Tag Archives: republicans

Blue Cross rejecting payments for HIV/AIDS medication


Mike Reitz: Stop AIDS discrimination by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana.

    By Robert Darrow

            Shreveport, Louisiana

Due to a new policy from Louisiana’s largest health insurer, hundreds of people living with HIV and AIDS are in danger of losing access to essential medication.BlueCross BlueShield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) is rejecting checks from a federal program designed to help these patients pay for AIDS drugs and insurance premiums and has begun notifying customers that their enrollment in its Obamacare plans will be discontinued because it will no longer accept “third-party payments.” This funding was established through the Ryan White CARE Act of 1990 which has been crucial to ensuring that those living with HIV and AIDS can gain access to the medication they need.Several months ago, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) encouraged health plans to stop accepting “third-party payments,” but this weekend (February 8th), CMS stated unequivocally that “federal rules do not prevent the use of Ryan White funds to pay for health care plans.” BCBSLA said it is “reviewing and considering this new information,” but we need commitments to help save and extend hundreds of lives in Louisiana.

As someone living with AIDS who helped found the local organization in Shreveport that oversees Ryan White funding, I know these funds change lives — and I’m afraid that if BCBSLA gets away with denying this coverage, other insurers across the country could follow suit. Please join me in tell BCBSLA to accept federal funding for people living with HIV and AIDS and to stop this discrimination.

Abusive & Racist Language Degrades Us All


I am taking a stand for civility.

In March of 2010, we saw people with signs acting as if not only had they lost their minds but were transported back to a time when no person of colour wants, will go or be forced to accept in the 21st century. There is no place in our political discourse for the abusive, derogatory and racist language used against or by our members of Congress yet since the overwhelming GOP vote in 2010 a group called the TeaParty has decided racial activism is the only way to win .  We have seen a generation prove that primitive behavior that I call hate speech has been given a pass by judges on all levels the first amendment is being misused abused by those in positions of power. I want justice for what is clearly racist hate speech, that used to be treated and prosecuted accordingly.  Now, we see those with privilege acting out and getting away with using nasty ugly words we all know are racist offensive threats to the lives of the President.  There are folks making ugly threats, hopefully our secret service, FBI and CIA visit the homes of people who keep feeling their words of hate are covered by the first amendment … No one has the right to make threats of bodily harm to any human being no matter what race creed or ethnic origin

This sort of language degrades us all and undermines our democratic process.

the Senate ~~ CONGRESS 1/30 ~~ the House


matthew 25

The Senate stands adjourned until 10:00am on Thursday, January 30, 2014.

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of S.1926, the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act.

The time until 11:15am will be equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees. The final 10 minutes will be equally divided and controlled between Senators Menendez and Toomey or their designees with Senator Toomey controlling the final five minutes.

At 11:15am, there will be up to 4 roll call votes in relation to the following:

– Toomey amendment #2707, as modified

– Coburn amendment #2697

– Merkley amendment #2709, as modified and

– Heller amendment #2700.

Following disposition of the Heller amendment, the Senate will recess until 2:00pm. At 2:00pm, there will be a roll call vote on passage of S.1926, as amended.  There will be two minutes of debate prior to each vote and all after the first vote will be 10 minutes in duration.

During Leader remarks, Senator Reid moved to proceed to Calendar #297, S.1950, a bill to improve the provisions of medical services and benefits to veterans. At 10:39am, the Senate resumed consideration of Calendar #294, S.1926, Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014. The time until 11:30am will be equally divided between the two Leaders or their designees.

At 11:15am, there will be up to 4 roll call votes in relation to the following:

– Toomey amendment #2707, as modified (substitute);

– Coburn amendment #2697 (NARAB alternative);

– Merkley amendment #2709, as modified (forced planned insurance); and

– Heller amendment #2700 (state authority—private flood insurance).

Following the votes, the Senate will recess until 1:50pm  for the DPCC luncheon.

At 1:50pm the Senate will vote on the following:

–          Passage of S.1926, Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014, as amended.

All of the above listed votes are subject to majority vote thresholds. There will be 2 minutes for debate equally divided prior to each vote. All votes after the first will be 10 minute votes.

11:19am The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on Toomey amendment #2707, as modified (substitute);

Not Agreed To: 34-65

11:49am The Senate began a 10 minute roll call vote on Coburn amendment #2697 (NARAB alternative);

Not Agreed To: 24-75

Senator Merkley withdrew amendment #2709, as modified.

12:10pm The Senate began a 10 minute roll call vote on Heller amendment #2700 (state authority—private flood insurance

Not Agreed to: 49-50

At 1:55pm, the Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on passage of S.1926, Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014, as amended.

Passed: 67-32

This will be the last vote of the week.

Senator Reid filed cloture on the conference report to accompany H.R.2642, the Farm bill.

By consent, the cloture vote will occur at 5:30pm, Monday, February 3rd.

If cloture is invoked, there will be 20 minutes remaining post-cloture at 2:15pm, Tuesday, February 4th, with the time equally divided between the two Leaders, or their designees.

Upon the use or yielding back of that time, all post cloture time will be considered expired and the Senate will proceed to vote on adoption of the conference report.

The Senate is considering the conference report to accompany H.R.2642, the Farm bill.

There will be no further roll call votes this week.

WRAP UP

Roll Call Votes

1)     Toomey amendment #2707, as modified (substitute) to S.1926, the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act; Not Agreed To: 34-65

2)     Coburn amendment #2697 (NARAB alternative); Not Agreed To: 24-75

3)     Heller amendment #2700 (state authority—private flood insurance); Not Agreed to: 49-50

4)     Passage of S.1926, Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014, as amended; Passed: 67-32

Legislative Items

Adopted S.Res.342, designating February 3 through 6, 2014, as “National School Counseling Week”.

Began the Rule 14 process of S.1977, to repeal section 403 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, relating to an annual adjustment of retired pay for members of the Armed Forces under the age of 62, and to provide and offset (Ayotte and others) in order to place the bill on the Legislative Calendar.

No Executive Items

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

Last Floor Action:
12:31:09 P.M. – The House adjourned.

The next meeting is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on January 31, 2014.

Mayor Bill de Blasio …


Rights Versus Resources in the Amazon


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Rights Versus Resources in the Amazon

Texaco oil well in the Ecuadorian Amazon

Tar sands, hydraulic fracking, deep water drilling. All are examples that we are living in the age of extreme oil. With most major reserves of traditional crude found or tapped, the industry is encroaching into some of the most geologically-complicated, environmentally-risky and socially-conflictive terrain than ever before. As the price of crude hovers at $100, companies are eager to get at what was once impossible crude, much to the peril of people and the planet.

In some cases, this means pursuing non-conventional sources of oil, once technologically or financially out of reach, but now lucrative, despite being more energy intensive to extract than the final crude produced. In other cases, this means attempting to access “shut in” reserves – oil fields trapped by local resistance or above-ground ecological importance.

There is no greater example of this clash than what is playing out in the forests of Ecuador’s Amazon. There is a new oil boom underway, fuelled by the country’s rising debt, China’s energy demands, Ecuador’s leftist government’s plans to finance its “citizen’s revolution”, and the massive increase in public spending with expanded drilling.

Read the rest on Eye on the Amazon »