Tag Archives: United States

The Golden Tennis Shoe Awards


The Golden Tennis Shoe Awards are always exciting for me, but I’m particularly excited for this year as Dr. Jill Biden is going to be speaking with us! She’s an incredible person, and I can’t wait to talk with her — and with you.

Here are the details:

Monday, April 29
Noon Luncheon and Speaking Program
11:30 Registration Opens

The Westin Hotel
1900 5th Avenue
Seattle, Washington

The Golden Tennis Shoe Awards are a time to celebrate the accomplishments and service of those in Washington state who work to make our state better. And with Dr. Biden in attendance, I know it will be an extra-special day.

Click here to RSVP to the Golden Tennis Shoe Awards today!

See you there!

Patty Murray
U.S. Senator

Have You had enough


 

NARAL Pro-Choice America

 

I can’t believe it’s 2013.  Judging by the latest slew of anti-choice laws being passed in the states right now, you might think it was 1973 all over again.

It’s dangerous right now for women. In Kansas, Arkansas, North Dakota and other states across the country, women are at risk of losing their constitutional right to choose. That is why we are launching a hard-hitting campaign to stop the onslaught of abortion bans nationwide.

We need you with us today, standing strong, and sending a clear message to anti-choice forces that they can’t get away with this. Will you make a generous donation right now?

Women in all 50 states are counting on you and me to be their voice.

 Friends, NARAL Pro-Choice America can’t be the watchful eye for women alone.  We need you with us right now.

We’re going to stand up and let politicians know that they can’t strip women of their rights without hearing from millions of us across America. They think they can pass these laws and we won’t notice? They think they can take away women’s reproductive rights and nobody will lift a finger to stop them?

Well you know what?  I’ve had enough.  And I’m sure you have too. We have to stand together and stop these attacks.

Are you with me? Please make a generous donation right now. 

Together we can help make choice real for all women,

Ilyse G. Hogue
President, NARAL Pro-Choice America

the House debates/votes on HR527& FAA Sequester Tweek(361-41) The Needy 0 ~~~ CONGRESS ~~~ the Senate – pro forma


Illinois State Senate
Illinois State Senate (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Senate will meet in pro forma sessions only with no business conducted on the following dates at the following times:

–          Friday, April 26th at 11:30am,

–          Tuesday, April 30th at 10:00am, and

–          Thursday, May 3rd at 2:00pm.

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April 2013
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FAA tweek 361 – 41  The Needy 0

Last Floor Action: 4/25/13
5:47:55 P.M. – The House adjourned.

The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on April 26, 2013

10:00:16 A.M. The House convened, starting a new legislative day.
10:00:26 A.M. The Speaker designated the Honorable Randy Hultgren to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
10:00:51 A.M. Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Patrick J. Conroy.
10:02:18 A.M. POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS ON APPROVAL OF THE JOURNAL – The Chair announced that he had examined the Journal of the last day’s proceedings and had approved it. Mr. Paulsen demanded that the question be put on agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of the Journal and by voice vote, the Chair announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Paulsen made a point of no quorum and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of the Journal until later in the legislative day.
10:02:49 A.M. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. McClintock to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
10:03:02 A.M. ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches, which by direction of the Chair would be limited to 5 per side of the aisle.
10:15:44 A.M. The House received a message from the Senate. The Senate passed S. 853.
10:16:14 A.M. ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House resumed with one minute speeches.
10:17:30 A.M. H.R. 527 Considered as unfinished business. H.R. 527 — “To amend the Helium Act to complete the privatization of the Federal helium reserve in a competitive market fashion that ensures stability in the helium markets while protecting the interests of American taxpayers, and for other purposes.”
10:17:47 A.M. H.R. 527 The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.
10:19:48 A.M. H.R. 527 An amendment, offered by Mr. Collins (GA), numbered 1 printed in House Report 113-47 to ensure that excess funds are used to reduce the annual Federal budget deficit.
10:19:52 A.M. H.R. 527 DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 178, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Collins (GA) amendment No. 1.
10:23:48 A.M. H.R. 527 On agreeing to the Collins (GA) amendment; Agreed to by voice vote.
10:24:09 A.M. H.R. 527 An amendment, offered by Mr. Dent, numbered 2 printed in House Report 113-47 to ensure the continued supply of helium for end users while requiring the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to honor existing contracts for the supply and delivery of helium. The amendment affirms that the federal government will honor existing contracts that are set to expire October 1, 2015.
10:24:11 A.M. H.R. 527 DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 178, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Dent amendment No. 2.
10:36:28 A.M. H.R. 527 POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – At the conclusion of debate on the Dent amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Dent demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
10:36:53 A.M. H.R. 527 An amendment, offered by Mr. Holt, numbered 3 printed in House Report 113-47 to consider the long-term future of the Federal Helium Reserve by requiring an assessment of how closing the Federal Helium Reserve could influence helium availability, including options for insuring a reliable helium supply in coming decades.
10:36:56 A.M. H.R. 527 DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 178, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Holt amendment No. 3.
10:44:17 A.M. H.R. 527 On agreeing to the Holt amendment; Agreed to by voice vote.
10:44:43 A.M. H.R. 527 An amendment, offered by Mr. Thornberry, numbered 4 printed in House Report 113-47 to affirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to allow private entities to connect to and store helium in the Federal Helium Reserve for an appropriate fee.
10:44:45 A.M. H.R. 527 DEBATE – Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 178, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Thornberry amendment No. 4.
10:47:58 A.M. H.R. 527 On agreeing to the Thornberry amendment; Agreed to by voice vote.
10:49:23 A.M. H.R. 527 Mr. Hastings (WA) moved that the Committee rise.
10:49:47 A.M. H.R. 527 On motion that the Committee rise Agreed to by voice vote.
10:50:19 A.M. H.R. 527 Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 527 as unfinished business.
10:50:38 A.M. The House received a message from the Clerk. Under Clause 2(g) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she designates Robert Reeves, Deputy Clerk, to sign any and all papers and do all other acts for her under the name of the Clerk of the House which they would be authorized to do by virtue of this designation, except such as are provided by statue, in case of her temporary absence or disability. This designation shall remain in effect for the 113th Congress or until modified by the Clerk.
10:56:34 A.M. H.R. 1765 Mr. Latham moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. H.R. 1765 — “To provide the Secretary of Transportation with the flexibility to transfer certain funds to prevent reduced operations and staffing of the Federal Aviation Administration, and for other purposes.”
10:57:07 A.M. H.R. 1765 Considered under suspension of the rules.
10:57:09 A.M. H.R. 1765 DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1765.
11:47:40 A.M. H.R. 1765 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Roll Call 125 – 2/3 Yea and Nay vote pending.
12:13:42 P.M. H.R. 1765 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
12:14:02 P.M. H.R. 527 Considered as unfinished business. H.R. 527 — “To amend the Helium Act to complete the privatization of the Federal helium reserve in a competitive market fashion that ensures stability in the helium markets while protecting the interests of American taxpayers, and for other purposes.”
12:14:38 P.M. H.R. 527 The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.
12:15:44 P.M. H.R. 527 On agreeing to the Dent amendment (A002) Roll Call 126 – Recorded vote pending.
12:22:06 P.M. H.R. 527 The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
12:22:20 P.M. H.R. 527 The House adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
12:23:07 P.M. H.R. 527 Mr. Schneider moved to recommit with instructions to Natural Resources.
12:23:32 P.M. H.R. 527 DEBATE – The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Schneider motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to add at the end of the bill a new section on banning exports to hostile nations that seek nuclear weapons or missile technology.
12:31:02 P.M. H.R. 527 The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.
12:43:14 P.M. H.R. 527 On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: (Roll no. 127).
12:50:10 P.M. H.R. 527 On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: (Roll no. 128).
12:50:10 P.M. H.R. 527 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
12:50:20 P.M. On approving the Journal Agreed to by voice vote.
12:52:11 P.M. ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with further one minute speeches.
1:10:12 P.M. H.R. 1765 UNANIMOUS CONSENT – Mr. Latham asked unanimous consent that in the engrossment of H.R. 1765, the Clerk strike “account” on page 2, line 14, and insert “accounts”. Agreed to without objection.
1:13:13 P.M. ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House resumed with one minute speeches.
1:17:28 P.M. SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.
2:50:05 P.M. Ms. Tsongas moved that the House do now adjourn.
2:50:26 P.M. On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.
2:50:27 P.M. The House adjourned pursuant to a previous special order. The next meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on April 30, 2013.

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Stand up to Big Oil and cut air pollution!


Policy and Action from Consumer Reports

Today more than one billion people throughout the world will do their part to protect the Earth.

While you may not be able to plant a tree or ride your bike to work today, you can do something simple yet significant RIGHT NOW that will make a huge difference to the environment – the equivalent of taking 33 million cars off the road!

Sign our petition supporting the President’s plan to cut air pollution by cleaning up gasoline. Nearly everyone is on board with this smart idea – including cities, public health agencies, consumer groups, even automakers. But the powerful oil industry is trying to kill it, and we need to show that Americans want a better environment.

This Earth Day show Big Oil they can’t always get their way. Add your name in support of cleaner air!

While many of us would like a world without polluting cars, we’re just not there yet. But we can make a huge dent in pollution by cleaning up the gas our vehicles run on. The air near our roadways has high concentrations of particulates, ozone, carbon monoxide, lead and sulfur – over 50 percent of which come from vehicles.

A new plan would slash this pollution by cleaning up the gas before it’s burned in our cars. It will add under a penny to a gallon of gas and less than $150 to the cost of a new car in 2025.

The auto industry can handle that cost, but Big Oil is digging in! They don’t want to clean up their refineries, and they want you to live with the consequences – dirtier air and more asthma, lung and respiratory diseases.

Sign our petition and join others who care about the environment. Show Big Oil and Congressional opponents they are in for a fight!

If you think it’s worth a penny a gallon for cleaner air, then take action this Earth Day. And please forward this to friends and family so they can join you in this important action.

Sincerely,
Shannon Baker-Branstetter
Consumers Union, policy and action from Consumer Reports

100 Billion More Reasons for Immigration Reform – TP


ThinkProgress War Room

New Deficit Reduction Plan: Immigration Reform

Last week, we discussed how immigration reform including a roadmap to earned citizenship for the 11 MILLION undocumented immigrants already here would be an $832 BILLION cumulative boost to the economy over the next ten years. Today, there’s even more evidence that immigration reform is just what the economy needs.

Official government estimates show that reforming our immigration system to increase legal immigration will be a huge boost to deficit reduction efforts. A chart highlighted today by ThinkProgress and Quartz shows why immigration reform might be one of the smartest and most effective deficit reduction plans out there:

The OMB estimates (pdf, p. 56) that increasing immigration by 300,000 people a year, to 1.3 million, would be the equivalent of 0.6% of GDP in deficit reduction, or about $100 billion, each year between 2014 and 2088. Sounds like plan to tackle the debt to me.

In addition to underscoring the benefits of immigration reform, this also shows that deficit reduction does not have to come exclusively from the kind of painful austerity spending cuts championed by the GOP. Smart policy changes in areas like immigration can also help reduce our deficit and grow the economy.

BOTTOM LINE: Immigration reform will boost the economy, reduce the deficit, and help create new opportunities for all Americans, no matter where they were born.

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You Might’ve Missed

Sequester cuts start causing massive delays at major airports, so of course the GOP unfairly blames President Obama.

Top Senate opponent of immigration reform loses it during hearing.

Amazing New York Times interactive on the Boston bombings.

Republicans who voted against Sandy aid now want it for West, TX explosion.

Kansas governor signs sweeping anti-abortion law, writes “JESUS + Mary” in his notes on the bill.

Former White House chief of staff, Chicago mayor: Sen. Heitkamp (D-ND) betrayed me on gun bill.

White House backs online sales tax plan.

GOP immigration dead-ender says DREAMers should self-deport.

Canadian police derail terror plot targeting New York-Toronto rail line.

Today is Earth Day — and the last day for comments on a draft environmental assessment of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.