Tag Archives: Senate

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Stop Liberty,BP’s Next Big Drilling Disaster

09/27/2010 Nativegrl77

Urge Interior Secretary Salazar to stop BP‘s next drilling disaster before it even happens!

Right now the only thing standing between BP and its next big drilling disaster is the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar. BP built a gravel drilling island three miles off Alaska’s north coast and classified the Liberty drilling project as “onshore,” thereby dodging the recent moratorium on offshore drilling in the arctic waters off Alaska. BP calls Liberty one of its “biggest challenges to date,” and if it moves forward, the company will push the limits of drilling in Alaska’s Arctic, just as it pushed the limits of deepwater drilling in the Gulf with the Deepwater Horizon.

What BP is proposing is crazy. The company’s current plan calls for a well to be drilled that extends two miles below the seabed and then six to eight miles sideways to get at the oil they believe lies below federal waters in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea. It’s a disaster waiting to happen in a place where it’s simply impossible to respond to and clean up a large oil spill.

Allowing the company responsible for the worst oil spill in US history to attempt such a risky drilling project in the ice-infested waters of Alaska is the true definition of insanity repeating the same mistakes yet expecting different results. Take action now and ask Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to stop BP from moving forward with Liberty.

It took BP more than three months to end the gusher in the Gulf, and the region will be feeling the effects of the nearly 5 million barrels of oil that were spilled for decades to come. Alaska’s arctic marine environment is even more fragile than the Gulf of Mexico, and moreover, BP lacks adequate response assets in this remote part of the state where darkness, intense cold and storms, and solid or broken sea ice are the norm for much of the year. It’s no wonder the US Coast Guard called an oil spill in Arctic waters a “nightmare scenario.”

BP’s own analysis says there’s an eight percent chance of a large oil spill at Liberty. Would you get onto a plane if the pilot told you there was an eight percent chance of it crashing? Didn’t think so.

BP has already built Liberty Island and has received all of its permits except for one the federal government’s final sign off on BP’s “application for a permit to drill.” Secretary Salazar can deny this final permit, urge him to stop BP’s next big drilling disaster now.

Sincerely,

Melanie Duchin
Arctic Program Director

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

what’s going on in Congress …update 9/27

09/27/2010 Nativegrl77

The Senate Convenes: 2pmET on this September 27, 2010

Morning business until 3pm with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar #578, S.3816, a bill to create American jobs and to prevent the offshoring of such jobs.

Senators should expect a live quorum at approximately 7pm on Monday.

Votes:
241: The motion to instruct the Sergeant At Arms to request the presence of absent senators; Agreed to: 48-25

Unanimous Consent:
Passed H.R.553, the Reducing Over-Classification Act, with Lieberman amendment.

Passed H.R.946, the Plain Writing Act of 2010 w/ an Akaka amendment

Passed H.R.3553, the Indian Veterans Housing Opportunity Act of 2010.

Passed H.R.2092, the Kingman and Heritage Islands Act of 2009 w/ committee-reported amendments.

Passed S.1510, US Secret Service Uniformed Division Modernization Act w/ substitute amendment

Concurred in the House Message to accompany S.2868, the Federal Supply Schedules Usage Act of 2010.

Passed H.R.3808, the Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010.

Passed H.R.2701, Intelligence Authorization w/ Feinstein-Bond substitute amendment.

Passed S.1338, a bill to require the accreditation of English language training programs and for other purposes.

Passed S.3802, Mount Stevens and Ted Stevens Icefield Designation Act w/ a Murkowski substitute amendment.

Passed S.3847, a bill to implement certain defense trade cooperation treaties and for other purposes.

Passed H.R.2923, the Combat Methamphetamine Enhancement Act.

Adopted S.Res.618, designating October 2010 as “National Work and Family Month.”

Adopted S.Res.649, supporting the goals and ideals of “National Save for Retirement Week.”

Adopted S.Res.650, designating the week of October 24-October 31, 2010, as “National Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.”

Adopted S.Res.651, recognizing the 20th anniversary of the designation of the month of September 1991 as “National Rice Month.”

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The next meeting in the House is scheduled for 10:30amET September 28, 2010

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Tell Secretary Sebelius that Vulnerable Women Deserve Abortion Coverage

09/26/2010 Nativegrl77

National Women's Law Center

Stand Up Against Blanket Abortion Coverage Prohibition

Tell Secretary Sebelius not to undermine women’s reproductive health in the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans.

Remember how angry women got when we were told we couldn’t use our own private dollars to obtain coverage of abortion care? Well it’s back. The Administration decided — without justification in law or policy — to ban abortion coverage in the newly created Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans.

It is still bad policy and your voice is needed.

Tell Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius how this harmful restriction undermines women’s access to reproductive health care now. Submit your comments today.

If adopted, this ban would prevent women with serious pre-existing medical conditions — like cancer or diabetes — from getting the abortion coverage they need to protect their health. And it will not even allow women the ability to pay for such coverage with their own private premium dollars.

Comments are due this Tuesday, September 28, so take action and tell Secretary Sebelius to stand up for the health of these vulnerable women and to reject this dangerous policy once and for all.

The National Women’s Law Center will not rest until the restrictions on abortion coverage are fixed. Thank you for continuing to fight with us to protect women’s health.

Sincerely,Judy Waxman
Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights
National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Help us continue to protect women’s reproductive rights and expand the opportunities for women and their families. Support our work today.

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Renee Ellmers video …in her own words

09/25/2010 Nativegrl77

I ask you are the words of ms Ellmers hateful, racist, provoke fear and possible violence …do we accept this kind of rhetoric from people who call themselves Americans or do we keep them out of any position of power especially political power; is this fear mongering by Republicans or what? This is not the kind of people i want in charge when my child grows up or grand children… Discrimination should be an issue we are all working on to make a nasty thing of the past.

After the Muslims conquered Jerusalem and Cordoba and Constantinople.
They built victory mosques and, now, they want to build a mosque by Ground Zero. Where does Bob Etheridge stand? He won’t say. Won’t speak out. Won’t take a stand. The terrorists haven’t won and we should tell them in plain English, No. There will never be a mosque at Ground Zero.

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a message from Nancy Pelsosi FW: Barack Obama’s Urgent Message

09/25/2010 Nativegrl77

On Wednesday, President Obama issued an urgent call to action for Democratic supporters nationwide: $1 million in grassroots dollars before Thursday’s final and most important quarterly reporting deadline. The amount of money we have in the bank as of midnight on the 30th will be used to judge our chances of winning tight races and retaining our Majority. This is also one of the last times to effectively expand advertising time in districts.

There has never been a more critical time to give. If we don’t want to see what we have worked so hard for come undone, we must stand united. Time is running out and I need your support now more than ever. Please contribute $5, $10 or more today and our matching program will be an unprecedented triple match by a group of committed Democrats.

Thank you as always for standing with us.

Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House

————————————————————————————
From: Barack Obama
Sent: Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010 10:42am
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: The Choice
————————————————————————————

Friend —

In the coming weeks, Americans will make a critical choice. Do we continue moving our country forward? Or do we bring back the very same ideas that devastated the middle class and resulted in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression?

There is no doubt that Democrats can retain our Majority in the House of Representatives in the same way that we won in 2008 — by going block by block, house by house, voter by voter.

September 30th marks the final FEC quarterly fundraising deadline of this election, making this the most important deadline we have ever faced. Your support by Midnight on September 30th will decide how strong our voter contact team is, how far they can extend their reach, and how many Democratic voters they can get to the polls.

Contribute before the crucial Midnight September 30th FEC deadline to fund our get-out-the-vote effort and ensure that I keep my great Democratic Partners in the House. Your gift today will be matched by a group of generous Democrats.

The challenges we face as a nation are too great to go back to the same old Republican ideas that got us into this mess in the first place. We simply cannot give the keys to the car back to the very same folks whose ideas led to the worst economy since the 1930s.

Since taking office, I have been fortunate to have extraordinary partners in the House like Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues who have fought to move our country in a New Direction. They have put our recovery on track, fought Republican attempts to privatize Social Security, and heroically taken on the powerful special interests. Now they need your help.

When my own campaign for this office began, we weren’t given much of a chance by the pollsters or the pundits. You proved them wrong through your belief that 2008 had to be different. Now I need you to do it again for my great Democratic allies in the House.

We simply cannot afford to spend the next two years wishing we had done more in this final push to keep the House in Democratic hands.

This is our moment to retain a Democratic House so we can continue working to create millions of jobs, strengthen our middle class, and make this economy work for every American.

Thank you.

Barack Obama

P.S. Every dollar you give will help decide how strong our voter contact team is, how far they can extend their reach, and how many Democratic voters they can get to the polls. Contribute today and your gift will be matched by a group of generous Democrats.