government and not privatized. If, folks believe privatization only creates more jobs please remember that it also means your cost for services will go up and isn’t that what folks are already complaining about now? An increase in insurance premiums would be just a start. I like having firefighters, cleared roads, police, the EPA and FEMA available and they are all worth paying the Government to act for everyone not just a select few. I will not forget the man who failed to pay his protection fee which resulted in his house burning down; that is what privatization does. I expect the Government to be our children’s watchdog for their health and our future. I would say corrupt regulators need not apply and while you and the Heritage Foundation have a different attitude about regulations, it is my contention that your opinion should not be driving what Republicans in Congress do or say, especially in both Chambers of Congress. A lack of Regulation along with people who got used to excessive behavior drove our economy to the edge of disaster. The Grover Norquists of the world and Heritage foundation like organizations just do not understand that they only represent a small percentage of voters and after having read your 10/12 article; it definitely sounded like the Heritage Foundation would love to go around the voter if they could. I find it almost amusing to read how conservative groups rationalize their feelings about regulations. Then again, it just puts the light on how out of touch your group is and if this is the meme being pushed on members of Congress who are not only supposed to be working for the people paid by we the people, truly a sad example of what being members of Congress means.
The quote below is from ordinarycitizenextraordinarytimes

“Holding Congress Accountable- Congressional approval of proposed new rules would be an important step toward holding both regulators and Congress accountable for the regulations imposed on the private sector. It is no panacea for the problems of excessive regulation. But, especially if combined with other steps, it would be a significant step forward.”

Sir, again, a lack of Regulation with a big R is just the tip of the sinking ship and though I totally get Capitalism … I believe it should be with a lower case c, which includes small businesses, and those who aspire to get ahead not just or only for big C as in Corporations who more often than not seem to send opportunities and jobs overseas to avoid regulations which is harmful to everyone.

Bernanke to Hold Third Press Briefing as Fed Chief

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Tell Senator Murray: No Cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid

11/01/2011 Nativegrl77 2 Comments

National Women's Law Center - Don't Discount Women: Demand Fair Change Not Spare Change


	Tell Senator Murray: No Cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid



	If you want to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, now is the time to act, and Senator Murray is the one to call.

	Call 1-866-251-4044 today!

Senator Patty Murray is the co-chair of a very powerful 12-member super-committee in Congress charged with deciding how to cut the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion over ten years.

Just yesterday we learned that the super-committee is negotiating about cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. These program provide income security or health care to more than 1 out of 7 Washington residents — mostly women.

Your phone call today can make a difference! A handful of members of Congress serving on the super-committee will decide the fate of these programs. Your senator — Patty Murray — is one of them.

Please call 1-866-251-4044 today to tell Senator Murray:

I want Senator Murray to oppose cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in the super-committee.
That includes no Social Security COLA cut.
No raising the Medicare eligibility age.
No slash in Medicaid funds.
It’s time to make millionaires and corporations contribute to deficit reduction by paying their fair share of taxes.

Women in Washington can’t afford cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The average Social Security benefit for older women in Washington is just $12,400 per year. Even with Medicare, women face higher out-of-pocket health care costs that strain their smaller incomes. And over 307,000 low-income women with disabilities, pregnant women, and mothers in Washington relied on Medicaid for health care coverage, and over 60,000 elderly women relied on Medicaid for help with long-term care and certain other health expenses.

Programs for women and their families have already been cut, in Washington State and across the country — but so far, tax breaks for millionaires and corporations haven’t been touched. It’s time to stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of women and their families, and to demand that those with the greatest ability to pay contribute their fair share.

Please call 1-866-251-4044 today to tell Senator Murray: No Cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

The super-committee is meeting now to develop its plan. If seven members agree, their plan will be voted on in Congress before the end of the year: no amendments, no filibusters. If you want to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, now is the time to act, and Senator Murray is the one to call.

Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher
Vice President, Family Economic Security
National Women’s Law Center

Judy Waxman
Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights
National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Have friends in Washington state? Please forward them this email. Every call makes a difference.

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Student loan reform can’t wait

10/28/2011 Nativegrl77

James Kvaal is the Policy Director for Obama for America.

Friend —

President Obama just took two serious steps to make life a lot easier
for folks with student loans — and there’s a good chance you or someone
you know will benefit from these changes very soon.

Here’s how:

— Effective this January, if you’re someone who has different kinds
of loans — guaranteed and direct — you’ll be able to roll them both
into one direct loan and bring down your interest rate. You’ll only have
to write one check a month, and you’ll see a discount. This switch adds
no cost to taxpayers across the board.

— You might remember that, as part of last year’s student loan
reform, borrowers’ loan payments could be no higher than 10 percent of
their disposable income. This is a big deal — but it wasn’t going to
help anyone enrolling before 2014. Today, the President announced that
he’s speeding up this program so it will affect students next year —
helping over 1 million students. This will have huge consequences for
people struggling to make their student loan payments.

Sometimes, it can be hard to see how policy changes will actually affect your day-to-day life.

Not the case with this one. These changes will make a real difference in helping millions of Americans get by month to month.

We put together a video explaining how these changes will help Americans. Watch
it to learn a little more about what today’s steps would do, and then
make sure everyone you know who should hear about it does.

Learn how student loan reforms help you.

President Obama isn’t waiting on Congress to take action. He’s doing
everything in his power, right now, to help bolster our economy and get
folks back on their feet.

On Monday, he laid out new rules on federal mortgages to help make sure more families don’t lose their homes to foreclosure.

On Tuesday, the administration announced two new initiatives to help veterans find work.

Today, it means making changes that make student loans a lot easier to manage.

These are actions that can’t wait on the next vote or the next election.
So long as people are struggling, this President and this
administration will do everything in their power to help them when and
where they can. It’s just that simple.

Now, let’s make sure that the millions of people who stand to benefit from today’s steps know about it.

Watch the video to learn more about today’s student loan changes — and then help get the word out:

http://my.barackobama.com/Student-Loan-Reforms

Thanks,

James

James Kvaal

Policy Director

Obama for America

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U.S. Constitution – Amendment 14

10/25/2011 Nativegrl77

Amendment 14 – Citizenship Rights

1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

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We can’t wait …James Kvaal, BarackObama.com

10/25/2011 Nativegrl77

Now that each and every Senate Republican has vowed to block measures that would create jobs, President Obama is not going to wait for them to rebuild the economy and bring financial security back to the middle class.

Today, he announced new rules on federal mortgages to prevent more families from losing their homes to foreclosure. And that’s just the beginning — the President said he would continue to make the changes he can by executive action, while continuing to urge Congress to act on legislation to strengthen the economy and create jobs.

If Congress doesn’t act, he will — because millions of Americans can’t just wait for Congress to do their jobs. That’s why thousands of you have been calling and tweeting your representatives over the past month, joining the President in sending a message to lawmakers in Washington that they need to act now.

We’re not just going to continue to wait — and we’ll be keeping up the pressure by making sure they’re hearing from folks across the country every day about why they need to act.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/55c11c7b/6c0d017d/132d201b3/118ab764/190700188/VEsH/p/eyJKU1ZGVFVGSlRDVWwiOiJ5bmF0aXZlNzdAZ21haWwuY29tIiwiSlNWYVNWQWxKUT09IjoiOTgxMTUifQ==/

Republicans in Congress have repeatedly filibustered the President’s ideas to create jobs now — ideas that until recently were supported by Republicans.

The President’s action today also stands in stark contrast to the positions of the Republicans running for president. Mitt Romney even told a newspaper last week that we actually shouldn’t act; we should let the housing crisis “run its course” and “hit the bottom” so that “investors” can come in and buy up these homes at cheap prices. He’s saying to homeowners that they are on their own, forcing thousands of families to explain to their kids why they have to give up their homes.

Doing nothing while families struggle: that’s the opposite of what this president and this campaign stand for. President Obama isn’t going to let Congress’ inaction stop him from doing what he can right now.

So here’s what the President’s announcement means:

— More families whose homes are under water will get help and save money on their monthly mortgage payment through the Home Affordable Refinance Programs.

— If the value of your mortgage is $100,000 and your house is valued at $75,000, you previously weren’t able to refinance to save your home — forcing many families to pay higher interest rates. As a result of today’s announcement, many more responsible homeowners will be able to lower their rates and pay their debts.

— And this is just one of the incremental changes to come. Next, the President will announce new steps to help young people manage their federal student loan debt while they look for a job and get on their feet. He’ll also take action to help small businesses and entrepreneurs, spur the engines of job growth, create new jobs, and assist veterans in finding them.

These measures alone are not a comprehensive solution to the economic challenges we face. That needs to come out of Congress — and if they’re going to finally put party aside, they’re going to need to keep hearing from us. President Obama is stepping up the pressure, and he’s counting on us to keep going, too.

Get the President’s back and keep the heat on Congress — tell your story of why we can’t wait any longer: