MomsRising Push For Guaranteed Sick Days In Private Sector

By Linn Grubbstrom - Talk Radio News Service

MomsRising, a grassroots advocacy group, assembled on Capitol Hill Wednesday to plead Congress support a Health Families Act that would increase the number of paid sick days workers in the private sector can earn.

Donna Norton is the Campaign Director for MomsRising and she said that their campaign is determined to raise awareness for the importance paid sick days have on the public’s health.

“Forty percent of American private sector workers have no paid sick days,” said Norton. “That means millions of parents are forced to go to work when they are sick or when their kids are sick.. and it’s a hazard for all of public health.”

Norton said organizations have begun movements pleading employers for paid sick days as well. According to Norton, MomsRising and other parents around the nation are not fighting for something impossible. This is evident in San Francisco, where an ordinance was passed mandating that employers guarantee a minimum number of paid sick days for their staff.

“We would like to have paid sick days guaranteed for all workers,” Norton said.

Today At TRNS

The Washington Bureau will be covering:

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La.; Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas; Rep. John Fleming, R-La.; Rep. Robert Latta, R-Ohio; and Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb. hold a news conference on the 100 day anniversary of the Gulf oil spill.

The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” FBI Director Robert Mueller will testify.

The House Appropriations Committee State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee hearing on “Oversight of U.S. Civilian Assistance for Afghanistan.” Richard Holbrooke, State Department special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan; and Rajiv Shah, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development will testify.

The Brookings Institution will hold a discussion on “Fiscal Accomplishments and Budget Update.”Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag; and William Gale, senior fellow of economic studies at the Brookings Institution will testify.

Democratic National Committee Chairman, former Gov. Tim Kaine, D-Va. and Democratic National Committee Vice Chairman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. will hold a news conference in advance of the “August Congressional recess to highlight the real Republican agenda for America, how Republicans would move America backwards and a new Democratic party strategy to communicate the Republicans’ plans to the American people.”

Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla.; Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; and Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. will hold a news conference to discuss the need for a bipartisan energy bill that “doesn’t kill jobs or increase energy costs.”

MomsRising will hold an event to deliver the book, “Even Super Moms Can’t Fight All Germs! We Need Paid Sick Days,” a collection of stories from parents in every state across the country who need paid sick days.

Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; and Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb. will hold a pen and pad media availability to discuss negative impacts of the health care law on small businesses.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.; Center for American Progress Action Fund President and CEO John Podesta; and Neal Smatresk, president of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas will hold a conference call briefing to focus on the importance of developing clean energy industry to create jobs and fuel economic recovery.

House Passes War Supplemental Despite Democratic Resistance

Late Tuesday evening members of the House voted to pass a $59 billion emergency supplemental bill to continue funding the nine-year war in Afghanistan by a vote of 308-114. 102 Democrats voted against the bill, almost three times as many as the number who voted against the same bill last year.

The military will get $37 billion in the bill. That money will be used to fund President Barack Obama’s troop surge in Afghanistan, part of the administration’s new strategy announced last December. It will also fund continued military operations in Iraq, as well as State Department operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Roughly $23 billion will be used to fund domestic programs.

Before the vote took place, Obama urged Congress to swiftly pass the spending bill in order “to ensure that our troops have the resources they need and that we’re able to do what’s necessary for our national security.” The President is expected to sign the bill very soon.

- Alexa Gitler

Web Privacy Policies Need Transparency, Say Heads Of FTC, FCC

By Rob Sanna - Talk Radio News Service

 The men in charge of both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) told members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on Tuesday that customers should be able to “opt-in” to information tracking when shopping on the internet.

Under current information tracking systems, consumers must “opt-out” of privacy policies or disable internet tracking devices called cookies. Unless consumers spefically tell internet service providers they do not want to be tracked, their internet activity is recorded.

“For vulernable populations and sensitive information, we have said that those should be ‘opt-in’ rather than ‘opt-out,’” said FTC Chairman Jon Liebowitz. “In terms of informing consumers and protecting their privacy…’opt-in’ is a much better approach.”

“There’s a huge disconnect between what consumers think happens to their data and what really happens to their data. Most consumers believe that a privacy policy protects their privacy, instead, a privacy policy delinates their rights and their lack thereof,” he added.

Members cited the example of a British gaming company called Gamestation, who included a clause in their terms and conditions which forced customers who agreed to “surrender their eternal soul” to Gamestation.

According to Leibowitz, most consumers did not opt out of this clause, even when provided with a rebate incentive. This, he said, demonstrates that people do not read privacy policies, and that the policies do not protect people adequately.

“In order to get the economic benefits of broadband, tele-health, and education, people need to be confident that the internet is a safe, trustworthy place,” said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. “The more people have the concerns that we’re hearing today, the less likely they are to take advantage of this medium.”

"Local Jobs For America" Bill Helps Minorities, Lawmakers Say

By Brandon Kosters - Talk Radio News Service

A group of lawmakers and local politicians spoke to the press today about the “Local Jobs For America Act,” a bill which, if passed, will invest money in job training for and hiring of teachers, police officers and firefighters in economically vulnerable cities throughout the country.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, believes that this legislation will have a notable affect on the unemployment rate areas with large African American and Hispanic communities.

“The national unemployment rate is about 9.5%, yet in minority communities, in the African-American and Latino communities, it hovers around 16-17 %,” Lee said. “The Congressional Black Caucus wants to make sure [that] on every jobs bill that we work on, that we leave no one behind.”

Congressional Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), who also sits on the Congressional Black Caucus, said that the reduction of state services “diminishes the quality of life for our citizens,” and that the bill will ultimately stimulate the national economy. “Public jobs stimulate private job growth,” he said.

While the members of Congress conceded that there are lawmakers who oppose the bill, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said that focus needs to be shifted from partisan politics to the people being affect the most by the struggling economy.

“I’m not exactly sure what the mood is in the Senate, but I would only suggest that maybe we need to be a little more concerned about the mood of people who are unemployed, [and] their mood is they’re pissed off,” Nutter said. “They don’t have a job, I think that’s what we need to try to stay focused on.”