Tag Archives: George W. Bush

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Republicans, In their own words

10/10/2013 Nativegrl77

GOPers Explain Why Congress Needs to Pay Our Bills

A growing number of Republicans are downplaying the significance of next week’s default deadline. Frighteningly, these default deniers are also downplaying the catastrophic economic impact of defaulting on our obligations, be they to bondholders, seniors, veterans, or millions of others.

It was not always this way. In fact, some of today’s most ardent opponents of a clean bill to take the threat of default off the table were among the most ardent supporters of raising the debt limit under President George W. Bush.

Here they are, in their own words (click through to watch):

As ThinkProgress notes, nearly $4 TRILLION of debt limit increases were routine matters under President Bush:

Boehner, Cantor, and the GOP leadership voted for five separate debt limit increases during George W. Bush’s presidency, requiring no similar concessions.

In November 2004, 104 Republican Representatives and Senators who are still serving today voted for an $800 billion increase in the federal debt ceiling, with no strings attached. Other increases in 2002, 2003, 2006, and 2007, requested by the Bush administration, were enthusiastically backed by his Republican allies.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Joint Economic Committee Kevin Brady (R-TX), House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI), Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), and Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) were among the most vocal supporters of debt limit increases between 2002 and 2006. They defended an increase as not only necessary, but also a basic matter of responsibility and good governance.

BOTTOM LINE: It’s time for Republicans to follow their own advice and agree to pay the bills Congress has already racked up in order to avoid an unprecedented and catastrophic default on our obligations.

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BioMarin said No to her friend with Cancer

10/04/2013 Nativegrl77

The first thing I have to say is thank you. More than 140,00 people — including you — have signed my petition to help save the life of my friend Andrea Sloan.

Andrea is in desperate need of a new cancer drug made by pharmaceutical company BioMarin, but they say she’s “not eligible” for any of their current trials. Andrea needs access to the drug under a “compassionate use” program, and because of our petition, it’s looking like that could really happen.

Just last week, a leaked internal email from BioMarin proved that they are taking this petition seriously and really considering helping Andrea.

Now is the time to turn up the pressure on BioMarin. Can you share my petition on Facebook to help it gain more signatures and momentum?

We are so close to getting Andrea the medicine she needs. She has dedicated her life to helping others — I know we can do what it takes to help her.

Thank you,

Carol Carter
Lake Dallas, TX

P.S. Have you seen this video that Andrea made explaining compassionate use? Click here to watch, and feel free to share that as well!

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Something Big’s Happening

09/27/2013 Nativegrl77

The White House, Washington

Starting October 1st, Americans will have access to the Health Insurance Marketplace — a new, simpler way to compare plans and purchase health insurance — all in one place. The Marketplace will be run in partnership with states or fully by HHS in 36 states. In these 36 states, consumers will have a choice of 53 health plans on average, and young adults will have even more low-cost options.

In partnership with HealthCare.gov, we’ve created a map to help you explore a summary of the choices and premiums expected to be available on October 1st.

See the map and learn more about the Marketplace.

Delivering on the Affordable Care Act: Marketplace Premiums Lower than Expected

At the center of the Affordable Care Act is the premise that we need to make health care more affordable and accessible for more Americans, and a new report released today demonstrates just how affordable insurance will be. The report, released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), finds that in state after state, affordable options will be available through the Health Insurance Marketplace in 2014.

Yesterday, President Obama delivered a speech at UNGA — the United Nations General Assembly — in New York City. The President expressed optimism at the prospects for diplomacy in solving a range of long-simmering conflicts across the globe.

Last Friday, President Obama delivered remarks at a suburban Kansas City, MO Ford Motor Co. stamping plant — a plant that recently had to bring on a shift of 900 workers to keep up with the demand for the new F-150.

TransCanada’s US location and Keystone XL tar sands pipeline (Texas)

09/25/2013 Nativegrl77

Yesterday, a group of courageous people just like you were arrested in the belly of the beast: TransCanada’s U.S. headquarters in Houston, Texas. These were mothers, fathers, grandfathers, great grandmothers, scientists, and teachers who staged a peaceful sit-in with a clear message: No Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

At RAN we have a policy never to ask you to take an action, online or offline, that we don’t believe will make a strategic difference and have an impact that is worth your time. What I’m about to ask you to do might be one of the most important political acts you take this year.

Right now President Obama and his State Department are weighing their decision on whether this disastrous dirty energy pipeline is in our national interest. Our job must be to show enough opposition to the pipeline to ensure the president stands on the right side of this historical moment. That’s why we need you to join those standing up against Keystone XL in protest.

Will you join more than 75,000 people saying No to Keystone XL? Sign up for an action near you TODAY!

More than 75,000 people, including many of you, have signed RAN, Other 98% and CREDO’s Pledge of Resistance to the Keystone XL pipeline—pledging to participate in peaceful civil disobedience, to risk arrest if necessary, to stop this dangerous tar sands pipeline.

This is our next big step in the Pledge of Resistance together. This summer, after months of hard work and organizing, more than 400 volunteers have stepped up to lead acts of dignified protest in towns and cities across the country.

Will you join them by signing up today to participate in a local protest in your hometown?

To be clear, this is a serious request of your time, your passion and, potentially, your liberty. We’re asking now because it’s critical.

These actions are coming together because of months of work by literally hundreds of people. A group of seasoned direct action organizers built a training curriculum and traveled to cities around the country to teach people like you how to plan and lead a safe, strategic sit-in. Hundreds of activists stepped up to attend these rigorous two-day weekend trainings, and then went home to put that training into action. Now we’re asking: Will you join them?

The dates for these local actions have not been set, but the dates of action trainings have. We’re asking everyone to get in touch with local action leaders so we can prepare for action now and are ready to respond if President Obama signals his intention to approve the pipeline. That is our most strategic window to have the biggest impact.

Find your nearest Pledge of Resistance action and sign up to be a part of it!

Soon after you sign up for an action, you’ll be contacted by your local action leader, who will send out a time for your group to meet in person, get trained up, and move forward to put together everything you will need for a local sit-in action. There will be roles for everyone: those risking arrest and those not risking arrest.

The location for these actions will be relevant to your town. Likely locations will be: Administration buildings like State Department, EPA and Federal offices, oil industry contractor offices, and branches of TD Bank, a major investor in tar sands development.

All that’s missing is you.

		In Solidarity,
		Scott Parkin Senior Energy and Finance Campaigner Twitter:@dirtyenergy

P.S. Got questions? Check out http://nokxl.org/why-pledge-resistance/.

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The True Cost of Climate Change

04/30/2013 Nativegrl77

By ThinkProgress War Room

Extreme Weather is Extremely Costly

We’re now six months out from Superstorm Sandy, which should serve as a reminder that we’re experiencing more damaging extreme weather events linked to climate change. And with the mounting frequency and severity of these events will come mounting costs.

A new report from our Center for American Progress colleagues finds a rather dramatic level of federal disaster relief spending – an average of $400 per household annually. You should check out the full report, but here’s an infographic that lays out the key facts: