Tag Archives: politics

the Senate ~~ CONGRESS 7/30 ~~ the House


Obama Launches DNC Campaign Tour At Illinois State Capitol

The Senate stands adjourned until 9:30am on Wednesday, July 30, 2014.

 

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of S.2569, the Brings Jobs Home Act. There will be 1 hour for debate equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees. Upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate will proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Bring Jobs Home Act. If cloture is not invoked, there will be an immediate cloture vote on the motion to proceed to S.2648, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act.

 

Approximately 10:45am—Up to 2 roll call votes, 3 voice votes

  1. Motion to invoke cloture on S.2569, Bring Jobs Home Act
  2. Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.2648, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act
  3. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #535, Cynthia H. Akuetteh, to be Ambassador to the Gabonese Republic and to be Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
  4. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #783, Erika Lizabeth Moritsugu, to be an Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
  5. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #729, Richard A. Kennedy, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for a term expiring May 30, 2016

Senator Reid file cloture on Executive Calendar #848, the nomination of Jill Pryor, of Georgia, to be United States Circuit Judge of the Eleventh Circuit. Unless an agreement can be reached, the cloture vote would occur one hour after the Senate convenes on Friday, August 1st.

10:50am, the Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on S.2569, the Bring Jobs Home Act.

Not invoked: 54-42

11:18am The Senate began a 10 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.2648, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Invoked: 63-33

The Senate confirmed the following nominations by voice vote:
  1. Executive Calendar #535 Cynthia H. Akuetteh, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Gabonese Republic, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
  2. Executive Calendar #783 Erika Lizabeth Moritsugu, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
  3. Executive Calendar #729 Richard A. Kennedy, of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

 

WRAP UP

Roll Call Votes

  1. The motion to invoke cloture on S.2569, Bring Jobs Home Act; Not Invoked: 54-42
  2. The motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.2648, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations; Invoked: 63-33

Legislative Business

Began the Rule 14 process to place on the Legislative Calendar of Business S.2709, Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act (Manchin)

Completed the Rule 14 process to place on the Legislative Calendar of Business S.2685, USA Freedom Act (Leahy)

Executive Business

The following nominations were confirmed by voice votes:

  1. Executive Calendar #535, Cynthia H. Akuetteh, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to the Gabonese Republic and to serve concurrently as Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
  2. Executive Calendar #783, Erika Lizabeth Moritsugu, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
  3. Executive Calendar #729, Richard A. Kennedy, of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

 

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Last Floor Action:
10:00:53 A.M. – MORNING-HOUR DEBATE – The House proceeded with Morning-Hour Debate.

At the conclusion of Morning-Hour, the House will recess until 12:00 p.m. for the start of legislative business.

Last Floor Action:
7:44:16 P.M. – The House adjourned.

The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on July 30, 2014.

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New Commitment​s in Support of My Brother’s Keeper


Earlier this week, President Obama visited the Walker Jones Education Campus in Washington, D.C. to participate in a town hall with youth, and to announce new commitments in support of the My Brother’s Keeper initiative.

Find out more about the new commitments here.

As the President said during the town hall, “We want fewer young men in jail; we want more of them in college. We want fewer young men on the streets; we want more in the boardrooms. We want everybody to have a chance to succeed in America. And it’s possible if we’ve got the kind of team that we set up today.”

 

In February, as part of his plan to make 2014 a year of action focused on expanding opportunity for all Americans, the President unveiled the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.

The Administration is doing its part by identifying programs and policies that work, and recommending action that will help all our young people succeed. Since the launch of My Brother’s Keeper, the President’s Task Force has met with and heard from thousands of Americans, through online and in-person listening sessions, who are already taking action.

Learn more at WhiteHouse.gov/My-Brothers-Keeper.

And if you haven’t already, commit to making a difference by pledging to mentor a young person in your community.

Stay Connected

Watch President Obama answer questions during this week’s town hall:

 

 

 

 Watch the President in this week's town hall.

 

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a message from VP Joe Biden


The White House, Washington

Hey, everyone —

During his State of the Union address, the President asked me to lead an across-the-board review of our nation’s job-training programs.

It’s a top priority for the President, and it is absolutely critical to our economy’s success.

So earlier today, I put forward a roadmap for how the United States can keep and maintain the highest-skilled workforce in the world.

I’ve met with business leaders, community college presidents, governors and mayors, and most importantly, hard-working Americans who were hit hard by the Great Recession, but who are doing everything they can to learn new skills to find a decent, good-paying middle-class job.

And there was a clear consensus: We must rethink how we train today’s workers so that our programs are job-driven, teaching real skills that employers need.

We’ve heard from businesses that many jobs in today’s brightest sectors go unfilled because there simply aren’t enough people with the skills to do them. That’s not good for businesses, it’s not good for workers, and it’s not good for this country.

Some of our country’s businesses, community colleges, and state and local training programs — often supported with federal dollars — have found ways to successfully prepare Americans for these jobs. We need to make sure our entire system is learning from them.

Find out why training programs matter for middle-class Americans — and which ones around the country are working best.

We’re taking steps to improve that training, directing federal agencies to make current programs that serve more than 21 million Americans smarter, and holding training programs that use public funds accountable for making a difference.

This isn’t the only step we’re taking to make sure Americans have the skills they need, either. Today, I joined President Obama as he signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act into law. It connects more ready-to-work Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs. And it builds on bipartisan efforts in Congress to improve business engagement and accountability. While there’s still more to do, it’s another important step in getting Americans working.

Thanks,

Vice President Joe Biden