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Black History

the Senate ~~~ CONGRESS 12/15 ~~~ the House


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The Senate stands adjourned until 10:00am on Monday, December 15, 2014.

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider the Murthy, Santos, Rose, Saldana, and Blinken nominations.

Monday, 5:30pm—Up to 4 roll call votes

  1. Cloture on Executive Calendar #681, Vivek Hallegere Murthy, to be Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service, subject to qualifications therefor as provided by law and regulations, and to be Surgeon General of the Public Health Service for a term of four years;
  2. Confirmation of the Murthy nomination;
  3. Cloture on Executive Calendar #979, Daniel J. Santos, to be a Member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board for a term expiring October 18, 2017; and
  4. Cloture on Executive Calendar #635, Frank A. Rose, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Verification and Compliance).

Tuesday, Approximately 10:00am—Up to 2 roll call votes

  1. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #979, Daniel J. Santos, to be a Member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board for a term expiring October 18, 2017; and
  2. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #635, Frank A. Rose, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Verification and Compliance).

Tuesday, 2:30pm—Up to 2 roll call votes

  1. Cloture on Executive Calendar #1084, Sarah R. Saldana, to be an Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security; and if cloture is invoked
  2. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #1084, Sarah R. Saldana, to be an Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security.

Tuesday, 6:00pm—Up to 2 roll call votes

  1. Cloture on Executive Calendar #1150, Antony Blinken, to be Deputy Secretary of State; and if cloture is invoked
  2. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #1150, Antony Blinken, to be Deputy Secretary of State.

By unanimous consent, the Senate passed the following bills:

 

Passed H.R.2754: Collectible Coin Protection Act

Passed H.R.3572: Coastal Barrier Resources System Units

Passed H.R.1206: Electronic Duck Stamp

Passed H.R.1378: To designate United States Federal Judicial Center located at 333 West Broadway in San Diego, California, as the “John Rhoades Federal Judicial Center” and to designate the United States courthouse located on 333 West Broadway in San Diego, California, as the “James M. Carter and Judith N Keep United States Courthouse.

Passed H.R.5050: May 31, 1918 Act Repeal

Passed H.R.5185: EARLY Act Reauthorization of 2014

Passed H.R.5816: United States Commission on International Religious Freedom

Passed S.706: Transnational Drug Trafficking Act

Passed the following Post Office Naming Bills, en bloc:

 

– H.R.3027 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 442 Miller Valley Road in Prescott, – Arizona, as the “Barry M. Goldwater Post Office”.

– H.R.4416 – To redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 161 Live Oak Street in Miami, Arizona, as the “Staff Sergeant Manuel V. Mendoza Post Office Building”.

– H.R.4651 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 601 West Baker Road in Baytown, Texas as the “Specialist Keith Erin Grace Jr. Memorial Post Office”.

– H.R.5331 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 73839 Gorgonio Drive in Twentynine Palms, California, as the “Colonel M.J. ‘Mac’ Dube, USMC Post Office Building”.

– H.R.5562 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 801 West Ocean Avenue in Lompoc, California, as the “Federal Correctional Officer Scott J. Williams Memorial Post Office Building”.

 

Passed H.R.4276: Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improvement Act of 2014

Passed H.R.5687: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 101 East Market Street in Long Beach, California, as the “Juanita Millender-McDonald Post Office”.

5:32pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #681, the nomination of Vivek Murthy, to be Surgeon General;

Invoked: 51-43

5:59pm The Senate began a 10 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on confirmation of Executive Calendar #681, Vivek Murthy, to be Surgeon General. The remaining votes in this series will be 10 minutes in length.

5:59pm The Senate began a 10 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on confirmation of Executive Calendar #681, Vivek Murthy, to be Surgeon General. The remaining votes in this series will be 10 minutes in length.

6:18 The Senate began a 10 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Calendar # 979, Daniel Santos, Member, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety;

Invoked: 54-39

Next:

Cloture on Executive Calendar #635, Frank Rose, Asst Sec State – Verification.

Cloture was invoked on the Rose nomination 54-39. The previously scheduled 10:00am votes tomorrow on confirmation of the Santos and Rose nominations will be voice votes.  At 2:30pm tomorrow, there will be 2 roll call votes and at 6:00pm there will be 2 more votes.

 

Tuesday, December 16:

2:30pm—Up to 2 roll call votes:

  1. Cloture on Executive Calendar #1084, Sarah R. Saldana, to be an Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security; and if cloture is invoked
  2. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #1084, Sarah R. Saldana, to be an Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security.

 

6:00pm—Up to 2 roll call votes:

  1. Cloture on Executive Calendar #1150, Antony Blinken, to be Deputy Secretary of State; and if cloture is invoked
  2. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #1150, Antony Blinken, to be Deputy Secretary of State.

Senator Blumenthal asked unanimous consent that the Senate take up and pass H.R.5059, Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act.

Senator Coburn objected.

 

Senator Portman asked unanimous consent the Energy Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R.2126, and the Senate take up and pass the bill.

Senator Coburn objected.

WRAP UP

Roll Call Votes

  1. Cloture on Executive Calendar #681, Vivek Hallegere Murthy, to be Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service, subject to qualifications therefor as provided by law and regulations, and to be Surgeon General of the Public Health Service for a term of four years; Invoked: 51-43.
  2. Confirmation of the Murthy nomination; Confirmed: 51-43.
  3. Cloture on Executive Calendar #979, Daniel J. Santos, to be a Member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board for a term expiring October 18, 2017; Invoked: 54-39.
  4. Cloture on Executive Calendar #635, Frank A. Rose, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Verification and Compliance); Invoked: 54-39.

Legislative Business

Passed H.R.2754: Collectible Coin Protection Act

Passed H.R.3572: Coastal Barrier Resources System Units

Passed H.R.1206: Electronic Duck Stamp

Passed H.R.1378: To designate United States Federal Judicial Center located at 333 West Broadway in San Diego, California, as the “John Rhoades Federal Judicial Center” and to designate the United States courthouse located on 333 West Broadway in San Diego, California, as the “James M. Carter and Judith N Keep United States Courthouse.

Passed H.R.5050: May 31, 1918 Act Repeal

Passed H.R.5185: EARLY Act Reauthorization of 2014

Passed H.R.5816: United States Commission on International Religious Freedom

Passed S.706: Transnational Drug Trafficking Act

Passed the following Post Office Naming Bills, en bloc:

  • R. 3027 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 442 Miller Valley Road in Prescott, – Arizona, as the “Barry M. Goldwater Post Office”.
  • R. 4416 – To redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 161 Live Oak Street in Miami, Arizona, as the “Staff Sergeant Manuel V. Mendoza Post Office Building”.
  • R. 4651 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 601 West Baker Road in Baytown, Texas as the “Specialist Keith Erin Grace Jr. Memorial Post Office”.
  • R. 5331 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 73839 Gorgonio Drive in Twentynine Palms, California, as the “Colonel M.J. ‘Mac’ Dube, USMC Post Office Building”.
  • R. 5562 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 801 West Ocean Avenue in Lompoc, California, as the “Federal Correctional Officer Scott J. Williams Memorial Post Office Building”.

Passed H.R.4276: Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improvement Act of 2014

Passed H.R.5687: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 101 East Market Street in Long Beach, California, as the “Juanita Millender-McDonald Post Office”.

Passed Calendar #606, S.1744: Security Clearance Accountability, Reform, and Enhancement Act, with committee-reported substitute amendment and committee-reported title amendment by voice vote.

Passed H.R.2901: Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2014.

Passed H.R.1068: To enact title 54, United States Cod, “National Park Service and Related Programs”, as positive law.

Passed H.R.2866: Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act, with a Johanns amendment.

Executive Business

Confirmed all nominations on the Secretary’s desk in the Foreign Service.

========================================

Last Floor Action:12/12
3:10:44 P.M. – The Speaker announced that pursuant to the order of the House of today, the House stands adjourned until noon on Tuesday, December 16, 2014, unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its adoption of H. Con. Res. 125, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution. Agreed to without objection

=============================================

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Special report: Company stores leave farmworker​s trapped by debt


Los Angeles Times

Dear Readers:In 1910, when Mexicans launched their revolution, a major grievance involved the company store, which kept the working poor enslaved to a plantation economy.
Today, the Los Angeles Times reveals that this vestige of an oppressive past remains a fixture of Mexican agriculture, including export mega-farms that supply tomatoes, cucumbers and other produce to American consumers.Read: Company stores trap Mexican farmworkers in cycle of debt
Workers at camps are held in a kind of indentured servitude thanks to the low pay and high prices. Desperate workers scale barbed wire at night to escape their debts. Please read the story
by Times writer Richard Marosi and see the pictures by Don Bartletti.
The piece on company stores is the third in our “Product of Mexico” series. Our first installment told readers about unbearable conditions at labor camps operated by Mexican mega-farms. Our second offered an inside look at Bioparques, one of Mexico’s biggest tomato exporters and a supplier to Wal-Mart.
Our reporters’ expose of the company store left me thinking of Faulkner’s line about history: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
Davan Maharaj, Editor
P.S. Don’t miss the faces of farmworkers captured by the Times photojournalist Don Bartletti as he traveled across nine Mexican states.
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Never Forget. Act


By

Two Years After Newtown, Take Action Right Now To Defeat The NRA

9:35 am on Sunday morning will be exactly two years after the start of one of the most horrific mass shootings in American history. On the morning of December 14, 2012, a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut armed with a semi-automatic assault rifle and killed 20 children and six educators before taking his own life.

Many people hoped this tragedy would be a transformative moment for the United States, but by some measures not that much has changed. In the two years since, about 60,000 Americans have died by gunfire. There have been at least 94 school shootings (and another reported today in Portland, OR). Congress failed to pass comprehensive background check legislation even though 90 percent of Americans supported it. And if trends continue, 2015 will be the year when gunfire passes motor vehicles as the leading killer of young Americans under 26.

But despite these deplorable incidents and disappointing trends, there are many indications of progress in the fight for stronger gun laws. This year, Washington state voters passed a referendum to strengthen background checks with 60 percent of the vote, and in Nevada, a similar measure just qualified for the ballot with a record number of signatures for the state. Legislatively, there have been 64 laws passed to strengthen gun laws, including significant reforms in swing states like Colorado.

And while there was some political backlash to those — like in Colorado where two Democratic state Senators were recalled in 2013 following their votes to strengthen gun laws — the gun violence prevention community has punched back. This year, in those same two seats, candidates supporting gun safety measures like stronger background checks beat the NRA-backed candidates. Colorado governor John Hickenlooper also won. Connecticut governor Dan Malloy narrowly won reelection, and there is evidence that his support of stronger gun laws was a key reason voters pushed him over the edge. And with new groups like Gabby Giffords’ Americans for Responsible Solutions, Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action, and Sandy Hook Promise, along with this new, proven strategy to focus on states and bring the issue directly to voters, the future looks bright.

Which brings us to the next big test: confirming Dr. Vivek Murthy for surgeon general. We wrote just a few days ago about this fight — and about how the NRA has made it their mission to block Dr. Murthy’s confirmation simply because he has taken the medically accepted position (and the position taken by the surgeon general under Ronald Reagan) that gun violence is a public health issue. Dr. Murthy has excellent credentials to be the nation’s top doctor, and the country shouldn’t go through any more public health crises without a surgeon general’s leadership. With Congress in the middle of negotiating how they are going to finish their business before the year ends, now is the critical moment to get them to stand with Vivek and deal a big defeat to the NRA. Will you help?

Here is what you can do:

1. Call your Senator and urge them to stay in session to confirm executive nominees including Dr. Vivek Murthy. (202) 224-3121.
2. Get engaged on social media. Click here for sample messages and graphics to share with your networks.
3. Share this email. Send this around to anybody you know who wants to give America the public health leader it needs regardless of what the NRA says.

BOTTOM LINE: This weekend offers an important time for remembrance of the devastation the Sandy Hook shooting caused two years ago, and reflection on how efforts to reform our gun laws have gone since then. While federal legislation remains out of reach, many positive reforms have taken place and momentum is building for more in the coming days and months.

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The Secret Giveaways To Big Money Political Donors Tucked Into 1600-page Federal Budget Bill


By

‘Cromnibus’ Tries To Sneak Through Another Blow To Campaign Spending Limits

With less than two days to go before another government shutdown, last night House and Senate leadership unveiled compromise budget legislation nicknamed the “cromnibus” — a portmanteau of continuing resolution, or CR, and an omnibus spending bill. While the main flashpoint going into these negotiations was conservatives’ radical reaction to President Obama’s executive action on immigration, in the light of day, a number of other odious provisions threaten to derail the bill’s passage.

ThinkProgress has a good run-down of the cromnibus’ troubling last-minute additions: handouts to Wall Street, cuts to IRS enforcement, interference in D.C.’s new voter-approved marijuana legalization, and a cold shoulder to students, the homeless, and those in need of affordable housing.

But today’s focus is on how Congress tried to sneak through the removal of more campaign finance limits and hand more even more control of the political system to the wealthiest and corporations. On page 1,599 of the 1,603-page cromnibus, the last-minute provision dramatically increases the caps on donor contributions to the national political parties. Right now, the most any single person can donate to candidates, parties and federal PACs was $129,600 in a single year (already more than 2.5 times the nation’s median income). But in the current version of the cromnibus, a donor’s maximum contribution would shoot up all the way to $777,600, by raising the cap on donations to party conventions from $32,400 to $97,200. In addition, it allows the national party committees to establish separate accounts for buildings and separate accounts for recounts and legal fees. Add it all up and it means a new flood of money in politics from wealthy donors and corporation– indeed, it’s a crafty way to create a solution where a problem doesn’t exist.

While that provision is particularly noxious, Common Cause also reports that there’s an additional attack on transparency tucked away in the cromnibus. The bill blocks the President from requiring federal contractors to disclose their political donations. So not only could companies that deal directly with the federal government hide their donations in plain sight, their contributions to officeholders could jump dramatically.

BOTTOM LINE: This cromnibus is a canary in the coal mine for how Republicans plan to govern in 2015. It reflects their priorities to increase the influence of the wealthy while cutting transparency at the same time. It will take continued vigilance to make sure that people like incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who profess to be for the middle class, don’t get even more opportunities to take speech away from the average person and give it to those at the very top

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NBC, ABC Tout Democrats’ ‘Anger’ at Budget Bill; Omit GOP Complaints – See more at: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2014/12/10/nbc-abc-tout-democrats-anger-budget-bill-omit-gop-complaints#sthash.4uWlztFi.dpuf


The Wednesday editions of NBC Nightly News and ABC’s World News Tonight both spotlighted many Democratic lawmakers’ objections to portions of a proposed budget compromise in Congress. However, the two evening newscasts couldn’t be bothered to mention that many congressional Republicans and their conservative allies also object to parts of the bill, especially on immigration and on social issues.

ABC’s David Muir gave a brief underlining the “fine print” in the legislation, as a on-screen graphic labeled them, but he only included the impacts on liberal pet projects: [video below]

DAVID MUIR: An 11th-hour deal from Washington tonight to keep the government running, but some big surprises to make it happen. They have significantly weakened campaign finance reform. Donors can give up to ten times more than they can now to party committees. Congress also squashing a move, approved by voters, to legalize pot in D.C. Even First Lady Mrs. Obama’s healthy school lunch program taking a hit. Lawmakers begin voting on the measure tomorrow.

http://www.mrctv.org/videos/nbc-abc-tout-democrats-anger-budget-bill-omit-gop-complaints

– See more at: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2014/12/10/nbc-abc-tout-democrats-anger-budget-bill-omit-gop-complaints#sthash.4uWlztFi.dpuf

On NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams introduced correspondent Kelly O’Donnell’s report by outlining that “Congress has to pass a spending bill by tomorrow or risk another government shutdown. A deal was announced on this, but apparently, that was before all the people who will vote on it actually looked at what was in it. And now, the public is learning what was jammed into the bill when a lot of us weren’t looking.” Williams then underlined that “it may all fall apart just below the deadline.”

O’Donnell included only one Republican soundbite during the segment from House Speaker John Boehner, who complimented the proposed bill. The other three clips came from Democrats – including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senator Elizabeth Warren, who both reacted negatively to the compromise. She also highlighted the same complaints from liberals that Muir zeroed in on:

– See more at: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2014/12/10/nbc-abc-tout-democrats-anger-budget-bill-omit-gop-complaints#sthash.4uWlztFi.dpuf

KELLY O’DONNELL (voice-over): Your Congress was gearing up to claim a big victory.

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BOEHNER, (R), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE (from press conference): I’m proud of the work that they’ve done.

O’DONNELL: Keeping the government open – not with another crisis-driven, short-term fix – but a real, year-long budget for nearly all federal departments.

SENATOR BARBARA MIKULSKI, (D), MARYLAND (from speech on Senate floor): What we’re talking about here is a monumental achievement.

O’DONNELL: A $1.1 trillion deal that includes new money to fight Ebola and ISIS militants; beefing up food safety inspections; and giving a small raise to most of the military – a huge package hammered out by a select group of Democrats and Republicans.

Sounds promising, right? Not so fast. When the 1,600 pages went public, surprise and anger – mostly from Democrats – who threatened to pull their support, when they learned the details in this must-pass bill.

REPRESENTATIVE NANCY PELOSI, (D), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Our members are just very, very concerned about it.

O’DONNELL: Many Democrats don’t like a last-minute change from the top Republican leaders to alter campaign finance rules, so big donors can give ten times more money – up to $324,000; watering down requirements for school lunch nutrition, backed by Mrs. Obama; cutting staff at the Environmental Protection Agency; stopping the District of Columbia from legalizing marijuana; and most controversial: rolling back a current ban on taxpayer bailouts for big banks that engage in high-risk investments.

Liberal lawmakers, like Elizabeth Warren, say that can’t happen – even though it was part of a compromise deal.

O’DONNELL (on-camera, from press conference): The public says it wants compromise. Is this compromise gone wrong?

SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN: This isn’t about compromise. This is about reckless behavior.

O’DONNELL (live): Warren wants lawmakers to drop that bailout provision tonight, but that seems unlikely up against the deadline. Senior Democrats, who negotiated this deal, tell me they think they got the best package possible – especially when you consider Republicans will have more members and more power next month.

CBS Evening News didn’t devote any air time to the congressional action. Instead, the program aired full reports on their new poll on race relations in America; the “extreme weather” across the country; Senate Democrats’ CIA interrogation report and the “swift reaction to the Senate report from Muslim extremists;” new doubts about the alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia; and high school students’ views on race relations.

– See more at: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2014/12/10/nbc-abc-tout-democrats-anger-budget-bill-omit-gop-complaints#sthash.4uWlztFi.dpuf