Tag Archives: United States Congress

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

No Regrets

10/04/2010 Nativegrl77

I don’t have a crystal ball to predict the future.

I can’t tell you exactly how many seats will be won or lost on Election day. But I can tell you that — with your help — I am confident that Democrats will retain our Majority in Congress. The actions we take this week will make a big difference in the ultimate outcome. That is because, as of today, early voting has started in more than half the states. The next 4 days are essential to our success.

Last week, Republican Leader Boehner pledged $1 million to go after House Democrats in tight races. We must match that million before Friday’s deadline to wire money for next week’s ad buys. We can’t afford to fall behind now.

Please join us and contribute $5, $10 or more today and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar by House Democrats.

With so many races being called “toss-ups”, every dollar you give will make a difference. Nobody wants to wake up the day after the election regretting that we didn’t do more. It’s getting down to the wire and we have to pull out all the stops to win.

With just 29 days to go until Election Day, we are making the critical, final decisions about where to deploy our field staff and volunteers, provide air cover for our candidates and invest every last dollar in the closing days of the campaign.

We need to make sure we get our message out and get all our voters to the polls.

Contribute $5, $10 or more to the Early Voter Rapid Response Fund and help us raise $1 Million to support our courageous candidates. This is so critical that if your contribution is received by Midnight Friday it will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a group of committed Democrats.

Onward to Victory,

Chris Van Hollen
DCCC Chairman

P.S. This is one of the most expensive mid-term campaigns in history. I need your immediate support to fully fund our campaigns. Contribute to the Early Voter Rapid Response Fund and help us raise $1 Million to support our courageous candidates. This is so critical that if your contribution is received by Midnight Friday it will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a group of committed Democrats.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Fix the Senate

10/03/2010 Nativegrl77

CREDO Action | more than a network. a movement.

The filibuster is the #1 obstacle to progress

The Senate must seize the opportunity to fix the filibuster.

Clicking here will add your name to this petition to all current senators and candidates for Senate:

“I am writing today to demand that you support Senate rules reform and fix the filibuster at the beginning of the next Congress.”

Click here to add your name

Congress has left Washington and there will be no more chances to pass much-needed legislation before the election.

There will be no public option, no climate bill, no end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” no new tier of unemployment benefits, no end of too big to fail, no response to the horrible Citizens United Supreme Court decision and no end to the crisis facing the federal judiciary caused by the dearth of judicial confirmations.

There is one reason why, despite Democratic majorities in both the House and the Senate, Congress was unable to pass many common sense reforms — the filibuster.

Tell the Senate: Fix the filibuster. Click here to automatically add your name.

The filibuster is an antiquated provision in Senate procedure that requires a 60-vote supermajority to pass legislation, confirm nominees or even perform some of the most mundane parliamentary tasks.

Filibuster abuse has gotten so bad that on Monday, a staffer for Senator Jim DeMint (a Republican senator from South Carolina and the one most closely associated with the Tea Party) sent an e-mail to the offices of all the other senators explaining that Sen. DeMint would filibuster any bills he had not personally approved of moving to the floor.

This is what the filibuster has reduced the Senate to — an arena where moments of pique, inflated feelings of self-importance, the casual and callous disregard for the crises we face as a country, and political posturing can bring the business of the legislative branch of our government to a grinding halt.

Tell the Senate: Fix the filibuster. Click here to automatically add your name.

Many progressives are frightened of filibuster reform.

Some defenders of the filibuster argue that we should keep it because the Senate should be a place for deliberation. If that’s true, then the filibuster is exactly the wrong tool for the job.

There are over 400 bills that cleared the House and were not taken up by the Senate because of the filibuster or the threat of a filibuster, including many with broad bipartisan support. The filibuster hasn’t led to deliberation in the Senate; the filibuster has led to debilitating constipation of the Senate.

Others want to keep the filibuster around so that a future progressive minority might be able to stop the excesses of a conservative majority. Even if you think that the Republicans will keep the filibuster in place when it’s no longer to their benefit, it’s hard to look back and survey the past history of the filibuster and deem it any near a net gain for progressives.

Look at what the filibuster has gotten us. The filibuster did not prevent the appointment of a conservative majority on the Supreme Court that was able to hand the presidency to Bush. And afterward, it did not stop the appointments of reactionary and partisan Justices Roberts and Alito to the Court.

The damage averted during the eight years of the Bush administration because of the filibuster is dwarfed by the amount of progress the filibuster stifled in the two years since President Obama took office.

The simple fact is that we cannot allow the Senate to continue in such a dysfunctional manner. We need it to start functioning again if our nation is to meet the myriad challenges we face.

At the beginning of the next Congress, the Senate will be able to change the filibuster rules with a simple majority vote. There are multiple proposals on how to fix the filibuster, many of which have merit. But what is clear is that the Senate must seize this opportunity to fix the filibuster.

Tell the Senate: Fix the filibuster. Click here to automatically add your name.

Thank you for working for a better world.

Matt Lockshin, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets

P.S. Some progressives oppose efforts to reform the filibuster because they anticipate times when the filibuster will be used by a progressive minority to stop the overreach of a conservative majority.

If you look at the totality of how the filibuster has been used, it has on rare occasion achieved tactical success for progressives. But on the whole it has proved a strategic disaster for those who fight for social change.

The filibuster systematically works against those who want the government to function, who want to see our legislators address problems and fix things, and who want the government to move us past old prejudices and hateful laws written in the bad blood of our forbears.

And given the craven, callous disregard of Senate Republicans for the multiple crises we face as a nation, given their utter willingness to place political ambition and partisan gain over the need to legislate, is there any doubt that they will have the slightest scruples in eliminating the filibuster when it’s to their advantage?

Rather than endure additional years of dysfunction in one of the most important institutions of our Republic, we should address the problem on our own terms.

Click here to automatically add your name to our petition tell the Senate: Fix the filibuster.

~ my 2cents ..., ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

worrisome Wednesday …&some News

09/28/2010 Nativegrl77

Folks we are just five weeks from a pivotal moment in the process of moving into the 21st Century.

20 months have gone by and change has been slow

I have been listening, reading and hearing comments about Obama having taken a great first step toward change but hasn’t gone far enough to sedate or fulfill the promises he made to the young voters or progressive groups during his campaign but the reality is that most if not all the folks with those attitudes are not being truthful about what this President actually campaigned on. Yes, he is far more liberal than the Republican party maybe even the other options we had but then again any law or legislation needed to solve the issues at hand have been in major conflict with the rules in both Chambers in Congress. That conflict has been an issue that has blocked stalled or scaled back the real progress needed to get our economy back on track. Negative comments are becoming bold, louder and more frequent …

change takes time … it takes cooperating with Congress and since that is not happening …the change we need will take those who supported this President to Call your member of Congress then call the others to tell them that we may have a huge tent but damn we are also a Political Party that is sabotaging ourselves with all the nonsense ….not getting done the things that will get people back to work, help and get the middle class back where they should be because the rich are way ahead of all of us. The issues facing Americans are non-partisan but the Republican Tea Party is making a political game of our lives …people are suffering

**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… instead of pointing fingers get together and ask for a meet up with all the major folks needed globally again again until folks get it but don’t blame the President we need a movement that will impact the entire country as well as overseas then maybe people will want to make our lives livable and sustainable not to mention create new green jobs right here in the USA and prove that progress is a patriotic thing to do.

**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 maybe getting organized to vote true supporters in November is what will get this finalized.

**Health-care liberals… are impatient and talking about how they put Obama in office and threatening a change in 2012 … this is attitude is unacceptable. The conflict on the floor meant compromise so we got some of what we want; what liberals and independents need to do is organize around what we have in common and get more true democrats in both Chambers of Congress instead of trying to take each other down just because the end result just was not far enough …HCR was the most sweeping effort ever

**Wall Street … flexed their muscles to show Obama who really is in charge of the market … bad behavior needs to be Regulated and now we not only have Liz Warren but a new Financial reform laws and this is in direct response to what Wall Street did to Americans and a great achievement of President Obama’s

change will happen, President can’t do it all himself, we need to call, write and march to let Congress know what We the People voted for

The change we believe in is definitely one that we must all take part in.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Renee Ellmers video …in her own words

09/25/2010 Nativegrl77

I ask you are the words of ms Ellmers hateful, racist, provoke fear and possible violence …do we accept this kind of rhetoric from people who call themselves Americans or do we keep them out of any position of power especially political power; is this fear mongering by Republicans or what? This is not the kind of people i want in charge when my child grows up or grand children… Discrimination should be an issue we are all working on to make a nasty thing of the past.

After the Muslims conquered Jerusalem and Cordoba and Constantinople.
They built victory mosques and, now, they want to build a mosque by Ground Zero. Where does Bob Etheridge stand? He won’t say. Won’t speak out. Won’t take a stand. The terrorists haven’t won and we should tell them in plain English, No. There will never be a mosque at Ground Zero.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Here is your AFSCME Federal Legislative Report

09/25/2010 Nativegrl77

Welcome to the AFSCME Federal Legislative Report which is produced by the Legislation Department weekly when Congress is in session. We hope you find this report as valuable as we do in keeping up to date on significant action by the U.S. Congress affecting AFSCME members. We know when we work together as a team we accomplish more for AFSCME members across the country.

Gerald W. McEntee, President
Lee A. Saunders, Secretary-Treasurer

AFSCME LEGISLATIVE REPORT
SEPTEMBER 24, 2010

To view on the AFSCME website, click here

In this issue:

Republican House Members Release “Pledge” to Return to Failed Policies
Senate Takes Up Campaign Finance Legislation – Again
Democrats Vote to Protect Labor Elections Rules
Republicans Block Repeal to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
Congress Fails to Approve Multiyear FAA Bill

Republican House Members Release “Pledge” to Return to Failed Policies

On Thursday, House Republicans unveiled their pre-election campaign document, “A Pledge to America,” which is modeled after Newt Gingrich‘s 1994’s Contract with America. For the most part, it is set of warmed over, failed ideas aimed at voters for the midterm elections in November.

The document’s jobs and economy section calls for more tax cuts for millionaires and businesses by retaining all of the Bush tax cuts, rejecting President Obama’s plan to eliminate tax cuts for those earning above $250,000 to capture $830 billion in revenues. It calls for slashing spending by cutting the federal budget back to 2008 spending levels, which would mean a 21 percent reduction in yearly-appropriated programs including more than $8 billion in cuts in K-12 education and significant reductions for Head Start, child care, public safety, unemployment insurance and Employment Services, transportation, and other vital public services that AFSCME members provide. House Republicans also support canceling unspent Recovery Act funds, including the increased federal Medicaid match (FMAP) that now is available to states through June 30, 2011 and cannot be drawn down by states any faster than quarterly.

Not surprisingly, the document calls for a repeal of health care reform, putting insurance companies back in control. This would result in ending safeguards against skyrocketing premium increases, increasing the cost of prescription drugs for seniors, abandoning initiatives to improve health care, and ensuring that the ranks of the uninsured continue to grow. Instead, the House Republicans offer a litany of retread, failed ideas including expanding health savings accounts, allowing individuals to purchase health insurance across state lines, and medical malpractice reform.

The “Pledge” takes a swipe at the Employee Free Choice Act, stating: “We will fight for the rights of workers and oppose ‘card check’ schemes that put union bosses before individuals’ right to a secret ballot.” It requires that all federal legislation cite the constitutional authority upon which the bill is justified (another jab at health reform), makes it easier to strip spending out of appropriations bills, and proposes increased spending for national security, including fully funding missile defense.

The plan has been roundly criticized by the White House and congressional Democrats as “nothing more than a repackaging of the same failed special interest policies that caused this recession: cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires; cut rules for big corporations and special interests and leave the middle class to fend for itself” and “giv[ing] insurance companies control over Americans’ health care.

Rather than charting a new course, it is a continuation of the failed Bush economic policies. Interestingly, the plan says little about Social Security and Medicare, including Republicans’ privatization schemes, probably in recognition that this is a political third rail.
(Fran Bernstein- fbernstein@afscme.org)

Senate Takes Up Campaign Finance Legislation – Again

Thursday, Senate Democrats took another shot at moving their flawed version of the DISCLOSE Act (S. 3628) campaign finance legislation aimed at addressing the U.S. Supreme Court‘s decision in the Citizen’s United case. Fortunately, the bill failed to garner the 60 votes needed to begin debate. The vote was 59 to 39, with all Republicans opposing the bill and all Democrats supporting it.

While AFSCME supports reasonable requirements for disclosures and disclaimers of the Union’s political and advocacy activities, we were forced to oppose the Senate bill due to extraordinarily burdensome requirements it would impose on AFSCME affiliates.

Unlike the House bill, the Senate bill creates substantial burdens for AFSCME affiliates for the mere act of transferring membership dues to AFSCME. While the bill does not require local unions and state affiliates to make reports to the Federal Election Commission, the bill does require AFSCME to report on revenues received by affiliates and to do so within a 24-hour deadline. In order for AFSCME to make these reports, it would be necessary for affiliates to provide information on its revenue sources during the previous year and to do so quickly enough for AFSCME to meet the 24-hour deadline. The bill includes civil and criminal penalties for violating the reporting requirements

The House previously approved its version of the DISCLOSE Act (H.R. 5175). It does not create burdensome requirements for AFSCME affiliates.
(Barbara Coufal- bcoufal@afscme.org)

Democrats Vote to Protect Labor Election Rules

Senate Democrats defeated a resolution of disapproval that proposed rejecting the National Mediation Board’s (NMB) amended election rules for airline and rail union elections. The resolution would have overturned revised union election procedures recently issued by the NMB under the Railway Labor Act (RLA). The new rule makes clear that representation elections under the RLA will be decided based on whether a majority of the votes cast are for or against the union. Under the previous NMB rule, all workers who did not cast a ballot were counted as voting against the union. The changes, which went into effect on July 1, advanced a simple democratic proposition: the majority opinion of workers who participate should decide the election.

The challenge to the National Mediation Board’s updated union election procedures was led by Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) in an attempt to undo reforms that are giving tens of thousands of airline and rail workers the hope of a union fighting for them for improved wages and retirement security. Earlier in the day, President Obama issued a statement that he would veto the resolution if it passed.
(Cynthia Bradley- cbradley@afscme.org)

Republicans Block Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

This week, Senate Republicans blocked an attempt to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy that prohibits gays and lesbians from openly serving in the U.S. military. By a vote of 56-43 Democrats lost an attempt to have a vote on the Defense Authorization Act, which contains language repealing DADT. The Democrats fell below the 60 votes needed to proceed. The Arkansas Democrats, Sens. Blanche L. Lincoln and Mark Pryor, sided with all 40 Republicans present in opposing debate.
(Cynthia Bradley- cbradley@afscme.org)

Congress Fails to Approve Multiyear FAA Bill

On September 23, the House and Senate both passed clean extensions for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through the end of the calendar year. This action sends a clear signal that approving a multiyear reauthorization of the FAA bill will not happen before Congress adjourns in October.
(Cynthia Bradley- cbradley@afscme.org)