Tag Archives: United States Congress

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The public pressure on lawmakers to raise the debt ceiling was ratcheted up Wednesday when a major rating agency said it would put the sterling bond rating of the United States on review for possible downgrade. Moody’s Investors Services said it had initiated the review because of “the rising possibility” that Congress will fail to raise the debt ceiling by Aug. 2 — something that could lead to a U.S. default on its debt. … Read More

via Anderson Cooper 360

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Demand Fair Change, Not Spare Change™

07/08/2011 Nativegrl77


	The Flip Side of the Coin



	Add your voice to our storybank to support critical domestic programs for women that are at risk.

The temperature is rising in Washington over negotiations on cutting federal spending as part of a deal to reduce the deficit and raise the country’s legal borrowing limit, known as the debt ceiling.

There’s a lot on the line for women and families: Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, maternal and child health programs, Head Start, unemployment insurance, and more are at risk of being cut dramatically. At the same time, some political leaders are threatening to cause the United States to default in order to protect tax breaks for the super-duper rich.

It’s a price we can’t afford to pay. Hedge fund managers and CEOs with corporate jets are one side of the coin. The rest of us are the Flip Side of the Coin, and we want to hear from you. Tell us what domestic programs have meant for you and your family!

Women and their families should not bear the brunt of deficit reduction — women need fair change to survive and thrive. Instead of drastic spending cuts, Congress should protect key domestic programs and services and increase revenues from the wealthiest in our society.

Help us protect these critical investments by putting a face on them: add your voice to our “Flip Side of the Coin” storybank! We will compile the stories we gather and use them in our advocacy efforts, from testimony before Congress to important written materials, to protect vital programs.

With your help, we’re going to Demand Fair Change, Not Spare Change™ for women and families in the budget debate.

Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher
Vice President, Family Economic Security
National Women’s Law Center

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

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Paul Ryan gets our message ! boldprogressives.org

07/06/2011 Nativegrl77

We made Rep. Paul Ryan feel big pressure this week in Wisconsin.

Along with his challenger, Rob Zerban, we delivered 65,000 signatures to Ryan’s local office — opposing his plan to end Medicare.

Local and national media covered our activism! The local newspaper headline blared, “Zerban presents petition on Medicare to Ryan’s office.”

Many candidates and political committees promise to do stuff in the future. We’re committed to doing effective work now.

We work with leaders in Congress and on the campaign trail who are committed to being bold progressives and partnering with the grassroots to move the ball forward on issues we care about.

That’s why we partnered with Sen. Al Franken to re-ignite public pressure for Elizabeth Warren — and partnered with other bold leaders on the public option and Wall Street reform.

Now, we’re showing how candidates can use their campaigns to pressure Republicans back home on Medicare — in a way that impacts the current debate.

Watch video from this week’s event. Then, add your name to Rob’s letter so he can keep doing events holding Paul Ryan accountable.

Thanks for being a bold progressive.

— Adam Green, Stephanie Taylor, Jeremy Feigenbaum, Neil Sroka, and the PCCC team

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mashup Monday &some News

06/20/2011 Nativegrl77

The featured picture is of the I-5 Peace Arch.

I needed some feeling of peace today. Actually, we probably will all feel the need for some peaceful thoughts as we watch members of Congress play politics with American lives. Congress might have until August to raise the debt ceiling but the evidence is becoming quite clear that Republicans have absolutely no intention of helping their Fellow Americans and or the Economy move toward that path of progress let alone the 21^st Century, so the picture on the left is of our I-5 Peace Arch on the Canadian Border.

In 2010, right around this time a vote was taken and while the Democratic Party was trying to get Americans back to work by introducing legislation to be passed Republicans acted and continue to act as if Corporate America is the only people, they trust and the following was what happened. Last night, June/2010 the following comments were made after the jobs/tax extenders bill failed in the Senate again 56-40 -”Tonight, every single Republican voted to deny states critical aid that would keep firefighters, police offices and teachers employed,” said Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). “And tonight, every single Republican voted to tell the one in ten Americans who have lost their jobs that they are on their own.” Please call your representative in Congress. The American people are about tired of the BS offered up by both sides of the aisle but after watching listening to TV and or radio the sad sad reality is that people are willing to vote against their best interest.

Apparently, folks have forgotten that it has been a Republican mission to vote against their fellow Americans calling it unnecessary spending though if anyone recalls that these are the same folks who voted against stimulus money while taking the stimulus money, shoot every state was going to get it whether they said no because it was an emergency. It was slightly amusing though shortly lived and definitely offensive now that the number of Politicians with negative comments about the stimulus funds even though they held elaborate ceremonies with ribbon cutting, offering huge checks, took responsibility for the effort and some even asked for more money. I am not sure how anyone else feels but knowing that the number of Governors that took the stimulus money to balance their budgets was disturbing enough. It was not just disturbing but hearing how Republican Governors made a choice of Profits over the People in their states by giving money to private sector who turned out to be friends like the Koch brothers is felonious at best . It is also quite possible some of those very Republican Governors have businesses that received direct or non- direct advantages sort of like those drug testing clinics that belong to the governor who has decided that all state employees be tested for drug use. I may be wrong but reports are he is the only one with those clinics and this past weekend there were reports that rep. Paul Ryan stands to make a lot of money if his plan is implemented. If all that we have heard about our so-called Public Servants is correct, the stimulus money was obviously misused and some folks in office abused their positions. We have Governors saying their states are broke though some had surpluses while the private sector being a Republicans best friend is still unwilling to open up the purse strings or stop sending jobs offshore until Americans accept lower wages and or compete for what used to be Public Service jobs turned private and fee based . The current attitudes coming from Republicans will only drive unemployment up. The obvious choice would be to place a Public Jobs Works bill on the table that would create jobs that will take care of our crumbling infrastructure, accept that at this moment in time we need everyone to participate. The idea that people are actually against fair share is beyond me but that Republican view currently being forced upon our fellow Americans in some states right this very moment is a reality. It’s the 21^st Century people. We need members of Congress to walk through a feature like our Arch to bring peace over them and maybe they will all come to the same conclusion two and a half years later. That all members of Congress need to participate in fair share as well as vote yes to Jobs bills that include county, state, or federal workers. Since when do we have to tell companies like BP or other big Corporations that they should be held completely accountable for their errors; let us hope all Americans heard the Barton, Bachmann; cable heads and Boehner comments about a year ago because those- Corporatist-Republicans are still at it. The escrow was for We the People and was not a Chicago style take down as suggested. Republican Congressmen like Barton came out in support and the protection of a company that has ruined not only the Gulf Coast, the livelihoods, the environment the Marshes, Estuaries and now the beaches in Louisiana are suffering, which may affect every aspect of their economy for decades. Barton pulled those comments back but as I have said, those comments cannot be put back into any bottle and hopefully Americans will not forget or forgive.

If you just cannot enjoy our I-5 Peace Arch on the Canadian Border try breathing deeply in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth … repeat as needed

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Is Rick Perry Going to Run for President?

Inappropriate Jokes

CSPAN

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Study released on states and job growth

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Senate to vote Tuesday on Panetta as SecDef
Issue for Jon Huntsman: His family’s Iran Business

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Tell Your Members of Congress to Protect Medicaid

06/16/2011 Nativegrl77


	Tell Your Members



	Urge your Members of Congress to reject Medicaid cuts, in any form. Call 1-866-922-4970 today!

“The Medicaid program for the poor is facing significant cuts in an emerging bipartisan budget deal as Republicans seek to shrink entitlements and Democrats protect other priorities.” – Wall Street Journal, June 16, 2011

You’re probably reading in the papers about the ongoing budget debates. Many people are talking about the importance of Medicare and why securing it is critical for elderly individuals. Often ignored in these discussions is Medicaid — the equally vital program for individuals who are elderly, live with disabilities, and economically vulnerable parents — which is at serious risk.

Call 1-866-922-4970 and tell your Members of Congress to preserve Medicaid by rejecting any proposals to cut or restructure this vital program.

Cutting Medicaid would be devastating for women and their families, including many of the same women who also depend on Medicare. Women are more likely to be low-income than men. They also are more likely to hold low-wage or part-time jobs that don’t offer employer-sponsored health insurance. As a result, they comprise more than two-thirds of the adults who receive Medicaid. For many women, Medicaid may be their only source of health coverage, and the current threats to Medicaid will harm women disproportionately. And despite the political rhetoric, cuts to this vital program will not save money. They will just shift costs from the federal government to states, localities and providers, while increasing the burden on seniors who depend on the program for long-term care, people with disabilities, and children and their families.

Don’t let irresponsible cuts to the federal budget harm the most vulnerable women. Call 1-866-922-4970 and urge your Members of Congress to reject Medicaid cuts, in any form.

Besides the danger to Medicaid, the budget passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year and other proposals pending in Congress threaten many additional programs critical to women and their families. Funding for food stamps, child care, Head Start, K-12 education, Pell grants, family planning, domestic violence prevention, and much, much more are at risk.

Your voice will be vital in helping us keep these services safe for women and their families — join us and Demand Fair Change, Not Spare Change.

Sincerely,

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

P.S. Want to know how threats to Medicaid would affect women in your state? Check out our state-by-state Medicaid fact sheets.