MetaFilter posts tagged with senate

a very long article

kliuless — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:42:16 -0800

How America Can Rise Again by James Fallows
Is America going to hell? After a year of economic calamity that many fear has sent us into irreversible decline, the author finds reassurance in the peculiarly American cycle of crisis and renewal, and in the continuing strength of the forces that have made the country great: our university system, our receptiveness to immigration, our culture of innovation. In most significant ways, the U.S. remains the envy of the world. But here's the alarming problem: our governing system is old and broken and dysfunctional. Fixing it—without resorting to a constitutional convention or a coup—is the key to securing the nation's future. (via|previously)

Puppet Joe Lieberman that is.

tylerfulltilt — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:58:07 -0800

Joe Lieberman has a pony request.

where are the jobs. where are they. also what is your favorite food

Optimus Chyme — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:38:43 -0800

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley opens up another Ask Chuck Webcast. The people respond. Grassley answers.

Senate Sends Health Care Bill to Floor

shivohum — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:36:27 -0800

The Senate votes to bring health care bill (text in an amendment) to floor, 60-39. Major concessions extracted by holdout senators. Other analysis here and here. Differences between this and the House bill.

Health Care Has Passed

reenum — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:01:23 -0800

The House of Representatives just passed the health reform bill in a vote of 220-215.

Cattle mutilation

rmd1023 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:26:54 -0800

A long-standing element of ufo/paranormal conspiracy theory, cattle mutilation has been reported in the United States for several decades. Here's some FOIA documents relating to the FBI's investigation (and discussions of whether they had jurisdiction to investigate) from the 1970's. All links are PDFs: cattle1.pdf, cattle2.pdf. cattle3.pdf, cattle4.pdf,cattle5.pdf.

Franken's anti-rape amendment

aerotive — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:50:26 -0800

Jamie Leigh Jones alleges she was drugged and gang-raped by co-workers at Camp Harper in Iraq while employed by KBR. As explained by Senator Al Franken in this youtube clip, Ms. Jones had signed a contract requiring binding arbitration of employment related disputes. Sen. Franken introduced Amendment 2588, which would prohibit any use of Federal funds for Federal contractors that require such agreements. The amendment passed 68-30 (roll call). Background on the Jones vs. KBR case.

ACORN under fire

Deathalicious — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:05:08 -0800

ACORN already drew fire last year during the election, accused of voter fraud, although ACORN points out there was no real fraud going on [pdf]. Now, they are facing controversy over a recent video showing ACORN officials offering advice to amateur actors posing as a pimp and prostitute on what to say when seeking a mortgage for a brothel. A second video captured an ACORN worker claiming to have murdered her husband (she later said she was simply messing with the filmmakers). As a result of these recent controversies, the Senate voted 83-7 to prohibiting the use of funds to fund ACORN. It's likely that a big motivation to block this funding came from issues surrounding Acorn and the Census. The Census Bureau had already decided to sever ties with ACORN , partially because of fears that ACORN would play an active role in the Census, although this was not at all true -- they were simply one of 30,000 Census Partners. The vote to block funding will mean that ACORN will no longer receive HUD grants, which it uses to offer free housing counseling to lower-income individuals.

Let the games begin

Navelgazer — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:40:43 -0800

Today began Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Senate confirmation hearings, with opening remarks from the Senators on the Judiciary Committee, introductions from NY Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and an opening statement from Judge Sotomayor herself. Among the shouted protests from pro-life advocates in the gallery, highlights included Sen. Lindsay Graham's statement about what he thinks the advise-and-consent function of the senate should entail, and Sen. Al Franken's first real moment in the U.S. Congress.

About time.

orrnyereg — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:30:31 -0800

Samuel Kent is the first judge to be impeached by the House in 20 years. Last Friday, Judge Samuel B. Kent, formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, was impeached by the US House of Representatives. The proceedings took less than 30 minutes. Kent plead guilty to obstruction of justice charges relating to an investigation into sexual harrassment claims by court employees. Last year he was indicted on three federal counts of abusive sexual contact and attempted aggravated sexual abuse. He was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison and has reported to the Devens Federal Medical Center in Ayers, MA. He announced his resignation effective in 2010, allowing him to keep his $174,00 salary in the interim. If convicted, his salary will be immediately cut off. The Senate expects to convene the trial before its August recess. Reliable scandalmonger Above the Law has extensive coverage. Previously.

“I want you to know I care deeply about your views”

univac — Wed, 06 May 2009 23:01:19 -0800

Single-payer health care advocates arrested at Senate hearing. On May 5, 2009 advocates of a U.S. national health care program disrupted a Senate Finance Committee event to call for single-payer healthcare to be part of the discussion. The eight protesters were subsequently arrested. The protesters included representatives of Physicians for a National Health Program, which favors the The United States National Health Care Act, H.R. 676. Committee Chair Max Baucus (D - Montana), who has received more money in contributions from health insurance companies than any other member of Congress, favors requiring Americans to purchase private health insurance from those companies. Baucus, who has previously said that single-payer is "off the table," responded to the doctors and their fellow activists with, “I want you to know I care deeply about your views," and then, "we need more police [to eject protesters]."

When I switch you switch we switch

allen.spaulding — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:36:08 -0800

The last time any party had a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate was 1977-1979. With Arlen Specter's announcement that he is switching parties and Al Franken's recent court victory all but guaranteeing his victory in Minnesota, the Democrats will have a filibuster-proof 60 seats in the Senate. Eight years ago, Jim Jeffords switched parties to change control of the Senate from a 50-50 tie (resolved by VP Cheney in favor of the GOP) to Democratic control. While this might be a cause of celebration for Democrats, this recent history of switching should point out the fragility of the coalition. The one Senator to switch away from the Democrats, Joe "Joementum" Lieberman still caucuses with the party. Suddenly every Democratic Senator has the ability to hold out with the credible threat that they will leave and destroy the super majority.

A Profile in Courage

empath — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:58:39 -0800

With so many of our citizens in prison compared with the rest of the world, there are only two possibilities: Either we are home to the most evil people on earth or we are doing something different--and vastly counterproductive. Obviously, the answer is the latter.

Sen. Jim Webb takes on the real third rail in American politics, the entire criminal justice system.

An Economic Stimulus Without the Stimulus?

WCityMike — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 18:24:16 -0800

A list of cut, halved, and quartered items from the Senate version of the stimulus bill was released to CNN. Fully cut was any stimulus funding for historic preservation, Coast Guard polar icebreaker/cutters, Farm Service Agency modernization, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, watershed rehabilitation, distance learning, school nutrition, aquaculture, broadband, National Institute of Standards and Technology, detention trustee, Marshalls Construction, federal prisons, BYRNE Formula grant program, BYRNE Competitive grant program, state and local law enforcement, NASA, aeronautics, exploration, Cross Agency Support, National Science Foundation, science, Energy Loan Guarantees, General Services Administration, General Services Administration operations, Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard Cutters, modifies use, Fish and Wildlife, historic preservation, working capital fund, Forest Service capital improvement, State and Private Wildlife Fire Management, Head Start/Early Start, Health Prevention Activity, Health Information Technology Grants, Title I (No Child Left Behind), school construction, higher education construction, project based rental, Neighborhood Stabilization, retrofitting Project 8 housing, or state fiscal stabilization. Stimulus funding was halved for energy-efficient federal buildings, the Smithsonian, law enforcement wireless, and hybrid federal vehicles -- and reduced by 75% for the EPA, NOAA, and FBI construction.

We're Coming to You Tube!

lunit — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 05:27:37 -0800

Welcome to Congress, YouTube. Check out House Hub and Senate Hub for a state by state directory of YouTube videos created by House Representatives and Senators for the purpose of, among other things, "increasing transparency." Don't miss House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Capital Cat Cam!

I, for one, welcome our new lizard people overlords.

nathan_teske — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:02:38 -0800

Minnesota's recount of the Senate race between incumbent Norm Coleman (R) and challenger Al Franken (D) began yesterday. Some results are already being reported. One unintended consequence of the recount is the exposure of a shocking write-in challenger: Lizard People.

AP Calls Alaska Senate race for Begich.

daHIFI — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:14:05 -0800

One last goodbye for the memories. Theodore Fulton Stevens has lost his Alaska Senate seat.

One closer to 60

jaduncan — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:00:36 -0800

Sen. Stevens (R, AK) found guilty of of seven corruption charges. Stevens was behind in the polls before this point anyway, so it looks like a solid Dem gain at this point. Palin has obviously thown him under the bus.

Doesn't everyone exaggerate the size of Lake Ontario?

goodnewsfortheinsane — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:40:26 -0800

Humorist and candidate for the US Senate for Minnesota Al Franken draws a map of the United States from memory.

Former United States Senator Jesse Helms, 1921 - 2008.

goodnewsfortheinsane — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:22:18 -0800

Fmr. US Senator Jesse Helms, 1921 - 2008. Wikipedia | Wikiquote | Collection of attributed quotes (unsourced)

Senate Intelligence Committee Phase II Reports

kirkaracha — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:15:51 -0800

Senate Intelligence Committee Unveils Final Phase II Reports on Prewar Iraq Intelligence. Phase II Report on Public Statements [PDF] and Phase II Report on DoD Policy Office [PDF]. This may come as a shock, but most of what the Bush Administration said about Iraq wasn't true. Republican co-chair Bond, Kit Bond, says the reports are "political theatre."

Statements and implications by the President and Secretary of State suggesting that Iraq and al-Qa'ida had a partnership, or that Iraq had provided al-Qa'ida with weapons training, were not substantiated by the intelligence.
Statements by the President and the Vice President indicating that Saddam Hussein was prepared to give weapons of mass destruction to terrorist groups for attacks against the United States were contradicted by available intelligence information.
Statements by President Bush and Vice President Cheney regarding the postwar situation in Iraq, in terms of the political, security, and economic, did not reflect the concerns and uncertainties expressed in the intelligence products.
Statements by the President and Vice President prior to the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate regarding Iraq's chemical weapons production capability and activities did not reflect the intelligence community's uncertainties as to whether such production was ongoing.
The Secretary of Defense's statement that the Iraqi government operated underground WMD facilities that were not vulnerable to conventional airstrikes because they were underground and deeply buried was not substantiated by available intelligence information.
The Intelligence Community did not confirm that Muhammad Atta met an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague in 2001 as the Vice President repeatedly claimed.

The Jihad Will Be Televised

digaman — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:44:42 -0800

NewsFilter: Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID - Conn.) strikes a decisive blow against another Islamic terror front group: YouTube.

What's the difference between Democratic and Republican congressmen? $55,000.

TheOnlyCoolTim — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:48:36 -0800

Want to live it up at the U.S. party conventions and get access to Senators and Congressmen? USA Today has posted the campaign committee price lists:
Democratic Senate and Congress
Republican Senate and Congress

If you've got the dough, you may conveniently request a convention package online from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. The National Republican Congressional Committee and the NRSC have other price lists on their sites, but it seems like the DSCC and DCCC sites keep theirs under wraps.

"an expression of truckliness"

mrducts — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:47:48 -0800

Senate lawmakers in Florida move to ban fake testicles on vehicles. NSFW(?)

Congress 2.0

geos — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 08:30:45 -0800

Opencongress.org is a website for keeping track of the U.S. Congress. (previously) But, now it also a social network. So, sign-up and see what your favourite Senator has been doing, track bills and, follow important issues. Then, share that information with your friends or write about it on your blog.