Current Legislation/Action

[jebeltariq]

I was just kidding Michelle...

[michelle]

Ah, went right over my head! I wouldn't put anything past the criminals at the helm of this country. Sometimes I wonder: What DO evil people look like when they're scheming? Do they
rub their hands together as they cackle maniacally? Or do they give it the 'old Snidely Whiplash' tug on the mustache and a 'yunt yunt yaaa'?

[michelle]

MONDAY 10/17/05
BUDGET CUTS IN SOCIAL SERVICES VS TAX CUTS
FOR THE WEALTHY
Just received this from People For The American Way:
www.pfaw.org

President Bush and the Republican-led Congress continue to pursue reckless tax and budget policies that perpetuate deficits and deprive the federal government of the revenues necessary to address national priorities while giving millionaires, billionaires and corporate America even more tax breaks. Appallingly, they are using the cost of relief for victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita to justify draconian cuts in the programs upon which low-income and middle-class families rely.

Beginning this week Congress takes up two fast-tracked budget bills — known as “reconciliation bills.” One would cut programs that low-income and middle-class families rely on; the second would give more large tax breaks to the wealthy.

The biggest step towards these goals is to pass two budget reconciliation bills - one to cut programs and the other to further cut taxes. The reconciliation bills would:

1. Cut a minimum of $35 billion from programs such as:

Medicaid, which provides health care to low-income children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities;
Food Stamps for low-income families; and
Student Loans.
2. Cut taxes by $70 billion, much of which will go to millionaires and corporations.

When Congress adopted the blueprint that called for these reconciliation bills earlier this year, they did so only by the narrowest of margins. We have a good chance of stopping them from going forward!

YOU CAN GO DIRECTLY TO CONGRESS.ORG
AND READ THESE ALERTS FROM OTHER GROUPS
CONCERNING THE BUDGET CUTS:
tinyurl.com/7p5st

Date: Alert Title / Posted By:

10/17/2005 Tell Congress: Get your priorities straight!
from: Children's Alliance of New Hampshire

10/17/2005 CALL CONGRESS: Responding To Katrina By Cutting Programs For The Needy Is An OUTRAGE!
from: RESULTS

10/14/2005 Call Congress Toll-free on Oct. 17-18
from: Natl Council on Aging

10/12/2005 Stop Wasteful Pork Barrel Spending
from: Taxpayers for Common Sense

10/12/2005 Weathering Katrina's Fiscal Storm
from: Taxpayers for Common Sense

10/12/2005 Stop cuts to social programs
from: NETWORK, A National Catholic Social
Justice Lobby

10/11/2005 End Taxpayer Funding of Partisan Campaigns'
from: Conservative Alerts

10/11/2005 Tell Congress: Protect Medicaid from Budget Cuts AND Hurricane Evacuees Need Health Care
from: RESULTS

10/11/2005 AGA Supports Medical Liability Reform
from: American Gastroenterological Association

10/11/200 Help Curb Cuts in Medicare Reimbursement Rates for Physicians!
from: American Gastroenterological Association
More alerts & organizations »

PLEASE NOTE: If you wish to take action, calls
should be made immediately to your congressional
representatives.

[james]

jebeltariq said:

Hello all!

It seems the American goverment will soon be requiring soldiers to purchase their own weapons and ammunition in order to more effectively carry out their duty. Failiure to do so may be result in court martial.

This is currently being debated in the senate and a bill rushed through congress in the wee hours of the morning morrow.

chuckle, chuckle
jebeltariq

Thats wicked good

[michelle]

From The American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU]:
10/19/05

Stop U.S. Torture: Tell Your House Member to Support the McCain Amendment

In a stunning vote, the U.S. Senate has chosen the rule of law and blocked torture and prisoner abuse by our government. Voting 90-9, the Senate backed a proposal from Senator John McCain (R-AZ) that bans the use of torture and other cruel, inhumane, and degrading practices.

The McCain amendment now faces an all-out attack from the Bush Administration as it heads to the House of Representatives.

You can help preserve human dignity, support the Senate’s overwhelming majority, and make sure this amendment becomes law. Take action now to stop the government from using torture and abuse.

The amendment restores the law in two areas. It stops the government from telling soldiers to ignore the Army Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogations. It also reinforces the ban on the government using cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment. The McCain amendment simply says that the government cannot abandon the Constitution and the rule of law.

As evidence of the abuse and degradation of U.S. detainees continues to emerge, the ACLU and supporters like you have led the call for accountability at the highest levels of government. The Bush Administration, meanwhile, has used every means available to elude a true reckoning for its dangerous policies.

When top government officials in Washington schemed on how to abandon the Constitution and the rule of law in interrogations, the government paved the way for the torture at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, and elsewhere. While privates and sergeants like Private Lynndie England are marched off to jail, many top government torture officials are getting better jobs.

Send your elected official a clear message: torture is not acceptable. Visit action.aclu.org/torture to take action today.

The House must vote to keep this important legislation in the Defense spending bill. It is the best way to make sure that government use of torture and abuse stops, and doesn’t happen again.

Write to your member of Congress and urge the House of Representatives insists the McCain amendment should stay in the Defense Department appropriations bill or you can click to read more: tinyurl.com/dymfe

[michelle]

Fighting the Gulf Coast Wage Cut
By Rep. George Miller (D-CA)
Oct 20, 2005 -- 06:21:22 PM EST

Today I introduced a new bill to overturn President Bush's wage cut for Gulf Coast workers. This time, Republican leaders in Congress cannot ignore it.

Every single House Democrat, 37 House Republicans, and one House independent are on record opposing the President's Gulf Coast wage cut - a clear majority of the House of Representatives. But Republican leaders in the House have refused to allow a vote to overturn the wage cut. Now it looks like they have no choice.

I was able to determine that, under the 1976 National Emergencies Act, I am able to force a vote within 15 calendar days of introducing a "Joint Resolution" - which I did at noon today. In this case, that means that if Congress doesn't act by Friday, November 4, I can go to the House floor and demand a vote on my resolution. Congress then has three days to schedule that vote.

Read entire statement:
www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/10/20/182122/86

[DT1]

FLASH!FLASH!FLASH!
at this time,the Senate Chamber is,
as afforded by Rule Twenty One,
in closed session.
May this be the begining of it's return to the American People....
Absorbing info-be back soon.

[DT1]

The sharpest focus Iv'e been able to find regarding this molten lava situation comes from mtv.com:

After one of the most dramatic weeks in recent Washington history, Senate Democrats upped the ante on Tuesday (November 1). Not content to wait until Thursday's arraignment of former Vice Presidential Chief of Staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby (on





charges that he lied about the leaking of a covert CIA agent's name) to start getting answers on prewar intelligence on Iraq, Democrats stunned Republicans with a surprise political maneuver. Without warning his Republican counterparts, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid effectively shut down the Senate Tuesday afternoon by invoking the rarely used Rule 21, which calls for a secret session of the Senate in order to discuss intelligence issues.

Prior to calling for the closed session — which required all Senate staff, press and other officials not sworn to secrecy to leave the chambers — Reid said in light of the Libby indictment, the American people and soldiers need to know how and why the United States became engaged in the Iraq war (see "Dick Cheney Aide 'Scooter' Libby Indicted In CIA Leak Case, Submits Resignation"). He also said that Senators deserve an answer as to why a second phase of investigation into prewar intelligence has not been completed.

"The Libby indictment provides a window into what this is really all about, how this administration manufactured and manipulated intelligence in order to sell the war in Iraq and attempted to destroy those who dared to challenge its actions," Reid said. "I demand on behalf of the American people that we understand why these investigations aren't being conducted, and in accordance with Rule 21 I now move the Senate go into closed session."

Shortly thereafter, fellow Democrat Dick Durbin seconded the call, the public was ordered out of the chambers, all 100 Senators were ordered in and the lights were dimmed, according to CNN. The move sparked bitter reaction from Republicans, particularly Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who called the action a "stunt." It is the first time in more than 25 years that such a closed session has been called for.

Clearly angered by Reid's actions, Frist said, "Not with the previous Democratic leader or the current Democratic leader have I been slapped in the face with such an affront to the leadership of this grand institution. Every other time there has been at least consideration for the other side of the aisle before a stunt, and this is a pure stunt, by Senator Reid."

Friday's action against Libby, who is the first White House staffer in 135 years to be indicted, spurred Democrats to call the session to push for more answers on their questions about whether the administration manipulated intelligence in the run-up to the war.

According to Senator Carl Levin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the move for the session came because a promised second phase of the investigation into prewar intelligence has not taken place. "Obviously the reason is that one of the five subjects of phase two is very sensitive to the administration, whether public statements by U.S. government officials were substantiated by intelligence information," Levin said. He added that there was "lots of evidence that the administration went way beyond the intelligence, particularly in how it related to Iraq and al Qaeda."

In March the Senate Intelligence Committee's chairman, Republican Senator Pat Roberts, said the investigation into whether the administration manipulated prewar intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was over because an earlier panel had found that the intelligence was flawed and there was no need to continue the probe. CNN reported that there is a draft of the plan for the second phase of the investigation and that Democrats are asking why they have not been able to see that document yet and have vowed to keep the Senate closed until they get some answers. A vote of the Senate is required to re-open the Senate.

According to CNN, Frist has asked that three members of each party meet in private to figure out what phase two of the Senate investigation should entail and that they return on November 14 with a plan.

— Gil Kaufman

[DT1]

Perhaps this nation his given up on the odds of this misadministration,and it's capacity to
come up with "the plan thing"...
A year ago I said in the now famous blog,The Fountainhead:
They're on thin ice-
Throw more bricks!!!
It is now the last chance for abused staffers to jump ship,and cut a book deal.
We are witnessing theG.W.Bush MELTDOWN.
I guess we can be thankful it only took five years.
However it goes,with the neocon fascist worldgrab crashig down like hasty,shoddy scaffolding,
I am almost sure that mankind has learned from this...I know I have.
With the disgrace,dississal and overthrow of the Executive Branch a probability,
We must get ahead of the curve and clean begin to clean up this mess.
While brighter minds than my own are laboring on this problem(www.commondreams.org/views05/1102-32.htm,I think the absolute first priority should be increasing the "background noise" for the immediate cessation of hostilities in Iraq.
When you find yourself in a hole,STOP DIGGING.

[michelle]

----------------------------
ISSUE----------------------------

Democrats close Senate doors in Iraq protest
By Vicki Allen, Reuters
Tue Nov 1, 2005
tinyurl.com/dj2on

** THOUGHTS **

With this headline in particular... the closed session
was not called to protest Iraq. It was called to
protest the conservatives' foot-dragging and cover-up
mentality...

In general, members of the Senate minority called for
a closed session to discuss issues of national
security and, in particular, the Administration's
development and use of intelligence in the run-up to
the Invasion of Iraq.

Members of the Senate majority appeared shocked,
caught off guard and whiney at the very notion of the
minority Senators setting one small segment of the
agenda. As DailyKos and Next Hurrah poster DemFromCT
says, "A failed President doesn't get to set the
agenda the way he'd like" <http://tinyurl.com/765zd>.
(That goes for failed Senators too.)

Of course, any one Senator of the 100 there on Capitol
Hill have the right to call a closed session any time
they feel it is necessary. In fact, it would appear to
be part of their duty as Senators to discuss matters
of national security, instead of lollygagging on
finding the truth.

** More facts:
List of Roadblocks the GOP has Put Up re: Iraq
Investigations?Posted by WilliamPitt?Democratic
Underground
Tue Nov 01st 2005
tinyurl.com/8oyvh

** ACTION **

Many, many news outlets (TV in particular) are simply
defaulting to the conservatives' framing on this
(calling it a "stunt" and/or "Senate hijacking").

Closed sessions are in the rules -- it is a Senator's
right and responsibility to use the closed session
when necessary in order to discuss matters of grave
importance to our nation. Faulty intelligence, and a
lollygagging majority apparently ignoring those
faults, would seem to be a damn good reason to call
the Senate into closed session.

Besides, how can someone who is a member of the Senate
"hijack" it anyway? Did Scooter Libby "hijack" the
White House? Have tall men "hijacked" the NBA?
Gimme a break. What a stupid talking point.

Moreover, it would appear conservatives were on the
wrong side of this issue to begin with since (1) they
agreed to the progressives' demand for a stricter
timeline and oversight of Phase 2 of the intel
investigation and (2) all conservatives could really
do about it was whine and pout and act like
pre-schoolers that didn't get their way...

Check your media: Using the conservatives' frames
verbatim is biased, pure and simple. Quoting
conservatives is fair as long as the stories are
balanced with actual quotes and responses (not
misquotes or half-quotes) from progressives.

[DT1]

If anyone would like to send Senator Reid a message,here's the link:
[ftp]http://reid.senate.gov/email_form.cfm[/ftp]
This moderator is in shock,having never suspected the courage displayed this week by the Honorable Senator from Nevada.
Having been only slightly aware of his existence last week,
I now hope he runs for president...
Watching cat-killer Frist foaming at the mouth-PRICELESS.

[michelle]

11/08/05
In just two days, Republicans in the House of Representatives will attempt to force through over $50 billion dollars in cuts to services for poor and middle class Americans. It's the first part of their "reverse Robin Hood" budget that slashes Medicaid, food stamps, and student loans to pay for $70 billion in new tax cuts for the wealthy. The vote is scheduled for Thursday evening.From: moveon.org

Senate Passes Plan to Cut $35 Billion From Deficit
By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 4, 2005
tinyurl.com/cmyu8

** THOUGHTS **

Taking $35 billion out of the budget (and thereby
cutting food aid, student loans, parental duties
enforcement and a host of other basic social and
family programs) in order to pay for another $70
billion in tax cuts to the filthy rich is AGAINST
FAMILY VALUES.

America is supposed to be the land of opportunity. The
conservative-controlled Congress is proving that they
believe opportunity is reserved only for the elite
upper crust.

Hunger In America Rises By 43 Percent
Over Last Five Years

Hunger in American households has risen by 43 percent over the last five years, according to an analysis of US Department of Agriculture (USDA) data released today. The analysis, completed by the Center on Hunger and Poverty at Brandeis University, shows that more than 7 million people have joined the ranks of the hungry since 1999.

The USDA report, Household Food Security in the United States, 2004, says that 38.2 million Americans live in households that suffer directly from hunger and food insecurity, including nearly 14 million children. That figure is up from 31 million Americans in 1999.

"This is an unexpected and even stunning outcome," noted center director Dr. J. Larry Brown, a leading scholarly authority on domestic hunger. "This chronic level of hunger so long after the recession ended means that it is a man-made problem. Congress and the White House urgently need to address growing income inequality and the weakening of the safety net in order to get this epidemic under control." According to the Center on Hunger and Poverty, food insecurity increased by nearly a million households from 2003 to 2004. Rates of hunger increased in almost every single category of household during the same time, with single mothers and those living in or near poverty continuing to suffer from severely high rates of both food insecurity and hunger.

California, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma and South Carolina all have food insecurity and hunger rates that are significantly higher than the national average. The lone bright spot in the nation is Oregon. Once considered to have the worst hunger in the country, Oregon has shown significant decreases in food insecurity and hunger since 1999-2001.

"With this astonishing level of food deprivation in America," Brown concluded, "we need President Bush to step up to the plate. If he now asks Congress to cut federal food programs, hunger will increase even further. We need the moral leadership to stem this crisis."

###

A full copy of Household Food Security in the United States, 2004 is available at www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err11/

To obtain a bulletin of the analysis by the Center on Poverty and Hunger, visit www.centeronhunger.org

[DT1]

I wonder how they will attempt to package this betrayal of the most vulnerable Americans.They will frame the debate with "sacrifice"soundbites,I guess.
What exactly are the Government parasites going to sacrifice?
Will the Manned Mars Mission be axed?
Will foriegn aid be scrapped?Oil company subsidies?The bridge to nowhere in Alaska?
Annual Intelligence Budget:$44 billion(woops...Did I leak that?My bad).
The Federal Reserve printing presses churn out money night and day,devaluing the currency already in circulation and essentially giving this bogus administration free money to play with.Will this irresponsible practice be halted?
Can we find any pork-laden programs that can be starved,rather than children?
It took me about five minutes to find a comprehensive list of them:

action.truemajority.org/campaign/korbbudget

[michelle]

Here's some very good news! Many thanks to ALL who took
action on this.....Michelle

House Democrats Defeat Spending Bill
By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer
Thu Nov 17, 3:17 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Legislation to fund many of the nation's health, education and social programs went down to a startling defeat in the House Thursday, led by Democrats who said cuts in the bill hurt some of America's neediest people.

The 224-209 vote against the $142.5 billion spending bill disrupted plans by Republican leaders to finish up work on this year's spending bills and cast doubt on whether they would have the votes to pass a major budget-cutting bill also on the day's agenda.

Democrats, unanimous in opposing the legislation, said it included the first cut in education funding in a decade and slashed spending for several health care programs. "It betrays our nation's values and its future," said House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. "It is neither compassionate, conservative nor wise."

Republicans said they may have lost votes because this year's bill, down $1.5 billion from last year, included no special projects or earmarks for lawmakers. "You take those out and you lose the incentive," said Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., who voted for the bill.

Twenty-two Republicans voted against the measure, many of them moderates who also are swing votes on the budget-cutting legislation.

Rep. Barney Frank (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., said one factor in the bill's defeat was the drop in the president's popularity and his inability to maintain unity among the GOP ranks. He also noted that the Republican Party misses the vote-gathering powers of Texas Rep. Tom DeLay — nicknamed "The Hammer" — who has stepped aside as majority leader because of legal problems, replaced by Rep. Roy Blunt (news, bio, voting record), R-Mo. "Not every blunt instrument is a hammer," Frank said.

The defeat upset Republican plans to finish up nearly all the spending bills before leaving for the Thanksgiving recess. Rep. Ralph Regula (news, bio, voting record), R-Ohio, manager of the bill, said it may now get thrown into a year-end "omnibus" over which members have little control.

The bill, a compromise with the Senate covering labor, health and education programs, is one of the biggest of the 11 spending measures Congress must pass every year and generally one of the more difficult.

It includes $63.4 billion for Health and Human Services programs, down almost $1 billion from fiscal 2005; $56.5 billion for the Department of Education, down slightly from a year before; and $11.6 billion for the Labor Department, down $430 million.

Republicans argued that it was the best they could do in a year of tight budgets. Rep. Jim Walsh, R-N.Y., said the bill represented more spending than the entire budgets of Russia or China. "It's a pretty remarkable commitment to our nation and to our citizens," he said.

Rep. Jack Kingston (news, bio, voting record), R-Ga., said the budget for the National Institutes of Health, up $250 million from last year to $28.6 billion, has doubled since Republicans took over control of Congress.

But Democrats provided a long list of programs that will be cut or face little or no increase, including President Bush's landmark No Child Left Behind education program, rural health care, Pell grants for higher education and heating assistance for low-income families. They insisted the attempted budget cuts were the result of GOP-driven tax cuts.

The vote was "a tremendous defeat" for the Republicans, said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "It had the wrong priorities."

Original and active links for background info
can be found at::
tinyurl.com/7a64u

[michelle]

Friday 11/18/05
UPDATE FROM TRUEMAJORITY CONCERNING BUDGET CUTS
[see reply #28 above]

Late in the evening on Nov. 17th, the House of Representatives voted to approve a version of the federal budget which included cuts in student loans, assistance for the poor and programs for farmers. TrueMajority members didn't want to see that happen.

There are rays of hope, though. After three tries, the House leadership only managed to push this bad budget through by a single vote. And earlier in the day, members of both parties revolted and refused to pass a spending plan for a different set of human needs programs which would have included yet more cuts.

We'll continue to keep you informed about what's happening with the federal budget, and find chances to push America back on the right track. Thank you for caring about this.

Matt Holland
TrueMajority Coordinator