Tag Archives: Congress

This year, there will be more ways than ever to take part in the State of the Union, including new ways to take in the remarks, share exclusive content with your social networks, and share your own experiences. There will also be opportunities to discuss President Obama’s remarks with White House officials immediately following the address.

See all the ways you can engage with the State of the Union next Tuesday, and how you can stay updated in the meantime.

Weekly Address: America’s Resurgence Is Real

In this week’s address, President Obama discusses the economic gains we made in 2014, which was the strongest year for job growth since the 1990s.

Last week, the President unveiled a new proposal: Make two years of community college free for responsible students across America. If all states choose to implement his new proposal, it could benefit about 9 million students each year.

The latest employment report caps off a strong year for the U.S. labor market, which achieved a number of important milestones in 2014. Total job growth in 2014 was the strongest since 1999, while the unemployment rate fell at the fastest pace in three decades.

We have an obligation

01/14/2015 Nativegrl77

The new Congress was sworn in just two days ago, and we already have a good indication of what to expect from the new batch of Tea Party Representatives and Senators.

Los Angeles Times: “As Republicans take control Tuesday of both chambers of Congress for the first time in eight years, party leaders hope to move quickly to confront President Obama and showcase their conservative ideology, including austere budget cuts and dismantling government regulation.”

New York Times: “On immigration, House Republican officials say they expect to approve a Department of Homeland Security spending measure before the end of January that would deny money to carry out Mr. Obama’s action to ease the threat of deportation for millions of undocumented immigrants.”

These priorities are not America’s priorities.

As veterans, military family members, and their supporters, we have a crucial voice on these issues, and an obligation to make it heard. Let us know what you hope the 114th Congress will work on.

Thanks for sounding off.

All the best,

Jon Soltz
Iraq War Veteran and Chairman
VoteVets.org

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Weekly Address: Make 2015 the Year for Quality, Affordable Health Insurance

01/13/2015 Nativegrl77

In this week’s address, the Vice President wished Americans a Happy New Year, and asked that as we make resolutions to get healthier in 2015, we take the time to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Millions of people have already signed up for quality, affordable health care under the law, and there is still time to secure the peace of mind that comes with getting covered.

From now until February 15, you can sign up by logging on to HealthCare.gov; by speaking to someone on the phone through the 24/7 call center at 1-800-318-2596, where you can get assistance in 150 languages; or by going in person to an enrollment event in your community.

Watch the Vice President’s Weekly Address here.

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West Wing Week: “That Zingy Sting”

At the end of each “West Wing Week” episode, the White House videographers insert a funny snippet of content — which they call a “sting.” To ring in 2015, they put together an entertaining compilation of stings, for those of you who might not have made it to the very end of each episode last year.

Applications are now being accepted for the Summer 2015 White House Internship Program. Deepankar Gagneja, a former intern who worked in the Office of Management and Administration in the fall of 2014, recently wrote about his own internship experience.

To recap our last year on Tumblr, we tallied up the number of notes — the Tumblr equivalent of “likes” — on each of the GIFs we created in 2014. Here, in order, are the top 10 GIF moments on our Tumblr in 2014, decided by Tumblr users themselves.

ACA 101

01/13/2015 Nativegrl77

Affordable Care Act 101 Webinars

SBA and Small Business Majority will host a free Affordable Care Act 101 webinar so small business owners can learn the basics of the Affordable Care Act and how they can enroll in health insurance marketplaces.

Free Affordable Care Act 101 webinar covering healthcare reform and your small business hosted by SBA and Small Business Majority. Click to RSVP today

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Tell the Senate: Pass the bill to reverse the Supreme Court’s attack on Black women’s healthcare

01/12/2015 Nativegrl77

Arisha Michelle Hatch, ColorOfChange.org

The Supreme Court gutted Obamacare’s contraception coverage. We have a plan to fix it.

Last week, the Supreme Court sided with the far-right and gutted a key part of Obamacare’s protections for women’s health.

Black women are getting caught in the middle as the right-wing tries to chip away at the Affordable Care Act. Affordable access to contraception is a matter of life and death for Black women who are 3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women. Many of us regularly use contraception to treat endometriosis, manage uterine fibroids and alleviate PMS symptoms.¹ The far-right is more concerned with tarnishing President Obama’s legacy than ensuring we have access to affordable healthcare.

But, we have a way to fight back!

The Protect Women’s Health From Corporate Interference Act was just introduced in Congress to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision gutting a woman’s right to birth control coverage. The bill states that federal laws, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act used by Hobby Lobby’s right-wing lawyers, do not allow employers to refuse to cover health care — including birth control — guaranteed by Obamacare. It would ensure women at corporations like Hobby Lobby could make important health decisions with their doctors, not their bosses.

Tell the Senate: Pass the bill to reverse the Supreme Court’s attack on Black women’s healthcare.

Black women overall are at a higher risk for unintended pregnancy but have less access to insurance and preventative care.² The contraception mandate in Obamacare would go a long way towards reducing cost barriers for our access to birth control and help close the gap in contraceptive use between Black women and our white and Latina peers — but we need Congress to reverse the Supreme Court’s damage. Politicians with an eye on November elections need to know that if they count on Black people to vote for them at the polls, they need to vote for the needs of Black women in Congress and pass this bill.

That’s why we’re teaming up with our friends at UltraViolet. If we shine a spotlight on this bill and bring it to a vote, we’ll know which members of Congress support Black women’s healthcare — and which side with 5 men on the Supreme Court. Will you sign?

Tell the your Senators: Reverse the Supreme Court’s attack our healthcare.

Thanks and Peace,

–Arisha, Rashad, Matt, Aimée, Johnny and the rest of the ColorOfChange team.
July 10, 2014

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way.

References

1. “How the Hobby Lobby Decision Impacts Black Women,” EBONY, 6-30-14
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3645?t=7&akid=3473.1174326.0t4Dbp

2. “Hobby Lobby Ruling Opens the Door to ‘Method Discrimination’ for Black Women,” The Root, 7-3-14
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3646?t=9&akid=3473.1174326.0t4Dbp