Tag Archives: National Labor Relations Board

Black History

Congress: the Republican led House passes HR1021,Temporary Bankruptcy Judgeships Extension Act of 2011 – the Senate considers S.1925,S.JRes.36,NLRB,Judicial nominees and S.1789


the Senate Convenes at 12:00pmET April 23, 2012

  • Following the prayer and pledge, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.1925, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.
  • At 2:00pm, the Republican Leader or his designee will be recognized to make a motion to proceed to S.J.Res.36, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the National Labor Relations Board relating to representation election procedures with 2 hours of debate, equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees.
  • At 4:00pm, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.1925, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.
  • At 5:00pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar #528, the nomination of Brian C. Wimes, of MO, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri with 30 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees.  Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 5:30pm), there will be a roll call vote on confirmation of the Wimes nomination.
  • On Thursday, the Senate reached an agreement to complete action on S.1789, the Postal Reform bill.  The Majority Leader announced that the time from 12:00pm-2:00pm, 4:00pm-5:00pm and the time following the vote on Monday evening will be for Senators to debate their amendments to the Postal Reform bill.

5:31pm The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #528, the nomination of Brian Wimes, of MO, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri; Confirmed: 92-1

The following amendments are pending to S.1789, the Postal Reform bill:

The following amendments to S.1789 have been considered:

ROLL CALL VOTE

1)      Confirmation of the nomination of Brian C. Wimes, of MO, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri; Confirmed: 92-1

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Completed the Rule 14 process of S.2327, a bill to prohibit direct foreign assistance to the Government of Egypt until the President makes certain certifications related to treatment of nongovernmental organization workers, and for other purposes. (Paul)

Began the Rule 14 process of S.2338, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012. (Hutchison, Grassley and Cornyn)

No EXECUTIVE ITEMS

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House Floor Activities                

Legislative Day of April 23, 2012  

-The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on April 24, 2012.11:03:39 A.M. -The House received a communication from Eric With, District Director, Office of Congressman Michael C. Burgess. Pursuant to Rule VIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, Mr. With notified the House that he had been served with a subpoena issued by the 362nd Judicial District Court in Denton, Texas, for testimony in a criminal case and that after consultation with the Office of General Counsel, he had determined that compliance with the subpoena was consistent with the precedents and privileges of the House.11:03:02 A.M. -The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received a message from the Secretary of the Senate on April 23, 2012 at 9:15 a.m., stating that that body had passed H.R. 1021 with an amendment.11:02:10 A.M. -PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair led the House in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.11:02:06 A.M. -The Speaker announced approval of the Journal.  Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.11:01:03 A.M. -Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Patrick J. Conroy.11:00:34 A.M. -The Speaker designated the Honorable John Abney Culberson to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.11:00:24 A.M. -The House convened, starting a new legislative day.

The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on April 24, 2012.

Black History

Congress: the Republican led House – Congress takes Friday off – the Senate considers S.1925,Judicial nominees & S.1789


the Senate Convenes at  12:00pmET April 23, 2012

  • Following the prayer and pledge, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.1925, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.
  • At 2:00pm, the Republican Leader or his designee will be recognized to make a motion to proceed to S.J.Res.36, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the National Labor Relations Board relating to representation election procedures with 2 hours of debate, equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees.
  • At 4:00pm, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.1925, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.
  • At 5:00pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar #528, the nomination of Brian C. Wimes, of MO, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri with 30 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees.  Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 5:30pm), there will be a roll call vote on confirmation of the Wimes nomination.
  • On Thursday, the Senate reached an agreement to complete action on S.1789, the Postal Reform bill.  The Majority Leader announced that the time from 12:00pm-2:00pm, 4:00pm-5:00pm and the time following the vote on Monday evening will be for Senators to debate their amendments to the Postal Reform bill.

——————————————————————————————-

The next meeting is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on April 23, 2012.

~ my 2cents ...

TGIF &some News


just another rant … long

The word of the day is stifling … It is winter yet the first week of January brought the NW 50degrees and some sun shine then a lot of sleet, wind and more wind to last me a while.  Our temps had been 30degrees since October and gotta say this warm, cold and or freezing thing one day here there only to have 3″ of rain sun and 50 on the other days is just odd …and as if somebody said hey … It’s winter the temp dropped and we are back down into the 3o’s …Can we just All accept that global warming exists. Therefore, we will call this Climate Change.

Anyway, it is a good time to breathe in slowly, reach up to the sky, and breathe out through your nose very slowly while letting your arms lower to your sides. Repeat as needed …

Yes, there is a lot of stuff going on all over the World that could and probably will ultimately affect us all and it is not just climate change -dang, and it is only the first week of January.  It is sad to say nothing is going on in Congress, the place where lawmakers …make laws that help keep our Democracy functioning but has been somewhat of a failure lately.  I know i am not alone in saying … thank goodness President Obama has ALL Americans in his mind and heart and was willing to do what was right, what we all used to believe was the job of Congress but Teapublican members of both Chambers have misused abused and probably signed a Pledge with the decision to slow down progress with less time spent Session.

Americans are not stupid, we see what Teapublicans are doing …limiting and tying the hands of our Elected President and governing Party that 53% voted them in to do….Govern

 Some folks say it is about time President Obama used his executive powers while others said yeah sure but he did not go far enough or why did he wait for so long. I like to think there are more folks like me  who have stayed tuned in and see a verbal and paper trail that needed to be laid out given the brinksmanship that broke out say the 1st day President Obama took office.  Can’t lie, I wanted the Democratic Party to hit the ground running , be bold be brave move some stuff through both Chambers of Congress but here we are three years later and I’m still wondering where when and why they have yet to go bold. Hell, who are these people is more like it; who knew our own party was strange.  I will also admit I take quite personally what happened prior to the midterm elections and afterward.  What I saw was a bunch of members so distracted by the possibilities of losing their seats that they left just elected President Obama blowing in the wind, some still holding onto Hilliary grudges, others race issues and some just on the extreme side period. I blame Congress for not getting our economy back on track sooner but what better way to be slapped into a rude awakening after Mitch McConnell shocked us all and told the truth … That his job was to make Barack Obama a one term President.  Reality … “they want their country back”    ok, 53% voted for Barack Obama and  excuse me but who exactly are “they” who want “their country back” and what the hell does that mean anyway … ok, i know but hey i am still ranting about that and FYI lefties he is not a King though if you listen to matt damon and some others he wants his mandate implemented  …or he will oh wait he had the melt down right … where is that school house rock vid when you need it …  … oh wait … enjoy …matt damon should watcht this  O ;

    http://youtu.be/3eeOwPoayOk

 <<< click on link for  … school house rock i’m just a bill

 So, the journey toward progress has been slow but not impossible and as the months went by and Teapublicans filibustered more and more people began to have some sort of distorted view of just exactly what a President does and how he does it.   I had this … go big go bold or go home attitude toward Congress because 53% wanted big bold changes for all Americans. I still have the audacity to have hope to make big changes but I have realized that our diverse group of dems can also self-sabotage our progress and this is so sad. The Democratic Party even with all the filibusters has accomplished some great stuff in Congress …

This week, President Obama has made some executive orders that will help consumers  and has been absent for at least a year because Teapublicans have managed to block the nomination 2 Obama Admin Agency heads for the CFPB for almost if not longer than a year, appointing nominees to the NLRB and 180,000 summer job programs for our youth. We all know President Obama, ridiculed by the left for not using his executive powers and by the right for being in power period.  Thankfully, he has decided to use his executive power by exercising his right to recess appointments for Mr. Cordray, in charge of the CFPB and three NLRB board members to take care of worker rights, which is a no brainer while Teapublicans have come out in outrage. I wonder if their staff is telling them to stand down because y’all words can be played back and expose the truth … That union; women, children, minorities, vets, worker, and gay rights are and would be at risk if we let Teapublicans gain control. I guess my attitude upset some people.

I received a comment on my blog some time ago, which I totally love and hope others will as well but I wanted to share the question because it was a good one …I am no expert I just have a lot to say… good bad and sometimes really bad; Anyway here it is: what is wrong with capitalism? People want to start companies and make money and be profitable, and people like you have a problem with that, why? You also have a problem with people wanting to limit government spending and ending socialized programs. They are trying to do smart things to make this country prosperous again, and yet you think they are extremists. If you can explain this to me, I would appreciate it.

My response was that I have absolutely nothing against capitalism with a small c but the big C and D that brought us this economic crisis represents Capitalism and Deregulation that was so out of control gotta wonder what was their definition of good  “self-regulating.”  How can anyone accept what happened as par for the course as Teapublicans seem to , if  Wall Street, the oil, insurance and gas companies lack of regulation led to dabbling and or using other people’s money to bet on stocks that had no value. Teapublicans bet and lost most if not all of our $$ and here we are. I believe that people invest their earnings with the idea of trusting folks who say they know what they are doing…example a 401k and yes it is a risk but that risk is or should not be corrupted. In addition, as far as having a problem with people wanting limited government.  I think having limited government depends on the status of our economy and who is governing it. I know that before President Obama was elected we all found  out the house of Bush had a financial crisis and instead of cooperating with the governing power Teapublicans decided to throw Americans under the bus vote NO on legislation that probably would have made a significant impact on the state of our economy. We the people wanted to do big things hoping Congress would throw $$ at a big problem but again Teapublicans and conservadems said NO to the notion and or idea of big government programs or stimulus while behind the scenes they were all asking for more stimulus money.

I am still trying to understand how Republicans were able to get away with not just threatening or saying they will not help unless you give us what we want but our Democratic Party seemed to have a passive aggressive reaction. Clearly ,it was reckless behavior and if it weren’t for government programs the Gulf Coast would not exist; and what would your neighborhood look like without Teachers, Cops, Emts, First responders because they are all government jobs; Republicans keep doing whatever they can to ruin President Obama  by offering up no solutions no viable plans of substance no details. People act like all this spending would happen whether the economy collapse or not …that is just not so -and it is sad offensive and typical that the Media and folks on the right are promoting this nonsense. The problem we had needed a huge sum of money thrown at it but the Republican Tea Party has been the spoiler…the obstacle and the blame if things get worse and I will admit there are some conservadems to blame as well. I wanted someone to ask … when Bush knew we were headed for an economic collapse and why Bush did not head off the collapse off at the pass before the 2008 election can be debated. The other questions we should all ask are … why not pay for the 2wars waged and the 2tax cuts. The last guy screwed us and the fix takes both sides of the aisle and that is not happening … I blame Republicans.
As far as ending socialized programs or limiting government.

 I believe a woman should have the right to choose and if a law is needed, the Hyde amendment is the current law and should be enough for everyone.  Yet, most conservatives believe they have the right to tell me what to do with my body and yes, I believe that the people who are able and willing to build an Islamic center should be given the chance to help the community and just to remind you, not all Muslim Americans are terrorist, they can be Caucasian, African American, and Asian too. The new attacks on women, children, and worker rights are a great warning to all and any notion to manipulate the 14th Amendment should scare those of us with dark skin or who look reasonable suspicious …oh and don’t forget gays or straights who support gay marriage and religious freedom.

Makes you wonder what year it is.

 Other News …

Pres. Obama, Top Defense Leaders Release Military Strategy Report

Commerce Secretary John Bryson on the Economy

House Dems Discuss Payroll Tax Conference Committee

CFPB Director Richard Cordray in His First Day on the Job

Wisc. Governor Discusses Budget Reforms

Sen. McCain Endorses Mitt Romney

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

AFL – CIO


Congress is back, but House Republicans are saying no to creating jobs.Instead, they are rushing to pass legislation that would let the Boeing Co. off the hook for its alleged violations of labor law. They’ve combined this get-out-of-jail-free card for Boeing with vicious attacks on workers’ rights.Hurry: A vote is expected as early as Thursday.
Pop quiz: What would happen if H.R. 2587—a bill that House Republicans plan to bring up for a vote as early as this Thursday—became law?
A. It would eliminate any remedy for alleged law-breaking by the Boeing Co.—which is accused of moving aircraft production away from its Washington Statefacility in retaliation for workers exercising their legal rights—before an ongoing trial can finish.B.It would gut our labor laws, so a company can never again face meaningful punishment for moving jobs to retaliate against workers who engage in perfectly legal behavior.C.It would show that a company with the right politician friends is above the law.D. All of the above.
If you answered D, you’re correct.Please help us stop these attacks on workers—combined with a get-out-of-jail-free card for Boeing—now. Click here to take action.Back in April, the general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)—the federal agency tasked with protecting workers’ rights—took a routine step: enforcing a law that’s been on the books for more than 70 years.In America, no company is above the law.And on some things, the law is clear. For example, a company cannot retaliate against workers for exercising their legal rights by moving their jobs.When Boeing moved aircraft production away from its Washington State facility after workers exercised their legal right to strike, the board did its job: it investigated. And after examining the facts, the NLRB’s general counsel charged that Boeing illegally retaliated against its workers.

Rather than let the NLRB do its job, House Republicans are trying to let Boeing off the hook before their trial even finishes. They’ve already tried to interfere with the NLRB’s investigation and even threatened the agency’s general counsel. Now, they’re trying to pass a bill that both lets Boeing off the hook for alleged violations of workers’ rights and makes sweeping changes to the National Labor Relations Act that would result in serious, harmful changes to jobs and workers’ rights throughout the country.

Urge your representative to stop the partisan attacks on workers’ rights and create jobs for America.

Congress should be finding ways to work with the president to create jobs. But partisanship, led by tea party Republicans, has so dominated our national debate that many of our elected leaders are willing to ruin our economy to grab headlines and attention.

Instead of taking up bills that create jobs, House Republicans are once again pursuing a destructive political agenda. Of the many casualties, workers’ rights have climbed to the top of the list. It’s time for this to stop.

In Solidarity,

Manny Herrmann
Online Mobilization Coordinator, AFL-CIO

P.S. Here are just two examples of what life would look like for workers under the Republicans’ plan:

  • If a group of workers walked out of a plant because of unsafe working conditions, the company could decide to move the work and the jobs rather than fix the problem, and the NLRB would be powerless to protect the workers or their jobs.
  • If a group of women or African Americans joined together to protest race or sex discrimination by their employer, the company could simply transfer the work somewhere else, and the NLRB would be powerless to protect the workers.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Happy Labor Day …Gregg Ross, Democracy for America


Happy Labor Day!

As we celebrate today, it’s important to keep in mind that Republicans are still waging an all-out war on working families across America.

Last month we won two big victories against anti-union Republican Senators in Wisconsin – and we are continuing to fight the Republican anti-union agenda state by state.

Show your solidarity with workers across the country. Sign up to get a free “Unions = Jobs” bumper sticker today.

Thanks for everything you do.

– Gregg

Gregg Ross, Political Campaign Manager
Democracy for America