Rep. Maloney Presses for Recess Appointment of Elizabeth Warren - Wall Street Journal

Read original..


Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D., N.Y.) hasn’t been shy about wanting White House adviser Elizabeth Warren to head the new consumer watchdog agency.

And now Ms. Maloney is urging her colleagues to speak up on the issue, too.

Ms. Maloney sent a “dear colleague” letter Wednesday to her fellow lawmakers, urging them to sign on to a letter to President Barack Obama, urging him to appoint Ms. Warren, a Harvard Law professor, to the director post during one of Congress’s upcoming recesses.

“Since you appointed Professor Warren to ‘stand up’ the bureau, she has laid the foundation as a strong advocate for consumers—something that seems to strike fear among those who are opposed to reform,” says the letter that Ms. Maloney wants her fellow lawmakers to sign. “We can think of no better person to be the first director of this incredibly important consumer financial protection regulator.”

Recess appointments are controversial because the president sidesteps the Senate’s authority to vet and approve nominees to key federal posts.

But nearly all of the Senate’s Republicans have vowed to block any nominee for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s director position, making a recess appointment much more likely. The Republicans want changes in the agency’s governance structure and funding stream before they sign off on any nominee.

But the Obama administration has been cool to the proposed changes, which would scale back the agency’s independence. Meanwhile, the agency needs a director in place by its fast-approaching July 21 launch in order to gain its full powers to fight fraudulent financial practices.

“Since Republican senators have said that no one is acceptable unless the law is weakened, we would urge you to nominate Professor Warren as the CFPB’s first director anyway,” reads Ms. Maloney’s letter.

New York City Takes Precautions with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand - CBS News Video

Watch original...



Chris Wragge speaks with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) about the successful U.S. military operation in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden.

Senator Schumer on Death of Osama bin Laden Video - State of Politics

Senator Chuck Schumer on State of Politics blog about death of Obama bin Laden...

Rep Ackerman: Justice Has Been Done...

Justice has been done. After so many years of effort, the killing of Osama bin Laden represents a huge victory for the United States and proof that no matter how hard they try, our foes cannot hide from us. Osama bin Laden chose to make war against America. And today, we can take satisfaction that we have answered him in kind. The head of the Al-Qaeda worm has been cut off. But we must remember, worms grow new heads.

Although this is a gratifying occasion, and a crucial psychological boost for all Americans, we must remember that our enemies remain determined to attack us, despite this powerful and demoralizing blow.

President Obama, his national security team, and the many intelligence and military professionals who developed the intelligence and executed this operation deserve the thanks of the entire nation. The more we learn about this amazing and daring mission, the more certain it becomes that it will be remembered among the most remarkable feats of arms in 

American history.

As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I hope this long-awaited success will provide some comfort and relief to those who lost loved ones on that terrible day.

Rep Joe Crowley Responds to Death of Osama bin Laden

Today, Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx) issued the following statement on the death of Osama bin Laden:


"The United States promised we would bring justice to bin Laden, and now that promise has been fulfilled. Osama bin Laden met the kind of end he deserved. I hope it provides at least some level of consolation to those who lost loved ones as a result of his heinous terror attacks.


“In particular, my thoughts and prayers are with the families from New York and across America who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. There is no doubt the world is a safer place without bin Laden, but our efforts to eradicate the threat of terror will continue without pause and on behalf of everyone who has been killed or injured as a result of senseless terror and violence.


"I salute the hard-working men and women of our military and intelligence services for carrying out such a skilled and dangerous operation. I also commend President Obama for his strong leadership in making this happen.”

Statement by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio on the Death of Osama bin Laden

“Almost ten years ago the lives of all New Yorkers were irrevocably changed by the most violent attack of our time. Thousands of families were torn apart; countless other New Yorkers, including my wife Chirlane and I, lost close friends and neighbors. While our hearts will never be fully healed, today all New Yorkers can feel a long-awaited sense of justice and closure. We owe a great debt of gratitude to the men and women of our armed forces, our intelligence community and President Barack Obama for bringing Osama bin Laden to justice.”

News Alert: Osama bin Laden Is Dead, U.S. Official Says - NY Times

Eead original...

Osama bin Laden has been killed, a United States official said.

President Obama is expected to make an announcement on Sunday night, almost ten years after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com?emc=na

The First Guess: Lotto Nation by Keith Olbermann - FOK News Channel

Watch original...

Keith Olbermann's latest at The FOK News Channel -- The First Guess: Lotto Nation:

Three-time Murrow-Award Winner Keith Olbermann is the "K" in "Friends Of Keith" and "Friends Of Keith" is the FOK in the not-for-profit FOKNewsChannel.

MUST WATCH VIDEO: Listening to the Voices of America - The Ed Show - MSNBC.com

Click on image to open in a new window...

Now, there's even more support to tax the rich..Click here

News and Notes from Rep Anthony D. Weiner - NY 9th Congressional District

GOP Budget Would Cut Queens to Its Core

Weiner Study Highlights Impact of More Than $25 Billion

in Funding Cuts To Borough Over 10 Years

Today, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D – Queens and Brooklyn) released a study highlighting how the GOP budget plan to be considered this week would cut funding to Queens by more than $25 billion over 10 years, slashing money for cops, transportation, seniors and education.

Under the Republican budget plan, more than $25 billion in federal aid to Queens would be cut over 10 years. During a time when the City is facing a massive budget deficit, this proposal would force major cuts in programs like Medicare and Medicaid, hurting countless seniors and low-income residents in the borough. Title I education funding would be cut by over $205 million, and federal grants to the NYPD would be cut by $111 million. This could mean that more than 425 cops would be taken off the streets of Queens.

Additionally, if the GOP budget passes, over the next decade the MTA would lose over $667 million that is used to fund vital rail and bus infrastructure and security projects throughout Queens, and the more than 300,000 seniors in the borough would lose their guaranteed Medicare benefits and be forced to pay additional premium costs.

"The GOP budget is not about debt reduction, it’s about increasing the dangerous inequities in our economy and society. It is an assault on the middle class and those struggling to make it.”

Weiner’s study found the following:

CUTS TO QUEENS OVER 10 YEARS: MORE THAN $25 BILLION

Medicare

· The over 300,000 seniors in Queens would lose their guaranteed Medicare benefits and be forced to pay premium costs that the new proposed subsidy doesn’t cover. (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and U.S. Census)

Medicaid

• Medicaid costs would be shifted to Queens residents as state and local taxes revenue would need to cover the over $20 billion in Medicaid cuts over 10 years contained within this budget proposal. (NYC OMB and Center for Budget and Policy Priorities)

SNAP Program

• The SNAP Program will now be tied to a block grant program with benefits contingent upon on work or job training. Over 96,000 Queens residents would lose their SNAP benefits and Queens would see $1.7 billion cut in funding over 10 years. (U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Census)

Education

• Title I funding, which provides funding for primary and secondary schools, would be cut by over $205 million over 10 years.(NYC Independent Budget Office (IBO)
• Pell Grants which provide grants for lower income college students would be cut by $1 billion over 10 years and the maximum Pell Grant award would be cut by $819 per student. (NYC Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Census)

Law Enforcement

• Federal grants to the New York Police Department for Queens would be cut by $111 million over 10 years. This could mean that 425 cops are taken off the streets of Queens. (NYC IBO)

Housing

• The Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which helps the lowest-income New Yorkers stay warm would be cut by over $68 million over 10 years. (NYC OMB)
• Section 8 vouchers which provide vouchers for low-income families to locate decent, safe, and affordable housing would be cut by over $83 million to NYC over 10 years. (NYC IBO)
• The Public Housing Operating Fund, which provides subsidies to public housing agencies, would be cut by nearly $310 million over 10 years. (NYC IBO)
• The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which funds local Queens community development activities such as affordable housing, anti-poverty programs, and infrastructure development, would experience over $53 million in cuts over 10 years. (NYC IBO)
• The HOME investment partnerships program, which works with nonprofit groups to build, buy, and rehabilitate affordable housing would be cut by $4 million over 10 years. (NYC IBO)
• The Public Housing Capital Fund, which provides funding for the development and modernization of public housing, would be cut by $22 million over 10 years. (NYC IBO)

Transportation

• MTA would lose over $667 million over 10 years that is used to fund vital rail and bus infrastructure and security projects throughout Queens. (Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA))

Human Services

• The Child Care and Development Fund which provides subsidies for child care for low-income families so that parents can work would be cut by nearly $20 million over 10 years. (NYC IBO)
• Community Services Block Grants which provides funding to assist with employment, education, nutrition and emergency services for the homeless, migrants and the elderly would be cut nearly $10 million over 10 years. (NYC IBO)

Infrastructure

• The Drinking Water Revolving Fund which works to ensure that local residents receive clean and safe drinking water would be cut by $150 million for Queens. (NYC OMB)
• The Clean Water Revolving Fund which works to ensures that local communities can provide clean and sanitary wastewater treatment services for their residents would be cut by $778 million over 10 years for Queens. (NYC OMB)

Job Training

• Queens job training and workforce investment which provides adult workforce training, job-related activities for young adults, and dislocated workers programs would be cut by over $94 million over 10 years. (NYC IBO)

Weiner on President’s Budget Speech: “Today, We Go on Offense”

With President Obama set to give a major speech today outlining his plan for the budget, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D – Queens and Brooklyn) released the following statement:

"Now it's our turn. For months, we have heard the one-note attacks by the GOP on the middle class and those struggling to make it. Medicare, student loans and women's health have all been under attack.”

“Today, we go on offense.”

Weiner Announces $281 Million in Pell Grants for Local Students

More Than 67,000 Will Receive Vital Education Aid in Queens Alone

Today, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D – Queens and Brooklyn) announced that more than 67,000 Queens students will receive $281 million in Pell Grants this year to help cover the rising costs of a college education.

Federal Pell Grants provide need-based assistance to low-income students to help promote access to college and postsecondary education. This year, students across the nation are eligible to receive up to $5,550 each in Pell Grants, which are not required to be repaid.

In Queens alone, over 67,000 students will receive more than $281 million in aid – with an average grant of $4,136 per student. The announcement, however, comes in the midst of attempts by Congressional Republicans to cut the important grant by $1 billion over the next ten years in Queens.

Republicans in Congress, led by Rep. Paul Ryan, are proposing to reduce the maximum Pell Grant award by $819 per student beginning next year. If successful, the maximum Pell Grant will be slashed to $4,731 – a reduction of more than 14 percent. With the cost of higher education rising every year, the GOP proposal would devastate a vital lifeline for students in the borough.

"During a time when colleges are raising tuition, Pell Grants are an important tool in helping students get the education they deserve and the education they need to succeed in the 21^st century workplace,” Weiner said. “$281 million in Pell Grants for Queens is great news, but it’s also a reminder of what’s at stake next year if the draconian budget being pushed by Republicans actually passes.”

Disaster by MarkFiore - YouTube

It's disaster movie time, thanks to nuclear industry ineptness and tragic natural disasters. Take a look at different facets of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. And while you're at it, send some help to Japan! (A Mark Fiore political animation.)

Planning Comeback, Democrats Huddle with Ousted Members by Janie Lorber - NYTimes.com

Read original...

It’s never too early to bring the old faces back.

House Democrats are already deep into planning how to win back the majority – with the help of the lawmakers who lost it for them.

Representative Steve Israel of New York, the new head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, holds conference calls at least once a month with a group of Capitol Hill alums, which includes about 90 percent of the Democrats who lost their re-election in 2010 and those who retired.

They trade notes on messaging, public relations, Washington happenings and – perhaps most importantly – their districts, now controlled by Republicans. Mr. Israel is working hard to get several of those ousted members, like Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota, to run again. (She hasn’t committed.)

Democrats have zeroed in on 14 must-win seats in 8 states – the 14 districts that voted for John Kerry in 2004 and President Obama in 2008, but fell into Republican hands in 2010. Many of those regions will also be the focus of Mr. Obama’s re-election effort, said Mr. Israel, who is in constant contact with president’s political team. Democrats will devote the most attention to Pennsylvania, where a total of five members are on their target list.

With his committee boasting one of the largest January cash hauls n the committee’s history – only $300,000 shy of its all-time fund-raising high for the month – Mr. Israel spoke to a group of reporters at party headquarters on Wednesday with confidence and swagger.

“We have sprung from our defensive crouch,” said Mr. Israel, a former Blue Dog Democrat representing Long Island. “There are 63 unvetted, unknown Republicans, and we have introduced them to their constituents and their constituents are getting buyer’s remorse.”

Mr. Israel traveled to Chicago in December to meet with Rahm Emanuel, the former White House Chief of Staff, who led Democrats back into the majority as committee chairman in 2006. And like Mr. Emanuel, he has developed an election strategy systematically, as if heading into a military battle. After the 14 do-or-die districts, funds will be directed to the 54 seats that Republicans captured in 2010 with less than 55 percent of the vote, followed by the 61 Republican-held districts that voted for Mr. Obama in 2008.

The last few weeks have been far from flawless for the new majority in the House — something that Mr. Israel was relishing Wednesday morning.

“I wake up every morning trying to figure out how to win 25 seats,” Mr. Israel said. “Being in the minority sucks, but being in the minority and being able to do something about it is priceless.”

House Dems To Reintroduce Longshot Bill For Long-Term Unemployed by Arthur Delaney - Huffington Post

Read original...

Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee (Calif.) and Bobby Scott (Va.) are reintroducing legislation this week to provide additional weeks of unemployment insurance benefits for "99ers," the long-term jobless who have exhausted their benefits and still haven't found work.

"The bill that I am introducing with Congressman Scott, The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Expansion Act, would ensure that these long-term unemployed workers get the long overdue assistance that they need to support their families, make ends meet and contribute to our economy," Lee said in a statement. "Our bill would add 14 weeks of emergency unemployment benefits and would make sure these benefits are retroactively available to people who have exhausted all their benefits and are still unemployed."

Given Republican hostility to additional deficit spending -- Lee's office said the cost of the extra benefits would not be offset -- the effort will likely amount to little more than a reminder that long-term unemployment persists even though much of the nation's political discourse is focused on signs of economic recovery.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 1.4 million Americans have been unemployed for as long as 99 weeks. Of the 13.9 million unemployed, 43.8 percent -- or 6.2 million -- have been out of work for six months or longer.

Lee and Scott are holding a press conference on Wednesday to discuss the bill further. They will be joined by 99ers from an ad hoc online group that calls itself the American 99ers Union. "The American 99ers Union supports government spending that results in a positive return on investment," a statement from the group said. "The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act will effectively serve this purpose."

Lee and Scott expressed frustration last year, when they first introduced an extension bill, that President Barack Obama omitted help for the 99ers from the deal he struck with congressional Republicans that preserved tax breaks for the rich and reauthorized extended federal unemployment benefits through 2011. Federal unemployment benefits enacted in response to the recession provide the unemployed up to 73 weeks of benefits beyond the standard 26 weeks provided by states. (The full complement of federal benefits is only available in 25 states, so some exhaustees are not officially 99ers.)

The Lee-Scott bill faces even tougher odds in the new Republican-controlled House of Representatives than it did last year in the previous Congress, when helping the 99ers was barely an afterthought.

Most New York Graduates Are Ill Prepared, Data Show by Sharon Otterman - NYTimes.com

Read original...

New York State education officials released a new set of graduation statistics on Monday that show fewer than half of students in the state are leaving high school prepared for college and well-paying careers.

The new statistics, part of a push to realign state standards with college performance, show that only 23 percent of students in New York City graduated ready for college or careers in 2009, not counting special-education students. That is well under half the current graduation rate of 64 percent, a number often promoted by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg as evidence that his education policies are working.

But New York City is still doing better than the state’s other large urban districts. In Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers, less than 17 percent of students met the proposed standards, including just 5 percent in Rochester.

The Board of Regents, which sets the state’s education policies, met on Monday to begin discussing what to do with this data, and will most likely issue a decision in March. One option is to make schools and districts place an asterisk next to the current graduation rate, or have them report both the current graduation rate and the college ready rate, said Merryl H. Tisch, the chancellor of the Board of Regents.

The move parallels a decision by the Regents last year to make standardized tests for third through eighth graders more difficult to pass, saying that the old passing rates did not correlate to high school success.

“With three through eight, we ripped the Band-Aid off,” Dr. Tisch said in an interview last week. “The thing we said then, in looking at the business world, is that if you sit on this, you become the Enron of test scores, the Enron of graduation rates. We need to indicate exactly what it all means, especially since we’ve already said that college-ready should be the indicator of high school completion.”

State and city education officials have known for years that graduating from a public high school does not indicate that a student is ready for college, and have been slowly moving to raise standards. But the political will to acknowledge openly the chasm between graduation requirements and college or job needs is new, Dr. Tisch; David M. Steiner, the state education commissioner; and John King, the deputy state education commissioner, said in interviews last week.

With President Obama making college readiness and international competitiveness a top national goal, and federal and philanthropic money pouring into finding ways to raise national education standards, that equation is changing, they said. “It is a national crisis,” Dr. Steiner said.

Statewide, 77 percent of students graduate from high school. Currently, a student needs to score a 65 on four of the state’s five required Regents exams to graduate, and beginning next year, they will need a 65 on all five.

Using data collected by state and community colleges, testing experts on a state committee determined last year that a 75 on the English Regents and a 80 on the math Regents roughly predicted that students would get at least a C in a college-level course in the same subject. Scores below that meant students had to often take remediation classes before they could do college-level work. Only 41 percent of New York State graduates in 2009 achieved those scores.

In the wealthier districts across the state, the news is better: 72 percent of students in “low need” districts are graduating ready for college or careers. But even that is well under the 95 percent of students in those districts who are now graduating.

The data also cast new doubt on the ability of charter schools to outperform their traditional school peers. Statewide, only 10 percent of students at charters graduated in 2009 at college-ready standards, though 49 percent received diplomas. The state has not yet calculated results for every district and school.

State officials have also begun a series of meetings in local districts to introduce this data and ask local officials what they want to do about it. A common reaction, Dr. Tisch said, is shock and hesitancy. There are fears of plummeting real estate values, as well as disagreement, particularly in rural areas, with the idea that all students need to be prepared for college.

Jean-Claude Brizard, the schools superintendent in Rochester for the past three years, said that while he was surprised by the data, he welcomed the effort to move the conversation away from simply graduating. In an effort to improve, Rochester has closed half its high schools and opened new schools, including its first high school that allows students to earn credits at several local colleges.

“We are behind the eight-ball a bit, but we are pushing,” he said. “It’s shocking, I know. It’s low. But for me, it is going to support my initiatives.”

In New York City, roughly 75 percent of public high school students who enroll in community colleges need to take remedial math or English courses before they can begin college-level work. City education officials said the 23 percent college-ready rate was not a fair measure of how the city would do if graduation requirements were raised to a higher standard, because students would work harder to meet that new bar.

While it has not gone so far as to calculate an alternative to graduation rates, the city has already begun tracking how each high school’s students fare in college, and in 2012 it will begin holding principals accountable for it. “Last year, well before the state announced this plan, we told schools we would begin including robust college readiness metrics in school progress reports,” said Shael Polakow-Suransky, the chief academic officer.

One thing that is helping districts get over their shock, Dr. Tisch said, is the opening of a broad discussion about how to improve things. On their tour, which has visited Albany, Buffalo and Rochester and will visit New York City, Westchester County and Long Island in the coming weeks, officials are presenting a menu of options.

One idea is to simply report a college-ready graduation rate as an aspirational standard and leave it at that. Another is to impose tougher graduation standards — like requiring that all students in the state take four years of math and science, or permanently raising the passing score on high school Regents exams to 75 in English and 80 in math.

But they are also discussing increased flexibility for districts and students, so that they can spend more time on the subjects they are interested in. For example, students might be permitted to choose at least one of the Regents exams they must pass to graduate — currently all students have to pass math, English, science, global history and American history. Students might be able to substitute foreign language, economics or art for one of the five. Or students could replace one Regents with a vocational skills test in an area like carpentry or plumbing.

Alternatively, the state could grant flexibility to districts to give credits based not on how many hours students sit in a classroom — currently 54 hours per semester per credit — but on whether students show competency, based on examination or online course work.

To press their case, state officials said they hoped to get political support from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. The political environment was particularly challenging now, because the state will roll out a new system in July to evaluate teachers that has the potential of strong opposition from teachers’ unions.

“I would consider it irresponsible, quite frankly, to hold back information at this point, considering that we have already moved in that direction on the three through eight,” Dr. Tisch said, adding, “The obligation at the end of the day is to make sure that when youngsters graduate, that graduation means something from New York State.”

Who's Reading the Lost in the Ozone blog...Would you believe the White House..?

Click on image to enlarge...

This blog routinely gets read by and receives hits from all levels of government, the House of Representatives, the US Senate...both houses of the NY State government - the state senate and the state assembly -  and the City Council and numerous city agencies...But's its not every day that the White House visits this site...It seems someone at the White House was searching for information about the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and found their way here...I'd like to extend the welcome mat and hope to have you back soon...

Rep Towns Statement on Proposed Budget Cuts

My Republican colleague, Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee released recommendations for budget cuts last week that would trim $32 billion from the remaining 2011 fiscal budget.  My first problem is that the Republican majority in the House recently passed a resolution giving Rep. Ryan sole authority to set budget limits for the entire country—a power that’s never before been given to an individual.  I am also dismayed that many of the proposed cuts will negatively impact many people who are struggling in my District and others throughout the nation.

            

I understand the urgent need to reduce the federal deficit.  We will be paying around $200 billion in interest payments on the debt this year and if budget deficits continue to grow at current rates, the Congressional Budget Office projects we will be paying $778 billion in the year 2020 or 3.4 percent of our Gross Domestic Product.  This, of course, would be a dangerous drag on the economy and unsustainable over the long haul.

President Barack Obama is proposing an austere budget, freezing spending levels on discretionary funding over the next five years that will lower spending as a percent of GDP to levels last seen in the Eisenhower Administration.  His proposed budget cuts community service block grants in half to $350 million and reduces Community Development Block Grants by a quarter or $125 million.  These are resources many struggling communities depend on to provide critical services.

Yet, the Republican budget plan calls for even deeper cuts that would cripple government agencies’ ability to meet the basic needs of many Americans.  Many Brooklyn residents are already struggling in this depressed economy.  But here we go again trying to balance the budget on the backs of the poor and less fortunate when we know that we can never cut our way to fiscal balance.  While it is necessary to be diligent with spending, we must also generate sufficient revenues.

We have fought two wars for a decade while cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans and that has created the fiscal mess we are in.  In the past, the wealthiest Americans reached deeper into their pockets to pay for the nation’s security because they have the most to gain as well as lose.  At a time when we need more investment in human capital in order to compete globally—as President Obama stated so eloquently in his recent State of the Union address—we should not be cutting resources that are needed to educate and support a healthy support a healthy and strong citizenry.