Tag Archives: United States

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a message from AL Franken … Repeal DOMA


Hear that sound? That’s momentum — our fight for marriage equality is building steam.

We knew the Defense of Marriage Act was discriminatory. We knew it was wrong. But an appeals court in Boston just ruled that it’s unconstitutional, too.

Meanwhile, in the wake of President Obama’s endorsement of same-sex marriage, polls show that more and more Americans are ready for a country where the law treats all loving, committed relationships equally.

And here in Minnesota, surveys show that we have a great chance to defeat an anti-equality constitutional amendment — a victory that would be the first of its kind if we can pull it off.

This is the perfect time to help us keep building momentum by signing on to my petition to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act —   click here to add your name today!

We still have a long way to go. Change is hard — even without right-wing groups spending lots of money to stop it from happening. We’re fighting uphill — here in Minnesota and around the country.

But the momentum is on our side. It’s just a matter of time before we end marriage discrimination in America. Well, time and hard work.

A generation from now, marriage equality will be the law of the land. And you’ll be able to look back on this moment and know that you helped to build momentum in this fight — that, because of you, America is a fairer country.

Click here to help me fight for marriage equality today!

Thanks,

Al

P.S.: My ‘extra ask in the P.S.’ is even more important when we’re fighting for equality. Join in the fight to end DOMA today.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Will the EPA Choose Political Influence over Science?


Rainforest Action Network
 
Tell Obama’s EPA not to cave to industry pressure on palm oil and climate change.
EPA Science
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The EPA recently confirmed that the destruction of rainforests for palm oil is having a devastating impact on our climate. In fact, this deforestation, in large part for palm oil plantations, has led Indonesia to become the third largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, just behind China and the United States.

These severe climate and forest impacts should ensure that palm-oil based biofuels stay out of the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandates that American motorists use 36 billion gallons of biofuel in their cars and trucks by 2022. But not if the powerful palm oil lobby has anything to do with it. A massive lobby effort led by palm oil companies Cargill and Wilmar is being waged to persuade the EPA to overturn its own climate science on palm oil.

Tell Obama’s EPA not to cave to industry pressure on palm oil and climate change.

Palm oil companies know this is jeopardizing news to their multi-billion dollar industry. In the United States, the EPA’s decision could also determine to what extent the U.S. becomes a major palm oil buyer. Consumption of palm oil in the United States is growing at a much faster rate than anywhere else in the world–making sense that industry reps from Indonesia and Malaysia are concerned about protecting palm oil’s reputation here.

The palm oil industry will do whatever it takes to maximize profits at the expense of destruction of the forest, species, and communities of Indonesia and Malaysia–where 85% of the world’s palm oil is cultivated.

Please urge the EPA to adhere to its own scientific findings over listening to palm oil industry giants such as Cargill and Wilmar.

Ashley Schaeffer

For the forests,
Ashley Schaeffer
Rainforest Agribusiness Campaigner
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Pelosi – House Dems and Congress in the Newsroom JUNE 2012

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It’s been more than 250 days since the GOP took control of the House, and Americans are still asking: Where are the jobs, House Republicans?

The middle class is hurting, and the Republicans’ only answer is a plan to end Medicare and give tax breaks to Big Oil and companies that ship jobs overseas.

Learn more about the legislation the House has considered this Congress:

The Republican Default Act»

H.R. 1315 – Assault on Consumer Protections»

H.R. 2560 – GOP Cut, Cap & End Medicare Act»

H.R. 2018 – Undermining Clean Water»

H.R. 1309 – Flood Insurance»

H.R. 2417 – BULB Act»

H.R. 2219 – Defense Appropriations»

H.R. 2021 – More Giveaways to Big Oil, Not Lower Gas Prices»

H.R. 672 – Ending the Election Assistance Commission (EAC)»

H.R. 2112 – FY 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill»

H.R. 2055 – FY 2012 Military Construction/VA Appropriations Bill»

H.R. 1229 & H.R. 1231 – More Gifts To Big Oil»

H.R. 1230 – A Gift to Big Oil»

Restricting Women’s Access to Health Care»

Reducing Access to Health Care For Small Businesses & Uninsured»

Reducing Access to Health Care for Young People»

Upton-Inhofe Weaken Clean Air Act»

The FAA Job Loss Bill»

DC Private School Vouchers»

HAMP Termination Act»

GOP Spending Bill»

Build America Bonds»

GOP Patients’ Rights Repeal Bill»

H.R. 359 – Placing Control of Our Elections More Squarely Into the Hands of Special Interests»

Learn more about Democratic motions the House has considered this Congress:
On certain bills, House Democrats are allowed to offer a Motion to Recommit amending the pending bill before the final passage vote. Democrats have offered many motions this Congress ranging from increasing combat pay for our troops to protecting Social Security and Medicare benefits.

Democratic Motions to Recommit in the 112th Congress»

As Speaker Boehner continues his legal boondoggle to defend the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act in the federal courts, he is batting 0 for 4. Today’s ruling in Windsor vs. U.S. marks the fourth loss for his lawyers as the court ruled that DOMA serves no rational purpose and is unconstitutional.

In Windsor vs. U.S., Speaker Boehner intervened in the case of Edie Windsor who was penalized by DOMA to the tune of $350,000 after the death of her spouse, Thea Spyer, of 44 years.

When Thea died, the federal government refused to recognize their marriage and taxed Edie’s inheritance from Thea as though they were strangers. Under DOMA, only an opposite-sex spouse who dies can leave her assets, including the family home, to the other spouse without incurring estate taxes.

Boehner’s lawyers have now intervened in 14 cases and spent over $700,000 in taxpayer funds, but have now lost four cases in a row:

February 22, 2012 – U.S. District Court in California declares DOMA unconstitutional, in Golinski v. United States, ruling in favor of Karen Golinski who sought to enroll her wife in the federal employee health plan

May 24, 2012 – U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California rules DOMA unconstitutional and held that federal tax law cannot limit the participation of same-sex married couples and domestic partners in a long-term care insurance plan in Dragovich v. U.S. Department of Treasury.

May 31, 2012 – U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston rules DOMA unconstitutional in Massachusetts v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

June 6, 2012 – U.S. District Court in New York rules DOMA unconstitutional in Windsor vs. U.S.

More background and a timeline of Speaker Boehner’s indefensible DOMA defense are available here.

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AFL – CIO … Beyond Wisconsin


A year and a half ago, Gov. Scott Walker and his friends in the Senate forced through an extremist anti-worker agenda that divided the state.

Last night, Wisconsin took back its Senate. While Gov. Walker remains in office after being only the third governor in American history subjected to the humiliation of a recall, his divisive agenda has been stopped cold.

Though Walker was shielded with a flood of secret corporate cash, Wisconsin made its voice heard. While we came closer to recalling Walker than many expected, we ended up coming just short.

The work we did together was about much more than just this one election.

We laid the groundwork for a powerful movement to push back against Walker-style anti-working family policies everywhere. The energy and momentum in Wisconsin have inspired working people from all walks of life to stand together in solidarity in unprecedented ways.

We cannot stop now. Click here to sign our solidarity pledge to commit to building on the momentum working people created in Wisconsin and beyond to protect good jobs, working families and workplace rights.

Wisconsin is a small piece of a broader global movement of people pushing back on the corporate-driven policies that have favored the super-rich at the expense of good jobs, education and the health of our communities.

And we are winning. We’ve seen it in Tunisia, Yemen and other countries where the Arab Spring has taken hold; in Greece and France, where voters rejected the failed, Draconian policies of austerity; and here in the United States, where members of the Occupy movement continue to shine a much-needed light on Wall Street greed and ballooning economic inequality.

Working people are making history every day through their courage and resolve to work together for a better world. For you, it may have begun with Wisconsin, but it should not stop there.

Click here to sign our pledge of solidarity to say you will continue to stand with other working people to protect good jobs, working families and workplace rights.

Thank you for everything you have done and will continue to do for working families.

In Solidarity,

Richard Trumka
President, AFL-CIO

P.S. Want to be the first to hear about our exciting new campaigns planned for the summer? Sign our solidarity pledge now so you can be one of the first to receive updates.