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November 7, 2009

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House passes amendment prohibiting abortion funding
Posted: November 7th, 2009 10:30 PM ET
Washington (CNN) - The House of Representatives on Saturday night passed an amendment to pending health care legislation that prohibits federal funds for abortion services in the public option and in the insurance "exchange" the bill would create.

The vote passed 240-194.

The amendment was introduced by anti-abortion Democrats. Its consideration was considered a big win for them and for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which used its power - especially with conservative Democrats in swing congressional districts - to help force other Democratic leaders to permit a vote that most of them oppose.


VIDEO: House Passes Health Care Bill
Health Care Reform Passes the House
House Democrats narrowly clinched a landmark victory on a sweeping health care overhaul Saturday night, voting 220-215 to deliver President Obama a key win on his top domestic priority, Roll Call reports.

Contact: Stephanie Lundberg
202-225-3130For Immediate Release
November 07, 2009

Hoyer Delivers Opening Statement on Affordable Health Care for America Act

WASHINGTON, DC - House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) delivered the opening statement of general debate today on the Affordable Health Care for America Act. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:

“Soon, each one of us is going to look into his or her conscience and vote on this bill. And when the time comes, I don’t know if any words of mine will sway you. But I know that the most powerful arguments for this bill aren’t being spoken on this floor—they are being lived, right now.

“In the anxiety of the family that finds itself paying more and more each year for health insurance that grows weaker and weaker.

“In the frustration of the small business owner weighing the choice of dropping her employees’ coverage against the threat of being driven out of business by her competitors.

“And in the fury of the patient who learns that an insurance company bureaucrat has deemed him too sick for the coverage he paid for.

“They are our families, our neighbors, our fellow citizens. They are waiting for health insurance reform that is more affordable, more secure, more just. Their stories will be with me when I vote.

“Because I want to say to every American facing down illness: never again will you be denied coverage because you have diabetes or asthma, or because you are pregnant, or because you have anything else your insurer decides is a ‘pre-existing condition.’ Never again will your coverage run out—nor will you find that coverage you thought you paid for was actually not there at all. And never again can insurance companies drive out competition and set premiums as high as they like—because there will be a public insurance option and a transparent marketplace to keep them honest.

“I want to say to our middle-class families: you will have coverage you can depend on. Even if you change your job, or lose your job, or decide to start a business, you’ll be able to find affordable coverage in a competitive marketplace—an Insurance Exchange that offers you a choice of good policies at fair rates. In fact, according to an MIT analysis, buying coverage on the Exchange will bring your premiums down by a great deal, even without affordability credits. If your family makes $90,000, you’ll save more than $1,200 each year. If your family makes $60,000, you’ll save more than $5,000. And if your family makes $38,000, you’ll save more than $9,000.

“I want to say to our seniors: you count on Medicare, on a federal program, for dignity and peace of mind in your golden years, and that won’t change. Today we will vote to protect your access to your doctor, to encourage Medicare physicians to cooperate on higher-quality care, to keep your Medicare solvent for longer, and to bring an end to the ‘donut hole’ that leaves prescription drugs unaffordable for so many.

“I want to say to our small businessmen and –women: I know your premiums keep going up, and that each year they make it harder to stay in business, to compete with big business and with foreign firms. You deserve a fair playing field—and in the Insurance Exchange marketplace, you’ll be able to buy coverage at the low group rates you’ve been denied.

“I want to say to the 35 million Americans without insurance, who are forced to skip check-ups and preventive care, who are forced to turn to the ER as the first and only line of defense, who live sicker and shorter lives: you will have what every man, woman, and child has, in every other industrialized country in the world—health coverage you can afford and that you can count on.

“And to every American who is rightly worried about our mounting deficits and debt, I can tell you this: this bill does not add to the deficit over the next ten years, and is likely to reduce deficits further in the next decade. This bill means health care that is more fiscally sustainable, for years to come.

“That is what this bill, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, can achieve for our country. It isn’t a simple bill. It isn’t a perfect bill. But it is the product of months and months of debate and scrutiny—and it is the right response to this time of economic insecurity in which we have been called to lead.

“If we miss this chance—or if we vote for a Republican plan that does nothing to expand coverage, weakens insurance for millions who have it, and continues to allow millions of Americans to be denied affordable coverage—we will find ourselves back here again.

“But by then, premiums will eat up even more of our families’ budgets; health care will consume even more of our economy; and even more Americans will have died needlessly. If we miss this chance, this challenge of nearly a century’s duration will go on haunting us.

“And the years between this chance and our next one will be filled with stories that are unworthy of America at its best. Stories like Linda’s, who wrote to the New York Times of the anguish she felt, suffering from abdominal cancer and standing in the hospital just feet away from the drugs that could help save her life—drugs her insurance company was denying her.

“Stories like Deamonte Driver’s, a 12-year-old boy from Maryland who died when bacteria spread from a tooth abscess to his brain—who died for a lack of access to the dental care he needed, a lack of $80 to get that tooth pulled.

“We can be better than that. We must be. Americans rightly want to know what’s in this bill for them—but there is also something important in this bill for us, as a people. A system worthy of the values we profess and the principles we hold dear.

“We will vote for a healthier America. We will vote to give our fellow citizens a greater sense of security. We will vote to make Medicare stronger for our seniors. We will vote for a healthier economy, for affordable coverage for individuals and small businesses. We will vote to begin containing costs, which will otherwise be unsustainable for our children and grandchildren. We will, in sum, vote for that more perfect union of which our Founders dreamed.

“There are few moments when we have the opportunity to do so much good with one vote. This is one of those moments—I urge my colleagues to rise to it.”

Click here to watch Leader Hoyer's opening statement.

###


House Dem leaders seem confident health care bill will pass
Posted: November 7th, 2009 12:55 PM ET
'This is our moment,' Obama says of health care reform
Posted: November 7th, 2009 01:39 PM ET

VIDEO: House Oversight Subcmte. Hearing on Adapting the U.S. Postal Service

from C-SPAN Recent Video A House Oversight and Government Reform Subcmte. on Federal Workforce held a hearing on generating revenue opportunities for the Postal Service titled “More Than Stamps: Adapting the Postal Service to a Changing World." Witnesses examined what steps the Postal Service has taken since Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006.
Length: 1 hr. 44 min.

Published: Thursday at 10am (ET)


VIDEO: White House Briefing with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Thurs Nov 5

from C-SPAN Recent Video President Obama spoke to reporters at the White House daily briefing to announce the endorsement by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the American Medical Association (AMA) of his administration's plans for health care reform. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs then continued with daily remarks.
Length: 34 min.

Published: Thursday at 1pm (ET)


VIDEO: Pres. Obama Meeting with President Ian Khama of Botswana

from C-SPAN Recent Video President Obama met with President Ian Khama of Botswana in the Oval Office to discuss U.S.-Botswana relations.
Length: 4 min.

Published: Thursday at 3pm (ET)


VIDEO: White House Tribal Nations Conference

from C-SPAN Recent Video Pres. Obama delivered the opening remarks at a White House Tribal Nations Conference and participated in a discussion with leaders from the 564 federally recognized tribes. The conference addressed issues facing American Indian tribes such as economic development, housing and education. This is the first such meeting since 1994.
Length:

Published: Thursday at 9am (ET)


VIDEO: House Judiciary Cmte. Mark Up of Civil Liberties Legislation

from C-SPAN Recent Video Members marked up a series of seminal civil liberties bills, including H.R. 984, the State Secret Protection Act, and H.R. 3845, the USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009. The USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009 would amend and extend expiring USA PATRIOT Act and related provisions needed to combat terrorism, while at the same time better protecting Americans’ privacy and civil liberties.
Length: 2 hr. 29 min.

Published: Wednesday at 8pm (ET)


VIDEO: Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ)

from C-SPAN Recent Video Representative Frank Pallone talked about House debate on health care legislation, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), and he responded to telephone calls and electronic communications. Debate was scheduled to begin later in the day or the following day. Representative Pallone supports the bill.
Length: 23 min.

Published: Friday at 7:15am (ET)


VIDEO: Katherine Keesling, HearTheBill.org, Co-Creator

from C-SPAN Recent Video A look at the website, HearTheBill.org, which features an audiobook version of the health care legislation.
Length: 6 min.

Published: Friday at 8:45am (ET)


VIDEO: David Plouffe, Author, “The Audacity to Win”

from C-SPAN Recent Video David Plouffe discusses his new book, “The Audacity to Win,” which gives an inside look at how the Obama campaign came together & helped put Barack Obama in the White House. David Plouffe served as the chief campaign manager for Barack Obama in 2008.
Length:

Published: Friday at 8am (ET)


VIDEO: Pres. Obama Remarks on Fort Hood Shooting & Unemployment Numbers

from C-SPAN Recent Video President Obama made remarks from the White House Rose Garden on the Fort Hood shooting in Texas and the latest unemployment figures.
Length: 5 min.

Published: Friday at 11:40am (ET)


VIDEO: British P.M. Gordon Brown Remarks on Afghanistan

from C-SPAN Recent Video British Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke at the Royal College of Defense Studies in London on the British mission in Afghanistan. He warned Afghan President Hamid Karzai to clean up the corruption in his government or risk the loss of international support. He also reiterated the British commitment to training and supporting the Afghan military.
Length: 30 min.

Published: Friday at 10:30am (ET)


VIDEO: White House Briefing with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Fri Nov 6

from C-SPAN Recent Video Press Secretary Robert Gibbs conducts a daily briefing at the White House.
Length: 45 min.

Published: Friday at 1pm (ET)


VIDEO: Congressional Black Caucus Health Care Press Conference

from C-SPAN Recent Video Members of the Congressonal Black Caucus held a press conference on Capitol Hill to discuss the health care bill expected to reach the House floor for debate this weekend.
Length: 28 min.

Published: Friday at 1:30pm (ET)


VIDEO: State Department Press Briefing Fri Nov 6

from C-SPAN Recent Video Spokesman Ian Kelly conducts a daily briefing at the State Department.
Length: 33 min.

Published: Friday at 1pm (ET)



VIDEO: House Judiciary Committee Mark Up Civil Liberties Legislation - Day Two

from C-SPAN Recent Video Members marked up a series of seminal civil liberties bills, including H.R. 984, the State Secret Protection Act, and H.R. 3845, the USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009. The USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009 would amend and extend expiring USA PATRIOT Act and related provisions needed to combat terrorism, while at the same time better protecting Americans’ privacy and civil liberties.
Length: 3 hr. 36 min.

Published: Thursday at 8pm (ET)


VIDEO: Joint Economic Cmte. Hearing on Employment Numbers

from C-SPAN Recent Video The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that unemployment rose to 10.2% in October. Figures from last month reported that the U.S. unemployment rate reached 9.8%. BLS Commissioner Keith Hall testified on the latest numbers before the Joint Economic Cmte.
Length:

Published: Friday at 9:30am (ET)


VIDEO: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Teleconference Call on Health Care Legislation

from C-SPAN Recent Video House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer participated in a teleconference hosted by Families USA about the pending House floor debate on health reform legislation.
Length: 33 min.

Published: Friday at 10am (ET)


VIDEO: House Rules Cmte. Meeting on Health Care Legislation

from C-SPAN Recent Video The House Rules Cmte. met to discuss the rule for floor debate on the health care bill. Members heard from several panels of Representatives who introduced amendments to the legislation.
Length:

Published: Friday at 2pm (ET)


VIDEO: U.S. House Debate on Health Care

from C-SPAN Recent Video This morning, the U.S. House convenes to debate legislation on health care reform. First, Members will debate & vote on the rule, or guidelines, for the health care debate. Then,
Length:

Published: Today at 9am (ET)


VIDEO: Pres. Obama Weekly Address

from C-SPAN Recent Video In his weekly address, President Obama discusses the shooting at Fort Hood Army Base in Texas and pays tribute to those who helped end the violence.
Length: 4 min.

Published: Today at 10am (ET)


VIDEO: Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)

from C-SPAN Recent Video REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D-IL) talked about her support for health care legislation.
Length:

Published: Today at 7:15am (ET)


VIDEO: Rep. Jim Marshall (D-GA)

from C-SPAN Recent Video Representative Jim Marshall talked about his opposition to health care legislation.
Length:

Published: Today at 7:30am (ET)


VIDEO: Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)

from C-SPAN Recent Video Representative Luis Gutierrez talked about his concerns with health care legislation.
Length:

Published: Today at 7:45am (ET)


VIDEO: House Floor Debate on Health Care: Democrats' press conference

from C-SPAN Recent Video House Democrats met with Pres. Obama on Capitol Hill about the Health Care legislation being debated today.
Length:

Published: Today at 12:30pm (ET)


VIDEO: House Floor Debate on Health Care: Maryland Representatives

from C-SPAN

Recent Video Members debate the Affordable Health Care for America Act.
Length:

Published: Today at 12am (ET)


Biden: Strong Unions Needed to Build Middle Class

from AFL-CIO NOW BLOG by James ParksThe nation cannot rebuild its middle class without strong unions, Vice President Joe Biden said today. Biden said he and President Obama believe it is impossible to grow the middle class without growing unions.


Obama Signs Unemployment Insurance Extension

from AFL-CIO NOW BLOG by Mike Hall Long-term jobless workers finally have some relief, with President Barack Obama signing legislation today to provide up to 20 extra weeks of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for workers who exhaust their benefits before finding new work. The bill had been held up for almost six weeks as Senate Republicans blocked several attempts to bring it to a vote.


Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation
Presidential Proclamation - Honoring the Victims of the Tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas
Weekly Address: President Obama Extends Condolences to the Fort Hood Community
In this week’s address, President Barack Obama expressed his sadness for the tragedy at Fort Hood and praised the selfless valor of those who came to the aid of the wounded.

Bills Signed Into Law by the President, 11/06/09
On Friday, November 6, 2009, the President signed the following bills into law.

Presidential Delegation to Commemorate 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
On the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, President Barack Obama extends his congratulations to the people of Germany – and the people of Europe.

President Obama Taps Cassandra Butts to Serve as Senior Advisor at the Millennium Challenge Corporation
Today, President Barack Obama announced that he will name Deputy White House Counsel Cassandra Q. Butts as Senior Advisor in the Office of the Chief Executive Officer at the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

Essay by Dr. Jill Biden in USA Weekend Magazine
The following essay penned by Dr. Jill Biden will be featured in the November 6-8th issue of USA Weekend Magazine.

Fact Sheet: The Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009
Today, President Obama signed legislation to help create jobs by providing tax cuts for homebuyers and businesses, while providing much-needed support for workers who are still struggling to find jobs.

Statement by Chair of the President's Council of Economic Advisors Christina Romer on the Employment Situation in October
Today’s employment report contained both signs of hope for recovery and painful evidence of continued labor market weakness.

Briefing by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 11/6/09
Remarks by the President in the Rose Garden
Remarks by the President on the Announcements by AARP and AMA

Secretary Duncan Connects American and Jordanian Students
Posted by Secretary Arne Duncan on November 5, 2009 at 2:18 PM EST

In President Obama's address to the Muslim world delivered from Cairo in June, he called for the creation of an online network so "a teenager in Kansas can communicate instantly with a teenager in Cairo."


Who Do You Trust on Health Insurance Reform?
Posted by Jesse Lee on November 5, 2009 at 4:14 PM EST

With the House having put forth their actual legislation, organizations that have withheld final judgment now have something solid to evaluate. And the floodgates have opened.


On the Employment Situation in October
Posted by Christina Romer on November 6, 2009 at 9:30 AM EST

Today's employment report contained both signs of hope for recovery and painful evidence of continued labor market weakness.


Recognizing the Scientists of Today and Tomorrow
Posted by Jesse Lee on November 6, 2009 at 10:41 AM EST
Secretary Solis: Combating Unemployment
Posted by Secretary Hilda Solis on November 6, 2009 at 6:20 PM EST

Weekly Address: Tragedy at Fort Hood
Posted by Jesse Lee on November 7, 2009 at 12:00 AM EST

The President condemns the "despicable" attacks at Fort Hood, honoring those who were killed and injured. He also commends those who stood up to help and console those affected: "even as we saw the worst of human nature on full display, we also saw the best of America."


NASA Spinoff 2009 Highlights Technologies That Improve Life on Earth
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:00:00 -0600
The 2009 edition of NASA's Spinoff, a publication that shows how NASA technology is being put to use in everyday life here on Earth, is available in print and online.
NEW GOV JOB VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENTS have been posted at www.usdemocrats.com/ticker/jobs/

FLOOR SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2009
House Meets At… First Vote Predicted… Last Vote Predicted…

9:00 a.m.: Legislative Business 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Evening

***Members are advised that votes could occur as early as 9:00 a.m. and Republican procedural votes are possible throughout the day

“One Minutes” (10 per side)

H.R. 3962 - Affordable Health Care for America Act (Rep. Dingell – Energy and Commerce/Ways and Means/Education and Labor) (Subject to a Rule)

Postponed Suspension Votes (9 Bills)
H.R. 3737 - Small Business Microlending Expansion Act of 2009 (Rep. Ellsworth - Small Business)
H.R. 1838 - To amend the Small Business Act to modify certain provisions relating to women's business centers (Rep. Fallin - Small Business)
H.R. 1845 - Small Business Development Centers Modernization Act of 2009 (Rep. Schock - Small Business)
H.Res. 700 - Expressing support for designation of the week beginning on November 9, 2009, as National School Psychology Week (Rep. Loebsack - Education and Labor)
H.Res. 877 - Expressing support for Chinese human rights activists Huang Qi and Tan Zuoren for engaging in peaceful expression as they seek answers and justice for the parents whose children were killed in the Sichuan earthquake of May 12, 2008 (Rep. Wu - Foreign Affairs)
H.Res. 892 - Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the remarkable events leading to the end of the Cold War and the creation of a Europe, whole, free, and at peace (Rep. Berman - Foreign Affairs)
H.Res. 833 - Honoring the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the 10th anniversary of the accession to the throne of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein (Rep. Schiff - Foreign Affairs)
H.Con.Res. 209 - Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the seizure of the U.S. hostages in Iran (Rep. Fortenberry - Foreign Affairs)
H.Res. 895 - Honoring the lives of the brave soldiers of the United States Army who lost their lives in the tragic attack of November 5, 2009, at Fort Hood, Texas (Rep. Carter - Armed Services)
* Conference Reports may be brought up at any time.
* Motions to go to Conference should they become available.
* Possible Motions to Instruct Conferees.


Around the Services
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:29:12 -0600
Top Army leadership speaks out about the tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas. Plus, first-responders talk about their experiences helping victims.
Obama Praises Fort Hood Responders in Weekly Address
Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:53:00 -0600
Highlights: Voices of U.S. Diplomacy and the Berlin Wall
Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0600
THE DAILY WHIPLINE | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2009
Statement by Secretary Geithner at the G-20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors
To view or print the PDF content on this page, download the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®.
November 7, 2009
tg-358
Fort Hood First Responders Heroically Save Lives
Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:19:00 -0600
Soldiers, Families Gather for Twilight Vigil
Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:52:00 -0600

Majority Leader Hoyer Discusses Health Reform in Saturday Morning Media Appearances

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) discussed health care reform with several news outlets this morning. Below are excerpts and links to video of those appearances.

ABC’s Good Morning America:
“For a century almost – Theodore Roosevelt to this President – have been saying that we need to make sure that all Americans have affordable health care they can count on. And this day is a day which I think many, many generations have waited for, for a very long time.”

 

CBS’s Early Show:
“This Bill has been subjected to over 100 hearings over the last two years. Health care legislation has been discussed literally for decades and was a major subject throughout the presidential campaign last year in 2008. It has received some 3,000 public hearings... In the 29 years that I’ve been here, I have not seen a piece of legislation subjected to so much scrutiny, oversight, discussion, debate and consideration.”

 

NBC’s Today Show:
“[Today, we are going to] be voting for health care reform for all Americans, to give them the security they need and to bring costs down which are unsustainable. And the CBO, of course, says our bills are paid for. The Republican alternative … is a bill which will result in there being more uninsured Americans ten years from now than there are today. That's not what Americans voted for. That's not what they expect. And I think we're going to see the majority of the House of Representatives vote to pass this bill, send it to conference, so that we can get health care security for all Americans.”

 

MSNBC:
“All the members of the Democratic Caucus, without exception, believe that we need to pass major health care reform so that we can make health care affordable and accessible for all Americans. This bill accomplishes that. There is some disagreement on some issues, but there is universal commitment to passing a health care reform bill, so we're confident we'll have the votes later today.”

###


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