Tag Archives: Separation of church and state

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#NotOneMore

06/22/2014 Nativegrl77

You helped make this powerful message unavoidable

If you were in D.C., this ad was all over news sites, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Basically, all the places political offices have to monitor.”

That’s how our ad team described MoveOn members’ powerful ad campaign targeting decision makers in Washington, D.C. and state capitals across the country. The ad featured a call for action on gun violence from Richard Martinez, whose son was killed in the recent shooting at UC Santa Barbara.

This ad generated 8.1 million impressions in capital cities across the country in a week, including nearly 1 million in Washington, D.C. While not all of those “impressions” mean that someone watched the entire video, we do know that it was viewed thousands of times by government staffers and more than 600 times by members of the media.

Together, we’re working to make this powerful message unavoidable—to demand action in the face of the continued scourge of gun violence in communities across America. Sadly, in just the past few weeks, there have been multiple mass shootings since UCSB and countless individual gun deaths.

But passionate messages like Mr. Martinez’s can break through. As this video was being shared from coast to coast, MoveOn member and UCSB student Kyley Scarlet started a petition on gun violence to the Obama administration, and Vice President Joe Biden responded with a personal video message for students at the school.¹

That’s why, no matter how frustrating this effort can be, we have to keep lifting our voices. If you haven’t already, please share the ad with everyone you know.

Thanks for all you do.

–Garlin, Jo, Nick, Alejandro, and the rest of the team

P.S. Have an idea for reducing gun violence in your community? Start your campaign today.

Sources:

1. “Vice President Joe Biden’s video message for UCSB graduates,” KCBX, June 11, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299639&id=97504-17809870-5iignsx&t=4

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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Teachers forced to sign a “morality contract”

06/21/2014 Nativegrl77

by Dominick Mortarotti via Change.org

I go to a Catholic school in Oakland, and the local Bishop wants to be able to fire teachers for things like supporting gay rights or seeking infertility treatment. Please sign my petition calling on the local Diocese to change this offensive contract.

Sign Dominick’s Petition

Petitions on Change.org are started by people like you who care deeply about an issue. It takes only a few minutes, and can change something big.

Start your own petition

My teachers are in trouble, and we need your help. I go to a Catholic high school in Oakland, CA, and the Bishop of our district just put out a terrible new contract which says my teachers could be fired for being gay, for supporting gay rights, for supporting a woman’s right to choose, even for using or supporting infertility treatments like in vitro fertilization.

No one at my school wants this contract: not the teachers, not the students, not even the administration.

The Bishop in my district re-categorized teachers as ministers to be able to get around employment law and fire teachers for their beliefs or even their personal medical decisions. There’s also a broad ethical clause that would give the Diocese leeway to fire teachers for any belief they hold.

I started a petition on Change.org calling on the Diocese of Oakland to get rid of this offensive and outlandish contract. Please click here to sign my petition.

It has been really difficult to watch my teachers struggle with this terrible contract. Some of them have even quit over it. My favorite teacher is just a few years away from retirement, and she has to choose whether to live with this offensive contract or risk compromising her pension. She’s the teacher who taught me about having strong moral character and standing up for yourself. It’s awful to watch her question whether she should hide her own beliefs because she can’t afford to lose her job.

This isn’t just happening in Oakland. The Catholic church is putting out terrible contracts like this all over America, from Cleveland to Honolulu.

But some communities are fighting back, and they’re winning. In Santa Rosa, the community fought back so hard against a contract like this that the local Diocese was forced to postpone it. I know we can do the same in Oakland — and make the Bishops think twice before they try to do this to teachers in another city.

Please sign my petition calling on the Diocese of Oakland to change the contract that would allow teachers to be fired for supporting gay rights or infertility treatments.

Thank you,

Dominick Mortarotti
Oakland, CA

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

21st century policies ~~ by Valerie Jarrett Senior Advisor The White House

06/20/2014 Nativegrl77

I still remember the moment the value of a flexible work environment became crystal-clear for me.

I was working for Mayor Richard Daley in Chicago, and sitting in a particularly long cabinet meeting along with the Mayor’s corporation counsel, Susan Sher. Susan and I were both single moms, and dear friends — and frankly, we both had somewhere else to be.

As the meeting stretched on, and the two of us kept looking at our watches (and each other), the Mayor interrupted and asked where we needed to be that was more important.

Not quite sure what would happen, I blurted out the truth: “Susan and I both have second graders, and their Halloween Parade starts in 20 minutes — and it’s 25 minutes away.”

Without a second’s hesitation, the Mayor replied, “Well, then what are you doing here? You better get moving.”

We were fortunate that day to have an understanding boss willing to give us the flexibility we needed as parents — but in 2014, most working Americans still don’t have that.

It’s time for our workplace policies to match the realities of our families. That’s why, on June 23, we’re joining together with employers, business leaders, workers, academics, labor leaders, elected officials, and a diverse group of stakeholders and advocates to explore ways to take to scale the best practices designed to build 21st-century workplaces that meet the needs of 21st-century workers.

We’re calling it the White House Summit on Working Families, and you can add your voice to the conversation right now in two ways:

Share how your family would benefit from 21st-century workplace policies.
Join me today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern for a virtual question-and-answer session devoted to working families’ issues. Tweet your questions and stories at @VJ44 using #FamiliesSucceed.

Our families and our workforce have undergone fundamental transformations over the past several decades. In 63 percent of families with children, all parents work. Thirty-two percent of families with children are single-parent households. And yet, employers report just 11 percent of workers have access to paid family leave that includes time off for caregiving.

It’s time our workplaces did something about that, and it’s going to take all of us to make it happen.

So, if you can relate at all to the story I described above — the need to choose between the very real responsibilities of being a worker and a parent — then working families’ issues are your issues.

If you’re a young woman wondering if you’re earning the same as your male counterpart, this is your battle, too.

If you’re a single, working dad struggling to balance the responsibilities of raising a family with the demands of a job, you’re in this fight.

It’s time for 21st-century workplaces that allow every American family to succeed — both at home, and at work.

Each story shared will expand this national conversation, and bring these issues to the forefront.

Add your voice — and pass it on.

Thank you,

Valerie

Valerie Jarrett
Senior Advisor
The White House

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Tell Congress to End the Overuse of Antibiotics on Factory Farms

06/17/2014 Nativegrl77

“They robbed me of that experience with my child”
Tell your members of Congress to save antibiotics for medicine, not factory farms.

Nicole Battled an Antibiotic-Resistant Infection After the Birth of Her Son Thomas

Nicole and Thomas after Thomas’s first birthday.

Tell Congress to act now to protect other families from this problem!

Dear Activist,

About four years ago, an antibiotic-resistant infection changed the life of Nicole, a mom from Kensington, Maryland. This situation could happen to anyone and is becoming increasingly common.

But we can fix it. And you can help. Tell your lawmakers to pass legislation to save antibiotics for medicine, not factory farms.

Nicole leads what she jokingly calls a “pretty crunchy” lifestyle. She grows her own organic vegetable garden, sticks to local and organic meat and limits the amount of processed foods in her pantry.

After three-and-a-half weeks of breastfeeding her newborn baby, Thomas, she developed mastitis. “Sometimes the milk duct can get infected and it’s very painful,” Nicole said. “You’re supposed to work through it… but it got worse and worse. On a scale of 1 to 10, the pain became a 30.”

Nicole received antibiotics from her OB/GYN, but it quickly became apparent that they weren’t working. A team of doctors from different hospitals and offices soon discovered that she had antibiotic-resistant MRSA in her breast. The infection was spreading rapidly, and everyone was concerned that Nicole’s C-section incision would soon become septic as well. Nicole was stunned by the whole situation.

By far the scariest part of Nicole’s infection was learning that it had spread to her breast milk, putting her newborn at risk. “It was devastating to me. The worst part of this whole thing for me was being told I couldn’t breastfeed anymore. It was worse than the pain. They robbed me of that experience with my child.”

It took over four months and a lengthy stay in the hospital for Nicole to finally beat her antibiotic-resistant infection. The unfortunate reality is that she is not alone — 2 million Americans experience antibiotic-resistant infections every year, resulting in at least 23,000 deaths. And these infections can affect anyone, no matter who you are or how you live.

This public health crisis is preventable. We can solve this problem.

Factory farms are a breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Every single day, factory farms are feeding their animals regular, low doses of antibiotics to make them grow faster and to prevent disease in filthy, crowded living conditions, creating superbugs that are resistant to antibiotics. In fact, the factory farming industry uses a whopping 80% of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. They’re allowed to play by their own rules when it comes to antibiotics, while we suffer the consequences.

That’s why Food & Water Watch has launched this campaign to stop factory farms from abusing antibiotics. Our members of Congress won’t act unless we spread the word and build public pressure to convince our lawmakers to pass federal legislation to save antibiotics and save lives.

People like Nicole shouldn’t have to go through that kind of ordeal and miss out on some of the most valuable and rewarding experiences of their lives just so factory farms can cut corners and turn a bigger profit.

The first step in the campaign to save antibiotics: tell your members of Congress to support legislation to end the overuse of antibiotics on factory farms.

Thanks for all you do,

Miranda Carter
National Online Campaign Manager
Food & Water Watch
act(at)fwwatch(dot)org

Black History

the Senate CONGRESS 6/11 the House

06/14/2014 Nativegrl77

The Senate stands adjourned until 9:15am on Wednesday, June 11, 2014.

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.2432, a bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for the refinancing of certain Federal student loans. The time until 10:00am will be divided as follows: Senator Alexander will control up to 15 minutes and the remaining time will be equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees.

At 10:00am, there will be a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.2432.

10:00am The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.2432, a bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for the refinancing of certain Federal student loans;

Not Invoked: 56-38

For procedural reasons, Senator Reid changed his vote and entered a motion to reconsider the failed cloture vote at a later time. The Senate continues consideration of the motion to proceed to S.2432.

S.Con.Res.37, a concurrent resolution authorizing the use of the rotunda of the United States Capitol in commemoration of the Shimon Peres Congressional Gold Medal ceremony.

The Senate has reached an agreement to vote at 4pm today on a motion to waive the budget, if a budget point of order is made, and on passage of Calendar #206, H.R.3230, as amended with the text of the Sanders-McCain veterans bill, S.2450, Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014. No amendments, other than the veterans substitute amendment, are in order to the bill.

4:00pm –up to 2 roll call votes

– Motion to waive the budget act points of order (if point of order is made); and, (if made and waived then)

– Passage of H.R.3230, as amended with the text of the Sanders-McCain veterans bill.

Senator Sessions made a point of order against the emergency designation provision contained in section 802(b) of H.R.3230, the vehicle for S.2450, the Veterans’ Access to care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014; and Senator Sanders moved to waive the applicable points of order.

At approximately 4:00pm, there will be up to 2 roll call votes on the following items:

Sanders motion to waive applicable points of order with respect to H.R.3230, the vehicle for S.2450, Veterans’ Access to care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014; and, if waived then,
Passage of H.S.3230, as amended with the text of S.2450, Veterans’ Access to care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014.

4:06pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on Sanders motion to waive applicable points of order with respect to H.R.3230, the vehicle for S.2450, Veterans’ Access to care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014;

Waived: 75-19

Passage of H.S.3230, as amended with the text of S.2450, Veterans’ Access to care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014.

4:34pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on Passage of H.R.3230, as amended with the text of S.2450, Veterans’ Access to care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014;

Passed: 93-3

The Senate is in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

On Thursday, June 12, 2014, at 11:30 am, the Senate will execute the previous order to consider the Nix-Hines nomination. There will be up to 30 minutes for debate prior to a roll call vote on confirmation of the nomination. Upon disposition of the nomination, the Senate will proceed to and vote on confirmation of the McCord, Chu, and Batta nominations.

As a result, we expect 1 roll call and 3 voice votes at 12:00 noon tomorrow on confirmation of the following nominations:

Executive Calendar #523 Crystal Nix-Hines, of California, for the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service as the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization;
Executive Calendar #710 Michael J. McCord, of Ohio, to be Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) (voice vote expected);
Executive Calendar #782 R. Jane Chu, Missouri, to be Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts for a term of four years (voice vote expected); and
Executive Calendar #776 Todd A. Batta, of Iowa, to be an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture (voice vote expected).

WRAP UP

Roll Call Votes

1) Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.2432, a bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for the refinancing of certain Federal student loans; Not Invoked: 56-38

2) Sanders motion to waive applicable points of order with respect to H.R.3230, the vehicle for S.2450, Veterans’ Access to care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, as amended; Waived: 75-19

3) Passage of H.R.3230, as amended with the text of S.2450, Veterans’ Access to care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, as amended; Passed: 93-3

Additional Legislative items

Passed S.1681, An original bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2014 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes with a Feinstein substitute amendment by voice vote.

Placed the following resolution on the Legislative Calendar and ordered the Senate to adopt the resolution upon the enactment into law of S.1681:

– S.Res.470, Amending Senate Resolution 400 (94^th Congress) to clarify the responsibility of committees of the Senate in the provision of the advice and consent of the Senate to nominations to positions in the intelligence community.

Adopted S.Con.Res.37, a concurrent resolution authorizing the use of the rotunda of the United States Capitol in commemoration of the Shimon Peres Congressional Gold Medal ceremony.

Adopted S.Res.471, Honoring former President George H.W. Bush on the occasion of his 90^th birthday and Barbara Bush on the occasion of Her.89^th birthday and extending the best wishes of the Senate to former President Bush and Mrs. Bush.

Adopted S.Res.472, Honoring Dr. James Schlesinger, former Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Energy, and Director of Central Intelligence.

No Additional Executive items

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

House Floor Activities
Legislative Day of June 11, 2014

9:00:37 A.M.		The House convened, starting a new legislative day.
9:00:42 A.M.		The Speaker designated the Honorable Virginia Foxx to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
9:01:14 A.M.		Today’s prayer was offered by Reverend Dr. Ronnie Floyd, Cross Church, Springdale, Arkansas.
9:03:09 A.M.		The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.
9:03:12 A.M.		PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Barrow of GA to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
9:05:06 A.M.		ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches, which by direction of the Chair would be limited to 5 per side of the aisle.
9:15:54 A.M.	H. Res. 617	ORDER OF BUSINESS – Mr. Holding asked unanimous consent that it be in order at any time on the legislative day of June 12, 2014 to consider in the House, H. Res. 617; that the resolution be considered as read; and that the previous question be considered as ordered on the preamble and the resolution to final adoption without intervening motion. Agreed to without objection.
9:15:57 A.M.	H. Res. 617	Considered pursuant to the order of the House of June 12, 2014. H. Res. 617 — “Condemning the abduction of female students by armed militants from the terrorist group known as Boko Haram in northeastern provinces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
9:15:58 A.M.	H. Res. 617	The previous question was ordered pursuant to a previous order of the House.
9:16:35 A.M.	H. Res. 617	POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – Pursuant to the order of the House of June 12, 2014, the Chair put the question on agreeing to H. Res. 617, and by voice vote, announced that the yeas had prevailed. Ms. Wilson (FL) demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
9:16:57 A.M.		Mr. Holding asked unanimous consent that the Chair may postpone further proceedings today on a motion to recommit as though under clause 8 of rule 20. Agreed to without objection.
9:17:38 A.M.	H.R. 4453	Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 616. H.R. 4453 — “To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the reduced recognition period for built-in gains of S corporations.”
9:18:37 A.M.	H.R. 4453	DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 4453.
10:08:36 A.M.	H.R. 4453	The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
10:08:45 A.M.	H.R. 4453	Mr. Neal moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on Ways and Means.
10:09:47 A.M.	H.R. 4453	DEBATE – The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the motion to recommit with instructions, pending the reservation of a point of order. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to extend the built-in gains of S Corporations recognition period and the charitable contribution adjusted basis for two additional years. The point of order was subsequently withdrawn.
10:16:39 A.M.	H.R. 4453	The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.
10:16:46 A.M.	H.R. 4453	POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – At the conclusion of debate on the motion to recommit with instructions, the Chair put the question on the motion to recommit with instructions, and by voice vote, announced that the nays had prevailed. Mr. Neal demanded the yeas and nays, and pursuant to the order of the House of June 12, 2014, the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
10:17:10 A.M.	H.R. 4457	Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 616. H.R. 4457 — “To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend increased expensing limitations, and for other purposes.”
10:18:06 A.M.	H.R. 4457	DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 4457.
10:32:29 A.M.		The House received a message from the Senate. The Senate passed S. 1681.
10:33:09 A.M.	H.R. 4457	DEBATE – The House continued with debate on H.R. 4457.
11:15:28 A.M.	H.R. 4457	The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
11:15:43 A.M.	H.R. 4457	Mr. Neal moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on Ways and Means.
11:16:09 A.M.	H.R. 4457	DEBATE – The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the motion to recommit with instructions, pending the reservation of a point of order. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to extend small business expensing for two years. The point of order was subsequently withdrawn.
11:24:42 A.M.	H.R. 4457	The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.
11:51:09 A.M.	H.R. 4457	On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 180 – 232 (Roll no. 308).
11:58:36 A.M.	H.R. 4457	On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 272 – 144 (Roll no. 309).
11:58:38 A.M.	H.R. 4457	Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
11:58:42 A.M.		UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was on the motion to recommit on H.R. 4453, which was debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.
11:58:52 A.M.	H.R. 4453	Considered as unfinished business. H.R. 4453 — “To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the reduced recognition period for built-in gains of S corporations.”
12:04:33 P.M.	H.R. 4453	On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 188 – 229 (Roll no. 310).
12:10:31 P.M.	H.R. 4453	On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 263 – 155 (Roll no. 311).
12:10:32 P.M.	H.R. 4453	Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
12:10:35 P.M.		UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was on adoption of H. Res. 617, which was debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.
12:10:43 P.M.	H. Res. 617	Considered as unfinished business. H. Res. 617 — “Condemning the abduction of female students by armed militants from the terrorist group known as Boko Haram in northeastern provinces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
12:16:42 P.M.	H. Res. 617	On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 411 – 2 (Roll no. 312).
12:16:43 P.M.	H. Res. 617	Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
12:17:45 P.M.		Mr. Frelinghuysen asked unanimous consent that the Committee on Appropriations have until 5:00 p.m. on June 13 to file a report on a bill making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes. Agreed to without objection.
12:17:50 P.M.		Mr. Frelinghuysen asked unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 11:00 a.m. on June 13. Agreed to without objection.
12:18:04 P.M.		Mr. Frelinghuysen asked unanimous consent That when the House adjourns on Friday, June 13, 2014, it adjourn to meet at noon on Tuesday, June 17, 2014, for Morning-Hour Debate. Agreed to without objection.
12:18:22 P.M.		ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with further one minute speeches.
12:26:35 P.M.		SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.
1:20:43 P.M.		Commission on International Religious Freedom – Pursuant to section 201(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 USC 6431) and the order of the House of January 3, 2013, the Speaker appointed Ms. Hannah Rosenthal, Milwaukee, WI.
1:22:00 P.M.		SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House resumed with Special Order speeches.
3:21:34 P.M.		Mr. Woodall moved that the House do now adjourn.
3:21:45 P.M.		On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.
3:21:46 P.M.		The House adjourned pursuant to a previous special order. The next meeting is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on June 13, 2014.