# Watching Congress



## Jackie22 (Jan 8, 2015)

[h=1]Dems thwart changes to Wall Street reform law[/h]House Democrats on Wednesday thwarted a package of legislation that would have made changes to the 2010 Wall Street reform law. 

The measure — one of the first to be considered in the new Congress — was brought up under a fast-track procedure typically considered for noncontroversial legislation that requires a two-thirds majority to pass. But Democratic opposition led to its defeat, by a vote of 276-146. 

The package was comprised of 11 bills that were previously considered in the last Congress. It included provisions to delay for two years a portion of Dodd-Frank's so-called Volcker Rule, which prevents banks that make loans and deposits from engaging in speculative activity. 

Other parts of the bill were less controversial, such as provisions to allow the Securities and Exchange Commission to establish a pilot program to allow certain companies to increase the minimum price variation at which securities can be quoted. 

more 

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/228835-house-dems-derail-bill-to-change-dodd-frank-law


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## QuickSilver (Jan 8, 2015)

Thanks for posting this.  I was going to if someone didn't..  Yes... We are going to watch every single bill and be vigilant.


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## Josiah (Jan 8, 2015)

I confess I didn't understand the legislative rules (requiring a 2/3 majority) that permitted the Democrats to nip this in the bud. If for nothing else I give the Republicans credit for knowing how to utilize legislative rules to their advantage.


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## AZ Jim (Jan 8, 2015)

Some bills require a simple majority (50%+1) others a solid majority (2/3) to pass, (money bills).  I am a proud Democrat.  I look at this bill as a gift to big oil.  Meanwhile it can be a major environmental disaster.  Employee workers?  Sure, for the time it takes to tear across America with its pipeline, and then what?  We spend the rest of our lives with this beneath our lands ready as it ages to wreak havoc  upon us at some point.  We need to look beyond today at the tomorrows our kids inherit.  Remember EXON Valdez?


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## Josiah (Jan 8, 2015)

Things will only get worse starting Thursday, when House Republicans are expected to bring to the floor an anti-“Obamacare” bill that is, from start to finish, an exercise in dishonesty.

http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com...p-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-top-span-region


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## AZ Jim (Jan 8, 2015)

Amen Josiah....That is their platform.


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## Jackie22 (Jan 10, 2015)

*House GOP's New Rule Allows Republicans to Hide Tax Cuts*

House GOP's New Rule Allows Republicans to Hide Tax Cuts 
Friday, 09 January 2015 09:23 
By Crystal Shepeard, Care2 | Report 

On Tuesday, the 114th Congress’ term officially began with Republicans holding the majority in both chambers for the first time in eight years. After the photo ops of swearing in ceremonies with the Vice President and congressional members’ families, Congress wasted no time to get to work (something that wasn’t done much in the previous session). Most of the day was about finding co-sponsors and votes for bills that would make great press releases for constituents back home. In the House of Representatives, however, a very important new rule was passed that will change how legislation is evaluated. 

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provides nonpartisan economic analysis on the costs for any budgets or legislation proposed by Congress. When changes in taxation are involved, the nonpartisan Joint Committee On Taxation (JCT) issues reports regarding the revenue side. These two departments work together to create projections highlighting how a change in current policy would play out in certain scenarios. 

The rule passed along a straight party-line vote in the House on Tuesday changes which scenarios are used. 

Traditionally, the CBO and the JCT use two kinds of forecasting models: One that projects expenditures and revenues based on current policy assumptions (called the baseline) and another based on the result of proposed legislation (called scoring). They start with the baseline and scoring projects the possible effects on the baseline. 

snip.......
In other words, the CBO and JCT are now required to be clairvoyant, which isn’t sound economic poliThe Republicans are saying that they are simply requiring more information be included in the analyses. What they are failing to say is that the information is highly speculative and not based on known factors. Democrats, including the White House, have said that this is just another way to push through additional tax cuts for the ultra wealthy. This point is supported by an analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which says the new rule will not only provide less information, but allow Republicans to hide tax cuts which could swell the deficit.

This is much like how the Bush era tax cuts wiped out the surplus from the 1990s, creating a huge deficit, which led to the Great Recession and a period of unprecedented income inequality.

More: 
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/28450-house-gop-s-new-rule-allows-republicans-to-hide-tax-cuts


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## kcvet (Jan 10, 2015)

*House approves Keystone bill, as court ruling delivers win to pipeline backers*

story


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## kcvet (Jan 10, 2015)

*Boxer: I will not run in 2016

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/08/politics/barbara-boxer-not-running/



*


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## Jackie22 (Jan 10, 2015)

[h=1]House Pro-Keystone Votes Got $13 Million From Energy Sector; That Doesn't Include Dark Money[/h]
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




2015 is already bringing new challenges — including a congress that’s set on ignoring climate science and fighting for the fossil fuel industry instead of the American people. 

One of their first acts of business has been an attempt to force approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, despite President Obama stating that he’ll veto the legislation. This hasn’t stopped pro-oil legislators from pushing the issue forward and it’s clear why. 

We crunched the numbers and found that in today’s Keystone XL vote, members of the House of Representatives who voted ‘yes’ on approving the pipeline took a combined total of over $13 million dollars from the Oil and Gas industry in 2014 ALONE. 

Compared to members of the House voting against the pipeline, they took 8.5x more money on average. And this doesn’t even include all the ‘dark money’ being spent by the fossil fuel industry in the most recent elections. 

EDIT 

http://www.desmogblog.com/2015/01/09/keystone-xl-vote-analysis-house-proves-who-they-serve


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## kcvet (Jan 10, 2015)

*Here are the 28 House Democrats Who Voted to Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline*


January 9, 2015 Twenty-eight Democrats voted with 238 Republicans to authorize construction of the controversial Keystone XL oil-sands pipeline during a House vote on Friday.
The legislation, sponsored by Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, passed the House 266-153. The Senate is expected to begin debate on an identical measure early next week, despite a White House veto threat.

link


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## Don M. (Jan 10, 2015)

It's the Very Rare Politician who ISN'T Owned by the Wealthy Special Interests.  Just go to www.opensecrets.org, type in your favorite politician, and see where they get their campaign money from.  Unfortunately, with the passage of this Citizens United Baloney, no one is really able to track all the Dark Money that is beginning to flow profusely into our political system....and That is just the way our politicians want to keep it.  

Yup, the oil industry is fighting for the Keystone Pipeline.....Just as our Health Care Industry fights to keep us from getting decent affordable health care....and the Defense Industry fights to keep making us Police the World.  Every wealthy special interest out there has its share of politicians in its Hip Pocket, and the average person in this country is little more than a Pawn.


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## QuickSilver (Jan 10, 2015)

kcvet said:


> *Here are the 28 House Democrats Who Voted to Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline*
> 
> 
> January 9, 2015 Twenty-eight Democrats voted with 238 Republicans to authorize construction of the controversial Keystone XL oil-sands pipeline during a House vote on Friday.
> The legislation, sponsored by Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, passed the House 266-153. The Senate is expected to begin debate on an identical measure early next week, despite a White House veto threat.




That's true and Mine was one of them... I've already called him and asked him for a list of his contributors... I posted that request on his FB page...  Won't be voting for HIM again, I can assure you. 

They can debate all they damn well please.. It will be filibustered so it will go no where..  and even if it DID pass,  the President is going to veto it and it will be dead.

Oh wait....  It's already been filibustered..... by the Dems...   YEY!!   It's dead. 

https://patriotpost.us/posts/32263




> Even though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tried to work with Democrats in the upper chamber, the Democrat Party has dug in and started to filibuster the bipartisan bill authorizing the Keystone XL Pipeline. “The proceedings represented a role-reversal from the last Congress,


”

Hahahah.... How does that filibuster taste Mitch??? Like some of your own Medicine?


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## kcvet (Jan 10, 2015)

Don M. said:


> It's the Very Rare Politician who ISN'T Owned by the Wealthy Special Interests.  Just go to www.opensecrets.org, type in your favorite politician, and see where they get their campaign money from.  Unfortunately, with the passage of this Citizens United Baloney, no one is really able to track all the Dark Money that is beginning to flow profusely into our political system....and That is just the way our politicians want to keep it.
> 
> Yup, the oil industry is fighting for the Keystone Pipeline.....Just as our Health Care Industry fights to keep us from getting decent affordable health care....and the Defense Industry fights to keep making us Police the World.  Every wealthy special interest out there has its share of politicians in its Hip Pocket, and the average person in this country is little more than a Pawn.



ya know it was so cold the other day i saw a politician with his hands in his own pockets


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## Josiah (Jan 10, 2015)

I will certainly miss not having Barbara Boxer in the Senate. Hopefully California will be able to come up with a good replacement. 

I remember being down in the dumps when Hillary left the Senate but then along came Kirsten Gillibrand.


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## Jackie22 (Jan 10, 2015)

Don M. said:


> It's the Very Rare Politician who ISN'T Owned by the Wealthy Special Interests.  Just go to www.opensecrets.org, type in your favorite politician, and see where they get their campaign money from.  Unfortunately, with the passage of this Citizens United Baloney, no one is really able to track all the Dark Money that is beginning to flow profusely into our political system....and That is just the way our politicians want to keep it.



The Senate tried to overturn Citizen's United.....here is how it went down....


[h=1]Bernie Sanders Calls Republican Blocking Of Citizens United Amendment A Defeat For Democracy[/h]After Senate Republicans blocked a constitutional amendment that would have overturned Citizens United, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called the Koch victory a defeat for democracy. 

In a statement, Sanders said, “I am extremely disappointed that not one Republican voted today to stop billionaires from buying elections and undermining American democracy. While the Senate vote was a victory for Republicans, it was a defeat for American democracy. The Koch brothers and other billionaires should not be allowed to spend hundreds of millions of dollars electing candidates who represent the wealthy and the powerful. The fight to overturn Citizens United must continue at the grassroots level in every state in this country.” 

Earlier this week when Republicans voted with Democrats to allow debate on the constitutional amendment to move forward, it was a sign that associating with the Koch brothers had become toxic. Senate Republicans tried to fool the voters back home by supporting moving forward on the amendment, but everyone knew that when the time came for final passage, Senate Republicans would bow to their Koch masters. 

Before the vote, the Senate’s top Koch whore, Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said, “Given the urgency of this situation, I have to say it’s a little disconcerting to see the Democrat-led Senate focusing on things like reducing free speech protections for the American people. At a time when the rest of the country is worried about the threat of ISIL. At a time when millions wonder how they’re ever going to find a job in this awful economy. At a time when we find out that crushing federal regulations have gotten so out of control that they now cost our economy more than $2 trillion a year. This is what they chose to make their top legislative priority this week. Taking an eraser to the First Amendment.” 

Read more: http://www.politicususa.com/2014/09...tizens-united-amendment-defeat-democracy.html


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## Jackie22 (Jan 10, 2015)

Josiah09 said:


> I will certainly miss not having Barbara Boxer in the Senate. Hopefully California will be able to come up with a good replacement.
> 
> I remember being down in the dumps when Hillary left the Senate but then along came Kirsten Gillibrand.



Me too, Josiah, Boxer has her flaws, but she has been a fighter for the Democrats.


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## AZ Jim (Jan 10, 2015)

Josiah09 said:


> I will certainly miss not having Barbara Boxer in the Senate. Hopefully California will be able to come up with a good replacement.
> 
> I remember being down in the dumps when Hillary left the Senate but then along came Kirsten Gillibrand.



We lost a good one in congress when they shot Gabby Giffords!!


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## Don M. (Jan 10, 2015)

Jackie22 said:


> The Senate tried to overturn Citizen's United.....here is how it went down....



Yes...the Evil Koch Brothers and how they are buying our government. However, this tactic is on being Lost on the Democrats...They Too, seem to have plenty of wealthy supporters buying Their votes. In 2014, the Total spent on Congressional elections was over 1.6 Billion dollars...That's B, as in Billion. While the Republicans did have the edge, the Democrats are quickly gaining, if you look at the amounts spent in recent elections. These ridiculous sums of money are NOT coming from small 5 and 10 dollar donors. So far, the Democrats still have a lot of people Bullsh**ed into thinking that they represent the "People", but more and more voters are waking up to the fact that BOTH sides of the aisle are being corrupted. 

http://www.opensecrets.org/overview/

Now, if you go back to the 2012 Presidential election, Obama outspent Romney by a margin of almost 2 to 1....715 million to 446 million. Now, who do you suppose "Owns" Obama? Does the name George Soros sound familiar?.


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## QuickSilver (Jan 10, 2015)

Don M. said:


> Jackie22 said:
> 
> 
> > The Senate tried to overturn Citizen's United.....here is how it went down....
> ...


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## Don M. (Jan 10, 2015)

"Bull Pucky"...."Nearly Half of the Donors to Obama", etc.,etc.etc., According to the Washington Post.  I suppose you can find any number of "reports" out there on any given subject...most of which are heavily biased towards the Opinion of the Reporting entity.  

Candidates are, By Law, required to report their campaign funding to the FEC...Federal Election Commission.  About the Only site I am aware of that tracks these statistics...as given by the candidates and the FEC, is Opensecrets.org.  Here is their summation of the 2012 Presidential election.  

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/

If you take the time to go through these charts and numbers you will see that Obama, like Romney, got the vast majority of his funding from the LARGE Donors.  About 65% of Obama's money came from Large Donors...and Romney got almost 70% of his from the Big Donors.....not a whole lot of difference there, percentage wise...even though Obama raked in about 250 million more than Romney did.

So...if you want to keep drinking the Liberal Base Kool Aid...that is your choice....the politicians LOVE people like you.  OR...you can do some independent research, and see how you are being "Bilked" by those you so willingly trust.  

The people who genuflect at the mere mention of either Liberal or Conservative are aiding the goals of the 1% as they continue in their quest to control our government.  "Divide and Conquer"...and it is working splendidly.

Now....If you go WAY down to the bottom of this listing, You will see that the ONLY area in which the Romney supporters spent more than Obama...is in the arena of "Outside Spending".  This is the Super PACs, and the one's who bought off the Supreme Court enough to pass Citizens United.  I wonder how many Billions these Super PACs will spend in the 2016 election in order to keep the Mushroom Voters in the Dark.


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## QuickSilver (Jan 11, 2015)

Don...  I DON'T genuflect at the mention of Liberal or Democrat....  I am very politically informed and I happen to DETEST 99% of the Republican ideaology..  So It's not the R behind names... it's the stupidity of what they are trying to do... All you need to do is look at the bills they have been trying to push through in only their first week in control of Congress.....  Fortunately...they probabley won't be able to get much past the filibusters and the vetos.. but they are certainly showing their colors..  Just in time for 2016..


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## kcvet (Jan 11, 2015)

there was a time when democrats were American. now their more dangerous to us than the islamic terrorist.


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## rkunsaw (Jan 11, 2015)

> We lost a good one in congress when they shot Gabby Giffords!!



Ha,ha,*  THEY* shot Gabby Giffords??? I guess you blame republicans for that too. 

The sensible people Of Arizona voted in a conservative to replace her.


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## QuickSilver (Jan 11, 2015)

On the otherhand... HERE we have a photgraph of snipers pointing assault rifles DIRECTLY at US agents on the Bundy Ranch...  NOW THIS IS AMERICAN?  In addition... it was supported by the GOP as not a word was said by them to renounce this TREASON...    I guess it depends what color the hands are that are holding the weapons huh?  lol!!  Oh KCvet.... you make it way to easy...hahahahaha








OH lookie kcvet!!   A whole bunch of GOP State legislators even formed a caravan to go to the Bundy ranch in support of the protestors... That would mean they agreed with weapons being pointed at Government agents and US Marshalls...  But that is just FINE and dandy with you?  

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRang...blican-legislators-caravan-to-the-bundy-ranch

Don't you DARE point a finger at Democrats... kcvet....as being anti- American... FOUR of your fingers are pointing right back at you.




> Several state lawmakers traveled to Mesquite, Nev., over the weekend to support rancher Cliven Bundy, who is in a standoff with federal Bureau of Land Management officials over Bundy's two decades' worth of unpaid grazing fees.





> Rep. Bob Thorpe, R-Flagstaff, had returned to Phoenix in time for Monday's floor session and urged members of the House of Representatives to support Bundy. Thorpe also said that if he is re-elected, he plans to introduce legislation in 2015 that would assert the primacy of county sheriffs in enforcing the law in their counties. That's a central tenet of the sovereignty movement, which rejects much federal control.
> In addition to Thorpe, Reps. David Livingston, R-Peoria, and Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, traveled to Mesquite, along with Sens. Judy Burges, R-Sun City West, and Kelli Ward, R-Lake Havasu City.


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## Don M. (Jan 11, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> Don...  I DON'T genuflect at the mention of Liberal or Democrat....  I am very politically informed and I happen to DETEST 99% of the Republican ideaology..  So It's not the R behind names... it's the stupidity of what they are trying to do... All you need to do is look at the bills they have been trying to push through in only their first week in control of Congress.....  Fortunately...they probabley won't be able to get much past the filibusters and the vetos.. but they are certainly showing their colors..  Just in time for 2016..



If I had to sum up the biggest problem this nation faces, in One Word, that word would be "PARTISANSHIP".  This attitude is reflected by a Very Vocal 10% of our population, on Both ends of the spectrum, and they get all the media attention...while the 80% of our population recognize that we are All Americans, and are willing to compromise.  This Partisanship sends politicians to Washington, who are unwilling to talk to each other and work out sensible solutions that benefit the vast majority.  I know people who lean both Left and Right, and none of them are Evil.  Adult discussions about the issues with these people invariably show the strengths and weaknesses of the extreme Left and Right positions.  

Unfortunately, these radical politicians have created the scenario whereby millions and billions of dollars from the wealthy, on BOTH sides of the fence, are allowed to WARP the thinking of our populace, with their endless attack ads leading up to election, and the people are left with little more than trying to figure out who is the least corrupted candidate.  We have media sources such as Fox News, and MSNBC, which are both little more than mouthpieces for those who would keep the people of this nation divided, and arguing amongst themselves.  Meanwhile, the !% continue to lavish money and perks on Washington, and the rest of us are left behind.  

It's just too bad that there isn't a "None of the Above" option on our election ballots.


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## rt3 (Jan 11, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> On the otherhand... HERE we have a photgraph of snipers pointing assault rifles DIRECTLY at US agents on the Bundy Ranch...  NOW THIS IS AMERICAN?  In addition... it was supported by the GOP as not a word was said by them to renounce this TREASON...    I guess it depends what color the hands are that are holding the weapons huh?  lol!!  Oh KCvet.... you make it way to easy...hahahahaha
> 
> 
> 
> ...



they weren't assault rifles they were long range sniper rifles. Some of them were local sheriff deputies,. Guess it just in the definition of who is American.


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## rt3 (Jan 11, 2015)

Poor Gabby after she broke the family tire business, found politics easier. To bad her husband tried to buy a firearm illegally and the voters got wind of it.


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## kcvet (Jan 11, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> On the otherhand... HERE we have a photgraph of snipers pointing assault rifles DIRECTLY at US agents on the Bundy Ranch...  NOW THIS IS AMERICAN?  In addition... it was supported by the GOP as not a word was said by them to renounce this TREASON...    I guess it depends what color the hands are that are holding the weapons huh?  lol!!  Oh KCvet.... you make it way to easy...hahahahaha
> 
> 
> 
> ...



that's the militia. they came from far and wide to defend Bundy



> Don't you DARE point a finger at Democrats



this communist never looked better


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## QuickSilver (Jan 11, 2015)

What an enormous waste of my precious time....


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## Jackie22 (Jan 12, 2015)

[h=1]Sudden Thunder From the Center-Left -make big tax-break pitch for middle class[/h]January 12, 2015 9:34 AM 
Democrats, in a stark shift in messaging, to make big tax-break pitch for middle class 

So Rep. Chris van Hollen (D-MD), very close to the House Democratic leadership and not known as a lefty firebrand, is unveiling a rather large proposal to pay for a significant set of lower-to-middle class benefits via caps on tax breaks for the 1%, and a fee on financial transactions. 

There are some other interesting provisions involving tweaks in tax writeoffs for employers who do or don’t raise wages or offer training to employees, and we haven’t seen the whole package. But suffice it to say it’s one of the more frankly redistributive proposals coming from anywhere other than the Progressive Caucus in a good while, and the central prominence of the financial transaction tax makes it a direct shot at Wall Street. 

Aside from a virtual endorsement by Nancy Pelosi, *it may be significant that Van Hollen is formally making this proposal at the Center for American Progress, an organization generally thought to be the beating heart of Hillaryland. So expect speculation that this could be the first step towards a “populist” repositioning of HRC.* 



http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...438468-9999-11e4-a7ee-526210d665b4_story.html


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## QuickSilver (Jan 12, 2015)

Jackie22 said:


> *Sudden Thunder From the Center-Left -make big tax-break pitch for middle class*
> 
> January 12, 2015 9:34 AM
> Democrats, in a stark shift in messaging, to make big tax-break pitch for middle class
> ...



Wouldn't that be nice..  BUT... what chance does ANYTHING that would help US have in a Republican controlled congress?  Especially when it would involve their Puppet masters paying for it in any way shape of form...  Remember... "THE JOB CREATORS!!!".. BS..  Of course explaining how financial transactions creates anything might be a problem, but they'll figure a way. 

When in reality, putting some more money in the hands of the rest of us would actually create jobs..  The Middle Class spends it's money on goods and services.. and THAT demand is what creates jobs...  Parking one's money in offshore tax havens or Swiss Bank Accounts does NOTHING to create jobs or improve the economy..


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## Jackie22 (Jan 13, 2015)

[h=1]If this is not a move back to the dark ages, I don't know what is.......


Ted Cruz, Longtime Foe Of NASA And Science, Will Oversee NASA And Science In New Congress[/h]Source: *Huffington Post*

Following the ratification of Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) as chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committtee last week, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was named chair of the Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness, where he will oversee NASA and science programs. 

Appointed Jan. 8, Cruz is expected to be confirmed to the new role by the end of the month as one of many changes to the new Republican-controlled Congress. But the Republican senator's words and actions during his time in office have painted him to be a far cry from an advocate for the sciences, leaving many concerned about the future of space and science funding. 

Cruz's infamous hours-long speech in September 2013 led to a 16-day government shutdown barring 97 percent of NASA employees from appearing for work. Interns to the agency were temporarily displaced when the NASA-provided housing was closed during the shutdown, and many have said the agency suffered lasting damage due to the freeze. 

And NASA wasn't the only agency hit by the shutdown: research programs run by the National Institute of Health suffered a blow when new clinical trials were suspended, affecting 200 new patients each week of the shutdown. Environmental Protection Agency programs were also compromised, with 90 percent of employees on furlough.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/12/ted-cruz-nasa_n_6456270.html


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## Jackie22 (Feb 4, 2015)

The House voted 239-186 today to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the latest effort by the Republican-controlled chamber to scrap the law. 

The measure also would direct panels to come up with a replacement for the healthcare law — though it doesn't provide a timeline on any new legislation or what provisions it may contain. 

The House-approved measure likely will be defeated in the Senate, where the GOP has a smaller majority. President Obama has threatened to veto any legislation that rips up his signature achievement. 

The Associated Press notes the House has voted more than 50 times in the past two years to repeal the law. What was different about today's vote? NPR's S.V. Date writes in our It's All Politics blog: "What makes today a milestone is that, for the first time, House Republicans plan to vote on whether to actually take health coverage away from millions of Americans who now have it."


http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/03/383621170/house-votes-to-repeal-affordable-care-act


This makes 56 times your hard working representatives have tried to repeal ACA.


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## AZ Jim (Feb 4, 2015)

I have in all my years as a voter, both as a Republican and Democrat been so sickened by today's republicans! They are so obvious and anti "the not wealthy" they absolutely gag me.  I do believe their actions the next two years will undo them!!!


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## darroll (Feb 4, 2015)

The people against the pipeline also throw their butts in front of trains hauling crude oil.
What do these people want? An egg in their beer?
The dems must love four bucks a gallon gas.
This sure helps the poor working class.


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## QuickSilver (Feb 4, 2015)

darroll said:


> The people against the pipeline also throw their butts in front of trains hauling crude oil.
> What do these people want? An egg in their beer?
> The dems must love four bucks a gallon gas.
> This sure helps the poor working class.




Again.... Darroll.....  N O N E   of the oil tar sands traveling down the keystone pipeline will be USED in the USA..   After it is refined it is going for EXPORT...and the profit going to TransCANADA....    WHY do you keep repeating the fallicy that it is going to decrease our gas price..   Can you not understand that?   It's not even being denied by anyone.   This has been said over and over and you choose to ignore it.


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## Josiah (Feb 4, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> I have in all my years as a voter, both as a Republican and Democrat been so sickened by today's republicans! They are so obvious and anti "the not wealthy" they absolutely gag me.  I do believe their actions the next two years will undo them!!!



I certainly hope you're right Jim but I've been thinking the same thing for a long time and every off year election they prove me wrong.


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## QuickSilver (Feb 4, 2015)

Josiah09 said:


> I certainly hope you're right Jim but I've been thinking the same thing for a long time and every off year election they prove me wrong.



That's because Democrats don't vote in midterms... the only people bothering are the far Right base.. If we would have turned out like we do in Presidential years this never would have happened.   But on the bright side... Republicans have two years to show the American electorate what their true colors are..


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## AZ Jim (Feb 4, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> What an enormous waste of my precious time....



QS you do realize you are trying to reason with Republicans?


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## AZ Jim (Feb 4, 2015)

darroll said:


> The people against the pipeline also throw their butts in front of trains hauling crude oil.
> What do these people want? An egg in their beer?
> The dems must love four bucks a gallon gas.
> This sure helps the poor working class.



You obviously don't understand the issue at all.  This has NO bearing on gas prices.  Read up on where the refined oil is going.


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## QuickSilver (Feb 5, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> You obviously don't understand the issue at all.  This has NO bearing on gas prices.  Read up on where the refined oil is going.




Like talking to a freaking brick wall.


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## Jackie22 (Mar 18, 2015)

[h=1]More Bold GOP Leadership! Another Bill To Sell Off National Forests, At Taxpayer Expense, Of Course[/h]A proposal to seize and sell off America’s national forests and other public lands could make its way into the House GOP’s budget resolution when it is announced this week. In a recent memo to the House Budget Committee, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT), chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, proposed that America’s public lands be transferred to state control. He then requested $50 million of taxpayer money to be spent to enable transfers to “start immediately.” The memo states that public lands “create a burden for the surrounding states and communities,” and “the solution is to convey land without strings to state, local, and tribal governments.” 

Bishop’s plan and similar proposals to give away America’s public lands are controversial. A majority of voters in those regions believe the proposals would likely result in states having to raise taxes, open prized recreation areas to drilling and mining, or sell lands to private interests to cover the substantial costs of management. 

Despite these concerns — and despite the fact that these proposals are extremely expensive, unpopular, and most importantly, unconstitutional — there is a strong likelihood that Rep. Bishop’s request will be included in the House GOP’s budget, thanks to intensive lobbying efforts by a handful of right wing politicians and special interest groups. 

As reported by E&E Daily, the American Lands Council (ALC), an organization founded by Utah state Rep. Ken Ivory (R), hired a lobbyist at the end of last year to “educate congressional lawmakers on the benefits of relinquishing federal lands to the states.” Federal lobbying disclosure forms show that the ALC paid the lobbyist, Michael Swenson, $150,000 for just three months of lobbying work. Swenson, whose other clients include a Utah mining company, has denied being paid the sum. He told E&E the lobbying disclosure form was a “mistake,” and that he was paid just $20,000 in the last quarter of 2014. 

EDIT 

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/16/3633814/gop-budget-public-lands/


.......if this happens, these forest will wind up in the hands of the Koch Bros, for their paper products....its the big plan.


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## QuickSilver (Mar 18, 2015)

Good reporting Jackie... then there's this

Apparently the Congress is trying to pass a new federal regulation bill on toxic chemicals.   Somehow it was discovered... that it was actually written by the Chemical Industry lobbyists..    Are you surprised?   Not me.. These people have now got to pay the piper.. and the price is passing legislation favorable to their donors. 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/...bby-set-to-gut-U-S-toxic-chemical-regulations#



> The last time U.S. toxic chemical regulations were updated was 39 years ago. Since then many states have opted to enact stricter safety standards than those Federal standards of the past to keep pace with newer chemicals and innovations developed over the years as well as the latest methods to evaluate toxic chemical hazards more accurately. These state standards are now in jeopardy as new Federal regulations are in the making that would cap and essentially override safer more complete laws in some states. California is one of those states. There are many more.    A reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle discovered that a Microsoft Word draft of the new Federal regulations soon on its way to congress was authored by the American Chemistry Council. The Lobbying firm has denied they wrote the Bill. Further investigation by IT experts proved that denial to be untrue.
> In recent days, a draft of the bill — considered the product of more than two years of negotiation and collaboration between Sen. David Vitter, R-La., Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and both chemical industry and environmental groups — was circulated by Udall’s office ahead of the hearing. *The draft bill, obtained by Hearst Newspapers, is in the form of a Microsoft Word document. Rudimentary digital forensics — going to “advanced properties” in Word — shows the “company” of origin to be the American Chemistry Council.*​




oooops!  We weren't supposed to find that out!

Senator Barbara Boxer weighed in:

> Call me old-fashioned, but a bill to protect the public from harmful chemicals should not be written by chemical industry lobbyists. The voices of our families must not be drowned out by the very industry whose documented harmful impacts must be addressed, or the whole exercise is a sham,” Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said Monday. Boxer, who chaired the committee when the Democrats held the majority, and Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., have introduced an alternative version of the bill with much more stringent regulatory provisions.


Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, who will testify against the bill at Wednesday’s hearing had this to say:

> “We’re apparently at the point in the minds of some people in the Congress that laws intended to regulate polluters are now written by the polluters themselves,”



​​


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## Jackie22 (Mar 18, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> Good reporting Jackie... then there's this
> 
> Apparently the Congress is trying to pass a new federal regulation bill on toxic chemicals.   Somehow it was discovered... that it was actually written by the Chemical Industry lobbyists..    Are you surprised?   Not me.. These people have now got to pay the piper.. and the price is passing legislation favorable to their donors.
> 
> ...




It just never ceases, QS, I'm not surprised at all......don't you just love Senator Boxer, she has always been a fighter for just causes and we will miss her for sure.


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## QuickSilver (Mar 18, 2015)

Jackie22 said:


> It just never ceases, QS, I'm not surprised at all......don't you just love Senator Boxer, she has always been a fighter for just causes and we will miss her for sure.




Just the pure laziness of ACTUALLY letting the Chemical Lobby WRITE the legislation amazes me.   You would think that the sponsors of the bill could at least write it. BUT.. then again,  they wouldn't want to accidentally leave anything out of the lobby wish list.. so safer to let them pen it I guess.


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## Don M. (Mar 18, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> Just the pure laziness of ACTUALLY letting the Chemical Lobby WRITE the legislation amazes me.   You would think that the sponsors of the bill could at least write it. BUT.. then again,  they wouldn't want to accidentally leave anything out of the lobby wish list.. so safer to let them pen it I guess.



The Key Word is "Sponsor".  I doubt that ANY legislation of any importance is Ever written by a member of Congress.  Rather, they spend most of their time pandering to the Lobbyists on K Street, and "Sponsor" bills in Congress which have been written, almost in entirety by these Lobbyists.  In the vast majority of cases, the end result is more favoritism to the 1%'rs, at the expense of the rest of us.


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## Davey Jones (Mar 18, 2015)

I don't know about anybody else on here but I really,after the last 3 Presidents and Congress,don't give a damn what they do in D.C. anymore.

NOTHING is going to change no matter what the voters do or say.


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## Jackie22 (Mar 20, 2015)

[h=1]"American Energy Renaissance Act" DISASTER by Senators Cruz & Bridenstine[/h]http://bakken.com/news/id/235248/cruz-bridenstine-author-proposed-energy-bill/[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]

*Cruz, Bridenstine author proposed energy bill*[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-Okla, introduced on Wednesday[/FONT]*the “American Energy Renaissance Act” that would rollback or end several federal regulations on the nation’s oil and gas industry.*[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The proposed legislation, introduced into the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives,[/FONT]*would leave the regulation of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to the states rather than the federal government. 
*
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]HERE IS THE CORE of this BILL: [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif].[/FONT]_.*. proposed legislation would speed up the permitting process for new refineries, phase out and repeal the Renewable Fuel Standards over five years, end federal regulation of greenhouse gases that have been linked to global climate change, open up national reserves in Alaska and Native American reservations for oil and coal production, and immediately approve the Keystone pipeline, among others.* 
_
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](snip) Opening federal lands to oil and gas development, allowing exports and infrastructure improvements, and stopping regulatory overreach will greatly expand U.S. energy production.” [/FONT]




[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](snip) Cruz said ".... will we instead shut off our borders, erect walls, and allow our friends and allies to be dependent on tyrants like Vladimir Putin or Nicolas Maduro? We need to come together in a bipartisan manner..." [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](snip)[/FONT]*[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Neither Cruz or Bridenstine addressed the possible environmental impact that the proposed legislation might have. [/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif].........got to keep pushing those fossil fuel profits, the environment and climate be dammed.[/FONT]*


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## Jackie22 (Apr 2, 2015)

[h=1]A Quiet Corporate Coup on Capitol Hill[/h]Instead of lobbying congressional staff, lobbyists are now becoming the staff.
By Jim Hightower


Being a Congress critter isn’t the cushy job many people assume. After all, they must draft laws, organize hearings, write speeches, round up votes, and do all sorts of other things.
Oh, wait… my mistake. Members have staff to do all that, including telling the esteemed legislators how to vote.
Few people realize that congressional staffers have gained far-reaching control over legislation. While the mass media has ignored this power shift, which further removes the people from the making of our laws, corporate lobbyists have long understood it and assiduously wooed staff members with flattery and gifts.
But then it dawned on lobbyists that instead of wooing staff, they should simply _become the staff_. So when Republicans took charge of the Senate in January, K Street lobbyists moved right into the Capitol Hill offices of the new corporate-hugging majority.



Glyn Lowe Photoworks./Flickr​What a sight to see Tom Chapman, a former top lobbyist for US Airways, now sitting atop the legal staff of the Senate aviation panel that oversees — guess who? — US Airways.
And there’s Joel Leftwich, who pushed furiously to water down nutrition standards for school lunches as a senior lobbyist for Pepsico. Now he can do it directly as the new staff director for the Senate Agriculture Committee, which will re-write the school lunch funding law this year.
What a coincidence.
How about mega-lobbyist Mark Isakowitz, whose specialty is punching loopholes in the Wall Street reform law? As new chief of staff for Senator Rob Portman, Mark is now punching from the inside. And he’s already slipped a special regulatory exemption into law on behalf of big derivative traders like GE and the Koch brothers.
If you voted Republican last fall, is this the change you wanted?


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## QuickSilver (Apr 2, 2015)

Amazing!   It appears there is little hope for the PLANET... let alone the middle class.   BUT what is interesting is.. don't the wealthy think they have to breathe the same air and drink the same water as the rest of us?  All there money isn't going to really help them in the long run is it...?


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## Don M. (Apr 2, 2015)

It's been an open secret, for years, that there is a "revolving door" between Congress and K Street.  Deposed politicians generally go to work for one of the various major Lobby firms, and the Lobbyists are responsible for most of the legislation that is acted upon by Congress.  If the truth were known, the Real Power in Washington lies in the hands of a couple thousand of the richest and most powerful people, and their Lobbyist representatives.


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## QuickSilver (Apr 2, 2015)

How can this all be fixed if the people we vote for get to DC and let this happen?


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## Don M. (Apr 2, 2015)

The Only solution I see is to vote Against All Incumbents....especially those who can only kowtow to the Party Line.  The longer they stay in office, the more they come under the influence of the Oligarchy.  If they are "flushed" out of office every 2 to 6 years, perhaps they will get the hint that they are being sent there to represent the people...and not just the privileged.  There are any number of Internet sites which track a politicians voting record, and any of them who vote the Party Line more than 60 or 70% of the time are working against the wishes of our people...IMO.  However, in order for our people to get smarter about just what is going on in Washington, we have to do some research to see just what these bozo's are Really doing.  

One of the better sites to monitor a politicians voting record is VoteSmart.org.


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## QuickSilver (Apr 2, 2015)

But with big money controlling what the voting constituency sees and hears, that's hard to do.  Many folks don't pay attention to voting records or even who is in office until a few weeks before the election.  They then depend on the 30 second sound bites to form an opinion.  The candidate who has the most time bought and paid for by his PAC wins....


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## Don M. (Apr 2, 2015)

That's right...most of our population dwells upon the most obnoxious Attack Ads to determine how they will vote.  As such, we are getting government that is representing those who can "brainwash" the most people.  Things will Only change when the people are willing to devote some time to learning the facts for themselves.  However, we probably shouldn't hold our breath waiting for That to happen.  By the time most people finally wake up, we will be well on the way to becoming a 2 class society....the Filthy Rich, and the Peon's.


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## QuickSilver (Apr 2, 2015)

Well...  I heard a new saying the other day.   " People deserve to get what they vote for... and get it really HARD"    lol!


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## Jackie22 (Apr 17, 2015)

[h=1]House quietly passes tax exemption for megadonors[/h]Source: *Politico*

The House on Wednesday with little fanfare passed legislation that would protect major donors like the Koch brothers and Tom Steyer from having to pay gift taxes on huge donations to secret money political groups. 

The legislation, which now heads to the Senate, is seen by fundraising operatives as removing one of the few remaining potential obstacles to unfettered big-money spending by nonprofit groups registered under a section of the Tax Code — 501(c) — that allows them to shield their donors’ identities. 

Critics decry such groups as corrupting, but they have played an increasingly prominent role in recent elections, and they’re expected to spend huge sums in 2016 and, while fundraising operatives say most donors do not pay taxes on their donations to so-called 501(c) groups, the law is somewhat ambiguous on whether gift taxes could be assessed. That’s left donors fearing that such gifts could bring scrutiny from the Internal Revenue Service — which, in fact, has launched probes of major groups’ donors in recent years to determine whether they improperly avoided paying gift taxes. 

Continued at Link: 

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/...-cut-for-megadonors-117067.html#ixzz3XXfTzlep

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/...es-tax-cut-for-megadonors-117067.html?ml=m_po


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## Jackie22 (Apr 17, 2015)




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## AZ Jim (Apr 17, 2015)

Don't you just love it?  And some of the most ripped off by the teaparty, vote for them.. It's almost like them say "Beat me!  Stomp on me!  I wanna hurt more!!


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