Tag Archives: Senate

The NFL


TheNFLCongress: Revoke the Tax-Exempt Status of the National Football League

By Lynda Woolard
New Orleans, Louisiana

Despite the fact that it is a $9Billion/Year industry, the National Football League (NFL) continues to enjoy status as a non-profit organization — meaning it doesn’t have to pay federal corporate taxes.

The Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, makes nearly $30 million a year — earning more than the heads of companies like Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart. Through TV deals alone, the NFL has inked nearly $30 billion with various television networks. And so often, fans like you and me are asked to foot the bill for new stadiums through our own taxes.

Yet despite being the most profitable sports league in the entire world, the NFL does not pay federal taxes.

The NFL should pay their fair share towards our economy! Just like Major League Baseball, which gave up its nonprofit status in recent years, as well as the National Basketball Association, the NFL should not be able to hide under a nonprofit status in order to avoid paying federal taxes.

The NFL has methodically worked to shift all the power to their side, leaving players, employees and PARTICULARLY THE FANS little say in what goes on with the league. We deserve a say, but do not wish to boycott our teams! Therefore, we are calling on our elected representatives to revoke the tax-exempt status we bestowed upon the league half a century ago. Please sign this petition, and let Congress know that you want them to reconsider the NFL’s tax exempt status.

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


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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.

1,600,000 And Counting…


By 

Bring the Unemployed in From the Cold

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The number of Americans who have lost their unemployment benefits is huge…and growing.

Today, we will hit the 1.6 million mark for the number of people who have been cut off from emergency unemployment benefits since December 28. That is 1.6 million Americans whose financial security, and in many cases their children’s financial security, is in jeopardy because Republicans in Congress have failed to act.

Last week, a majority of Senators voted to extend these benefits. But because of Republican obstruction, it didn’t pass the filibuster-proof 60 vote threshold. In fact, as shown below, many of the Republicans who voted against renewing unemployment benefits come from states where it is especially needed.

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Not only did these and other Republican Senators vote against the unemployed in their states, they also voted against the will of a vast majority of Americans. Poll after poll (after poll!), including the latest from CBS News released yesterday, finds up to seven in 10 Americans want to extend unemployment insurance benefits for those that lost them when they expired at the end of 2013.

Meanwhile, Republican grandees gathered at the winter meeting of the Republican National Committee actually voted to call for an end to a successful crackdown on wealthy tax dodgers in order to help, as they explained it, raise more money from wealthy Americans living abroad. It’s no wonder that 63 percent of Americans believe the policies pushed by Republicans in Congress favor the wealthy, while just 9 percent think they favor the middle class.

BOTTOM LINE: Profits at the biggest banks may have bounced back to record highs, but the economy is still not working for too many struggling families.  Letting the extended, emergency unemployment benefits lapse through the next year would cost us 240,000 jobs and slash economic growth.  It already drained $400 million from state economies in the first week alone. We can’t afford for Republicans to oppose this vital program that would support their state economies and extend lifeline for those looking for work.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)


01/16/2014 09:00 AM EST
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a message from Gov.Inslee


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One year ago today, I was sworn in as governor of the great state of Washington — and what a year it has been.

We made historic investments in education — without cuts to vital services. We passed important legislation that will protect the future of Washington’s aerospace industry. We implemented a health insurance exchange that is the envy of the nation.

But the Washington Supreme Court underscored last week that we have a lot more to do. According to the court, we are not moving fast enough to fund basic costs. We must show “immediate, concrete action… not simply promises.”

That’s why I am proposing that this legislative session we approve $200 million for school districts and fund a voter-mandated cost-of-living adjustment for our educators. And I propose we pay for it by eliminating tax breaks and loopholes that, when weighed against our moral and legal obligation to educate Washington’s kids, fall short.

Are you with me? Sign on as a citizen endorser of my 2014 agenda today and show that you’re committed to do what we have to do in 2014 to build a working Washington.

Of course, we also need to pass the DREAM Act, and send thousands more young Washingtonians to college.

We need to pass a new transportation package and prevent dozens of key thoroughfares from becoming structurally deficient.

We need to raise our state’s minimum wage, an immediate step to begin correcting 50 years of widening income inequality.

We need to make good on Washington’s chance to lead our country and the world in realizing the possibilities of a new, clean energy economy.

And we need to build on our momentum and take steps to improve childhood health, drive down the cost of healthcare, and better serve patients by helping integrate care across providers.

None of these will be easy to do — but all of them are worth doing, and I will need your support to accomplish any of them.

Will you sign on today as a citizen endorser of my 2014 agenda, and show that you’re with me?

I know it’s an ambitious agenda for a 60-day legislative session, but I didn’t run for governor because it would be easy. This is Washington, and when we work together, we really can do big things.

Thanks for your continued support, and for joining me today on the next step of our journey together.

Let’s go get ’em!

Jay Inslee
Governor