Tag Archives: Washington DC

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

President Obama and Commander in Chief


Apr 30, 2012 by    

President Obama speaks at the Building and Construction Trades Department Conference about creating good jobs for American workers, who can help our economy grow by rebuilding our nation’s roads, bridges, train tracks, and airports. April 30, 2012

Apr 28, 2012 by    

President Obama at the 2012 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C.

Apr 28, 2012 by    

President Obama discusses a new Executive Order designed to crack down on the bad actors who prey on our veterans and service members considering higher education.

Apr 25, 2012 by    

President Obama discusses the importance of a college education and why higher education should be affordable for all students willing to work hard, and calls on Congress to stop interest rates on federal Stafford loans from doubling in July. April 24, 2012

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Earth: mobilized. Keep going!


Check  the world premiere of  Grammy-winner  Esperanza Spalding’s “Endangered Species” video – done especially for Earth  Day!

Your donations help power the movement.

Approximately one billion people in 192  countries took action for Earth Day 2012! From Cairo to Beijing, Melbourne  to Rome, Rio to St. Louis, communities everywhere stood united to Mobilize the  Earth™. The accomplishments are too numerous to name and pouring in every day.

Earth Day Network and its partners worked  together on events across Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and other countries  throughout the Middle East. Our office in Kolkata coordinated nearly 700 events in India alone. There  were massive rallies in New York, Montreal and Seoul, to name a few. The rally  in Washington, D.C., by the steps of the Capitol, was watched all over the  globe as it was streamed live on the web.

More than a day of  service, Earth Day 2012 has been weeks of mobilization that are growing and  galvanizing the environmental movement, making our leaders take notice, and  holding them accountable.

Through Earth Day Network’s Campaign for Communities,  the number of elected officials participating in Earth Day events around the  world was one of the highest we have ever seen. This Earth Day renewed the  work that local governments are doing not only to clean up their communities  and spread environmental awareness but to actually reduce global warming  pollution in the face of national and international inaction.

Thousands of  students from 291 universities in 6 continents, 49 countries, and 36 U.S.  states came together for MobilizeU. Tens of thousands of students have been activated through  MobilizeU, and more than 5.5 million students have been impacted as their  universities were mobilized.

In the U.S., our work led the White House to host its first  summit on environmental education, announce the creation of a special taskforce  on environmental education, and issue an official Earth Day proclamation on the  benefits of green schools. Moreover, the Department of Education announced the  first round of winners in the Green Ribbon Schools program – a monumental  accomplishment that has been years in the making for the entire movement.

And, after only two years…

We reached A Billion Acts of Green®!

A Billion Acts of Green is a global referendum on the  environment, and your pledges have made it the largest environmental service  campaign in the world. It shows the breadth of support for strong, coordinated  action to deal with our most pressing environmental challenges. And we’re going  to take this achievement to world leaders and demand just that.

But, the campaign isn’t over…

Continue to add your  commitments to A Billion Acts of Green as we make our way to the NEXT  billion!

To learn more about the amazing work inspired by Earth  Day 2012, go to www.earthday.org/2012.  To see photos of Earth Day 2012 events from all over the world, go here.

– The Earth Day Network Team

www.earthday.org

~ Culture & History

National Museum of African American History and Culture – Lonny Branch


National Museum of African American History and Culture

Dear Charter Members and Friends,As director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, I am proud to announce that we will officially break ground for the Museum on Wednesday, February 22, 2012. While we could not invite all our Charter Members and friends to join us at this ceremony, I welcome you to join us virtually through a simulcast of this historic event via this link nmaahc.si.edu/Events/Groundbreaking. Pre-program activities begin at 9 a.m., and the ceremony gets underway at 10 a.m.This day represents a major milestone in our development, keeping us on track to meet our projected opening in 2015!

Future Site of the Smithsonian's NMAAHC Circled — Future home of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

The ceremonial groundbreaking represents just one of a number of activities planned throughout this year. In addition to our ongoing exhibitions and programs, later this year we will host a public celebration of the Groundbreaking on the National Mall. It will be a prelude to the Smithsonian’s FolkLife Festival that begins on June 27th. And those of you who are Charter Members will be invited to a special “members-only” reception and program as well (details to follow).

Six years ago, we began the journey to create the 19th museum of the Smithsonian family. Now, we have arrived at a singular moment in history — a time that realizes the hopes and dreams of so many who have struggled before us. We could not have reached this moment without the commitment of our Charter Members and friends like you.

Thank you again for your continued support and for joining us in this journey to bring the National Museum of African American History and Culture to the nation and the world.
Lonnie Bunch, Director In gratitude and celebration,
Lonnie Bunch Founding Director
P.S. I know you are as excited and proud as all of us are of this Museum as it begins to take its place among the other great Smithsonian museums on the National Mall. Thank you again for your vision and support.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Support Darcy Bruner … Jim Dean from … DFA


Washington DC is broken.

Washington state needs a representative who knows what it takes to fix the system and bring jobs back home. Darcy Burner is an engineer by training and a politician by necessity. She’ll work to get government working for all of us again — not just Wall Street.

In 2009, Darcy became the first President and Executive Director of ProgressiveCongress.org, a non-profit based in Washington, D.C. that works with the Congressional Progressive Caucus on public health, civil rights, education, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity. She is one of the progressive movement’s strongest allies.

With the overwhelming support of DFA members across the district, I am honored to announce Democacy for America’s endorsement of Darcy Burner for Congress.

Help send a true progressive to Congress by signing up to volunteer for Darcy Burner.

Help send a true progress to Congress by contributing $3 to Darcy Burner’s campaign.

Since we first endorsed Darcy Burner in 2006, she has work relentlessly to advance the progressive movement both in WA and in DC. Now, we need a progressive champion like Darcy inside Congress, someone with the tenacity and energy to bring real reforms.

We ask you to support Darcy with your vote, with your time and with your resources.

-Jim

Jim Dean, Chair
Democracy for America

Black History

Congress: the Republican led House – the Senate


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The Senate Convened at 10:00amET January 24, 2012

  • Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 4:00pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each with the time equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees, with the Majority controlling the first 30 minutes and the Republicans controlling the second 30 minutes.
  • The Senate will recess from 12:30pm until 2:15pm to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.

Following any Leader remarks on Thursday, January 26th, the Republican Leader, or his designee, will be recognized to move to proceed to the consideration of Calendar #294, H.J.Res.98, a joint resolution relating to the disapproval of the President’s exercise of authority to increase the debt limit with the time until noon for debate on the motion to proceed, with the time equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders, or their designees.

At noon on Thursday, January 26th, the Senate will conduct a roll call vote on the adoption of the motion to proceed to H.J.Res.98 (majority threshold). If the motion is successful, then the time for debate with respect to the joint resolution will be equally divided between the two Leaders, or their designees. Upon the use or yielding back of time, the joint resolution will be read a third time and the Senate will proceed to vote on passage of the joint resolution.

WRAP UP …

No ROLL CALL VOTES

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Adopted S.Res.353, congratulating the North Dakota State University football team for winning the 2011 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision title.

Discharged the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee from further consideration of H.R.1791, to designate the United States courthouse under construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the “Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse” and referred the bill to the Committee on Environmental and Public Works.

No EXECUTIVE ITEMS

———————————————————————————————–

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS

LEGISLATIVE DAY OF JANUARY 24, 2012

 112TH CONGRESS – SECOND SESSION

HR3630 expires Feb.29th

-The House adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on January 25, 2012.10:24:55 P.M. -On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.10:24:50 P.M. -Mr. Cantor moved that the House do now adjourn.10:23:30 P.M. -REFERRAL OF PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE – Mr. Cantor moved that the message of the President the United States be referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed as a House Document (H. Doc. 112-76). The motion was agreed to.10:23:00 P.M. -JOINT SESSION DISSOLVED – The Speaker declared the Joint Session of the two Houses dissolved.8:40:05 P.M. -JOINT SESSION – The House convened in Joint Session with the Senate for the purpose of receiving an address from the President of the United States on the subject of the state of the Union.8:40:00 P.M. -The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of January 24.4:58:00 P.M. -The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 8:35 P.M. today at which time the House will meet in Joint Session with the Senate to receive a communication from the President of the United States.4:56:00 P.M. -Mr. Carter asked unanimous consent That, when the House adjourns on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, it adjourn to meet at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 25, 2012. Agreed to without objection.4:55:08 P.M. -H.R. 3630Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.4:55:07 P.M. -H.R. 3630On motion that the House instruct conferees Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 397 – 16 (Roll no. 9).4:48:29 P.M. -H.R. 2070Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.4:48:29 P.M. -H.R. 2070On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 386 – 26 (Roll no. 8).4:41:04 P.M. -H.R. 2070Considered as unfinished business. H.R. 2070 — “To direct the Secretary of the Interior to install in the area of the World War II Memorial in the District of Columbia a suitable plaque or an inscription with the words that President Franklin D. Roosevelt prayed with the nation on June 6, 1944, the morning of D-Day.”4:40:41 P.M. -H. Res. 516Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.4:40:39 P.M. -H. Res. 516On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 410 – 1, 1 Present (Roll no. 7).4:16:59 P.M. -H. Res. 516Considered as unfinished business. H. Res. 516 — “Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the passage of a fiscal year 2013 Federal budget is of national importance.”4:16:36 P.M. -UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question on adoption of motions to suspend the rules, and the Capps Motion to Instruct Conferees to H.R. 3630, all of which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.4:15:59 P.M. -Mr. Sessions filed a report from the Committee on Rules on H. Res. 522.4:15:53 P.M. -The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of January 24.3:06:59 P.M. -The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.3:06:13 P.M. -H. Res. 516At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.2:19:33 P.M. -H. Res. 516DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 516.2:19:32 P.M. -H. Res. 516Considered under suspension of the rules.2:19:18 P.M. -H. Res. 516Mr. Ryan (WI) moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution. H. Res. 516 — “Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the passage of a fiscal year 2013 Federal budget is of national importance.”2:17:03 P.M. -H.R. 3630POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS – At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 3630, the Chair put the question on the motion and by voice vote announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mrs. Capps demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until later in the legislative day.1:21:25 P.M. -H.R. 3630DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour debate on the Capps motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 3630. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the Senate amendment to the bill H.R. 3630 be instructed to file a conference report not later than February, 17, 2012.1:20:59 P.M. -H.R. 3630Mrs. Capps moved that the House instruct conferees.1:20:03 P.M. -H.R. 3800Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.1:19:58 P.M. -H.R. 3800On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.1:05:14 P.M. -H.R. 3800DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3800.1:05:13 P.M. -H.R. 3800Considered under suspension of the rules.1:05:00 P.M. -H.R. 3800Mr. Petri moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. H.R. 3800 — “To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, to amend title 49, United States Code, to extend authorizations for the airport improvement program, and for other purposes.”1:03:38 P.M. -H.R. 1022At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.12:57:56 P.M. -H.R. 1022DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1022.12:57:55 P.M. -H.R. 1022Considered under suspension of the rules.12:57:40 P.M. -H.R. 1022Mr. Johnson (OH) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. H.R. 1022 — “To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of alternatives for commemorating and interpreting the role of the Buffalo Soldiers in the early years of the National Parks, and for other purposes.”12:57:37 P.M. -H.R. 290Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.12:57:34 P.M. -H.R. 290On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.12:46:15 P.M. -H.R. 290DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 290.12:46:13 P.M. -H.R. 290Considered under suspension of the rules.12:46:03 P.M. -H.R. 290Mr. Johnson (OH) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. H.R. 290 — “To amend title 36, United States Code, to ensure that memorials commemorating the service of the United States Armed Forces may contain religious symbols, and for other purposes.”12:45:48 P.M. -H.R. 2070At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.12:35:03 P.M. -H.R. 2070DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2070.12:35:01 P.M. -H.R. 2070Considered under suspension of the rules.12:35:00 P.M. -H.R. 2070Mr. Johnson (OH) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. H.R. 2070 — “To direct the Secretary of the Interior to install in the area of the World War II Memorial in the District of Columbia a suitable plaque or an inscription with the words that President Franklin D. Roosevelt prayed with the nation on June 6, 1944, the morning of D-Day.”12:34:34 P.M. -The Speaker announced that votes on suspensions, if ordered, will be postponed until the conclusion of general debate on all suspensions.12:04:59 P.M. -ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches which by direction of the Chair, would be limited to 15 per side of the aisle.12:04:38 P.M. -PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Ms. Hayworth to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.12:04:36 P.M. -The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.12:01:55 P.M. -Today’s prayer was offered by Reverend Dr. Kate Braestrup, Maine Warden Service, Lincolnville, Maine12:00:55 P.M. -The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of January 24.11:36:12 A.M. -The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 P.M. today.10:02:23 A.M. -MORNING-HOUR DEBATE – The House continued with further Morning-Hour Debate.10:02:05 A.M. -The House received a message from the Senate. The Senate passed S. 1134, and H.R. 3237. Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 96.10:01:05 A.M. -MORNING-HOUR DEBATE – The House proceeded with Morning-Hour Debate. At the conclusion of Morning-Hour, the House will recess until 12:00 p.m. for the start of legislative business.10:00:55 A.M. -The Speaker designated the Honorable Erik Paulsen to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.10:00:28 A.M. -The House convened, starting a new legislative day.