Tag Archives: United State

Congress: the Republican led House did 2min of work today – the Senate considers the nomination of Adalberto Jose Jordan for Judge of 11th Circuit

02/13/2012 Nativegrl77 1 Comment

the Senate Convenes at 2:00pmET February 13, 2012

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business until 4:30pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
Following morning business, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Calendar #437, the nomination of Adalberto Jose Jordan, of Florida, to be United States Circuit Judge for the 11^th Circuit with one hour of debate equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees .
Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 5:30pm), the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Jordan nomination.

At approximately 5:30pm today, the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Adalberto Jordan, of Florida, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit.

5:33pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Adalberto Jose Jordan, of FL, to be United States Circuit Judge for the 11th Circuit; Invoked: 89-5

The Senate is in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. By consent, time during morning business and any adjournment or recess will count post cloture. There will be no further roll call votes tonight.

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CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS

LEGISLATIVE DAY OF FEBRUARY 13, 2012

112TH CONGRESS – SECOND SESSION

. -The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on February 14, 2012.1:01:56 P.M. -PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair led Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.1:01:50 P.M. -The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.1:00:37 P.M. -Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Patrick J. Conroy.1:00:28 P.M. -The Speaker designated the Honorable Steven C. LaTourette to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.1:00:13 P.M. -The House convened, starting a new legislative day.

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Help Us Protect the Contraceptive Coverage Decision …Judy Waxman, National Women’s Law Center

02/01/2012 Nativegrl77


	Help Us Protect the Contraceptive Coverage Decision



	Please donate today to help us protect the contraceptive coverage decision and fight for other issues vital to women.

	WWW.NWLC.ORG

We recently told you about an important victory for women: the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a final rule providing contraceptives without co-pays AND without an expansion of the religious employer exemption.
But contraception opponents aren’t giving up, even though there is a religious exemption: they’ve launched a full-court press to try to overturn this crucial decision. They’ve filed court cases, they’re pressuring politicians and they’re taking to the airwaves and editorial pages in a coordinated effort to try to turn back the clock on contraceptive coverage. They don’t want you covered, and we can’t let them win.
Please help NWLC push back, by making a generous donation to support this fight on contraceptive coverage and our other fights to protect women and women’s health.
Over the summer, HHS deemed birth control a necessary preventive health service, thus requiring insurance plans to cover it without co-pays under the Affordable Care Act. This month’s announcement affirmed that momentous decision, and your work was vital in assuring that it happened. Since the summer, you sent over 100,000 comments in favor of the policy, and HHS listened.
The agency’s decision did allow a narrow set of religious employers to deny this critical coverage to their employees. But opponents of contraception aren’t satisfied: while they’d prefer the coverage to be dropped altogether, for now they’re trying to find alternative routes to expand the exception to include religiously “affiliated” hospitals, universities and other organizations. More than 1 million employees and the women in their families would be affected if they were to succeed.
We can’t let them win — help us work to keep this vital advance in place.
For many years, the National Women’s Law Center has advocated for equity in health insurance coverage, including working to ensure that women have access to affordable contraception and other preventive services. And, with support from friends like you, this year the hard work paid off. Please don’t let this victory be temporary — help us protect the contraceptive coverage decision and fight for other issues so vital to women.
You helped before and we won. But the struggle isn’t over, and I know you’ll do your part once again. Thank you.
Sincerely,

Judy Waxman Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Please help today by making a generous donation to support NWLC’s work on contraceptive coverage and other fights vital to women and women’s health.

~ my 2cents ...

wicked Wednesday weather &some News …

02/01/2012 Nativegrl77

just another rant …

A call to action to those fighting for fair share … Stand UP and be counted

In a time when millions are unemployed, more layoffs coming and Corporate America is still outsourcing and holding jobs hostage. The Republican Party continues to cut slash and burn American Workers on the State and City levels. The party of No, which used to be just a conservative family values scary group, is now so extreme that the slogan “taking their country back”, is no longer code and the Teapublican base loves it. Obviously, it is about not wanting “his kind” in the White House. The notion that President Obama resembles any of those stupid adjectives Rience Priebus and his comrades use to describe President Obama belongs in a SNL sketch. While we all might want to laugh …reality check – our Democracy seems to be at risk.

What happened to the buyer’s remorse of 2010 and FYI seniors cannot forget what Teapublicans have in mind for them … Vouchers and Privatization

Yes, Teapublicans want to Privatize Public Service Jobs, which includes Teachers, Fire Fighters, Police, while gutting Social Service programs that help the elderly, women, and children already suffering are now willing to take the basics away from the middle class. The fact is Teapublicans have successfully forced their ideology into our lives. The latest Teapublican mission accomplished, getting a conservative at the helm of a Woman’s health care Company for one let alone the power to shove Women off the health care resource cliff. I wonder did she say one thing and do another because my memory of the old Komen for the cure would know that Women’s health care should be safe and affordable. The New Susan G Komen for the cure’s decision to dump or halt grants to Planned Parenthood has lost the support of many who have donated in the name of someone they love or because of the connection and knowledge, that women’s health care has to come from different resources. Yet, the New Komen for cure and the actions of Justice Roberts regarding Citizens United offer up a peak at how Teapublicans want us to live. I am upset and feel the New Komen for the cure has betrayed all who say Planned Parenthood saved their lives and it is obvious that Citizens United has upset the balance of fair play with unlimited amounts of cash being injected into campaigning …

My question to you is … Who do you blame for the chaos?

While the Democratic Party battles in Congress against attacks on the middle class. Teapublicans on the State level have managed to pass legislation against women, voter, children, and worker rights. I wonder what our neighborhoods will look after this nasty group is finished wreaking havoc on us all on the local level. We need to fight back on both the local and Federal level. We all have to know that the more folks out of work the better the chances of less quality but more costly those services will be. Think separate but equal. I have to say, it is disturbing to see in the light of day how low the Party of NO is willing to go with deals made in the shadows.

The media and certain Politicians say that in times of crisis people separate into cliques. I say Teapublican Politicians and “the media” that engage them have been doing a great job in manipulating the information viewers hear or see. It is offensive but best believe no one should forget Boehner, Cantor, McConnell made a choice to play games with the lives of Americans instead of passing legislation that would get us back on track, disagree but a divided government is unacceptable. I have to say the November Midterms was proof that manipulation works. These jerks used false info, anger and American gullibility to move their agenda forward, clearly a whole lot of Tea Party carpetbaggers said one thing and did another.

We all probably have family or know people who marched for civil and equal rights, felt compelled to be a part of that ideal of “strength in numbers” we all hear frequently that I consider important and speaks volumes when a change is near just over the horizon waiting to happen. This feeling of wanting a better way of life is spreading all over the world and while a couple of tyrants have seen the light others continue to participate in overt genocide, others shutdown access to the World outside and risk killing their own people. I get the feeling the Republican Tea Party is a lot like those folks in other countries currently doing all they can to either keep control or take anyone down that happens to be in the way. In our case, American voters are demanding fair share but the people with the power have gone rogue without thinking about what the full impact on the lives of the many will be or don’t care and have decided to take that risk and try to usurp the rights of Americans whether it’s done legally, by consensus or not.

We are all Freedom Fighters on some level every day.

in other news of the day …

1/31/12: White House Press Briefing

President Obama Speaks at Washington Auto Show

President Announces New Housing Initiatives

Senate Committee Looks at Annual U.S. Threat Assessment

CBO Director Discusses Economic Outlook

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a message from Caroline Kennedy

01/30/2012 Nativegrl77

Four years ago today, I joined my Uncle Teddy and thousands of excited students at American University to endorse Barack Obama as the next president of the United States.

Barack Obama had stirred something in young people and the young at heart. I saw the passion in my own teenage children, and I heard it from a different generation of people who said they felt like they did when my father ran for president.

We felt strongly that we needed to elect a president who urged us to believe in ourselves, who could tie that belief to our highest ideals, and who understood that together we can do great things.

Four years later, as I think about what first inspired me to support Barack Obama, I’m proud we have a president who has fought hard for the values Teddy held dear, and stood up on issues that matter.

Will you join me by saying what first inspired you to stand with Barack Obama?

http://my.barackobama.com/Teddy

Teddy understood that the challenges of health care aren’t political — they are personal. That’s why he fought for 40 years to make health care a right and not a privilege for American families.

How proud he would have been to see his candidate sign the Affordable Care Act into law as president, giving all Americans the security of knowing that their health care will be there when they need it most.

In his speech four years ago today, Teddy reminded us all of that bright light of hope and possibility that shines even in the darkest hours. He knew that with Barack Obama as president, America would shine again. I don’t think he would be surprised to know that four years later, this president would have ended the war in Iraq, repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and guaranteed women the right to equal pay for equal work.

The 2012 election will be harder than the last. As you think about what role you can play this time, I want you to remember that when Teddy joined this campaign, it wasn’t just Barack Obama who drew him in.

It was you.

The possibility of a campaign run by ordinary people determined to change our country for the better and willing to work as hard as necessary inspired him then, and it’s what inspires me today.

Thanks for all you do.

I’ll see you out there,

Caroline

P.S. — If you’d like to take some time to watch that speech, it’s here.

~ my 2cents ...

TGIF &some News

01/27/2012 Nativegrl77

Just another rant …

Ten months into President Obama taking office I watched heard and read several comments about President Obama. Reports of folks feeling the President, having taken a great first step toward change just had not gone far enough to sedate or fulfill the promises he made to special interest groups during his campaign. I was very surprised at the astounding lack of patience, suddenly realized President Obama would be held at a different standard and that the odd negative comments which were becoming bold, louder and more frequent …were actually coming from people left of center.

Change takes time

Now, I can’t speak for anyone else but history tells us that Africans and their descendants, which covers so many countries because we all know most were rounded up and shipped out for labour know struggle like nobody’s business. Yes, others have suffered in the timeline of slave life but how many can offer up a story of Black slaves laying the foundation or buildings free for more years than anyone wants to admit to and some in the southern states are trying to eliminate from history books. Yes, there have been some improvements made but Black People still suffer from higher rates of arrest, incarceration, pregnancy unemployment and still fighting for 21^st Century civil rights. Yet, even with all the hurdles blocking some aspects of progress for African Americans and decades of Caucasian Presidents. A man with a funny name and big ears who also happens to be bi-racial gains steam in Illinois, gets spotted for potential, becomes a US Senator and while in the Senate works for the people then is tapped to be a part of the Convention blowing everyone away with an awesome speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. Yes, a lot happened before 53% of Americans voted for a Black Man for the first time but shocking (sarcasm), we also found after governing for a little over ten months that discrimination is alive and well. It was odd to see some our own run hold grudges and ignore what voters needed them to do … govern let alone support the first black President. It became clear that more Blacks definitely had the President’s back, 53% had patience but was growing thin listening to folks in the media giving viewers subliminal messages that we should expect President Obama to govern with a hammer, use his power and get their issues passed quickly. I have said it before … here is when schoolhouse rock comes to mind … and I sing it every time I hear those who think they voted for a King or Dictator. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to hear people who seem smart, use great verbiage, can recite a law or two not to mention wonderful knowledge congressional protocol and dangle their degrees when necessary yet, they forget that Congress creates debates and votes yea or nay to ALL Federal laws of the land. Ok, a chill of states’ rights came over me

Change takes time …

especially when the gauntlet of obstruction was laid down … say day 1 after taking office and three years later Teapublicans are still stating that their main job is to make sure the President Obama is a one term President, not to get Americans back to work, not to pass bills that will move us forward.

Change takes a Congress that will compromise and cooperate with President Obama unlike the first 2yrs when members of Congress seemingly left our President to save their congressional seats … I get that but they also stopped working for We the People and allowed the Teapublicans into Congress

Change takes time … but

The Democratic Party had problems to overcome and clearly, the 2010 exposed those cracks

I have to say seeing members of Congress and the professional left seemingly lose common sense and some seemed to have lost their minds was very disturbing then now it just irritates me that they feel perfectly ok with blaming President Obama for what should get done in Congress. It took decades of bad behavior that set up the possibility for a big recession. The notion that our economic collapse could be rectified in 1-2 years still boggles my mind yet the professional left pushed, complained and whined for that list of demands or mandates that have never been President and should watch that schoolhouse rock video more than once or take a civics class. What they should be doing is pressing their representatives in Congress to do their jobs , uh create a law for the good of all Americans not just a select few instead of whining and sitting on the side lines after giving money. I say be proactive not reactive. Yes, giving money is definitely necessary but giving money is not the end of any political campaign or a move toward change we can ALL believe in. It is only a start. It is obvious that money and 53% voted, helped get Barack Obama into office, but the work of Governing is troublesome. When we have people like Mitch McConnell telling Americans he has one job and it is to make President Obama a one term President instead of doing the Peoples Business we all have wonder how much progress can even be imagined let alone be accomplished at all. The party of NO has filibustered progress in both Chambers of Congress more than any other, refuses to think about their fellow Americans with 15miilion people still unemployed yet, Indies and some special interest groups like the list below still have issues with the President Obama.

Yes, hold the President accountable but do not sit on the sidelines and demand change if you are not helping the President achieve a win for all Americans.

In 2009, we heard …

**Environmentalist… like Phil Radford, exec director/Greenpeace USA stated among other things,” Obama is missing in action” as it relates to global warming …in an article written by Bryan Walsh from Time Magazine…

**Gay/Lesbian leaders… are starting to make comments about Obama not going far enough on don’t ask/don’t tell but today he announced he will enact federal benefits for same sex couples …moving too slow? Too little too late? come on… People of colour know what being impatient means …

**Health-care liberals… are impatient and talking about how they put Obama in office and threatening a change in 2012 …

**Wall Street … flexed their muscles to show Obama who really is in charge of the market … but bad behavior needs to be regulated

**Hispanics … are upset

It is time for them to help President Obama

Yes, change will happen and contrary to how folks feel we are going in the right direction but President cannot do it all, we need to call, write and march to let Congress know what We the People voted for …

A change we can believe in

Other News …

President Obama and Vice President Biden at House Democratic Retreat

Pres. Obama Discusses College Costs

Sec. Panetta Presents Defense Dept. FY 2013 Budget

DNI Director Clapper Gives Keynote on Information Sharing at CSIS