Tag Archives: Senate

Black History

the Senate ~~ CONGRESS 12/2 ~~ the House


PBO&mom

The featured picture is PBO with his mom’s

The Senate will convene at 2:00pm on Monday, December 9, 2013.

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 4:00pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

 Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of S.1197, the National Defense Authorization to allow the Chairman and Ranking Member to provide a status update on the bill.

 At 5:00pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar #327, the nomination of Patricia Ann Millett, of Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, post-cloture.  There will be up to 30 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled in the usual form. At 5:30pm, all post-cloture time will be expired and there will be a roll call vote on confirmation of the Millett nomination.

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Last Floor Action: 11/29
10:05:59 A.M. – The Speaker announced
that the House do now adjourn pursuant to S. Con. Res. 28.

The next meeting is
scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on December 2, 2013.

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the Other Washington … news (November)


PDF of today's Seattle Times front page

Click on the Virtual Paper above for Stories in Seattle and Washington State

$15 minimum wage passes in SeaTac, but recount coming

Microsoft to chip in $33M for pedestrian bridgeons at flagship McDonald’s

CITY COUNCIL GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO RIDE-SHARING COMPANIES

CONSTRUCTION ON SEAWALL SETS FOUNDATION FOR NEW WATERFRONT

KIRO TV

Senate win may help Republicans for years to come

** Join
the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, and add your name in
support of simple criminal background checks on all gun sales — endorse
I-594 today!

                                                                                      King County plans to  reduce its snowplowing                   

** Get Your Youth Sport Athlete checked

.** Gov.Inslee stated:  We have unfinished business on transportation, and I need your help. While we did some good things last legislative session, I was disappointed that the legislature finished without passing a much-needed transportation package.

  WA State may implement tolling booth on the I90 V a Gas Tax … most choose gas tax

** Petition | SAVE the UW Nurse Midwifery Education Program …

** Petition | University of Washington Officials and Admissions …

** More delays, more dead fish at Buckley dam

** EPA Sues Lynden Farm 

** Diver sheds light on Puget Sound’s underwater trash

** U.S. envoy says no guarantee North Korea will free Lynnwood man mom will visit with son 10/11

** Apartment shares on the rise as Seattle rents soar

** Feds: King County jail proposal would free hardened criminals

** Join
the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, and add your name in
support of simple criminal background checks on all gun sales — endorse
I-594 today!

** Progressive Radio NW ~  http://www.nwprogressive.org

 

** Weak regulation fosters more abuse   

The state allows hundreds of doctors, counselors, others to keep practicing despite their sexual misconduct.

Black History

the Senate ~~ CONGRESS 11/22~~ the House


BlackHistory

The Senate will convene at 2:00pm on Monday, December 9, 2013.

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 4:00pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

 Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of S.1197, the National Defense Authorization to allow the Chairman and Ranking Member to provide a status update on the bill.

 At 5:00pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar #327, the nomination of Patricia Ann Millett, of Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, post-cloture.  There will be up to 30 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled in the usual form. At 5:30pm, all post-cloture time will be expired and there will be a roll call vote on confirmation of the Millett nomination.

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

Last Floor Action:
10:05:59 A.M. – The Speaker announced
that the House do now adjourn pursuant to S. Con. Res. 28. The next meeting is
scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on December 2, 2013.

Last Floor Action:
2:43:30 P.M. – The House adjourned
pursuant to a previous special order.

The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00
a.m. on November 22, 2013.

——————————————————————-

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blocked


By 

Going Nuclear on GOP Obstruction

On three recent occasions — January 2011, January 2013, and July 2013 — Senate Democrats threatened to make changes to the Senate filibuster rules in order to stop Republicans from obstructing even the most routine business of the Senate and slow-walking or simply blocking the president’s nominees. Each time, Democrats agreed to very modest changes to the rules or even simply a gentleman’s agreement with Republicans and each time Republicans broke their word and went back to their same old obstructionist ways.

In the past few weeks, things have gotten even worse than usual. Senate Republicans have embarked on an unprecedented campaign of obstruction:

  • Republicans blocked the nomination of Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC) to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the agency that oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He is the first African-American nominated to head the agency and the first sitting Member of Congress denied confirmation since the Reconstruction Era.
  • Leading Republicans have already announced their plans to block two more top Obama nominees: Janet Yellen to head the Federal Reserve (the first woman in the world ever selected to lead a central bank) and Jeh Johnson, the first African-American nominated to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

Republicans have reveled in this disturbing pattern of partisan obstruction, daring Democrats to change the Senate rules in order to eliminate the filibuster on nominations.

Well, it appears Republicans have made their bed and now they may have to lie in it.

A parade of Democrats, including some who have previously expressed strong opposition to the idea, have come forward in recent days to support changing the Senate rules:

  • Sen. Barbara Boxer ((D-CA): “I am very open to changing the rules for nominees. … I was not before, because I felt we could work with them. But it’s gotten to an extreme situation where really qualified people can’t get an up-or-down vote.”
  • Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA): “If ever there’s evidence for [a rules change], it is now.” Feinstein said she changed her position after a compromise deal reached last year to push through nominees did not stop obstruction from leaving crucial seats vacant. She told the Huffington Post it is “unconscionable” that Senate Republicans are now allowing a vote on Obama’s cabinet and judicial nominees.
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA): “So far they have shut down the government, they have filibustered people [President Obama] has nominated to fill out his administration and they are now filibustering judges to block him from filling any of the vacancies with highly qualified people: We need to call out these filibusters for what they are: Naked attempts to nullify the results of the last election.” She added, “If Republicans continue to filibuster these highly qualified nominees for no reason other than to nullify the president’s constitutional authority, then senators not only have the right to change the filibuster, senators have a duty to change the filibuster rules. We cannot turn our backs on the Constitution. We cannot abdicate our oath of office.”
  • Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), one of the original proponents of filibuster reform, said recently: “The Senate rules must change … This is a war on the other two branches of government and their ability to do the jobs the American people need them to do.”
  • Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) is another longtime supporter of filibuster reform. He said last month: “We keep getting up to the edge of it, and then we make some, quote, gentleman’s agreement … and then you find out the gentleman’s agreement doesn’t hold. … I’ve been so frustrated by it.”
  • Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV): The Senate majority leader holds the ultimate authority on whether Democrats invoke the nuclear option. He said Tuesday he is actively weighing a rules change, and won’t accept a deal to avert the nuclear option that includes anything less than confirmation of all three D.C. Circuit nominees stalled over the past few weeks. In July, Democrats scored a short-term victory with a deal to confirm seven executive branch nominees in exchange for dropping filibuster reform. But just a few months later, they ended up facing the same sort of Republican obstruction.

Sen. Reid reportedly may move to end the GOP’s partisan obstructionism as soon as this week. We’ll be sure and bring you the latest updates.

BOTTOM LINE: We simply cannot allow a minority in Congress to retroactively veto laws and the results of elections. This is unfair, makes a mockery of our constitutional system, and represents the worst kind of partisan gridlock that the American people are sick and tired of. It’s time for the GOP’s unprecedented campaign of obstruction to end.

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Comprehens​ive Immigratio​n Reform: Win for Economy and American Spirit


For the past two weeks, President Obama has continued to reach out to the unique cross-section of groups pushing for comprehensive immigration reform.  On November 5th he hosted a meeting with top business executives to explain the economic benefits of overhauling the nation’s immigration laws and brainstorm possible ways to move forward with legislation in the House:

There’s no reason why we can’t get this done before the end of the year. And I continue to be hopeful that with the leadership of many who are around this table who represent hundreds of thousands of employees and billions of dollars of assets, who are important in their communities all across the country, them joining up with law enforcement, clergy, citizens, to make the case that ultimately folks up on Capitol Hill will do the right thing.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden meet with business leaders to discuss immigration reform to bolster U.S. economic growth, in the R

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden meet with business leaders to discuss immigration reform to bolster U.S. economic growth, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Nov. 5, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

That same week, the President traveled to New Orleans to visit one of the world’s busiest port complexes.  He toured the facilities and spoke to the community about increasing exports and efficiency.  In his remarks he described the positive impact comprehensive immigration reform would have on our economy and reminded the audience that both parties have historically supported fixing our broken immigration system:

Over the next two decades, it would grow our economy by $1.4 trillion. It would shrink our deficits by nearly a trillion dollars. This should not be a partisan issue. President Bush proposed the broad outlines of common-sense immigration reform almost a decade ago. When I was in the Senate, I joined 23 of my Republican colleagues to back those reforms. This year, the Senate has already passed a bill with broad bipartisan support.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden join hands during a prayer at the end of an immigration reform meeting with faith leaders

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden join hands during a prayer at the end of an immigration reform meeting with faith leaders in the Oval Office, Nov. 13, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

On November 13th the President and Vice President welcomed faith leaders to the Oval Office to discuss the moral imperative of fixing our immigration laws. The Christian leaders shared their concerns about the impact our current immigration system is having on families throughout their congregations and offered prayers that we as a nation can work together to achieve comprehensive reform.

The broad range of groups in favor of immigration reform, from business and labor to law enforcement and faith, represents a remarkable level of consensus in Washington and across the nation.  Let’s seize this opportunity and work across the aisle to fix our broken immigration system.

Julie Chavez Rodriguez Deputy Director White House | Office of Public Engagement

Agency Updates

CBP’s Global Entry Program Achieves Milestone November 13, 2013 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that one million people have been given the designation of a ‘trusted traveler’ through the Global Entry program. The program, which was launched five years ago, provides arriving travelers with a quicker, more efficient and more secure entry process into the United States.

Serving Veterans Across DHS November 8, 2013 As we take time on Monday to thank our nation’s veterans for their service and sacrifices, we also recognize the veterans who continue to serve here at home, including across the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As a veteran himself, Rand Beers is proud that DHS employs more than 54,000 veterans who make up almost 28 percent of DHS’ total workforce, in addition to the more than 43,000 active duty U.S. Coast Guardsmen and women he is honored to call his colleagues.

USCIS Honors Military Veterans During Naturalization Ceremonies November 8, 2013 In recognition of Veterans Day, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will conduct naturalization ceremonies across the country that will feature military members, military spouses and veterans taking the Oath of Allegiance to become U.S. citizens. From Nov. 7-13, USCIS is welcoming approximately 8,000 new U.S. citizens during 120 naturalization ceremonies throughout the nation and overseas.

DHS Privacy Office Issues Annual Report Summarizing Its Accomplishments November 7, 2013 Over the past nine years, the Privacy Office has worked to create an environment at DHS where neither privacy nor security are compromised, but rather merged in a manner that keeps the country safe and honors the principles on which the country was founded. As a result, privacy is now firmly embedded into the lifecycle of DHS pro­grams and systems to inform Departmental policy, and to ensure effective privacy protections.

DHS and Western Union Announce New Alliance to Combat Human Trafficking November 6, 2013 The Department of Homeland Security announced a new alliance between the DHS Blue Campaign— the unified voice for DHS’ efforts to combat human trafficking— and Western Union.  Through this alliance, Western Union will provide the Blue Campaign’s multilingual training and awareness materials to select agent locations across the country. Participating agents will also receive additional training from Western Union on how to identify and recognize indicators of human trafficking, as well as how to report suspected cases of human trafficking.

USCIS: Temporary Protected Status Extended for Somalis November 6, 2013 Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Rand Beers has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of Somalia for an additional 18 months, effective March 18, 2014, through Sept. 17, 2015. Current Somali beneficiaries seeking to extend their TPS status must re-register during a 60-day period that runs from Nov. 1, 2013, through Dec. 31, 2013.

Blog Highlights

Honoring the Legacy of Immigrants Serving in the Armed Forces November 11, 2013 The success of our military, and indeed, our nation as a whole, is rooted in the dynamism, courage and sacrifice demonstrated by generations of immigrants who have answered the call of duty.

Weekly Wrap Up: “You Can Make it Here if You Try” November 8, 2013 Weekly Wrap Up: Remarks on the Economy, Affordable Health Care for Texans, Business Leaders and Immigration Reform, Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, White House Tours Resume, Celebrating Diwali, and “Careers in Film Symposium.”

The Time is Now: President Obama Meets with Business Leaders on Immigration Reform November 5, 2013 In a meeting with the President and Vice President at the White House, a group of top U.S. business leaders discuss the importance of commonsense immigration reform to bolster U.S. economic growth, and improve the climate for business and job creation.

Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Survivors Can’t Afford to Wait November 5, 2013 Domestic Violence Awareness Month has come to a close, but the White House wants to make sure immigrant survivors are not forgotten by shedding light on the important ways in which sensible immigration reform that has already passed the Senate will protect victims and hold abusers accountable.

Once Undocumented, Now an Immigrant Advocate October 31, 2013 As a first-generation American whose own family emigrated from the Philippines, Victor Diaz Zapanta always relishes the opportunity to hear personal stories of immigration. As Filipino American History Month comes to a close, he shares a story from Angelo Mathay, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) law fellow at the National Immigration Law Center.

Combating Domestic Violence and Other Forms of Violence Against Women October 31, 2013 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approved the statutory maximum 10,000 petitions for U nonimmigrant status (U visas) for immigrant victims of crime, including domestic violence, for the fourth straight year since it began issuing U visas in 2008.

Get Involved

USCIS Invitation: Immigration 101 Webinar U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites you to participate in an online meeting to discuss green cards and visas.

When: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 at 1 PM (Pacific) Where: Online webinar To RSVP:  Join online meeting room 15 minutes before the event.

WHIEEH Webinar on Immigrant Integration White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics invites you to participate in a webinar on immigrant integration. How do local communities and cities assist immigrant communities in effectively integration in new communities? Join us to learn how the U.S. Department of Education in partnering to create networks for effective immigrant integration.

When: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at 2 PM (Eastern) Where: Online webinar To RSVP:  To RSVP for the webinar, email WHIEEH@ed.gov with the subject line: “Immigrant Integration Webinar” and please provide your name and organization. You must RSVP in order to receive the presentation materials that will be reviewed during the call.

USCIS Invitation: Implementation of ABT Settlement Agreement Teleconference U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites you to participate in a teleconference on Thursday, November 21, 2013, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern to discuss the implementation of the ABT Settlement Agreement. During this engagement, officials from USCIS and EOIR will be available to discuss the implementation of the settlement agreement and answer questions

When: Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 1 PM (Eastern) Where: Online teleconference To RSVP:  You are encouraged to submit questions and agenda items before the teleconference. You may do so on the event registration page or by emailing us at Public.Engagement@uscis.dhs.gov.

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