Archive for May, 2009:
‘One Step Closer to the Promise of a New Clean Energy Economy’
Last night, members of the Energy and Commerce Committee passed a comprehensive energy and climate bill, which will now move to the full Congress for debate. "When this bill is enacted into law," chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Henry Waxman said, "it will break our dependence on foreign oil, make our nation the world leader on clean energy jobs and technology and cut global warming pollution."
The Salt Lake Tribune reported:
The legislation, known as a cap-and-trade proposal, sets an overall limit, or cap, on emissions. The government sells or gives away pollution credits then creates a market. A company that pollutes less than expected could then sell its credits to a company that polluted more than expected.
Over the years, the government would lower the pollution cap forcing companies to cut their emissions. The legislation would cut pollution by 17 percent, compared to the 2005 levels, by 2020.
The bill passed along party lines, 33-25. Only one Republican -- Rep. Mary Bono Mack of California -- voted in support of the legislation, and four Democrats voted against it.
Following the vote, President Obama released the following statement:
I commend Chairman Waxman and the Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee for a successful effort to pass a comprehensive energy and climate bill out of their committee today. We are now one Provigil online No prescription step closer to delivering on the promise of a new clean energy economy that will make America less dependent on foreign oil, crack down on polluters, and create millions of new jobs all across America. The bill is historic for what it achieves, providing clean energy incentives that encourage innovation while recognizing the concerns of sensitive industries and regions in this country. And this achievement is all the more historic for bringing together many who have in the past opposed a common effort, from labor unions to corporate CEOs, and environmentalists to energy companies. I applaud the committee for its action and look forward to signing comprehensive legislation.
Message from the President: “Our next step on health care”
Last week, we asked supporters to stand with the President by declaring their support for his three core principles for health care reform. Yesterday, President Obama himself asked those supporters to take the next step:
The Provigil pharmacy chance to finally reform our nation's health care system is here. While Congress moves rapidly to produce a detailed plan, I have made it clear that real reform must uphold three core principles -- it must reduce costs, guarantee choice, and ensure quality care for every American.
As we know, challenging the status quo will not be easy. Its defenders will claim our goals are too big, that we should once again settle for half measures and empty talk. Left unanswered, these voices of doubt might yet again derail the comprehensive reform we so badly need. That's where you come in.
When our opponents spread fear and confusion about the changes we seek, your support for these core principles will show clarity and resolve. When the lobbyists for the status quo tell Congress to hold back, your personal story will give them the courage to press forward.
Join my call: Ask Congress to pass real health care reform in 2009.
By declaring your support for the three core principles, you have already taken the first step -- thank you. Now, consider sharing your personal story about the importance of health care reform in your life, and the lives of those you love.
I will be personally reviewing many of these signatures and stories. If you speak up now, your voice will make a difference.
American families are watching their premiums rise four times faster than their wages. Spiraling health care costs are shackling America's businesses, curtailing job growth and slowing the economy at the worst possible time. This has got to change.
I know personal stories can drive that change, because I know how my mother's experience continues to drive me. She passed away from ovarian cancer a little over a decade ago. And in the last weeks of her life, when she was coming to grips with her own mortality and showing extraordinary courage just to get through each day, she was spending too much time worrying about whether her health insurance would cover her bills. She deserved better. Every American deserves better. And that's why I will not rest until the dream of health care reform is finally achieved in the United States of America.
Share your personal story about why you too will not rest until this job is done.
Last November, the American people sent Washington a clear mandate for change. But when the polls close, the true work of citizenship begins. That's what Organizing for America is all about. Now, in these crucial moments, your voice once again has extraordinary power. I'm counting on you to use it.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
President Obama: “Protecting Our Security and Our Values”
President Obama delivered a major speech this morning, in which he addressed a number of recent foregin policy decisions -- including the closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison -- and the values that guide him, and our nation. He acknowledged that, in the midst of many challenges, his single most important responsibility as President is to keep the American people safe. "That is the first thing that I think about when I wake up in the morning," he said. "It is the last thing that I think about when I go to sleep at night."
He also acknowledged:
I believe with every fiber of my being that in the long run we also cannot keep this country safe unless we enlist the power of our most fundamental values. The documents that we hold in this very hall – the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights –are not simply words written into aging parchment. They are the foundation of liberty and justice in this country, and a light that shines for all who seek freedom, fairness, equality and dignity in the world.
I stand here today as someone whose own life was made possible by these documents. My father came to our shores in search of the promise that they offered. My mother made me rise before dawn to learn of their truth when I lived as a child in a foreign land. My own American journey was paved by generations of citizens who gave meaning to those simple words – “to form a more perfect union.” I have studied the Constitution as a student; I have taught it as a teacher; I have been bound by it as a lawyer and legislator. I took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution as Commander-in-Chief, and as a citizen, I know that we must never – ever – turn our back on its enduring principles for expedience sake.
I make this claim not simply as a matter of idealism. We uphold our most cherished values not only because doing so is right, but because it strengthens our country and keeps us safe. Time and again, our values have been our best national security asset – in war and peace; in times of ease and in eras of upheaval.
...From Europe to the Pacific, we have been a nation that has shut down torture chambers and replaced tyranny with the rule of law. That is who we are. And where terrorists offer only the injustice of disorder and destruction, America must demonstrate that our values and institutions are more resilient than a hateful ideology.
After 9/11, we knew that we had entered a new era – that enemies who did not abide by any law of war would present new challenges to our application of the law; that our government would need new tools to protect the American people, and that these tools would have to allow us to prevent attacks instead of simply prosecuting those who try to carry them out.
Unfortunately, faced with an uncertain threat, our government made a series of hasty decisions. And I believe that those decisions were motivated by a sincere desire to protect the American people. But I also believe that – too often – our government made decisions based upon fear rather than foresight, and all too often trimmed facts and evidence to fit ideological predispositions. Instead of strategically applying our power and our principles, we too often set those principles aside as luxuries that we could no longer afford. And during this season of fear, too many of us – Democrats and Republicans; politicians, journalists and citizens – fell silent.
In other words, we went off course.
The President made the case that the decisions made over the last eight years had established an ad hoc legal approach for fighting terrorism that failed to take into account either our legal traditions or our values, and that was neither effective nor sustainable:
For over seven years, we have detained hundreds of people at Guantanamo. During that time, the system of Military Commissions at Guantanamo succeeded in convicting a grand total of three suspected terrorists. Let me repeat that: three convictions in over seven years. Instead of bringing terrorists to justice, efforts at prosecution met setbacks, cases lingered on, and in 2006 the Supreme Court invalidated the entire system. Meanwhile, over five hundred and twenty-five detainees were released from Guantanamo under the Bush Administration. Let me repeat that: two-thirds of the detainees were released before I took office and ordered the closure of Guantanamo.
There is also no question that Guantanamo set back the moral authority that is America’s strongest currency in the world. Instead of building a durable framework for the struggle against al Qaeda that drew upon our deeply held values and traditions, our government was defending positions that undermined the rule of law. Indeed, part of the rationale for establishing Guantanamo in the first place was the misplaced notion that a prison there would be beyond Order Generic Accutane Online without Prescription the law – a proposition that the Supreme Court soundly rejected. Meanwhile, instead of serving as a tool to counter-terrorism, Guantanamo became a symbol that helped al Qaeda recruit terrorists to its cause. Indeed, the existence of Guantanamo likely created more terrorists around the world than it ever detained.... Let me begin by disposing of one argument as plainly as I can: we are not going to release anyone if it would endanger our national security, nor will we release detainees within the United States who endanger the American people. Where demanded by justice and national security, we will seek to transfer some detainees to the same type of facilities in which we hold all manner of dangerous and violent criminals within our borders – highly secure prisons that ensure the public safety. As we make these decisions, bear in mind the following fact: nobody has ever escaped from one of our federal “supermax” prisons, which hold hundreds of convicted terrorists. As Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said: “The idea that we cannot find a place to securely house 250-plus detainees within the United States is not rational.”
The President then discussed in detail the various categories of detainees, and how his Administration intends to deal with each of them in a manner that reflects our values and honors existing law. Finally, he concluded by saying:
As our efforts to close Guantanamo move forward, I know that the politics in Congress will be difficult. These issues are fodder for 30-second commercials and direct mail pieces that are designed to frighten. I get it. But if we continue to make decisions from within a climate of fear, we will make more mistakes. And if we refuse to deal with these issues today, then I guarantee you that they will be an albatross around our efforts to combat terrorism in the future. I have confidence that the American people are more interested in doing what is right to protect this country than in political posturing. I am not the only person in this city who swore an oath to uphold the Constitution – so did each and every member of Congress. Together we have a responsibility to enlist our values in the effort to secure our people, and to leave behind the legacy that makes it easier for future Presidents to keep this country safe.
... I can stand here today, as President of the United States, and say without exception or equivocation that we do not torture, and that we will vigorously protect our people while forging a strong and durable framework that allows us to fight terrorism while abiding by the rule of law. Make no mistake: if we fail to turn the page on the approach that was taken over the past several years, then I will not be able to say that as President. And if we cannot stand for those core values, then we are not keeping faith with the documents that are enshrined in this hall.
... Every now and then, there are those who think that America’s safety and success requires us to walk away from the sacred principles enshrined in this building. We hear such voices today. But the American people have resisted that temptation. And though we have made our share of mistakes and course corrections, we have held fast to the principles that have been the source of our strength, and a beacon to the world.
Read the President's full remarks . . .
LIVE: President Obama to Deliver Major National Security Speech
President Barack Obama will discuss America's national security in a major speech at the National Archives Thursday morning. The President will discuss his broader vision for strengthening the country's security and outline how the steps his Administration is taking and plans to take going forward support those goals and principles. The speech is scheduled to begin at 10:10 AM Eastern.
UPDATED: Buy Cialis President Obama's speech has concluded, but we'll have more coverage (including a complete transcript of his remarks) shortly.
Listening Tour Rolls On
Our staff on the ground have been making more Order Generic Cialis Online without Prescription Listening Tour stops around the country. Check out some photos from Listening Tour meetings in Kansas City, Missouri and Dover-Foxcroft, Maine:
House Completes Final Passage of Consumers’ Credit Card “Bill of Rights”
The Washington Post reports:
The House today gave final approval to a bill that would prohibit credit card companies from arbritarily raising interest rates on existing balances and charging certain fees.
With a 361-64 vote, the House ensured that President Obama will be able to sign the bill into law by Memorial Day, as he requested.
The House had approved a more diluted credit card reform bill last month but chose to send the stonger Senate version to the president instead. The Senate overwhelmingly Buy Accutane passed its bill, written by Banking Committee Chairman Christoper Dodd (D-Conn.), on Tuesday.
"This cements a victory for every American consumer who has ever suffered at the hands of the credit card industry," Dodd said. "Many Americans depend on credit cards to get by in this economy, and today they have won a giant victory that ensures they are protected from practices that would drive them further into debt, while also making our economy stronger."
The landmark credit card legislation will force the $960 billion card industry to reinvent itself and consumers to rethink the way they use plastic.
The bill will prohibit card companies from raising interest rates on existing balances unless the borrower is at least 60 days late. If the cardholder pays on time for the following six months, the company would have to restore the original rate. On cards with more than one interest rate, issuers will have to apply payments first to the debts with the highest rates, which would help borrowers pay off their cards more quickly.
Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner on Tuesday said the bill "will help create a more fair, transparent and simple consumer credit market."
Because the Senate took up the House bill directly, rather than originating its own, there was no need for a conference committee. The bill will now go to President Obama to be signed into law.
Host a Health Care Kickoff
With the health care debate moving forward quickly, today we're reaching out to grassroots organizers to ask them to begin planning health care kickoff across the country:
Throughout our campaign for change, and since our victory, you have helped us make enormous strides towards creating the change we all fought for. And now we have a chance to make an even greater impact, but it can't Buy cheap online Provigil happen without you.
As we seek to enact real health care reform that includes President Obama's three core principles -- reduce costs, guarantee choice, and ensure affordable care for all -- we need you to help seize this moment and organize your community neighbor-by-neighbor, door-by-door.
On Saturday, June 6th, people like you will be hosting Health Care Organizing Kickoff meetings across the country to talk about the actions we'll all take in the coming weeks and months to make health care reform a reality.
Will you please sign up to host one?
These meetings will be crucial to our health care organizing efforts in your community, and that's why it's so important for you to play a major role.
At your meeting, you and your friends and neighbors will kick off your community's push to reform health care by learning more about the President's three core principles, sharing personal stories, and planning a health care Day of Service activity for June 27th. You'll also set up times to speak with your neighbors about health care reform, and make calls to ask others to get involved.
While this debate is heating up, it's important that we organize now to ensure that President Obama's core principles are included in any comprehensive health care reform.
So please sign up today to host a Health Care Organizing Kickoff meeting.
Thanks,
Jeremy
Jeremy Bird
Deputy Director
Organizing for America
LIVE: President Obama Meets with the Economic Recovery Advisory Board
President Obama will attend the first quarterly meeting of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board in the Roosevelt Room this morning. The focus of the meeting will be on energy and green jobs, with the board providing recommendations on how to enhance the strength and competitiveness of the nation’s Cheap Accutane economy through the creation of a comprehensive energy plan that will generate millions of clean energy jobs. You can watch a live stream of the meeting below, courtesy of WhiteHouse.gov:
UPDATED: Here's the agenda for today's meeting:
9:30-9:35 Austan Goolsbee welcome and opening statement, Administrative business: bylaws, forming of subgroups, etc.
9:35-9:55 John Doerr presents overview of letter on energy policy: discussion and vote on whether to forward to the President
9:55-10:00 Break
10:00-10:05 President Obama gives overview
10:05-10:35 Discussion of Energy Policy and the Green Economy
A. Potential for green jobs
B. How to make US more competitive in clean technologies
C. What energy policy is needed to help innovation thrive
10:35-10:55 Wider issues of job growth in the economy
A. How to stimulate job growth
B. How to help small business
C. How to unleash credit
D. How to make America more competitive in key sectors
10:55-11:00 President Obama gives closing remarks
UPDATED: Today's meeting of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board has ended.
Senate Passes Consumers’ Credit Card “Bill of Rights”
The Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of a consumers' credit card "bill of rights" today. The measure, designed to curb fees, limit contract changes, and increase transparency in credit card agreements, passed by a vote of 90-5.
From Bloomberg:
The Senate credit-card legislation would require lenders to apply payments to balances with the highest interest rates first. It would prohibit increasing a consumer’s rate on existing balances based on late payments to another lender, a practice known as “universal default.”
Many senators said they had been flooded by complaints from constituents with clean payment histories whose rates were increased or borrowing limits were slashed.
“This has been an assault on the American consumer that is growing by the hour,” said Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat.
President Obama has long pressed for Credit Card reform, and Senator Dodd has made passed of the Bill of Rights a priority. This morning, the Huffington Post ran an op-ed from Senator Dodd in which he made the case for reform:
Americans know they have a responsibility to live within their means and to pay what they owe. But they also have a right not to be deceived, misled, or ripped off by unfair and arbitrary credit card industry practices that have become commonplace. That's especially important when one considers how credit card use has expanded in Buy cheap Accutane Online the US.
...Consumers should not have to live in fear that a clause buried in the fine print of their credit card contract might someday be their financial undoing.
Even the federal financial regulators finally recognized the threat posed to consumers and our economy alike, finalizing rules that would curb some of these unfair and deceptive practices.
But with our economy in deep recession and layoffs mounting, the time has come for broad reform -- to insist on consumer protections that are strong and reliable, rules that are transparent and fair, and statements that are clear and informative.
...[This] legislation prevents unfair increases in interest rates and changes in the terms of credit card contracts -- prohibiting the kind of unjustifiable rate increases on existing balances that the Pew Charitable Trusts found were allowed by 93 percent of cards surveyed, while preventing the kind of "gotcha" tactics that say if you pay late once, you're penalized forever.
The bill puts an end to exorbitant and unnecessary fees that drive families further into debt--requiring that any penalties be proportional to the violation and prohibiting issuers from charging fees when customers make a payment by phone or unknowingly exceed their credit limit.
The Credit CARD Act protects the rights of financially responsible credit card users -- so that if the credit card company delayed crediting your payment or charged you for debt paid on time, you aren't charged for their mistake.
This legislation also requires far better disclosure of card terms and conditions. Cardholders should not need a microscope to read what a statement says and a law degree to understand what it means.
...When given fair terms, credit cards can be a valuable financial tool for millions of Americans. But that's far from the case today. And with our economy in trouble, Americans do not deserve -- and cannot afford -- to be pushed down the economic ladder by credit card companies any longer.
Over and over we've heard that consumers should act responsibly when it comes to credit cards. I agree -- but it's time we held credit card companies to the same standard.
The House passed similar legislation last month, and President Obama hopes to be able to sign a bill into law before Memorial Day.
“A common effort, made in good faith, to solve our toughest problems”
In his announcement today of a new unified automobile fuel efficiency and emissions standard, President Obama applauded the diverse group of stakeholders that came together today to embrace a bold solution to the long-standing problems of pollution, climate change, and our dependence on foreign oil.
This is an extraordinary gathering. Here we have today standing behind me, along with Ron Gettlefinger and leadership of the UAW, we have 10 of the world's largest auto manufacturers, we have environmental advocates, as well as elected officials from all across the country.
And this gathering is all the more extraordinary for what these diverse groups -- despite disparate interests and previous disagreements -- have worked together to achieve. For the first time in history, we have set in motion a national policy aimed at both increasing gas mileage and decreasing greenhouse gas pollution for all new trucks and cars sold in the United States of America....That's what's been missing in this debate for too long, and that's why this announcement is so important, for it represents not only a change in policy in Washington but the harbinger of a change in the way business is done in Washington. No longer will we accept the notion that our politics are too small, our nation too divided, our people too weary of broken promises and lost opportunities to take up a historic calling. No longer will we accept anything less than a common effort, made in good faith, to solve our toughest problems.
...At a time of historic crisis in our auto industry, when domestic auto manufacturers are making painful choices and restructuring their businesses to be viable in the future, this rule provides the clear certainty that will allow these companies to Buy cheap Cialis Online plan for a future in which they are building the cars of the 21st century.
Yes, it costs money to develop these vehicles, but even as the price to build these cars and trucks goes up, the cost of driving these vehicles will go down, as drivers save money at the pump. And this is a point I want to emphasize: If you buy a car, your investment in a more fuel-efficient vehicle as a result of this standard will pay off in just three years. In three years' time you will have paid off the additional investment required. So this is a winning proposition for folks looking to buy a car. In fact, over the life of a vehicle, the typical driver would save about $2,800 by getting better gas mileage.
The fact is, everyone wins: Consumers pay less for fuel, which means less money going overseas and more money to save or spend here at home. The economy as a whole runs more efficiently by using less oil and producing less pollution. And companies like those here today have new incentives to create the technologies and the jobs that will provide smarter ways to power our vehicles.
... We have over the course of decades slowly built an economy that runs on oil. It has given us much of what we have -- for good but also for ill. It has transformed the way we live and work, but it's also wreaked havoc on our climate. It has helped create gains in prosperity unprecedented in history, but it also places our future in jeopardy.
Ending this dependence will take time. It will take an incredible effort. It will take a historic investment in innovation. But more than anything, it will take a willingness to look past our differences, to act in good faith, to refuse to continue the failures of the past, and to take on this challenge together -- for the benefit not just of this generation, but generations to come.
Read President Obama's full remarks . . .