A day after shooting, House Democrats erupt in protest
Source: McClatchy DC
A day after a mass shooting in Orlando, Democratic lawmakers erupted on the House floor with loud criticism of House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republican leaders for leaving the nation's gun laws untouched. Some protested by leaving the House floor during a moment of silence honoring the victims.
Democrats yelled "Where's the bill?" and "No leadership!" Monday evening after Ryan held a moment of silence for 49 people killed at an Orlando nightclub early Sunday.
The disruption came after South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, the No. 3 Democrat in the House, attempted to ask Ryan on the floor when bills curbing gun use would be considered. Before Clyburn could finish, Ryan ruled his question out of order and directed the House to move to the next vote.
After the disruption, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters Democrats have "had enough" of moments of silence after mass shootings when Congress does not act to tighten gun laws.
Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article83461467.html#storylink=cpy
Members of Congress join the LGBT Congressional Staff Association and the Congressional Muslim Staff Association for a prayer and moment of silence on the steps of the Capitol to stand in solidarity with the Orlando community and to remember the victims of Sunday's shooting at an LGBT night club, in Washington, Monday, June 13, 2016. Father Patrick J. Conroy, center, chaplain of the House of Representatives, delivered an interfaith message. J. Scott Applewhite AP Photo
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article83461467.html
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CincyDem
(7,080 posts)...confirmation that the Republican Party is the party of death by virtue of being bought and paid for by the NRA.
I know that's not new information but it's always noteworthy (at least to me) when I see it in action.
Wilms
(26,795 posts)They have plenty of voters.
ailsagirl
(24,111 posts)I fear that NO tragedy will persuade the repukes to change the law. I mean, Sandy Hook?? If that didn't
get through to the repukes, nothing will.
What a desperate state of affairs when we could do something but choose not to.
OnDoutside
(20,801 posts)No point sitting at home whinging about nothing being done.
ailsagirl
(24,111 posts)
Ilsa
(62,711 posts)at a public event. I guess her being a Democrat somehow translated into "oh well, shit happens" instead of taking proactive measures to prevent anyone in the House or at work, or at a movie, or at a gay night club, etc from being shot. They just don't care.
femmocrat
(28,394 posts)It's a start.
Ned_Devine
(3,146 posts)What a bunch of baloney
Rose Siding
(32,625 posts)That's how long Democrats had a filibuster proof majority; August 2009 - February 2010
http://cjonline.com/blog-post/lucinda/2012-06-01/no-obama-did-not-control-congress-his-first-two-years
Ned_Devine
(3,146 posts)I'm not giving them a pass on gun control. Too many "democrats" from red states are too afraid to cross the NRA.
Rose Siding
(32,625 posts)It's hard to see someone blast them when they do something right.
Ned_Devine
(3,146 posts)I've been voting democrat forever and I feel like they just keep giving us goddam symbolic baloney.
the_sly_pig
(751 posts)Harsh words? Who cares.
melm00se
(5,097 posts)represent their constituents?
If this map is accurate, the support for gun control is not as widespread as some think:
https://www.isidewith.com/map/1IW/support-for-gun-control#z5
NaturalHigh
(12,778 posts)over gun control. The gun control crowd either refuses to believe that's true or else they just think they know better than everybody else. It's an arrogant mindset that does their cause no good.
aggiesal
(9,938 posts)After Sen. Franken got sworn in, till Sen. Kennedy enter the hospital.
A lot got done in those approximately 70 days.
tblue37
(66,422 posts)We don't have a clear filibuster proof majority when some Dems are as conservative as most Republicans.
very true. One of the reasons the repugs have run roughshod over democrats and President Obamafor 6+ years ARE THE BLUEDOGS and their lack of loyalty to our Party.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)The excuse of 4 months is weak.
Kingofalldems
(39,533 posts)What about this congress? What's their excuse?
Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)tblue37
(66,422 posts)
Ash_F
(5,861 posts)They could have used the coverage from that to push the issue and win some vulnerable seats, instead of losing them due low turnout and enthusiasm.
If you want to win, sometimes you have to stick your neck out.
This always bothered me. Few people follow Congress except when there is a big vote that hits the evening news (between the kitten in the tree story and the 20 minute weather report). The Dems should have been pushing legislation and forcing the Republicans to publicly filibuster. Again and again and again. Putting their faces on the news opposing every bloody piece of legislation every single day and ending the meme that "both sides" are obstructing.
PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)If a party has a majority in both the House and Senate they control Congress.
seabeckind
(1,957 posts)What about the house? Where were those piles of bills bumping up against that filibuster? Nancy using her gavel to hold them down in the wind?
Aren't you going to give me that stupid "harry's a boxer" and he's keeping his powder dry?
He kept it so dry it blew away.
Makes me really tingly to have him suggest his successor be Shumer. I'd rather have the Amy.
Indydem
(2,642 posts)Don't worry about the Filibuster proof bullshit. The repukes never do. They just pass bill after bill after bill.
How many fucking bills did the Democrat controlled house pass and send to the Senate?
Skittles
(163,510 posts)fear and paranoia TRUMPS ALL
Rose Siding
(32,625 posts)Me either
Take 3 minutes to read this. @Rebecca_221B powerfully explains progress that we've made since #SandyHook @MomsDemand
https://twitter.com/EricaSmegs/status/742356441273667584
Her response to the Dems today-
.@jahimes THANK YOU #respect #DisarmHate
mountain grammy
(27,716 posts)these groups are lobbying for the people. Thanks for posting.
IronLionZion
(48,539 posts)
houston16revival
(953 posts)the truth as much as they're afraid of an LGBT in their bathroom
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)endorsements offered by those bigoted people. Bipartisan fuckery. Got to own the facts.
Volaris
(10,820 posts)From these NRA bought-and-paid-for worthless-ass PUPPETS. Lets start making some goddamned noise. It's past time.
The Jungle 1
(4,552 posts)Do the same thing tomorrow and then again the next day.
DO NOT STOP UNTIL WE GET RESULTS.
I demand my Democratic congressmen do this.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)Let them vote, procedurally, or on a resolution to restrict gun sales.
jpak
(41,780 posts)yup
LisaM
(29,116 posts)not the American people. Well, maybe that is the real truth.
calimary
(85,921 posts)mountain grammy
(27,716 posts)aggiesal
(9,938 posts)the people that got murdered are not their voting constituency.
Plus this happened in Alan Grayson's district, so they don't even hold the seat.
Nothing will happen.
PSPS
(14,480 posts)BootinUp
(49,643 posts)
appalachiablue
(43,525 posts)Wisdom from Nina Turner's Grandmother.
DEMOCRATS, Start Using the Third One- YOUR BACKBONE!
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)appalachiablue
(43,525 posts)
Marie Marie
(10,153 posts)It is the "years" of silence from Republicans on the issue of gun control that enable these tragic events. The victims deserve better than a moment of silence - they deserve immediate action in their honor.
scottie55
(1,400 posts)That's the problem....
TrollBuster9090
(6,059 posts)As soon as Ryan's gavel fell, ruling the question out of order, the entire Democratic caucus should have started rhythmically chanting "WHERE'S THE BILL! WHERE'S THE BILL!" Hitting their tables three times with each chant.
It would have brought the House to a stand still, and Ryan could hardly do anything to stop it. He couldn't call the Capitol Hill Police to remove 200-odd Congressmen. He just would have been left standing there, looking completely powerless as he hammered his gavel, and called for order. All of which would have been drowned out by the chants.
The Democratic Party establishment is pretty pathetic.
benld74
(10,093 posts)scottie55
(1,400 posts)We had to protect ourselves back then FROM THE BRITISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Times have changed.
Now we need to protect ourselves from nut jobs.
benld74
(10,093 posts)what people believe the 2nd amendment is now this
'right to bear arms'
tclambert
(11,161 posts)Maybe that just gets lost in the 3 1/2 years of inaction since Sandy Hook.
maindawg
(1,151 posts)Sandy hook was last straw. For me, I lost alot of friends , some things I can't tolerate. I'm a tolerate person. I tolerate so much for so long. So ashamed I did , but We all did. For so long , because it was just one thing one remark one slight one ignorant thing someone said. I tolerated it for so long. But I cant tolerate it anymore. I really try to avoid it and that means people I can't be around.
Inaction is what we are all guilty of . We should not have tolerated all the hate to grow. It's crazy.
ProudProgressiveNow
(6,166 posts)
McCamy Taylor
(19,240 posts)bucolic_frolic
(49,890 posts)I can't quantify the suffering. It's unspeakable. Rivers of tears,
even for those of us who break down 3 times a day thinking about it.
How long as a society can we absorb the financial costs of these incidents?
I'll post my thoughts from another thread:
50 dead, mostly young, lost lives and incomes
50 wounded, reduced incomes and incapacities
Health care for all survivors
Funerals for the rest
Law enforcement and first responders
Anguish of many Americans
Television crews and coverage
Newspaper and online coverage
Transportation for all involved
I'm thinking $1 million lost income each for the 103 people
Plus all the rest
I'd say I'd start an estimate at $300 million and ratchet up quickly
To say nothing of the trauma, heartbreak, tears, and raw pain, and reduced
incomes and lives for those family members
Let's add counseling and therapy, tranquilizers and anti-depressants, transportation
and billing and accounting for all of it.
How much, how often, how long can we as a society afford this?
I think my estimate too low. What do you see along this line of thought?
Sand Rat Expat
(290 posts)I think the sad truth is that so very many people simply don't care. They make a show of caring, they may donate to a GoFundMe, they may go to a vigil, they may walk in a march... but then they go back to their lives. All these things they've done are good, but after a week, or a month, or 90 days, the incident fades into memory until the next mass shooting.
I think the sad truth is that for the vast majority of people, incidents like these are abstract. It didn't touch them personally by someone they know or love being caught in the bullets' paths. It's one thing to say "That's awful!" and another entirely to feel the grief, sorrow, anguish... and yes, the rage, too.
A lot of people don't like such strong emotions. We as individuals aren't taught to deal with our emotions in a constructive way. Emotions in and of themselves are not positive or negative, it's how we act on them that defines that. But to a lot of people, feeling strong grief or rage is something they seek to escape from, and so they light a candle, and then go back to their normal lives, secretly relieved that it happened to someone else.
The problem is that we're all "someone else" to someone else, and until we as a society decide that enough is enough, there are going to continue to be far too many injured or killed who are "someone else."
seabeckind
(1,957 posts)I don't believe half of them show up for work most of the time.
Is this their "no one could have foreseen" moment?
Meanwhile in 2 weeks they'll be back at the club talking about their swing or having lunch with the lobbyists.
So, exactly what do these people do when there isn't a tragedy or an emergency?
(added) They sure as f' aren't out where anyone could see or hear them. Ensign Pulvers, all of them.
retrowire
(10,345 posts)No more prayer! No more thoughts!
Action today, action from now on!
Primary
Hope those who didn't, like who I selected. 
Saviolo
(3,321 posts)They happen all too frequently these days.
Moments of silence are the very definition of doing nothing. A mass shooting happens and the first thing they do is organize a moment to literally do nothing about it, symbolically. How does literally doing nothing pay any respect to the dead and injured?
SCantiGOP
(14,430 posts)He has been on the front lines for 50 years. One of the few things in modern politics someone from South Carolina has to be proud of.
ffr
(23,177 posts)We need Democrats like these and they can't do much without our help.
seabeckind
(1,957 posts)What changed?
NastyRiffraff
(12,448 posts)Democrats did not show up for the 2010 off year elections. We (as a party) did not show up for the 2014 off year elections. When we DO show up, we win. Down-ticket is just as important, sometimes more important, than presidential elections. We have a Republican controlled Congress because we didn't show up in off years.
Another reason nothing is done: some so-called liberals defend the NRA in the name of 2nd amendment rights. You can see it right here on DU, and it's despicable.
seabeckind
(1,957 posts)After that blazing transformation, no wonder people were disillusioned by 2010.
I'm glad you managed to shift the blame to the victim.
Good job.
ffr
(23,177 posts)People need to realize that they have the most influence in primary elections < 20% of eligible voters cast ballots, mid-term elections < 25% of EVCB, and the least amount of influence in general/presidential elections ~54% of EVCB.
So if you vote in each, your influence is as follows as described by voting in place of eligible voter's who don't vote.
Primary: 5:1
Mid-term: 4:1
General: ~2:1
Meaning, you have the influence of 5 voters in primaries, the influence of 4 voters in mid-terms, and about two voters in general elections. Talk about determining what kind of government we have!
I liked that about voting today actually. Stacking the odds in favor of the candidates I chose. Hope y'all like who I voted for, because if you didn't, too fucking bad!!
ffr
(23,177 posts)Were you not paying attention?
It's also the things we prevented from happening. Like if we had won in 2000. No 2003 Iraq quagmire and possibly even prevented 9/11: 08/06/01 PDB.
VOTE! I voted today as a matter of fact.
seabeckind
(1,957 posts)I thought it was supposed to have a public option.
I also thought it was supposed to correct the Part D.
Then there was the out of Iraq, closing gitmo, universal broadband, banking regulations, tax cut reversals.... my it was awesome. It's really amazing there were so many who didn't see those things happen.
ffr
(23,177 posts)Those are all great. If you want that, then continue voting for the candidate that you feel most closely can do all those things. This isn't a perfect democracy though, so if you don't get 100% of what you want all the time, you are setting your sights too high. There are other like-minded people just like you that may disagree on some subjects from you or there may not be the votes or resources to accomplish everything right now. Getting disgusted about it when that happens hurts the overall positive direction if you choose to not vote for all the other measures and candidates that you do agree with others on.
Keep trying. Keep voicing that you want all those things (above) and keep voting. Eventually, it will happen.
seabeckind
(1,957 posts)Anything else is the battered wife syndrome.
This time it'll be different.
(added) BTW, the guy I voted for promised those things. Then appointed a cabinet of republicans.
NYC Liberal
(20,400 posts)2. Passed the Stimulus: Signed $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 to spur economic growth amid greatest recession since the Great Depression. Weeks after stimulus went into effect, unemployment claims began to subside. Twelve months later, the private sector began producing more jobs than it was losing, and it has continued to do so for twenty-three straight months, creating a total of nearly 3.7 million new private-sector jobs.
3. Passed Wall Street Reform: Signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010) to re-regulate the financial sector after its practices caused the Great Recession. The new law tightens capital requirements on large banks and other financial institutions, requires derivatives to be sold on clearinghouses and exchanges, mandates that large banks provide “living wills” to avoid chaotic bankruptcies, limits their ability to trade with customers’ money for their own profit, and creates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (now headed by Richard Cordray) to crack down on abusive lending products and companies.
4. Ended the War in Iraq: Ordered all U.S. military forces out of the country. Last troops left on December 18, 2011.
5. Began Drawdown of War in Afghanistan: From a peak of 101,000 troops in June 2011, U.S. forces are now down to 91,000, with 23,000 slated to leave by the end of summer 2012. According to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, the combat mission there will be over by next year.
6. Eliminated Osama bin laden: In 2011, ordered special forces raid of secret compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in which the terrorist leader was killed and a trove of al-Qaeda documents was discovered.
7. Turned Around U.S. Auto Industry: In 2009, injected $62 billion in federal money (on top of $13.4 billion in loans from the Bush administration) into ailing GM and Chrysler in return for equity stakes and agreements for massive restructuring. Since bottoming out in 2009, the auto industry has added more than 100,000 jobs. In 2011, the Big Three automakers all gained market share for the first time in two decades. The government expects to lose $16 billion of its investment, less if the price of the GM stock it still owns increases.
8. Recapitalized Banks: In the midst of financial crisis, approved controversial Treasury Department plan to lure private capital into the country’s largest banks via “stress tests” of their balance sheets and a public-private fund to buy their “toxic” assets. Got banks back on their feet at essentially zero cost to the government.
9. Repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: Ended 1990s-era restriction and formalized new policy allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military for the first time.
10. Toppled Moammar Gaddafi: In March 2011, joined a coalition of European and Arab governments in military action, including air power and naval blockade, against Gaddafi regime to defend Libyan civilians and support rebel troops. Gaddafi’s forty-two-year rule ended when the dictator was overthrown and killed by rebels on October 20, 2011. No American lives were lost.
11. Told Mubarak to Go: On February 1, 2011, publicly called on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to accept reform or step down, thus weakening the dictator’s position and putting America on the right side of the Arab Spring. Mubarak ended thirty-year rule when overthrown on February 11.
12. Reversed Bush Torture Policies: Two days after taking office, nullified Bush-era rulings that had allowed detainees in U.S. custody to undergo certain “enhanced” interrogation techniques considered inhumane under the Geneva Conventions. Also released the secret Bush legal rulings supporting the use of these techniques.
13. Improved America’s Image Abroad: With new policies, diplomacy, and rhetoric, reversed a sharp decline in world opinion toward the U.S. (and the corresponding loss of “soft power”) during the Bush years. From 2008 to 2011, favorable opinion toward the United States rose in ten of fifteen countries surveyed by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, with an average increase of 26 percent.
14. Kicked Banks Out of Federal Student Loan Program, Expanded Pell Grant Spending: As part of the 2010 health care reform bill, signed measure ending the wasteful decades-old practice of subsidizing banks to provide college loans. Starting July 2010 all students began getting their federal student loans directly from the federal government. Treasury will save $67 billion over ten years, $36 billion of which will go to expanding Pell Grants to lower-income students.
15. Created Race to the Top: With funds from stimulus, started $4.35 billion program of competitive grants to encourage and reward states for education reform.
16. Boosted Fuel Efficiency Standards: Released new fuel efficiency standards in 2011 that will nearly double the fuel economy for cars and trucks by 2025.
17. Coordinated International Response to Financial Crisis: To keep world economy out of recession in 2009 and 2010, helped secure from G-20 nations more than $500 billion for the IMF to provide lines of credit and other support to emerging market countries, which kept them liquid and avoided crises with their currencies.
18. Passed Mini Stimuli: To help families hurt by the recession and spur the economy as stimulus spending declined, signed series of measures (July 22, 2010; December 17, 2010; December 23, 2011) to extend unemployment insurance and cut payroll taxes.
19. Began Asia “Pivot”: In 2011, reoriented American military and diplomatic priorities and focus from the Middle East and Europe to the Asian-Pacific region. Executed multipronged strategy of positively engaging China while reasserting U.S. leadership in the region by increasing American military presence and crafting new commercial, diplomatic, and military alliances with neighboring countries made uncomfortable by recent Chinese behavior.
20. Increased Support for Veterans: With so many soldiers coming home from Iraq and Iran with serious physical and mental health problems, yet facing long waits for services, increased 2010 Department of Veterans Affairs budget by 16 percent and 2011 budget by 10 percent. Also signed new GI bill offering $78 billion in tuition assistance over a decade, and provided multiple tax credits to encourage businesses to hire veterans.
21. Tightened Sanctions on Iran: In effort to deter Iran’s nuclear program, signed Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act (2010) to punish firms and individuals who aid Iran’s petroleum sector. In late 2011 and early 2012, coordinated with other major Western powers to impose sanctions aimed at Iran’s banks and with Japan, South Korea, and China to shift their oil purchases away from Iran.
22. Created Conditions to Begin Closing Dirtiest Power Plants: New EPA restrictions on mercury and toxic pollution, issued in December 2011, likely to lead to the closing of between sixty-eight and 231 of the nation’s oldest and dirtiest coal-fired power plants. Estimated cost to utilities: at least $11 billion by 2016. Estimated health benefits: $59 billion to $140 billion. Will also significantly reduce carbon emissions and, with other regulations, comprises what’s been called Obama’s “stealth climate policy.”
23. Passed Credit Card Reforms: Signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act (2009), which prohibits credit card companies from raising rates without advance notification, mandates a grace period on interest rate increases, and strictly limits overdraft and other fees.
24. Eliminated Catch-22 in Pay Equality Laws: Signed Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009, giving women who are paid less than men for the same work the right to sue their employers after they find out about the discrimination, even if that discrimination happened years ago. Under previous law, as interpreted by the Supreme Court in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., the statute of limitations on such suits ran out 180 days after the alleged discrimination occurred, even if the victims never knew about it.
25. Protected Two Liberal Seats on the U.S. Supreme Court: Nominated and obtained confirmation for Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic and third woman to serve, in 2009; and Elena Kagan, the fourth woman to serve, in 2010. They replaced David Souter and John Paul Stevens, respectively.
26. Improved Food Safety System: In 2011, signed FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which boosts the Food and Drug Administration’s budget by $1.4 billion and expands its regulatory responsibilities to include increasing number of food inspections, issuing direct food recalls, and reviewing the current food safety practices of countries importing products into America.
27. Achieved New START Treaty: Signed with Russia (2010) and won ratification in Congress (2011) of treaty that limits each country to 1,550 strategic warheads (down from 2,200) and 700 launchers (down from more than 1,400), and reestablished and strengthened a monitoring and transparency program that had lapsed in 2009, through which each country can monitor the other.
28. Expanded National Service: Signed Serve America Act in 2009, which authorized a tripling of the size of AmeriCorps. Program grew 13 percent to 85,000 members across the country by 2012, when new House GOP majority refused to appropriate more funds for further expansion.
29. Expanded Wilderness and Watershed Protection: Signed Omnibus Public Lands Management Act (2009), which designated more than 2 million acres as wilderness, created thousands of miles of recreational and historic trails, and protected more than 1,000 miles of rivers.
30. Gave the FDA Power to Regulate Tobacco: Signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (2009). Nine years in the making and long resisted by the tobacco industry, the law mandates that tobacco manufacturers disclose all ingredients, obtain FDA approval for new tobacco products, and expand the size and prominence of cigarette warning labels, and bans the sale of misleadingly labeled “light” cigarette brands and tobacco sponsorship of entertainment events.
31. Pushed Federal Agencies to Be Green Leaders: Issued executive order in 2009 requiring all federal agencies to make plans to soften their environmental impacts by 2020. Goals include 30 percent reduction in fleet gasoline use, 26 percent boost in water efficiency, and sustainability requirements for 95 percent of all federal contracts. Because federal government is the country’s single biggest purchaser of goods and services, likely to have ripple effects throughout the economy for years to come.
32. Passed Fair Sentencing Act: Signed 2010 legislation that reduces sentencing disparity between crack versus powder cocaine possessionfrom100 to1 to 18 to1.
33. Trimmed and Reoriented Missile Defense: Cut the Reagan-era “Star Wars” missile defense budget, saving $1.4 billion in 2010, and canceled plans to station antiballistic missile systems in Poland and the Czech Republic in favor of sea-based defense plan focused on Iran and North Korea.
34. Began Post-Post-9/11 Military Builddown: After winning agreement from congressional Republicans and Democrats in summer 2011 budget deal to reduce projected defense spending by $450 billion, proposed new DoD budget this year with cuts of that size and a new national defense strategy that would shrink ground forces from 570,000 to 490,000 over the next ten years while increasing programs in intelligence gathering and cyberwarfare.
35. Let Space Shuttle Die and Killed Planned Moon Mission: Allowed the expensive ($1 billion per launch), badly designed, dangerous shuttle program to make its final launch on July 8, 2011. Cut off funding for even more bloated and problem-plagued Bush-era Constellation program to build moon base in favor of support for private-sector low-earth orbit ventures, research on new rocket technologies for long-distance manned flight missions, and unmanned space exploration, including the largest interplanetary rover ever launched, which will investigate Mars’s potential to support life.
36. Invested Heavily in Renewable Technology: As part of the 2009 stimulus, invested $90 billion, more than any previous administration, in research on smart grids, energy efficiency, electric cars, renewable electricity generation, cleaner coal, and biofuels.
37. Crafting Next-Generation School Tests: Devoted $330 million in stimulus money to pay two consortia of states and universities to create competing versions of new K-12 student performance tests based on latest psychometric research. New tests could transform the learning environment in vast majority of public school classrooms beginning in 2014.
38. Cracked Down on Bad For-Profit Colleges: In effort to fight predatory practices of some for-profit colleges, Department of Education issued “gainful employment” regulations in 2011 cutting off commercially focused schools from federal student aid funding if more than 35 percent of former students aren’t paying off their loans and/or if the average former student spends more than 12 percent of his or her total earnings servicing student loans.
39. Improved School Nutrition: In coordination with Michelle Obama, signed Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010 mandating $4.5 billion spending boost and higher nutritional and health standards for school lunches. New rules based on the law, released in January, double the amount of fruits and vegetables and require only whole grains in food served to students.
40. Expanded Hate Crimes Protections: Signed Hate Crimes Prevention Act (2009), which expands existing hate crime protections to include crimes based on a victim’s sexual orientation, gender, or disability, in addition to race, color, religion, or national origin.
41. Avoided Scandal: As of November 2011, served longer than any president in decades without a scandal, as measured by the appearance of the word “scandal” (or lack thereof) on the front page of the Washington Post.
42. Brokered Agreement for Speedy Compensation to Victims of Gulf Oil Spill: Though lacking statutory power to compel British Petroleum to act, used moral authority of his office to convince oil company to agree in 2010 to a $20 billion fund to compensate victims of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico; $6.5 billion already paid out without lawsuits. By comparison, it took nearly two decades for plaintiffs in the Exxon Valdez Alaska oil spill case to receive $1.3 billion.
43. Created Recovery.gov: Web site run by independent board of inspectors general looking for fraud and abuse in stimulus spending, provides public with detailed information on every contract funded by $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Thanks partly to this transparency, board has uncovered very little fraud, and Web site has become national model: “The stimulus has done more to promote transparency at almost all levels of government than any piece of legislation in recent memory,” reports Governing magazine.
44. Pushed Broadband Coverage: Proposed and obtained in 2011 Federal Communications Commission approval for a shift of $8 billion in subsidies away from landlines and toward broadband Internet for lower-income rural families.
45. Expanded Health Coverage for Children: Signed 2009 Children’s Health Insurance Authorization Act, which allows the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to cover health care for 4 million more children, paid for by a tax increase on tobacco products.
46. Recognized the Dangers of Carbon Dioxide: In 2009, EPA declared carbon dioxide a pollutant, allowing the agency to regulate its production.
47. Expanded Stem Cell Research: In 2009, eliminated the Bush-era restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, which shows promise in treating spinal injuries, among many other areas.
48. Provided Payment to Wronged Minority Farmers: In 2009, signed Claims Resolution Act, which provided $4.6 billion in funding for a legal settlement with black and Native American farmers who the government cheated out of loans and natural resource royalties in years past.
49. Helped South Sudan Declare Independence: Helped South Sudan Declare Independence: Appointed two envoys to Sudan and personally attended a special UN meeting on the area. Through U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, helped negotiate a peaceful split in 2011.
50. Killed the F-22: In 2009, ended further purchases of Lockheed Martin single-seat, twin-engine, fighter aircraft, which cost $358 million apiece. Though the military had 187 built, the plane has never flown a single combat mission. Eliminating it saved $4 billion.
http://washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/marchapril-2012/obamas-top-50-accomplishments/
Anyone who says nothing was accomplished wasn't paying attention.
seabeckind
(1,957 posts)Based on your attitude it would appear that they are too stupid to know just how good it is.
NYC Liberal
(20,400 posts)Look at Social Security: when FDR signed the SSA, it covered only a small portion of the country. And then over the years it has been improved and expanded.
I can now marry my partner is every state, but I can still be evicted, fired, denied service, or banned from adopting if I do so in many of them.
That doesn't mean that we haven't made a LOT of progress.
seabeckind
(1,957 posts)Thanks very much for the Gish Gallop.
How very conservative of you.
ffr
(23,177 posts)He still needs to work with congress and we served him this!
We have the congress of NO because democrats don't vote in mid-terms. If that's battered wife syndrome, we need to keep from hitting ourselves in the face and get our arms looked at by a professional.
seabeckind
(1,957 posts)Who controlled the congress after the 2008 election?
Answer:
Neoliberal democrats.
heaven05
(18,124 posts)too little, too late. 
vlyons
(10,252 posts)The GOP are now the Vichy Republican party because they are traitors to the people they are supposed to represent and protect. These gutless wonders are scooping up Trump's vile poop and trying to sell us how good it tastes.
seabeckind
(1,957 posts)Silver_Witch
(1,820 posts)As said on Larry Wilmore last night. I am tired of prayers and moments of silence. Make guns illegal for the love of unicorns!
JustABozoOnThisBus
(24,082 posts)... an extremist from shooting up a club?
Or are they just making political hay?
Jopin Klobe
(779 posts)THERE ... RIGHT THERE ...
... There's what has happened to this Democracy when "controlled" by the current God damned Republican so-called "leadership" ...
... Euuuw. euuuw, ICK! ... Bad question ... bad, bad ...
... (Psssst ... Call the NRA ... I need some more 'grease' ... for my 'gun' don't cha know.) ...
red dog 1
(30,701 posts)Ryan & the other GOP leaders are a bunch of NRA-funded hypocrites!
OldHippieChick
(2,434 posts)and they still do nothing, I will give up. But let's give it a try and then keep their feet to the fire. We have got to get out the vote - now more than ever. For Orlando, For Sandy Hook, For the Supreme Court. We MUST GOTV!
OnDoutside
(20,801 posts)Before it became law in 1993, the Brady bill underwent many transformations. Sanders, then Vermont’s sole representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, voted against the bill in its entirety five times:
1. In May 1991, Sanders voted against a version that mandated a seven-day waiting period for background checks, but the bill passed in the House.
2. The Senate decreased the waiting period to five days and the bill returned to the House. In November 1991, Sanders voted against that version. Though it passed in the House, the Senate didn’t muster enough votes. The Brady bill and its gun control stance remained in limbo during 1992.
3. After some back and forth, a version of the bill resurfaced that reinstated the five-day waiting period. In November 1993, Sanders voted against that version twice in the same day, but for an amendment imposing an instant background check instead (seen by some as pointless, as the technology for instant checks didn’t exist at the time).
4. He also voted against an amendment that would have ended state waiting periods, and for an amendment giving those denied a gun the right to know why.
5. The final compromise version of the Brady bill -- an interim five-day waiting period while installing an instant background check system -- was passed and signed into law on Nov. 30, 1993. Sanders voted against it.