Public Congress

At the close of an address on health reform to Congress, President Obama reminds people: “I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it’s better politics to kill this plan, than to improve it.”

“If you misrepresent what’s in this plan, we will call you out,” he adds. “And I will not accept the status quo as a solution. Not this time. Not now.”

He also talks about a letter he received from late Senator Ted Kennedy that was written in May, but delivered to Obama after Kennedy’s death. In the letter, Ted called health reform “unfinished business” but was confident that “this is the year” that it would pass.

Obama also remarked on when it is necessary fo government to step in.

Duration : 0:9:36

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Despite backing off from a public option and the lure of a carrot in the form of a tort reform Republicans still refused to support it. They claimed Democrats hadn’t backed off from enough points. Then claimed they were ‘locked out’ of the process because their proposals weren’t being considered. In short; they wanted to write the health care bill themselves.
Wasn’t it rather cheeky of the minority party in congress to try to basically write health care reform on their own terms?

yep…

"do everything I ask or I will cry ‘partisanship’"…

Obama did away with the public option for them… a HUGE STEP… and they cry like he passed it with the public option…

During a floor statement on July 22, Congressman Joe Courtney again called on Members of Congress who accept taxpayer subsidized health care while opposing reform to “take a look in the mirror”. The Congressman reminded Members of Congress that the heavily subsidized health care they receive is selected through a public exchange, the same type of exchange proposed in the Americas Affordable Health Choices Act.

The Connecticut Congressman, who refuses to accept taxpayer subsidized health care until all Americans have access to affordable coverage, gave Americans the following homework assignment:

“Every taxpayer and every citizen of this country should ask that question of their Member of Congress when the times comes to vote, ‘Are you prepared to stand up and vote for a plan which will give us what we give you?’”

Copy the following link to see what your Member of Congress may be paying for health care: http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/rates/nonpostalhmo2009.pdf

Duration : 0:5:26

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This is the VOA Special English Economics Report, from http://voaspecialenglish.com | http://facebook.com/voalearningenglish

President Obama turned his attention to financial reform after his victory in March on health care.

On April fourteenth he met with congressional leaders from both parties at the White House.

He said there are some areas on which Democrats and Republicans can agree. “If theres one lesson that weve learned,” he said,

“it’s that [an] unfettered market where people are taking huge risks and expecting taxpayers to bail them out when things go sour is simply not acceptable.”

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner wrote in the Washington Post that the deep financial crisis is close to the end. But he said the nation must not forget the near-collapse of the banking system in two thousand eight without fixing the causes.

He told the American Society of News Editors in Washington that no one is arguing against new financial protections. The debate now,
he said, involves how to design a system that lets big financial companies fail without harming the economy.

In December, the House of Representatives passed the
Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. That bill would create a new consumer financial protection agency. It would also increase investor protections and let shareholders vote on the pay of top company officials.
And it would create a group to identify and regulate companies that are so big, their failure could threaten the economy.

Republicans opposed the bill. That was also true in March when the Senate Banking Committee approved its own version. That bill would not create an independent consumer agency, but instead a new office at the Federal Reserve, the central bank.

Senate Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said the bill would make future bailouts
more likely, not less likely.

Both measures in Congress call for
a system to supervise derivatives. These contracts are used for different purposes, including investment and protecting against loss. The largely unregulated market in derivatives is estimated at
six hundred trillion dollars.

Government rescues of banks considered “too big to fail”
angered the public and helped fuel a conservative movement.
The Tea Party also opposes the new health care law and argues for lower taxes and less government.

On April fifteenth they protested to mark Tax Day, when Americans have to pay any federal taxes they owe.

And that’s the VOA Special English Economics Report.

(Adapted from a radio program broadcast 16Apr2010)

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WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Obama told Congress on Wednesday that while he is not the first president to take up the cause of health care reform, “I am determined to be the last.” – 09-09-09 –

Pre President Obama is delivering an address to a joint session of Congress to present the most detailed description of his idea of health reform.

Obama has been criticized as the health care debate has devolved into rancorous town hall meetings and a partisan split over reform plans. Obama has also faced a split in his own party over how to best go about reforming the nation’s health care system.

“Well the time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action,” Obama said. “Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together, and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do. Now is the time to deliver on health care.”

While much of the debate over health care has been over a government-backed public option, Obama said that’s not the only problem plaguing the system.

“Those who do have insurance have never had less security and stability than they do today,” he said of Americans who have lost their insurance when they have lost their jobs or have had their coverage dropped when they have suffered an illness.

Obama will say that there is agreement on about 80 percent of what needs to be done, “but what we have also seen in these last months is the same partisan spectacle that only hardens the disdain many Americans have toward their own government.”

“Instead of honest debate, we have seen scare tactics,” he will say.

Obama was tweaking his pivotal health care address right up until the last, top aides said. He worked on the speech late into Tuesday night in the White House residence, bringing a new draft for his staff to work through Wednesday morning, they said. He even took a first draft of the speech to Camp David this weekend. sident Obama tells Congress the “time for bickering is over” as he presents the most detailed description yet of his ideas for health reform to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night. “The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action,” Obama will say, according to excerpts of the speech released by the White House – Sept. 9, 2009

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Vote TYT everyday through 1/15/10 @ streamy.org: http://tinyurl.com/ycwk6cv

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Duration : 0:3:31

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On Sept. 5, 2007, at noon, on the West side of the U.S. Capitol, representatives of various Peace Groups challenged the U.S. Congress to end the Iraq War. The activists held a public signing of letters seeking a meeting, and a dialogue, with Congressional leaders. The Peace Groups want Congress “to cut off funding for the war in Iraq and to safely and swiftly bring the U.S. troops home.”

The National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance (NCNR) coordinated today’s event. Participating were activists from Code Pink, Declaration of Peace, Democracy Rising, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Gold Star Families for Peace, Jonah House, Peace Action, Veterans for Peace, Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Voters for Peace and the Washington Peace Center. Check out the Declaration of Peace’s web site at: http://declarationofpeace.org/ for information on the “9 Point Comprehensive Peace Plan for Iraq,” which is referenced in the letters to the Congressional leadership.

Text-Letter to Members of Congress
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 235 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Sen. Harry Reid, 528 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510 Rep. John Boehner, 1011 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Sen. Mitch McConnell, 361-A Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator or Representative:

As representatives of peace and justice organizations, we are writing to request a meeting with you as soon as possible at your convenience to discuss a most urgent issue. We are facing one of the greatest crisis of our times–the unmitigated disaster caused by the war and occupation of Iraq. The untold suffering in Iraq, in that region and here in the United States will be with us for decades to come. The healing of Iraq cannot begin until all occupation forces leave the country.

Many of our elected representatives express concern for the troops in Iraq. However, under a false premise, they vote to fund the war in order to “support the troops.” In reality, not much of the funding of the war actually went to the troops or the many veterans who returned home broken and damaged by what they experienced in this illegal war. Instead funding the war meant more money for profiteers like Halliburton and corrupt Iraqi officials. And funding the war inevitably led to more dead and wounded U.S. soldiers.

We urge you to be a leader in ending this dishonorable war. The continuation of this illegal and futile occupation is a refusal to accept the November 2006 mandate of the people to end this war. As you are aware, an astonishing $12 billion is wasted each month on the war in Iraq. The money going down the rabbit hole in Iraq is funding denied to the poor and the working middle class. Money for war is money denied to children, many of whom have no access to health care. Money for war is money denied to our struggling public schools. Money for war is money denied to desperately needed social services.

All of us, both legislator and peace activist, must act to end this ignoble crisis. Let us meet to discuss how best to end the occupation of Iraq as soon as possible.

The Declaration of Peace has developed a framework for a 9-point Comprehensive Peace Plan for Iraq, which we would like to discuss with you at the meeting:

1] An end to all funding for U.S. military operations in Iraq.
2] Safe and rapid withdrawal of all U.S. troops and coalition forces from Iraq, with no future deployments.
3] No permanent U.S. military bases or installations in Iraq.
4] Support for an Iraqi-led peace process, including a peace conference to shape a post-occupation transition.
5] Return control of Iraqi oil and sovereignty in their economic and political affairs to the people of Iraq.
6] Support for reparations and reconstruction to address the destruction caused by the U.S. invasion, military occupation, and 13 years of economic sanctions.
7] Establish a U.S. “peace dividend” for job creation, health care, education, housing, and other social needs at home.
8] Increased support for U.S. veterans of the Iraq war.
9] No war against Iran or any other nation.

The peace community warned the government not to invade Iraq. The peace community argued that the reasons for going to war were lies. The peace community predicted that the invasion and occupation of Iraq would become a quagmire. Following the current path will only mean more death and destruction.

So representatives of various peace groups hope to speak with you, and through dialogue let us find a solution to the crisis. Please contact us and let us know when you are available to meet. We look forward to your response.

In peace,

Max Obuszewski
on behalf of the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance

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The Pandemic/Quarantine law In 60 seconds!
Quarantine Centers-
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/quarantine_stations.htm
Jacobsen vs. Massachusetts-
http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/cases/vaccines/Jacobson_v_Massachusetts.htm
Homeland Security Act of 2002-
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=107_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ296.107
FEMA-
http://www.fema.gov/about/history.shtm
Project Bioshield Act of 2004-
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ276.108.pdf
Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006-
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ417.109.pdf
National Biodefense Science Board-
http://www.hhs.gov/aspr/omsph/nbsb/
BARDA-
http://www.hhs.gov/aspr/barda/
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA)-
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/13/7/1046.htm
opposed certain provisions in the Homeland Security Act of 2002-
http://www.nvic.org/vaccine-laws/homeland-security/homeland-security.aspx
Bioshield legislation-
http://www.nvic.org/Downloads/Homeland-Security/2005_11-15_NVIC_Sen-Burr_BioShield-2_v7.aspx
responsible congressional oversight-
http://www.nvic.org/Downloads/Homeland-Security/NVIC-letter.aspx
Model State Emergency Health Powers Act (MSEHPA)-
http://www.publichealthlaw.net/MSEHPA/MSEHPA.pdf
funded, developed and promoted by Centers for Disease Control-
http://www.aclu.org/privacy/medical/14857res20020101.html
opposed granting state public health officials expanded police powers-
http://www.nvic.org/nvic-archives/newsletter/forcedvaccination.aspx
Posse Comitatus Act of 1878-
http://www.homelandsecurity.org/journal/Articles/Trebilcock.htm
U.S. Coast Guard-
http://www.uscg.mil/top/about/
applicable U.S. laws-
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg531/
U.S. Congress modified the Insurrection Act of 1807-
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=170453
Department of Defense-
http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:1yMJ5ZjVFOoJ:assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40619_20090604.pdf+The+Department+of+Homeland+Security,+role+of+DOD&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a
local police-
http://policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&article_id=807&issue_id=22006
NVICs website-
http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/state-vaccine-requirements.aspx
2009 H1N1 Flu Legal Preparedness -
http://www2a.cdc.gov/phlp/H1N1flu.asp

“If the State can tag, track down and force citizens against their will to be injected with biologicals of unknown toxicity today, there will be no limit on which individual freedoms the State can take away in the name of the greater good tomorrow.”
— Barbara Loe Fisher, Co-Founder NVIC

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Mike Draper, owner of SMASH of Des Moines, IA, testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee on how the cost of health care is affecting his small business, and his support for the choice of a public health insurance option.

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The Oversight Committee holds a hearing, “The Surgeon General’s Vital Mission: Challenges for the Future.” The hearing focuses on the importance of the Surgeon General’s Office, the need to preserve the Surgeon General’s independence, and recent limitations on the Surgeon General’s ability to carry out its public health education mission. Chairman Henry Waxman questions Richard Carmona, who resigned as Surgeon General in 2006, testifies about what he viewed as political and partisan pressure regarding issues ranging from stem cell research to abstinence-only education.

Duration : 0:12:26

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