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From Jill Stein for President:
This just in: Organize a house party, get buttons and bumperstickers! In case you missed last week’s announcement, we’re sending an updated notice below. One update is that if you register your house party by January 18th, we’ll send you a package of buttons and bumperstickers. Read on . . . [...]
Green Party Watch

Following Tuesday’s vote by House Republicans to reject an extension of the payroll tax cut for the middle class passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate, Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester issued the following statement:

“In less than two weeks, 160 million Americans will be hit with a tax hike in the middle of the holiday season because House Republicans turned their backs on America’s working families and voted against extending a payroll tax cut for the middle class.

“Their inaction comes just days after Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate, including Sen. Lamar Alexander, worked together in the name of compromise to pass a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance benefits that provide a vital lifeline to millions of Americans who have lost their jobs as a result of the economic downturn.

“That bipartisan bill passed the Senate 89-10 – with the support of many conservative Republicans – and after this critical compromise, for House Republicans to say no and vote to raise taxes on 160 million hardworking Americans is simply extremism at its worst.

“It’s more and more clear that Tennessee’s Republican Congressmen are terrified of disappointing Tea Party extremists, even if the consequence is a tax increase on millions of working and middle-class families.

“This is a Republican-inflicted wound to our economic recovery.

“Republicans pay lip service to the middle class. But, when push comes to shove they will move heaven and earth to pass tax breaks for millionaires, billionaires and big corporations while raising taxes on 160 million middle class Americans.

“That’s a position for which they will pay a price with the American people.”

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TN Democratic Party News

From Jill Stein for President:
Dr. Jill Stein, MD, the Green Party presidential candidate, has strongly criticized an action by Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius taking the unprecedented step of overruling the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to expand access to the Morning After Pill (MAP). ”The Obama administration [...]
Green Party Watch

From Jill Stein for President:
Regarding the recently ended Durban climate change talks, Dr. Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate, issued the following statement this morning:
“Unlike my Republican opponents, President Obama professes to believe in science. He knows that America and the world is rapidly rushing to the catastrophic financial and environmental [...]
Green Party Watch

A conference call with reporters Wednesday revealed more details about the Obama administration’s plan to roll out a program for student debt relief.

Wednesday’s White House proposal is casting a wide net to help more debt holders. A fact sheet provided to reporters indicates the White House expects college loan holders to save “hundreds” of dollars per month through this relief package. During the press call, Duncan said a nurse earning ,000 a year with ,000 in loans can expect a 1 reduction in monthly payments.

A summary of the call:

· Starting in January of next year, allow individuals to consolidate their Federal Direct loans with subsidized loans. The White House says this move can tack off half a percentage point in the interest debtors pay. Barnes told reporters submitting payments to two different loan services increases the risk of default.

· Expanding the IBR program through a pay as you earn service that caps the discretionary income considered to 10 percent that will also go into effect January of next year. While the president had Congress approve a similar IBR measure that lowers the percentage of income considered, that rule won’t go into effect until 2014. White House numbers project the move will help 1.6 million student borrowers. Today’s proposal also excuses all unpaid debt after 20 years of successful minimum payments, rather than the 25 years originally legislated. Discretionary income is calculated by subtracting150 percent of the poverty line from a person’s adjusted gross income–that dollar figure at the end of one’s tax return.

· The CFBP, less than 100 days old an a product of last year’s big bank regulation law known as Dodd-Frank, is in the finishing stages of a simple Financial Aid Shopping Sheet, which would de-jargon the language on college award letter and scholarship documents. “The form would also make the total costs — and risks — of the student loans clear before they enroll by outlining their total estimated student loan debt, monthly loan payments after graduation and additional costs not covered by federal aid,” indicates a White House press release.

Present on the call were Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes and Raj Date, Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFBP).

Tackling student debt is part of the administration’s larger effort to circumvent policy changes that need Congressional approval. “We simply can’t wait for Congressional Republicans to act,” said Duncan, who highlighted portions of the plan.

While Congress in 2009 approved a measure called Income Based Repayment, which went into effect last year, only 450,000 college loan holders have signed on out of the over 30 million Americans juggling higher education debt. That program caps the amount college debt holders pay on federally-backed loans to 15 percent of their discretionary income.

Perhaps coincidentally, College Board released a report today showing college tuition and fees rose this year by more than 8 percent from last year for public four- and two-year colleges. Still, more students are entering college, the report noted, as an additional 2.8 million students enrolled in school between 2007 and 2010.

Higher education has been under a microscope as job prospects are low for many and additional education is sought after. The swell of new students is forcing campuses to find new revenue streams to keep up with services, often resulting in admitting students who pay higher tuition. The trend is most visible at public universities that have set their sights on out-of-state candidates who pay considerably more than local students — at times three times as much.

Taking into account a student’s ability to weather the financial burden of higher education is an increasingly ethical dilemma. Student default rates, as determined by the two-year cohort rate calculated by the U.S. Department of Education, is at a 12-year high, with 8.8 percent of graduates not paying their college loans for 270 days or more. Using a more comprehensive metric, a report issued (PDF) by the New America Foundation found that 15 percent of graduates defaulted, while 21 percent were delinquent on their payments.

But despite the costs and risks of falling behind in payments, arguments college is still worth it abound.

Individuals possessing a college-equivalent degree can expect to earn 80 percent more than a person with a high school degree. In an earlier study from researchers at Georgetown University, a college degree holder can expect to make .4 million more than one witha high school degree. And owning a college degree goes a long way to having a job: while the unemployment rate in this country is 9.1 percent, only 4.3 percent of college degree holders are jobless.

The Colorado Independent

Colorado’s congressional delegation split 4-3 tonight as the U.S. House voted 269-161 to pass a debt ceiling deal that’s expected to win approval in the Senate on Tuesday.

Democrat Diana DeGette joined Republicans Doug Lamborn and Scott Tipton in voting no on the measure, while Democrats Jared Polis and Ed Perlmutter voted for the deal along with Republicans Mike Coffman and Cory Gardner.

“Here we are at the 11th hour, with a gun to our head, being asked to accept an extreme, unbalanced proposal that places too great a burden on the middle class while failing to ask for any shared sacrifice from corporations and the nation’s wealthiest,” DeGette said in a prepared statement. “Frankly, after months of what of could have been productive negotiations to develop a balanced economic path for our country, I resent being forced into this choice.”

Perlmutter, however, said it was matter of not letting America default on its financial obligations by the Tuesday deadline.

“Our nation pays its bills,” Perlmutter said in a release. “This bill preserves the full faith and credit of the United States without sacrificing what makes our country special. American families can’t endure any more chaos on this issue, and we must move on. I’m not happy with every part of this bill, but it would be entirely irresponsible to destroy our economy because each of us can’t get 100 percent of our demands.”

Coffman, a veteran, made a military analogy.

“As a Marine Corps combat veteran, I see this agreement today as little more than establishing a beachhead in what will be a long and difficult campaign to defeat deficit spending, pass a balanced budget amendment, and to pay down the national debt,” Coffman said.

“The agreement doesn’t solve every fiscal challenge but it does move us in the right direction and it is a victory for conservatives because it reduces deficit spending without increasing taxes. By promoting spending discipline we will help the economy grow and create jobs.”

DeGette rejected the bill primarily because of the lack of tax increases for the wealthiest Americans.

“Our nation is still in crisis, and the American people deserve a balanced solution, with reasonable cuts to spending – like agricultural and ethanol subsidies, combined with common-sense revenue enhancements – like closing tax loopholes for corporations and the ultra-rich,” she said.

Tipton, a Tea Party freshman, said the bill simply didn’t cut deeply enough.

“I appreciate all of the efforts [House] Speaker {John] Boehner has made on behalf of our country, but the bill simply does not reflect what is necessary to get our fiscal house back in order,” he said. “I cannot authorize a record .4 trillion in additional deficit spending without taking larger steps to fixing the underlying problem.”

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., shot by a gunman in Tucson earlier this year, made an inspirational appearance on the House floor to vote for the bill.

The Colorado Independent

The U.S. House late today narrowly passed a debt-ceiling bill without a single Democratic vote, only to see the Senate quickly turn around and reject the Republican plan.

Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.

Colorado’s House delegation split along party lines, with the four Republicans voting in favor of the modified House Speaker John Boehner plan and all three Democrats rejecting it. The House vote was 218-210. The Senate rejected the bill 59-41.

Colorado’s senior congresswoman, Democrat Diana DeGette, issued the following statement on the Republican’s plan, which included a balanced budget amendment to the constitution in order to appease conservative GOP members, 22 of whom still voted against the bill:

“As we stand four days away from the first default in our nation’s history, the Republican bill passed today may raise the debt ceiling for the near future, but it is an imbalanced approach to deficit reduction that disproportionately punishes the most vulnerable Americans, and, with its untenable balanced budget amendment timeline, sets the stage for likely default in six months. That timetable systematically continues the blanket of uncertainty this debate has placed over our economy, virtually ensuring a downgrade to the U.S. credit rating and an economic crisis for our nation.

“With the markets already reacting to the gridlock in Washington, it is time to pay our bills, avoid a default crisis that would send interest rates skyrocketing, and then focus on getting our fiscal house in order. We must reduce our deficit, pay down our debt, and ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security and Medicare. These issues deserve balanced and thoughtful solutions; not to be held hostage to preserving the full faith and credit of the U.S.”

Colorado’s senior Republic congressman, Doug Lamborn, issued this statement after his yes vote:

“This is not a perfect plan, but it is a sincere, honest effort to fundamentally change the way Washington does business. It ensures that the federal government will meet all its financial obligations in the short term. Under this plan, every government payment would go out on time. But, down the road, it calls for additional spending cuts and a balanced budget amendment before Congress will raise the debt ceiling a second time.

“I would prefer deeper spending cuts. But I am glad for the possibility of putting more fiscal discipline for Congress into the Constitution. This is the only way we can control spending and make sure that the American dream survives for our children and grandchildren.

“This is the second time in 10 days that House Republicans have sent to the Senate a common-sense plan for restoring our nation’s fiscal strength. I urge our Senators to work with us in a bipartisan effort to solve our overspending problem.”

The Colorado Independent

This spring, something special happened in Jackson at the Tennessee Values Summit. Democrats and progressive leaders from across state came together to discuss our core beliefs and plan a way forward.

The Values Summit was only the beginning. We want to continue this conversation in your community.

So we are looking for volunteers to host a Tennessee Values Summit House Party in their city and take action on issues that are important to us.

On August 6th and 7th, the Tennessee Democratic Party is asking you to join us and organize a Values Summit House Party in your community.

At dozens of gatherings across the state, participants will view portions of the Values Summit, including a DVD of Dr. Drew Westen, a political communications guru who will teach you how to more effectively speak about your Democratic values. Following the screening, guests will begin planning steps for taking action in their communities to share those Democratic values with friends and neighbors.

We need a place for folks to gather in your community—can you host a party? It’s really simple, and your host packet will give you step-by-step instructions and everything you need to hold a successful meeting.

Click here to sign up to host an event:

Yes, I want to host a house party.

House parties are a fun way to get organized, and they’re very simple. Choose a time on August 6th or 7th when you can open up your house for a gathering. (You could also borrow a friend’s house—or reserve a free public space like a library community room—if your home isn’t a good location for people to gather.)

We will help you invite other Tennessee Democrats, and provide the materials you need to make your house party a success.

We need places all over Tennessee for people to get together so other local folks can be part of the Values Summit. Can you host a party? Click here:

Yes, I want to host a house party.

Thank you for your hard work,

Chip Forrester
Chairman, Tennessee Democratic Party

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TN Democratic Party News

On Wednesday, a U.S. House subcommittee will discuss a bill filed by chair Lamar Smith, R-Texas, that would require the use of E-Verify, the federal program that verifies if a worker is authorized to work in the U.S.

The House Subcommittee on Immigration and Policy Enforcement will address Smith’s “Legal Workforce Act,” which would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to make the use of E-verify mandatory and permanent.

In an op-ed published today by The Los Angeles Times, Smith writes:

While 26 million Americans are unemployed or underemployed, 7 million individuals work illegally in the United States. On top of all the challenges Americans face today, it is inexcusable that Americans and legal workers have to compete with illegal immigrants for scarce jobs.

Fortunately, there is a tool available to preserve jobs for legal workers: E-Verify. But the program is voluntary. Congress has the opportunity to expand E-Verify — including making it mandatory — so more job opportunities are made available to unemployed Americans.

Participants in a recent conference call hosted by the National Immigration Forum said mandatory E-Verify without immigration reform would harm the U.S. economy.

Tyler Moran, policy director for the National Immigration Law Center, said that if mandatory E-verify is implemented without broader immigration reform it will force some workers into the cash economy outside of our tax system, ship agricultural jobs overseas and force between 3 and 4 million American workers to stand in a government line to correct their records or lose their jobs, and that 770, 000 people will likely lose their jobs because of government database errors in E-Verify.

Craig J. Regelbrugge, vice president for government relations and research at the American Nursery & Landscape Association said that mandatory E-Verify without broader solutions would have the largest impact on the agriculture and seasonal employment sectors of the economy, resulting in economic dislocation, production declines, fewer jobs and more imports.

Moran added that Arizona is the best forecast of what mandatory E-Verify would look like without a legalization program. Implemented in January 2008, there are three significant outcomes from that Arizona law: Undocumented workers did not go home and most have moved into the cash economy; employers are coaching workers about how to get around the photo screening tool, the only mechanism to address ID theft; and half of employers are not using E-Verify for new hires despite penalties that could result in the loss of their business license.

Late last month, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the 2007 Legal Arizona Workers Act, a decision that deepens the debate between between supporters and detractors of mandatory state and federal E-Verify programs.

The Colorado Independent