This week, your federal legislators have an opportunity to show their support for American wind power in a very clear way – by signing a letter that urges the Congressional leadership to take quick action to extend the tax credits for the wind industry.

I urge you to take a moment to write to your legislators today and encourage them to sign this letter.

Recently, wind industry employees met with legislators from 140 different states and districts.  They shared their personal stories about their jobs, as well as updates on the wind industry’s impressive accomplishments:

• Employing 80,000 people across the U.S. today
• Driving $105 billion of private investment since 2005
• Bringing down the cost of power by 43% in the past four years alone

Shown above: Wind industry employees meet with Rep. Fleischmann (TN-03)

They asked their legislators to sign a letter to Congressional leadership that explains, “Like all businesses, the wind industry seeks certainty and predictability so that long term project decisions and investments can be made,” and asks for quick action to extend the tax credits that have driven the industry forward – the renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) and investment tax credit (ITC).

Please echo their request – ask your legislators to sign the letter today. 

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,
Aaron

Aaron Severn
Interim Vice President, Federal Legislative Affairs
American Wind Energy Association

Buenas tardes,

 

Today, the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services are kicking off our “Latino Week of Action,” continuing the Administration’s efforts to engage the Latino community to #GetCovered or #Asegurate under the Affordable Care Act.

 

Across the country, community organizations have joined local, state and federal government partners to convene health care enrollment events, partnering with Spanish language media to offer personalized enrollment assistance and to encourage Latinos to sign up for quality and affordable health coverage.

 

• The Latino Week of Action will increase outreach efforts to educate Latinos across the country about the benefits of the Affordable Care Act and to let them know how affordable quality health insurance is if they enroll in the health insurance Marketplaces.
• We have only 5 weeks left to enroll as many Latinos as possible so we are issuing a broad call to action to Latino leaders throughout the country to do your part to educate, engage, and enroll Latinos so they can receive quality, affordable health care.
• And we want to know what you’re doing in your communities to meet our shared challenge.  We want to recognize our top leaders, especially our young leaders who are working hard to reach out to Latinos, Latinas, familiares y vecinos.
• So let us know what you’re doing and make sure it’s specific.  Let us know how many people you’re educating, how many people you’re enrolling and how you are personally making a difference.
• Please send your updates and reports to Latino@who.eop.gov by Friday, February 28th to add your name to the list of candidates to potentially be recognized as a Champion of Change for the Latino community on the Affordable Care Act.

 

This week we will continue to highlight the bilingual enrollment tools available to Latinos to sign up for coverage through the health insurance Marketplaces:

 

• Online at HealthCare.gov or CuidadodeSalud.gov.
• Over the phone by calling the 24/7 customer service center at 1-800-318-2596 with help available in English and Spanish.
• In-person assistance in local communities through Find Local Help or ayuda local on the Spanish health care site.
• As well as updated information about Immigrant Family Eligibility, including resources for navigators, assistors, promotoras, and more.

 

 

 

And below are additional resources you can use to spread the word:

 

• President Obama video message to the Latino community on available tools for enrollment.

 

 

• President Obama’s video message to get covered.
• Spanish-language tool to share stories of health care coverage #OurSalud: Comparte Tu Historia.
• Video de CMS: ¿Como hago para escoger un plan en el Mercado de Seguros?

 

As one of the most disproportionately uninsured populations, the Latino community needs your active participation in order to educate others about the health care law. That is why we are engaging in ambitious outreach efforts aimed at helping Latinos including young Latinos learn and sign up for quality, affordable coverage available through the Marketplaces.

 

In other news, the President recently took the opportunity to recognize several dedicated Latinos through recent nominations and appointments. Some of the prominent Latinos who were recently appointed in  the Administration to support the President’s Agenda, include:

 

• Mileydi Guilarte – Nominated to serve as the United States Alternate Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank
• Nathalie Rayes – Nominated to serve as a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
• Judge Carlos Eduardo Mendoza – Nominated for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• Juan Carlos Iturregui – Nominated to serve as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation
• Annette Taddeo-Goldstein – Nominated to serve as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation

 

As always, please share this information with your networks, get engaged in educating the Latino community about the Health Insurance Marketplaces, and use the hashtags #OurSalud or #Asegurate to join the conversation.

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

Jorge Neri Associate Director White House | Office of Public Engagement

Agency Updates

Nominations Sought for 2014 National MED Week Awards February 12, 2014 The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) today announced that it is accepting nominations for the 2014 National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Awards competition.

Proposed Agricultural Worker Protection Standard: EPA Needs Your Input February 20, 2014 The Environmental Protection Agency announced proposed changes to the agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) to increase protections from pesticide exposure for the nation’s 2 million agricultural workers and their families.

President Obama to Award Medal of Honor February 21, 2014 On March 18th, 2014, President Barack Obama will award 24 Army veterans the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry. These veterans will receive the Medal of Honor in recognition of their valor during major combat operations in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Each of these Soldiers’ bravery was previously recognized by award of the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second highest military award; that award will be upgraded to the Medal of Honor in recognition of their gallantry, intrepidity and heroism above and beyond the call of duty.

Get Involved

Questions and Answers on the ACA If you have questions about the health care law, the Affordable Care Act, this is the webinar for you! We will answer questions that have been submitted in advance as well as new questions asked during the webinar. Please send your questions by February 20 at 10 a.m. ET to ACA101@hhs.gov.

Who: HHS Partnership Center What: Webinar with questions and answers on the ACA When: Thursday, February 20, 2014 at 1 PM ET RSVP: RSVP online at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/635927095

ACA Latino: Conference Call with Vice President Joe Biden As the final deadline for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act fast approaches, we have to continue to work collectively to increase Latino enrollment under ACA. In this call, Vice President Biden will discuss the recent efforts being put forth across the country and the current state of Latino ACA.

Who: The White House, Vice President Biden What: Conference call on the status of Latino enrollment in the health insurance marketplace across the country.  When: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 5:45PM ET RSVP: RSVP online at http://ems6.intellor.com/index.cgi?p=600216&t=1&do=register&s=&rID=3&edID=2

Latinos and the Health Insurance Marketplace (in English) According to the Census Bureau, nearly 16 million Hispanics are uninsured. The health care law is in effect and there is a new way for individuals and families to get health insurance. This webinar is co-sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families and the HHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Please send your questions to ACA101@hhs.gov by Noon ET on February 26.

Who: HHS Partnership Center What: Webinar focused on Latino to enrollment in the health insurance marketplace When: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 7 PM ET RSVP: RSVP online at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/915498183

Get Updates

| By  CAP Action War Room

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly In LGBT News

It’s been a busy weekend in LGBT news. We’ve pulled together the good, the bad, and the ugly stories for you to stay up to speed on the fight for equality.

The Good:

• Jason Collins Became The First Out Gay Man In A Major American Sports League Last Night. Collins first made headlines when he announced, in an article last year for Sports Illustrated, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.” Collins went unsigned at the beginning of the year, but yesterday signed a contract with the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets GM said that signing Collins was strictly “a basketball decision” and not a political one. But that won’t stop Collins from making a small political statement of his own–by wearing number 98 to honor Matthew Shephard, who was murdered in an anti-gay hate crime in 1998. Check out the video of Collins entering the game and making history.
• Cook County, Illinois Is Now Issuing Marriage Licenses Immediately Instead Of Waiting Until June 1. Illinois’ marriage equality law is not set to take effect until June 1, but a federal judge has ruled that same-sex couples can begin marrying immediately, at least in Cook County, where a lawsuit was filed. Friday afternoon, 46 couples rushed to the County Clerk David Orr’s office to be the first to get marriage licenses.

The Bad:

• Arizona Governor Jan Brewer Won’t Say Whether Or Not She Will Sign An Extreme Anti-Gay Bill. Under the guise of respecting “religious liberty,” the bill would effectively give businesses the ability to explicitly discriminate against LGBT people. Vetoing it is a no-brainer, but Brewer has refused to offer her stance–and has left the door open that she may in fact support it. Similar bills in the dark red states of Kansas and South Dakota have failed in the past week, and the Arizona congressional delegation–including Senators Jeff Flake and John McCain, both Republicans–have urged Brewer to veto the bill. This bill is another in the long line of legislation and court rulings with exceedingly broad religious liberty exemptions that open the door to discrimination. Religious liberty is a core American value, but the Constitution protects religious liberty for all, not just religious liberty for some.

The Ugly:

• Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni Signed Into Law A Bill That Criminalizes Homosexuality. The law, often referred to as the “Kill the Gays” bill because previous versions of it included the death penalty, allows for a lifetime jail sentence for people found guilty of being gay. First-time offenders can be punished with 14 years in jail. Those who promote LGBT issues would also be in violation of the law, as would anybody who officiates a same-sex marriage or anyone “aiding and abetting homosexuality.” In other words, the law can be used to punish anyone, not just LGBT people. Unfortunately, American conservatives have been heavily involved in exporting anti-LGBT hate to Uganda and countries around the world.

BOTTOM LINE:  The arc of the moral universe bent a small but noticeable bit toward justice yesterday when Jason Collins stepped on the court wearing a Brooklyn Nets uniform. But despite all the progress made, the fight for equal rights is far from over. And as Uganda shows, some places around the world are even turning back the clock when it comes to human rights.