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April 2021 Commission Update
ABCUSA Call to Prayer for Myanmar 2021 April 2021 Update The ABCUSA Burma Refugee Commission is the grateful for the many ways that American Baptists have participated in the Call to Prayer for Myanmar. Funding Support: Approximately $5500 was raised thus far for relief efforts through International Ministries/One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS). For more information, visit this page. The Regional Executive Ministers Council has also made a gift of $5000 to OGHS, targeted specifically for the support of the Myanmar Baptist Convention, our sister and partnering denomination in Myanmar who supports and serves over 5,3000 churches throughout the country. Recent activities of the Burma Refugee Commission: Letters of Advocacy have been sent to: o President Biden o Vice-president Harris o Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor o Anthony Blinken, Secretary of State o General Secretary of the UN o U.S. Ambassador to UN o And the following Senators: . Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee . Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee . Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the East Asia Subcommittee, . Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) . Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) . Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), . Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) . Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) . Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) . Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) . Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) . Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) . Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) . Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) . Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) o Items of advocacy have included: . -
What's Next for the United States?
February 2021 Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Office USA, Washington, D.C. What's next for the United States? Part 2: Climate Change and Energy Supply By Sabine Murphy How is the Biden administration changing the direction of the U.S.? The KAS Office USA takes a first look, in a series of five country reports. This report deals with climate and energy challenges. The White House website promises “swift action to tackle the climate emergency” and a “clean energy revolution”. Key Policy Goals The Biden-Harris administration doesn’t make it a secret that the fight against climate change is on top of the to-do-list. Climate is prominently listed on the White House website as one of seven top policy priorities. It states: “President Biden will take swift action to tackle the climate emergency. The Biden administration will ensure we meet the demands of science, while empowering American workers and businesses to lead a clean energy revolution.”1 The Biden administration takes a decidedly different approach to energy use and the impact of rising temperatures on the environment than its predecessor. After four years of the Trump administration denying scientific findings about climate change, Biden has pledged to follow science and involve the entire federal government in the fight against climate change. By creating inter-agency working groups and a National Climate Task Force, Biden wants to ensure that his policies for the production of clean energy and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, are not limited to single agencies but will be implemented throughout the federal government. During his campaign, Biden promised to reach a goal of net-zero emissions across the economy before 2050, and to eliminate pollution caused by fossil fuel in electricity production by 2035. -
Mcconnell Announces Senate Republican Committee Assignments for the 117Th Congress
For Immediate Release, Wednesday, February 3, 2021 Contacts: David Popp, Doug Andres Robert Steurer, Stephanie Penn McConnell Announces Senate Republican Committee Assignments for the 117th Congress Praises Senators Crapo and Tim Scott for their work on the Committee on Committees WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the 50-50 power-sharing agreement finalized earlier today, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced the Senate Republican Conference Committee Assignments for the 117th Congress. Leader McConnell once again selected Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) to chair the Senate Republicans’ Committee on Committees, the panel responsible for committee assignments for the 117th Congress. This is the ninth consecutive Congress in which Senate leadership has asked Crapo to lead this important task among Senate Republicans. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) assisted in the committee selection process as he did in the previous three Congresses. “I want to thank Mike and Tim for their work. They have both earned the trust of our colleagues in the Republican Conference by effectively leading these important negotiations in years past and this year was no different. Their trust and experience was especially important as we enter a power-sharing agreement with Democrats and prepare for equal representation on committees,” McConnell said. “I am very grateful for their work.” “I appreciate Leader McConnell’s continued trust in having me lead the important work of the Committee on Committees,” said Senator Crapo. “Americans elected an evenly-split Senate, and working together to achieve policy solutions will be critical in continuing to advance meaningful legislation impacting all Americans. Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit our nation, our economy was the strongest it has ever been. -
February 2, 2021 the Honorable Chuck Schumer the Honorable Mitch Mcconnell 322 Hart Senate Office Building 317 Russell Senate
February 2, 2021 The Honorable Chuck Schumer The Honorable Mitch McConnell 322 Hart Senate Office Building 317 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Kevin McCarthy 1236 Longworth House Office Building 2468 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, and Minority Leader McCarthy: On behalf of the Children’s Defense Fund, I urge Congress to ensure all children and their families are stably housed during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. COVID-19 has exacerbated the nation’s affordable housing crisis—the result of a long history of racist housing policy including chronic underinvestment—the burden of which falls disproportionately on Black and Latino children. The emergency relief passed in December—which provided $25 billion in emergency rental assistance and extended the federal eviction moratorium—was a critical short-term step to protect the millions of families with children who are behind on their rent, but more must be done to ensure that these families emerge from the pandemic free from back rent and the looming threat of eviction. Specifically, we urge Congress to provide $30 billion in additional emergency rental assistance; provide $28 billion in new funding for long-term housing assistance; provide $8 billion in new funding to serve the unhoused; invest $44 billion in the country’s affordable housing supply; and further extend, strengthen, and enforce the national eviction moratorium. The Children’s Defense Fund makes these asks as a steering committee member of Opportunity Starts at Home, a campaign led by national organizations from a variety of sectors, including health, education, civil rights, food security, environmental protection, faith, municipal governance, child welfare, criminal justice, anti-poverty, and more. -
Ranking Member John Barrasso
Senate Committee Musical Chairs August 15, 2018 Key Retiring Committee Seniority over Sitting Chair/Ranking Member Viewed as Seat Republicans Will Most Likely Retain Viewed as Potentially At Risk Republican Seat Viewed as Republican Seat at Risk Viewed as Seat Democrats Will Most Likely Retain Viewed as Potentially At Risk Democratic Seat Viewed as Democratic Seat at Risk Notes • The Senate Republican leader is not term-limited; Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will likely remain majority leader. The only member of Senate GOP leadership who is currently term-limited is Republican Whip John Cornyn (R-TX). • Republicans have term limits of six years as chairman and six years as ranking member. Republican members can only use seniority to bump sitting chairs/ranking members when the control of the Senate switches parties. • Committee leadership for the Senate Aging; Agriculture; Appropriations; Banking; Environment and Public Works (EPW); Health Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP); Indian Affairs; Intelligence; Rules; and Veterans Affairs Committees are unlikely to change. Notes • Current Armed Services Committee (SASC) Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) continues to receive treatment for brain cancer in Arizona. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) has served as acting chairman and is likely to continue to do so in Senator McCain’s absence. If Republicans lose control of the Senate, Senator McCain would lose his top spot on the committee because he already has six years as ranking member. • In the unlikely scenario that Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) does not take over the Finance Committee, Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), who currently serves as Chairman of the Banking Committee, could take over the Finance Committee. -
February 9, 2021
Click here if you are having trouble viewing this message. February 9, 2021 Welcome to America's Physician Groups' "Healthcare on the Hill," where you can get the latest on healthcare happenings in our nation's capital--and with a special focus on the value-based care movement. As our nation--and the world--continues to face the many challenges presented by COVID-19, we are working to ensure you have the very latest information on the virus and our rapidly changing healthcare landscape. Think someone else may enjoy "Healthcare on the Hill?" Forward this email and have them click here to be added to our subscription list. And remember, you can always visit our website for more news and resources. Valinda Rutledge Executive Vice President of Federal Affairs America's Physician Groups Senate Finalizes Power Sharing Agreement Last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reached a power-sharing agreement dictating the operation of the Senate chamber. The deal passed unanimously by voice vote and largely conforms to the 2001 agreement that was put in place when the Senate was last evenly split. The agreement had been delayed due to disagreement over preserving the legislative filibuster, but was resolved when Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) said that they would not support ending the legislative filibuster now. The agreement: Sets committee membership ratios at 50-50 Gives the committee chairs to the Democrats Establishes a procedure by which the majority or minority leader can bring a measure to the Senate floor that failed to be reported out of committee due to a tied vote Senate Approves Provider Relief Fund Amendment Late last week, the Senate agreed to add a bipartisan amendment sponsored by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) to the budget resolution that creates a deficit-neutral reserve fund to replenish the Provider Relief Fund with a goal number of $35 billion in total with 20 percent of the money set aside for rural hospitals. -
Brian Deese's Policy Record Hurt the Most Vulnerable
Brian Deese’s Policy Record Hurt The Most Vulnerable From 2008 - 2016, Brian Deese rose from a law student to a Presidential advisor on fiscal policy, climate change, and trade. Deese’s personal geniality and intelligent demeanor drove this rise — but a review of his policy positions reveals a history of backing wildly incorrect conventional wisdom convivial to the powers that be. Brian Deese cannot be appointed to lead the National Economic Council, or any other economic or regulatory policy position. He has a demonstrated track record of supporting anti-factual austerity policies, tolerating and abetting climate change, and generally refusing to stand up to powerful interests when the situation demands it. AUSTERITY Today, economists agree that measures to cut public spending in the middle of the Great Recession greatly lengthened the recovery, and disproportionately harmed Black Americans whose incomes have still not recovered to pre-2008 levels. The case for austerity has been debunked in theory and practice for well over a decade. Brian Deese both consistently advocated for austerity measures since 2007, and played an active role in enacting an austerian agenda as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. In his confirmation hearing for that job, Deese voiced support for so-called “entitlement reform” and even means-testing Medicare. Today, Deese gives paid speeches to trade groups on “how the budget process can actually be used to reform entitlements and the tax code.” CLIMATE CHANGE Deese is perhaps best known for helping broker the Paris Climate Accords, but don’t think this means he will stand up to fossil fuel interests. -
The Solyndra Failurex
The Solyndra Failurex Majority Staff Report Prepared for the Use of the Committee on Energy and Commerce Fred Upton, Chairman U.S. House of Representatives 112th Congress August 2, 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................... ii TABLE OF NAMES .......................................................................................................... v I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 II. HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE’S INVESTIGATION .................................... 5 III. DOE’S REVIEW OF THE SOLYNDRA LOAN APPLICATION AND CONDITIONAL COMMITMENT ........................................................................ 9 A. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 and The Establishment of the Loan Guarantee Program at DOE .............................................................................................................................. 9 B. Solyndra’s Application ................................................................................................... 10 C. Solyndra Loan Application Begins Due Diligence and Is Remanded by the First DOE Credit Committee (2008 and 2009) ................................................................................ 12 D. The Stimulus and Other Changes to the DOE Loan Guarantee Program Under the Obama Administration ................................................................................................... 16 E. Review -
The Honorable Susan Collins the Honorable Catherine Cortez Masto U.S
The Honorable Susan Collins The Honorable Catherine Cortez Masto U.S. Senate U.S. Senate 413 Dirksen Senate Office Building 204 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Shelley Moore Capito The Honorable Tim Kaine U.S. Senate U.S. Senate 172 Russell Senate Office Building 231 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510 November 6, 2017 Dear Senators Collins, Cortez Masto, Capito and Kaine: On behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM), including our nationwide networks of advocates, thank you for your continued leadership on issues and legislation important to Americans with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and to their caregivers. The Alzheimer’s Association and AIM are pleased to support the bipartisan Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act, which would create an Alzheimer’s public health infrastructure across the country to implement effective Alzheimer's interventions focused on public health issues such as increasing early detection and diagnosis, reducing risk and preventing avoidable hospitalizations. More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and, without significant action, as many as 16 million Americans will have Alzheimer’s by 2050. Today, another person develops the disease every 66 seconds; by 2050, someone in the United States will develop the disease every 33 seconds. This explosive growth will cause Alzheimer’s costs to increase from an estimated $259 billion in 2017 to $1.1 trillion in 2050 (in 2017 dollars). These mounting costs threaten to bankrupt families, businesses and our health care system. -
Schumer Sends Letter to Mcconnell to Set Framework for Senate Impeachment Trial
Schumer sends letter to McConnell to set framework for Senate impeachment trial cbsnews.com/news/schumer-letter-to-mcconnell-sent-to-set-framework-for-senate-impeachment-trial- president-trump/ Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Sunday that details the witnesses and timeline Senate Democrats would like to see in an impeachment trial in January. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on two articles of impeachment against President Trump this week. "In the trial of President Clinton, the House Managers were permitted to call witnesses, and it is clear that the Senate should hear testimony of witnesses in this trial as well," Schumer writes. Schumer proposes that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who will preside over the Senate trial, issue subpoenas to four administration officials who were asked to testify in the House impeachment inquiry but did not appear: Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, former national security adviser John Bolton, senior adviser to the Acting White House chief of staff Robert Blair and Michael Duffey, associate director for National Security, Office of Management and Budget. "We would of course be open to hearing the testimony of additional witnesses having direct knowledge of the administration's decisions regarding the delay in security assistance funds to the government of Ukraine and the requests for certain investigations to be announced by the government of Ukraine, if the president's counsel or House Managers identify such witnesses," Schumer added. A source familiar with Mulvaney's legal strategy says he will still follow White House direction over whether to testify or not. -
Read Mayor's Coalition Letter to Federal Delegation
Mayor David Rollins, Augusta Mayor Bill Doyle, Saco Mayor Alan Casavant, Biddeford Mayor Anne-Marie Mastraccio, Sanford Mayor Mark Cayer, Lewiston Mayor Misha Pride, South Portland Mayor Kate Snyder, Portland Mayor Michael Foley, Westbrook Mayor Ed Glaser, Rockland July 13, 2021 Senator Susan Collins Senator Angus King 413 Dirksen Senate Office Building 133 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree Congressman Jared Golden 2162 Rayburn House Office Building 1222 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Senator Collins, Senator King, Congresswoman Pingree, and Congressman Golden: We are writing to express our support for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework. This Framework is the largest investment in our infrastructure in a century with key investments in clean transportation infrastructure, clean water infrastructure, universal broadband infrastructure, clean power infrastructure, and resilience to the changing climate. The Mayors' Coalition is a nonpartisan group formed in 2012, and currently includes the Mayors of nine Maine communities - Augusta, Biddeford, Lewiston, Portland, Rockland, Saco, Sanford, South Portland, and Westbrook – with a combined population of nearly 250,000. The Coalition advocates for state and federal policies that recognize the important role that Maine cities play in providing vital services to Maine people across our state, and the positive impact Maine cities have on the economic strength of our state. The Coalition seeks to work in partnership with Maine’s state and federal elected officials to meet the needs of Maine people. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework proposes investments in line with some of the Mayors’ Coalition’s top priorities, including: 1. -
Brian Deese's
Brian Deese’s Policy Record Hurt The Most Vulnerable From 2008 - 2016, Brian Deese rose from a law student to a Presidential advisor on fiscal policy, climate change, and trade. Deese’s personal geniality and intelligence drove this rise — but a review of his policy positions reveals a history of backing wildly incorrect conventional wisdom convivial to the powers that be. We agree with the Action Center on Race and the Economy that Brian Deese should not be appointed to lead the National Economic Council, or indeed any other economic or regulatory policy position. He has a demonstrated track record of furthering dangerously concentrated private financial power, supporting anti-factual austerity policies, tolerating and abetting climate change, and generally refusing to stand up to powerful interests when the situation demands it. FINANCIAL STABILITY Deese is currently a public spokesman for BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager which has at least a 5 percent stake in more than 97.5 percent of the global S&P 500. Deese is especially involved with BlackRock’s efforts to “greenwash” its status as the world’s largest investor in fossil fuels — Deese claims these criticisms are unfair since “we [BlackRock] own the market across the spectrum,” including in green energy. This supposed defense of the firm points to the fact that BlackRock is, in fact, “the new money trust” in the words of the American Economic Liberties Project: a titanic financial monopoly that is too big to fail, too big to manage, and too big to exist. The Dodd-Frank Act, which regulated Too Big To Fail institutions through a new Financial Stability Oversight Council, was one of the Obama administration’s signature achievements.