Watching Congress

[Jackie22]

[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

 

[QuickSilver]

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

 

[Josiah]

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.

 

[AZ Jim]

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?

 

[Josiah]

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

 

[AZ Jim]

Amen Josiah....That is their platform.

 

[Jackie22]

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

 

[kcvet]

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

story

 

[kcvet]

Boxer: I will not run in 2016

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

 

[Jackie22]

[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

 

[kcvet]

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

 

[Don M.]

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.

 

[QuickSilver]

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?

 

[kcvet]

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

 

[Josiah]

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.

 

[Jackie22]

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

 

[Jackie22]

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.

 

[AZ Jim]

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!!

 

[Don M.]

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?.

 

[QuickSilver]

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

Bernie Sanders Calls Republican Blocking Of Citizens United Amendment A Defeat For Democracy 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. 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?.

Bull pucky.... I get SICK of the false equivaleny BS.. WE..the small doners put Obama in office... WE own him.... the LIBERAL BASE.... he owes US. and he knows it...

Nearly half of the donors to Obama’s reelection campaign in 2011 gave $200 or less, more than double the proportion seen in 2007, according to the analysis from the Campaign Finance Institute, which tracks money in politics.

Just 9 percent of donors to GOP front-runner Mitt Romney, by contrast, came from the lowest end of the contribution scale, the study shows. Obama raised more money in aggregate from small donors — $56.7 million — than Romney raised overall.
The numbers cement Obama’s reputation as unusually reliant on small-scale donors to fill his campaign war chest. An earlier analysis by The Washington Post produced similar findings, suggesting a persistent trend in Obama’s 2012 fundraising strategy.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...-study-shows/2012/02/08/gIQANfKIzQ_story.html

 

[Don M.]

"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.

 

[QuickSilver]

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..

 

[kcvet]

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

 

[rkunsaw]

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.

 

[QuickSilver]

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.