January 29, 2014

President Obama Tells Cities, States To Bypass Congress On Minimum Wage (video)

While pressing lawmakers in Washington to pass legislation raising the federal minimum wage, President Barack Obama used his State of the Union address Tuesday night to call upon states and cities around the country to raise their wage floors in lieu of action by Congress.

"To every mayor, governor and state legislator in America, I say: You don’t have to wait for Congress to act," Obama said. "Americans will support you if you take this on."

The president's speech acknowledged a simple fact of the minimum wage debate: While the GOP-controlled House of Representatives has so far refused to raise the minimum wage, more and more local governments around the country are passing such raises on their own -- and they're often doing it with public support that crosses party lines.

(snip)
"This will help families. It will give businesses customers with more money to spend. It doesn’t involve any new bureaucratic program," Obama said. "So join the rest of the country. Say yes. Give America a raise."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/28/obama-minimum-wage-state-of-the-union_n_4684447.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

January 29, 2014

President Obama: I won't 'stand still'. US 'does not stand still' and 'neither will I'

President Obama will vow to pursue a populist economic agenda with or without the help of lawmakers in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

Obama will say he will not “stand still,” but will act on his own if he cannot work with Congress.

“What I offer tonight is a set of concrete, practical proposals to speed up growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class,” Obama will tell the assembled members of Congress, according to excerpts of his speech provided by the White House.

“Some require Congressional action, and I’m eager to work with all of you. But America does not stand still – and neither will I. So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that’s what I’m going to do.”



http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/196725-obama-i-wont-stand-still




Obama: US 'does not stand still' and 'neither will I'
http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/28/22484692-obama-us-does-not-stand-still-and-neither-will-i?lite

January 22, 2014

Cecile Richards: Honoring the women who came before-celebrating 41 years of right to legal abortion

Honoring the women who came before - celebrating 41 years of right to legal abortion
https://twitter.com/CecileRichards/status/426034025912737792/photo/1



Thank You!

January 3, 2014

Sen. Bernie Sanders Asks NSA If Agency Has Spied On Congress

U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders (I-VT) asked the National Security Agency in a letter Friday if it had spied on members of Congress.

Sanders cited recent revelations that the NSA has collected information on American citizens, actions that he called "clearly unconstitutional," and spied on foreign leaders.

"I am writing today to ask you one very simple question. Has the NSA spied, or is the NSA spying, on members of Congress or other American elected officials?" he wrote in the letter to NSA director Keith Alexander.

Sanders said "spying" would include collecting so-called "metadata" -- which includes date and times of phone calls, along with length and duration -- as well as the content of Internet history and emails.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/bernie-sanders-nsa-spying-on-congress