The last time we checked, our economy hasn’t fully rebounded, state budgets are still in dire straits, too many families are living from paycheck to paycheck ― if they are lucky enough to have a paycheck at all ― and the health of too many families is at risk.

So we must ensure that our Senators support legislation that extends a lifeline to struggling families. We need legislation that allows jobless workers to continue their health insurance coverage through COBRA, supports funding for states to prevent families from losing Medicaid, and extends vital unemployment insurance benefits and cash assistance to low-income families through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

Make sure your Senators get it. Tell them to support critical extensions for at-risk families today.

States are running in the red. Without these funds, many states will make deeper cuts to health care, emergency assistance and other vital services for children and families. Don’t let our Senators short-change our country ― tell your Senators to pass legislation that helps America grow and families thrive.

Thank you for continuing to fight for women and families during these hard times.

Sincerely,

National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Women and families need help now more than ever. Please donate today to support our fight for real solutions for the unemployed.

RADICAL RIGHT — ARTISTS ASKED TO LIGHTEN SKIN COLOR ON ARIZONA MURAL AFTER COUNCILMAN STOKES RACIAL FEARS: “Nearly 500 people turned out Saturday to protest” changes to the skin color of a mural at an elementary school in Prescott, AZ. School officials recently asked the artists to “lighten the faces of the mural’s main subject,” a Hispanic boy. The school’s principal denied that his request has anything to do with race, saying he just wanted the artists to make the students “look happier and more excited,” and to “remove some shadowing that made the faces darker than they are.” But the mural, which depicts students using various forms of energy efficient transportation, attracted heated, racially based opposition early on in the mostly white town. R.E. Wall, the artist who heads the group that created the mural, told the Prescott Daily Courier that passersby regularly shouted racial slurs at his group as they worked, such as, “Get the ni—– off the wall,” “Get the sp– off the wall,” and, “You’re desecrating our school.” An article on the Courier’s website about the unveiling of the mural in late May attracted dozens of comments with racial undertones. Wall “attributes the start of the racial controversy to recent comments that Prescott City Councilman Steve Blair made” on his radio show. “I am not a racist,” Blair said last month in one of many segments on the mural, “but I will tell you depicting a black guy in the middle of that mural, based upon who’s President of the United States today and based upon the history of this community, when I grew up we had four black families. … I would have to ask the question, ‘Why?'” A school official said the “black guy” in the mural is actually a Hispanic student. Blair was fired last week from his radio show over the comments but he said he has no immediate plans to resign from the city council. Arizona recently passed a harsh new immigration law, which many believe will lead to racial profiling.

The Senate Convenes: 2pmET June 7, 2010 The Senate be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

At 4:30pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider the following nominations:
– #730, Audrey Fleissing, of Missouri, to be US District Judge for the Eastern District of MO
– #731, Lucy Koh, of California, to be US District Judge for the Northern District of CA
– #759, Jane Magnus-Stinson, of Indiana, to be US District Judge for the Southern District of IN

At 5:30pm, the Senate will proceed to vote on confirmation of the nominations in the order listed. After the first vote, the succeeding votes will be limited to 10 minutes each.

Votes:
5:30pm votes:

Votes:
177: Confirmation of Audrey Fleissing, of Missouri, to be US District Judge for the Eastern District of MO;
Confirmed: 90-0

178: Confirmation of Lucy Koh, of California, to be US District Judge for the Northern District of CA;
Confirmed: 90-0

Jane Magnus-Stinson, of Indiana, to be US District Judge for the Southern District of IN;
Confirmed by voice vote

Unanimous Consent:
Adopted S.Res.512, a resolution designating June 2010 as “National Aphasia Month” and supporting the efforts to increase awareness of aphasia

The next meeting in the House is June 8, 2010 2pmET