We Accomplished Something(s)
#1 - On Saturday, Americans achieved an important milestone when the U.S. House of Representatives passed an energy bill that would significantly boost the nation's energy security and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.
For the first time in history, the House passed an energy package that included a national renewable electricity standard requiring electric utilities to obtain at least 15 percent of their power from a combination of energy efficiency and renewable sources—such as the wind and sun. If passed into law, this standard would not only be a significant step forward in combating global warming, but would also create jobs and save consumers money on their electric bills.
Congress will begin the process of reconciling the House and Senate Energy Bills in a conference committee when they return from recess in September. In order to turn this historic progress into actual law, we will have to redouble our efforts to ensure strong, clean energy standards and strong fuel economy standards are included in the final version.
#2 - Here’s how Judith Lichtman, the "mother" of Family Leave, described what happened:
"At 6:30 a.m. last Thursday July 27, I learned that the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors- recommended that the Family and Medical Leave Act be amended, to include family members who need to take family leave to care for returning disabled veterans. I talked to (Hillary Clinton's) Senate office at 7 a.m., and Senator Clinton indicated her strong support for sponsoring such legislation at 7:30 a.m.
"Those of you who know anything about the legislative process know that it takes months - sometimes years - to pass legislation, but Senator Clinton did it in less then seven days. She worked out the language and forged broad bipartisan support, including Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), and Chris Dodd (D-CT).
"The bottom line - (on) August 2, the Senate passed the amendment by voice vote!
"In my view, it would be hard to overstate the extraordinary leadership Senator Clinton provided - all to make a difference in the lives of families - addressing THEIR needs.”
#3 - Pro-choice senators led the fight to defeat an anti-choice amendment to the children's health bill by a vote of 50 – 49. That's one single vote.
If your senator voted pro-choice, send him/her a message now.
The failed amendment, offered by one of my elected representatives, anti-choice Sen. Wayne Allard, would have enshrined a controversial Bush administration regulation into law - forever. This Bush regulation allows states to make an embryo or a fetus—but not a pregnant woman—eligible for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
That's right—anti-choice senators completely ignored pregnant women.
This amendment showed just what anti-choice politicians will do to undermine a woman's right to choose, even if it means derailing a bill that would provide health care for children and working families.
When anti-choice senators tried this "sneak attack," we went to work, contacting Senate offices and making sure the facts got out to the right people. Moments after Sen. Allard introduced his amendment with loads of misleading anti-choice rhetoric, we sent a rebuttal to Senate offices refuting his statement point by point. This rebuttal helped pro-choice senators prevail.
This close vote is a reminder for us. We made big gains in last year's elections and restored pro-choice leadership to the Senate. But legislative attacks like the Allard amendment underscore our need to continue to elect more pro-choice senators.
posted by kate @ 10:00 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Out of curiosity... how should pregnant WOMEN be allowed to participate in the State CHILDREN's Health Insurance Program ???
Perhaps pregnant teenagers -- but it is a kids health care program... and embryo's are, technically, kids.
So you're saying prenatal health care for unborn children should not be included in a government health insurance program?
#2….if the President’s Commission wished to amend the FMLA, how is it that the good Sen. From NY is getting all the leadership credit??? Why didn’t she propose it get amended???
#3….the reason why pregnant mothers would not be eligible for State CHILDREN’S Health Insurance Program is because, well….they’re generally NOT children. Except in certain circumstances, in which case Medicaid generally will provide more than adequate health coverage for the mother.
Embryos are, technically, not kids. They are embryos. Kids are quite different - they have snotty noses and wrestle in the house and run into sh*t.
Completely different.
I am not against prenatal care - for the MOTHER - who will need it while carrying the EMBRYO - which will later become a KID.
And Medicaid generally does NOT provide more than adequate health coverage for the mother or we wouldn't have such a huge infant mortality rate.
But who cares about infants? Blastocysts - VERY important. The actual child? Not so much.
Come on, Kate... When you were pregnant, did you actually refer to your boys as "my little embryos" ??
If you get technical and want to call them blastocysts or embryos or zygotes or whatever, then you should be technical about describing something wherein the only difference is a handful of inches through a birth canal.
I know from previous experience, pro-lifers are never going to agree with me. They are either way too emotional about the whole process or really just out to control women. One or the other.
But for the sake of disclosure - I will tell you that in the early stages of my pregnancy, I referred to the inhabitants of my uterus as "my little fetus" - I didn't know I was carrying two until five months along. Then I referred to them as "my future pains in the ass." After about 24 weeks, I made the leap to "baby" for many reasons.
Mostly because they were viable, could live outside my womb, and were therefore, technically, babies. But also because miscarriages are so devastating, I think it's important to distinguish between what is obviously a child and what is not - despite the emotion or hope involved. Losing a child - you can't even comprehend it unless it's happened to you. Nothing worse can happen in the entire world than a parent outliving his or her offspring.
A miscarriage before a child is fully formed is different. And it's important logically and psychologically to make that distinction.
So yes, I didn't refer to them as babies until they became babies.
I'm nothing if not consistent.
Most of the time.
its easy to be prochoice if youre not the one getting snuffed
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