Tag Archives: United States Congress

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Hollering …

09/24/2010 Nativegrl77

Back in Tennessee there’s an old saying: When you have the facts on your side, argue the facts. When you have the law on your side, argue the law. When you have neither, holler.

Remember, Republicans orchestrated a takeover of Congress in 1994 with the same strategy of obstructionism and nay-saying that they’re using now. They can only do it again if we let them. I’m totally dedicated to supporting President Obama and our Democrats in Congress at this critical time.

I hope I can count on you to do the same. Please let me hear from you before the September 30th deadline.

Sincerely,

Al Gore
Al Gore

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Pledging Allegiance To Failed Policies

09/23/2010 Nativegrl77

Today, House Republicans are unveiling the “Pledge to America” — a pre-election document styled after 1994’s Contract with America — at a hardware store in Sterling, VA. The plan sorts policy items into “five broad categories” — jobs, government reform, federal spending, national security, and health care — and is part of “an effort to respond to the allegation that the GOP is the ‘party of no.'” “It’s important to show what Republicans are for,” said one House Republican involved in the drafting. The document only includes two items regarding social issues — defending “traditional marriage” and preventing taxpayer funding of abortion in line with the current Hyde amendment — and Republican aides have “cautioned against comparing the new proposal with the party’s original Contract With America.” In fact, only incumbent lawmakers were involved in its drafting, and they won’t even be signing it. “The new agenda is not a political platform, aides said, but rather an outline of the party’s targets in the final weeks of the legislative session,” the New York Times reported. If that’s the case, then, the document makes it abundantly clear that House Republicans are ready to double down on the failed policies of the Bush administration, on everything from taxes and federal spending to national security, and want to undo some of the strong progressive policies enacted by the current Congress.

REVIVING BUSH’S DEFICITS AND TAX CUTS: First and foremost, the Pledge calls for retaining the entirety of the Bush tax cuts — rejecting President Obama’s plan to save $830 billion by letting the tax cuts for the richest two percent of Americans expire on schedule — and cutting overall government spending back to the 2008 level next year, thus literally embracing Bush’s tax and spending policies. As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has pointed out, cutting the budget back to 2008 levels across-the-board means 21 percent reductions in discretionary programs, including more than $8 billion in cuts to K-12 education. But the cuts don’t come close to eliminating the deficit, particularly considering the GOP plans to pass $4 trillion more in tax cuts, plus an additional small business tax cut. Of course, endorsing an across-the-board cut, instead of laying out specific areas of the budget that can be pared back alongside responsible revenue increases, epitomizes the Republican approach to budgeting. In fact, when directly asked, many House Republicans, including House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (VA), can’t name a single program they’d like to cut. And already, some Republicans are saying that the Pledge isn’t even radical enough when it comes to cutting spending. “It’s not taking us where we ultimately have to go as a country, dealing with entitlements and permanent tax changes,” said Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) who has reportedly “advocated for a plan that dealt specifically with Social Security.” Notably, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) — the Republican budget chief who has released a full plan for privatizing Social Security and Medicare — was not scheduled to appear at the Pledge unveiling, confirming that many in the Republican leadership are hesitant to publicly tie themselves to his proposals.

REPEALING HEALTH CARE REFORM: The Republican pledge also dedicates an entire section to repealing the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with some of the same solutions that the GOP promoted during the health care reform debate, such as medical malpractice reform (which won’t do much to bring down health care costs) and allowing insurance to be sold across state lines (which would lead to a regulatory race to the bottom). However, repealing the ACA will add $143 billion to the deficit over ten years, according to the Congressional Budget Office, as the cost containment measures and revenue increases in the bill also disappear. Interestingly, the Pledge also says that Republican health care reform will prevent health insurance companies from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions, but without including an individual mandate that everyone purchase health insurance. Of course, as Newsweek’s Ben Adler explains, “Such a prohibition is economically infeasible without the individual mandate that health-care reform included,” as people wouldn’t buy health insurance until after they get sick. Forcing insurance companies to cover those with pre-existing conditions also puts House Republicans at odds with conservatives like former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), who has likened the prohibition to automobile insurers being forced to insure already wrecked cars.

BRING ON THE SHUTDOWN: One of the most notorious episodes of the Congress that was sworn in after the original Contract with America was the government shutdown of 1995. For three weeks, then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) shuttered the government after Congress was unable to approve a budget. And House Republicans are already saying that they’re game for a repeat performance. “If government shuts down, we want you with us,” said Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA). “It’s going to take some pain for us to do the things that we need to do to right the ship.” Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has demanded a “blood oath” from House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) to include a repeal of health care reform in every appropriations bill next year, even if a government shutdown results. “We must not blink,” he said. “If the House says no, it’s no.” Boehner, for his part, has disavowed the notion, saying, “Our goal is not to shut down the government.” “It’s absurd,” added Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH). “That’s not our goal at all.” But Gingrich himself seems to think that another government shutdown would be productive, even though it means, among other things, that Social Security payments and veterans’ benefits are not disbursed. “When we win control of the House and Senate this fall, Stage One of the end of Obamaism will be a new Republican Congress in January that simply refuses to fund any of the radical efforts,” Gingrich said. Such talk has earned the GOP a scolding from President Clinton. “You see what happened last time: It didn’t work out very well for them,” Clinton said.

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What’s next?

09/22/2010 Nativegrl77

pix is from getty images

vote

TAKE ACTION

Are you ready for Election Day? Get registered and register your friends

On Tuesday, the Senate had the opportunity to move forward on the DREAM Act as part of the defense authorization bill. Instead, Senate Republicans blocked the debate from even starting. Not a single Republican senator was willing to stand up for the DREAM Act.

You worked hard to get us to this point. You’ve sent tens of thousands of faxes to your senators on the DREAM Act. This week alone, you’ve made over 43,000 calls into Congress to tell them to support the DREAM Act as a step towards comprehensive immigration reform. Your power got us to this point. This fight isn’t over, and it’s thanks to you that we’ve gotten this far.

Now we know who’s standing with us – and more importantly, we know who’s standing against us.

The senators who stood in the way of the DREAM Act and immigration reform this week have shown that they’re not willing to work with us. It’s time for us to show them where we’ll be standing this Election Day.

Make your voice heard on Election Day.

It’s important that everyone who can vote shows up to the polls on November 2nd. It’s the best way for us to show the politicians and bureaucrats the power of our movement. Some of them recognize our power and have stood up for what’s right. And some have decided they want to ignore us. This Election Day, we must show them all what we’re capable of by turning out to vote in record numbers. Only when they see us voting will they hear our voices.

Click here to make sure you’re ready to vote on November 2nd.

Thank you,
Marissa Graciosa
Reform Immigration FOR America

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the Paycheck Fairness Act …Women are Not Worthless

09/20/2010 Nativegrl77

Women Are Not WorthLess

And neither are you! Donate today to help ensure a win for fair pay.

Thanks to your calls, e-mails and Facebook shares, the Paycheck Fairness Act may make it onto the Senate floor as early as this week, and we need your generous support to ensure that the Senate passes this important legislation, which will help close the wage gap that women face.

It’s a critical week for success on fair pay, and Lilly Ledbetter — whose courage to speak up and fight has made a difference for women across the country — is flying into town to make sure Congress hears our message loud and clear: Women are NOT WorthLess!™

Check out this inspiring video message from Lilly and donate today to help ensure a win for fair pay.

The Paycheck Fairness Act can make a real difference in women’s lives, and your support could make a difference in achieving this important victory. This legislation, already approved by the House, strengthens wage discrimination protections and provides tools to support women in their fight for fair pay. The Senate must act quickly to pass this bill, which is the key next step to achieving pay equity in the United States.

The Center’s I Am Not WorthLess campaign is gaining traction but we need your support today for the final push. As Lilly and the Center say: Women Are Not WorthLess, and neither are you! Please make a donation today in honor of our equal worth and make an important difference for women across the country.

Thank you for your generous support.

Sincerely,

Fatima Goss Graves
Vice President for Education and Employment
National Women’s Law Center

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TGIF …&some News …

09/17/2010 Nativegrl77

Today the President will announce the appointment of Liz Warren, will set-up the Consumer Agency in charge of financial regulation. That is my take on it.

My question for all you mostly sane people today is: what would your neighborhood look like without Teachers, Police, EMTs, Firefighters and other public workers that might be unemployed if the Democratic Party had not passed HR1586. Do you have families that are Public Service Employees if so; you should be outraged that folks like Bachman, Boehner called HR1586 a bailout. Republicans are using Americans as pawns to gain back control of Congress and make no mistake they are willing to throw All of us under the bus. FYI that includes their own constituents who seem to be complacent about it all -which by definition is: To be content and satisfied with your life and surroundings, even when something which may destroy these conditions is imminent.

We have all been watching a lot of election propaganda over the last few months and the biggest shock for me is that old-style southern rhetoric usually held mostly from people from the South is now coming from states all over the country. Have people lost their minds? I have faith that there are enough people who believe the extremists running for office are unqualified and have no place in Public Service.

I was surprised to see so many people on the Gulf Coast willing to stick with their republican representatives with all the bad governing going on over the last decade or more. The catastrophe of Katrina and now the BP oil disaster responses by local government would have made me do a total about face but it seems like that is not the case for the residents in the South. I know that the Southern States lean toward the right but some have made a choice to move even more toward radical leadership. There are many examples but with folks like Rubio; the so-called front runner according to the polls it is quite disappointing that folks in the South have yet to break out and away from Republican ideology because life there would change for the better in my opinion. We still have time to change the way things are. We all need to stop standing on the sidelines watching and waiting for more progressive attitudes, for new policies, new leadership in parts of country that are now anti-government, possibly more racists than we all thought, against health care reform, against comprehensive immigration and gays. We can combat the crazies but it is time to get serious and get out the vote and put more Democrats in Congress in the mid-term November elections.

It is not lost on me that Americans need a push into the 21st century. The leadership we need will think about how to better all our current positions in life; globally, environmentally, emergency response personnel who are not only educated about the area they oversee but are compassionate, allow stem-research, respect a woman’s right to choose, equal wages for women, health care for all families. The fact is President Obama has gotten Congress to pass legislation that will be good for middle class families but to get the change 53% of we voted for we need more true democrats on the floor of Congress. It is important that we do not repeat history by understanding the past. The house of Bush led us into 2wars that we definitely needed to change direction on but could not afford to just pickup and leave. Then we were all forced to live differently…clearly 9/11, Katrina and so many other issues have changed our lives and if you are paying attention some of those citizens have yet to actually get their lives back and that is something President Obama is and will continue to work on with those willing, able in partnership to get All Americans back to work

Yes, we continue to go through non-partisan realities and while it would have made more sense to work on change not as democrats and republicans but as we the people with different opinions, different values but with knowledge that we need to accept our differences make compromises, fix the corruption in politics, accept people as they are by enforcing our Constitution to reflect our 21^st Century living. The idea that folks should be able to control how you live whether a person is gay straight is absurd but now folks have been abusing our constitution daily, using the gay life style as an excuse to hurt and or otherwise commit criminal acts, allow immigrants to immigrate based on fair legal means a path that acknowledges that most that work pay into our social security system and they should be recognized, respect our elderly and realize that major corporations are using the house of bush moving work overseas getting labor for cheap prices… we must stop outsourcing jobs, stop Republicans from being the Political Party of NO or step over them because their actions have made living hard on the American family.

Other News …

**President Obama will be at the Black Caucus luncheon or meeting on Saturday.

**Fed-ex states the economy is improving but they are still laying of 1700 people

**Key Senate committee passes nuke arms deal

**Clinton asks for WBank settlement moratorium

**Hurricane Karl is not just churning it is on the move toward Mexico Gulf Coast

**The President will be announcing Liz Warren to her appointment 1:30pmET

**Seattle Storm Wins 2nd WNBA title 3-0,celebration at Key Arena tonight 7pm

**BP completes relief well on the Gulf Coast

**Stewart/Colbert announce rallies on the National Mall 10-30-10

CSPAN …

Pres. Obama Announcement on “Educate to Innovate” Initiative