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Tag Archives: United States Supreme Court
House Budget: Not On Our Side
This Year’s House Republican Budget Is The Ryan Budget All Over Again
Not too long ago, conservatives started to talk a little bit about how inequality was a major problem for our country. They even spoke about reforming government spending to help lower- and middle-income families, not just the wealthiest, get ahead. Well, when it comes to doing more than talking the talk, but also walking the walk, they have failed. Today, House Republicans released their budget, revealing their true priorities: help the wealthy few, not you.
Budgets are about both our values and our theory of how to grow the economy. On values, conservatives have shown that what they value is to balance the budget on the backs of the middle class, instead of working to help millions of middle class Americans and extend a hand to the millions more in poverty. On growing the economy, conservatives are going back to the same trickle-down playbook of giving tax breaks for the wealthy few who need them the least.
In their efforts to cut the deficit, the House GOP budget goes after seniors, the middle class and our students. Not only that, they are gambling with our economy by putting at risk real progress happening in communities across the country and working to make future progress more difficult to achieve. Here are just a few of the things that it does:
- The Republican budget proposes devastating cuts to Medicaid and food stamps by creating a block grant system. Instead of providing support for working families when they need it most, conservatives are increasing barriers for families trying to climb into the middle class.
- Cuts proposed to education funding in the Republican budget would hit the poorest children and most vulnerable communities hardest, including severe cuts for program like Head Start and Special Education funding. Instead of making education accessible, Republicans are cutting off opportunity for many young Americans and hurting our long-term economic growth.
- Republicans are again using their budgets as another attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act and take away health care coverage from millions Americans who now have access to quality care through the ACA. A new Obama administration report released just yesterday found that more than 16 million Americans have coverage as a result of the ACA — the largest expansion of health coverage in four decades — but Republicans will vote again to take it away.
- If there is one big winner in this budget, it is the wealthy. The House budget keeps a number of tax favors for the wealthy, including some for private jet owners and hedge fund managers. Their budget also keeps billions of dollars in tax credits for big oil companies.
We have included some graphics to share on social media so you can let everyone know how the House budget is #NotOnOurSide:
BOTTOM LINE: What we decide to spend money on shows what we value as a society. By privileging corporate welfare over families, the House budget shows that, despite protestations to the contrary, conservatives will continue to stand in the way of an economy that works for everyone, and favor the wealthy few.
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Matthew Wrote, and the President Responded:
The President has always made it a habit to read 10 letters from the American public a day. Matthew was one of these letter-writers, and he got a response.
A varsity basketball player from South Central Los Angeles, Matthew and his teammates noticed that neighboring schools had far more school supplies, nicer buildings, and even technology such as iPads in classrooms. Matthew asked the President to give all students a chance to succeed — promising that he and his peers would do their part in school.
The President wrote back, letting Matthew know that his generation deserves an education system that lets them dream as big as they can, and told him he’s fighting for the necessary investments every day.
The First Lady’s Travel Journal: A Journey That Began Decades Ago
The First Lady departs the White House today en route to Japan and Cambodia for a week-long trip centered around her new Let Girls Learn initiative. For the First Lady, this visit is part of a journey that began decades ago — a journey focused on education, equality, and empowerment. Join the First Lady’s trip by using social media and learn more about how Let Girls Learn will help the 62 million girls worldwide who are not in school.
What They’re Saying: People From Across the Country Call on America to Lead on Trade
Voices from across the country — and from across the aisle — have expressed support for President Obama’s trade deal. His trade proposal gives us the greatest opportunity to level the playing field for American businesses and their employees, ensures the rights of workers around the world, protects endangered species and the environment, preserves a free and open Internet, and would hold our trading partners accountable.
President Obama’s Trip to Phoenix: Visiting Veterans in Arizona
On Friday, President Obama traveled to Gilbert, AZ to pay a surprise visit to the new home of Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg. This was the final stop in the President’s day-long trip, which began with a visit to the Phoenix VA medical facility and a roundtable discussion to hear about the progress we’ve made to improve the VA’s ability to serve our veterans.
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Tell the FDA to Label Genetically Engineered Foods!
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You Have Right to Know if You’re Eating Genetically Engineered Foods
Recently Vermont became the first state to require genetically engineered (GMO) foods to be labeled! This is a huge victory: it makes Vermont the first state to require labels on GMOs and thus gives consumers the right to know what they’re eating. It also puts their neighbors in Connecticut and Maine that much closer to meeting their own requirements for labeling. Meanwhile, ballot initiatives to label GMOs are heating up for the fall in Oregon and Colorado, and the movement to label genetically engineered foods at the state level has never been stronger! It’s great that people in these states will soon know what’s in their food, but what about the rest of us? Tell the FDA to include genetically engineered ingredient labeling on the new nutrition labels! So why should we even care if we’re eating GMOs? Well, genetically engineered crops have been altered in a way that could never happen in nature. Companies like Monsanto and Dow (chemical companies) take genes from one plant, animal or virus, and shoot it into the DNA of another organism, like taking genes from a fish, and inserting them into a tomato. This is drastically different than how crops have been adapted since the beginning of human civilization, and these genetically engineered crops have been largely untested, and are unregulated by the U.S. government. They could have higher rates of allergenicity, and have unintended consequences for people and the environment. Many other countries around the world ban or limit GMO foods entirely, and 64 countries including Russia, China, Japan, Australia, and the countries of the European Union all require labeling. So why doesn’t the U.S. have a federal labeling law? The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), with about 300 member companies like Monsanto, Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Smithfield, represents the largest food, beverage and biotech companies, and has spent $54.7 million (on behalf of its Big Ag members) to defeat ballot initiatives on labeling genetically engineered foods in California and Washington. Instead of taking this fight state by state, the GMA would like to pass a bill through Congress that will stop all genetically engineered food labels nationally, and they’ve got a lot of money from their corporate members to spend to try to pass their bill. The good news is, the Food & Drug Administration has the authority to require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered ingredients, and they could do it now. They’re already considering new content and designs on the nutrition labels that are required on every food package, and they could just include a requirement to label genetically engineered ingredients. We know that more than 90% of people want labeling on foods that contain GMO ingredients, and recently more than 20 states have considered their own labeling laws, so it’s time for the FDA to require GMO labels on all foods in the U.S.! The FDA is accepting comments until June 3. Please take action now to let the FDA know that you want labels on all genetically engineered foods. Thanks for taking action, Sarah Alexander |
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Monsanto, Nestlé, Dow and Pepsi don’t want genetically engineered foods to be labeled, but more than 90% of Americans do.
The Food and Drug Administration could require mandatory GMO labeling as part of their new nutrition label, and give people the right to know what’s in their food.
Thanks for all you do!
Bob Fertik
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Union of Concerned Scientists … Playground politics
Here’s what a Texas lawmaker recently said: “What if we just said no [to the Environmental Protection Agency’s new rules on power plant pollution]? There is a precedent in Texas to say we’re not going to be under the federal government’s boot.”1 He might as well have said, No! We don’t have to follow the rules! That sort of thing is barely acceptable on the playground—as a way of setting national policy, it’s downright dangerous. Yet it’s happening now: Twelve states are suing the EPA to block new rules on global warming pollution.2 And even if they lose, there are a string of bills in state houses around the country to gut progress on clean energy and protect fossil fuel interests—in effect, to roll back years of work and victories you and I have made possible. That’s why UCS is launching an ambitious new campaign next month to make sure states make real progress on clean air and renewal energy. States have to devise plans to comply with new EPA rules that cut global warming pollutants from power plants. If we don’t have the right resources now, our opponents will beat us to the punch, and we’ll miss out on this opportunity to move states forward. Please don’t let that happen. Our analysts and outreach staff need resources to take our hard hitting, science-based campaigns to even more states—to beat back attacks on the EPA and pass proactive legislation to ramp up wind and solar development and energy efficiency. What you give now determines just how hard we can fight in the weeks and months ahead—for science, clean air, and our families’ health. Here’s how UCS will use your support to make a difference. Here’s how we’ll win:
Those are the same ways UCS members helped secure landmark fuel economy standards for cars and trucks, impose limits on global warming emissions from coal-fired power plants, and cut sulfur pollution from gasoline—all in the last two years. It’s also how we helped kill nearly every single legislative attempt to roll back support for wind and solar development in the states. We even beat the Koch brothers in their home state of Kansas.3 And it’s how we’ll convince key states to strengthen their reliance on clean and renewable energy. On January 1, we’re immediately ramping up our work in three states where legislators are poised to adopt stronger renewable energy policies—Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota. That’s just the beginning of our state-based work in 2015. The number of states we can reach depends on your support right now. Legislative sessions open up in early January. We either get ahead of the fossil fuel industry or we don’t. The only disadvantage we face when compared to the people who protect corporate interests and deny climate science is resources. It’s just that simple. We’ve got the science, the experts, the everyday people fighting for their futures and their families’ health. We’re making a difference, but with your extra generous support right now, we can—we will—do so much more. A lot of groups have a role to play in fighting global warming. Ours is unique. We are the leading national organization built by and for scientists and people like you who look to science first when faced with threats like sea level rise, persistent drought, and toxic pollution. We are the trusted experts on climate science and clean and renewable energy. And you are the power behind each of our campaigns. The new year is just around the corner,
P.S. As a UCS member, you should know you’re well respected by leaders in the climate movement. Just recently, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) said he “always follows UCS because they’re always right.” We appreciate that, and I can tell you—with your support—we always strive for accuracy and integrity in the defense of science. I’m proud of that, and hope you are too. 1. http://www.dallasnews.com/business/energy/20140929-litigation-looms-over-state-co2-hearings.ece |
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