Tag Archives: Supreme Court

When it comes to judicial nominations, it often feels like we’re in a time warp – and not in a good way.

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the second-most important federal court in the country, has not been fully staffed in over a few years. This court hears some of the most complicated cases, from vital national security challenges to reviews of federal regulatory agencies, and the court is hearing them without a full slate of judges. Nominees to fill the vacant seats – including three well-qualified female jurists – have been obstructed at nearly every turn.

What’s worse is that one of those female nominees is being attacked with accusations that quite frankly sound like something out of the 1950s or 1960s. Georgetown Law Professor Cornelia “Nina” Pillard is a “scary feminist,” a “radical feminist,” they’re saying.

Pillard’s detractors are wrong. Their comments are offensive, and U.S. senators should know better than to fall for hyped-up, false attacks on a nominee’s gender. Urge your senators to support Pillard’s nomination when it comes up for a vote this week .

Pillard has a distinguished career of working with lawyers on both sides of the aisle. She has argued nine cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, and is best known for her argument that convinced a nearly unanimous Supreme Court to open the Virginia Military Institute to women. She worked alongside Bush administration attorneys to successfully defend the Family and Medical Leave Act in the courts. She has consistently opposed government policies that treat men and women differently based on outmoded stereotypes that harm both sexes.

When the Senate adjusted its rules for considering judicial and executive nominations last month, it paved a path forward for the up-or-down confirmation vote that had previously been denied to Pillard. The Senate is expected to reconsider Pillard’s nomination this week, which gives your senators a chance to confirm this outstanding jurist who is uniquely qualified because of her work on AAUW priority issues.

Please, urge your senators to vote for Nina Pillard’s nomination to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. The seats on the D.C. Circuit Court have been empty for far too long, and Nina Pillard is exactly the right kind of person to seat on the bench.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

your doctor – and your boss?

11/27/2013 Nativegrl77

STAND With WOMEN

One of the biggest benefits of Obamacare is that being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition. In fact, insurance companies are now required to cover preventive services, including birth control, at no additional cost.
But that might be about to change.

More than 40 for-profit companies, most of which are owned by men, are suing to deny their employees’ access to birth control without a copay. Republicans opposed to the Affordable Care Act are arguing that women’s bosses should have a say in their personal health decisions. This is an extreme move that could undermine a core tenet of Obamacare and compromise women’s health.

In 2012, millions of Americans had the opportunity to vote for a Republican presidential candidate who supported those companies’ position. (You might remember how that one turned out.) But today’s news shows that this fight is far from over — and that we can’t let up.
Add your name to make sure a woman’s health care decision stays between her and her doctor — not her boss.

The Supreme Court just announced that they’re going to hear this case. And if the Court rules in favor of the companies, then it could be up to employers to decide whether or not the women who work for them will have free access to birth control.

We’ve made great progress in fixing our broken health care system by guaranteeing women access to preventive care, and we can’t go back.
Speak out in favor of a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions:
http://my.democrats.org/Stand-with-Women

Thanks,

Lily
Lily Adams
Deputy Communications Director
Democratic National Committee

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

a message from dir. Branden

11/14/2013 Nativegrl77

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For the past two weeks we have brought you the courageous and heartbreaking story of Servio Curipoma and his ongoing struggle for clean water, a healthy environment and remediation of the toxic wasteland that Chevron left in his rainforest homeland. Speaking with him at his farm in Ecuador just last week, it was clear that he seeks only to be able to work his land and leave something for his children – to afford a peaceful and productive life – something that Chevron continues to deliberately deny him.

Servio’s fight is only going to get tougher as Chevron’s multibillion dollar legal defense continues to pour money into lambasting those seeking justice, those who have already won. The story is an endless circus of lies, vilification and a callousness that defies rationality.

We need your support to keep the pressure up. We are doing everything we can to make sure Chevron doesn’t get away with the most blatant environmental crime in history.

Amazon Watch will continue to work with the broad coalition of institutional shareholders, NGOs, affected peoples and individuals to pressure Chevron until they accept responsibility for their horrendous crime and do the right thing. After a 20-year legal battle, this is a case that is simply too big to fail. With your help we’ll continue to pressure Chevron, demand enforcement of the judgment and bear witness to its ridiculous countersuit alleging that the plaintiffs sued Chevron in an attempt to defraud them (Really?!).

Please support Amazon Watch and our Clean Up Ecuador campaign today. Your contribution will help us continue to stand with Servio and the 30,000 other Ecuadorians who have suffered for too long. We will not allow Chevron to drown out their voices – to drown out the truth about what happened in Ecuador.

For justice – for the opportunity to set an international precedent for the rights of indigenous peoples to defend their homes from companies seeking profits over people – please add your support.

For the Amazon,

Branden Barber
Engagement Director

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

SCOTUS …. still at work

10/07/2013 Nativegrl77

This week at the Court

By Kali Borkoski on Oct 6, 2013 at 12:03 am

Monday is the first day of the 2013 Term. We expect orders – primarily cert. denials from the September 30 Conference – at 9:30 a.m.

The Justices will hear two oral arguments each day, Monday through Wednesday.

The hearing list for the October sitting is here.

On Friday the Justices will meet for their October 11 Conference.

Our list of “Petitions to watch” for that Conference will be available soon.

Argument preview: Campaign finance — again

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By Lyle Denniston on Oct 5, 2013 at 12:11 am

At 10 a.m. Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hold one hour of oral argument on the latest constitutional dispute over campaign finance — this time, the constitutionality of federal ceilings on donations to political candidates or parties. In the case of McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, arguing for Alabama Republican donor Shaun McCutcheon and the Republican National Committee will be Erin E. Murphy of the Washington law firm of Bancroft PLLC, with twenty minutes of time. Arguing for Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky — in the case as an amicus — will be Bobby R. Burchfield of the Washington law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, with ten minutes. Representing the FEC, with thirty minutes, will be U.S. Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

It has been nearly four years since the Supreme Court set off a constitutional revolution in the financing of federal elections, in Citizens United v. FEC, and the controversy it stirred up still has not lost its fury. The Court, however, is ready to consider extending that revolution by, perhaps, casting aside a constitutional formula it has used repeatedly in this field for more than four decades to curb campaign donations.

The formula, put simply, is that those who contribute money to candidates or political committees get less protection for their activity than those who spend money directly to try to influence election outcomes. The Court is being asked to give donors the same full protection that spenders get under the First Amendment. In short, the Justices have a chance to reexamine the core of the landmark 1976 ruling in Buckley v. Valeo.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Be healthy, eat local

10/02/2013 Nativegrl77

Did you know that most fruits and vegetables have lost up to 45% of their nutrients by the time you buy them at the store? 45%!

Join us in pledging to buy local produce!

There are a couple reasons for this problem. First, produce loses its nutritional value quickly – just three days after being picked, most fruits and vegetables have already lost a third of their nutrients. And second, most produce has to travel several hundred miles before it reaches the store – an average piece of produce takes seven days to get from the farm to the produce aisle.

Fortunately, there’s a simple solution to this problem. By buying local produce, you can maximize the nutritional value in the fruits and vegetables you buy. Plus, since the produce doesn’t have to travel as far, you’re cutting the carbon emissions associated with transporting your food across the country.

Wondering where you can find local produce near you? Take the pledge to buy more local produce and we’ll help you find a local farmer’s market in your area.

Switch to local produce today! It’s good for your health and the planet’s.

– The Earth Day Network Team