Pelosi Blasts Republicans For "Savage" Anti-Abortion Bill

By Lisa Kellman

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called Republican legislation aimed at preventing federal funding for abortion a waste of time and an “assault on women’s health.” 

The bill, which the House will vote on tonight, would rework the Affordable Care Act passed last year and outlaw insurance plans funded through health care reform from providing abortion coverage. 

“When the Republicans vote for this bill today,” said Pelosi during a press conference “they will be voting to say that women can die on the floor and healthcare providers don’t have to intervene”

When jobs are at the forefront of everyones minds, Pelosi questioned why the GOP would bring up a “savage” bill that would withhold care from women.

“Its just appalling” Pelosi said.

Senate Republicans Offer Conservative Jobs Plan

By Janie Amaya 

Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) joined together Thursday to present what they are calling the Jobs Through Growth Act, a Republican alternative to the President’s jobs plan. 

The bill focuses on spending, tax and regulation reform by which it hopes to limit Washington’s ability to raise taxes to pay for spending.

“We Republicans understand that it’s a growing, dynamic private sector that creates quality jobs for the long term and real prosperity in America, not government spending,” McCain said.

The bill would reduce the top corporate tax rate to no more than 25 percent and states that under a reformed territorial system of corporate taxation, the bill would create a permanent incentive for companies repatriating foreign earnings to the U.S. economy.  

It would also introduce a simplified tax system aimed at helping Americans keep more money in the hands of consumers, small businesses and job-creators.

The three Republicans also say that repealing and replacing Obamacare will remove over $550 billion in new taxes, over $300 billion in higher health care costs, and $2,100 in increased family insurance premiums from employers and workers, according to the bill summary. 

While the official cost of the Jobs Through Growth Act remains unknown, the Senators hope to demonstrate that Republicans indeed have a plan. 

Click here for a summary of The Jobs Through Growth Act. 

Report: Education-based Budget Cuts Detrimental To America's Class Room

Campaign for America’s Future, a liberal organization, recently released a report that outlines the detrimental effects education-based budget cuts are having on students across the country.

The report, “Starving America’s Public Schools: How Budget Cuts And Policy Mandates Are Hurting Our Nation’s Students,” indicates increased budget cuts the the nation’s education system are removing subjects like art, music and physical education from classroom curricula.

“The five states have reduced or eliminated crucial services, such as pre-kindergarten, full-day kindergarten, technical education and foreign language courses, art, music and physical education. Several of the states also have increased class sizes.  In each state, the dwindling public school funds are being transferred to private entities, such as private schools and voucher programs,” according to the report.

Below are some specific examples outlined in the organization’s report of how the budget cuts are affecting students.

- Florida has cut more than $1 billion from education in its new budget for 2011–12, an almost 8 percent drop that translates to a loss of $542 per student.

- Overriding the governor’s veto, the North Carolina General Assembly approved a 2011 budget that cut $800 million in education funding. The state ranked 47th in spending per pupil in the country in 2010 and likely will slip to 49th in 2011.

- In Pennsylvania: In Chester Upland, 40 percent of the teachers were eliminated, with class sizes rising from 21 to 30 in elementary schools and to 35 in high schools.

-In New York: art, music and physical education classes were eliminated in elementary schools.

Census Bureau Issues New Statistics On Public Pension Funds

According to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau, state and local employee retirement systems had a 22.7 percent decrease in cash and investment holdings in 2009 from 2008.

The total amount in 2008 was 3.2 trillion and as of 2009 it was 2.5 trillion dollars.

The Census Bureau’s statistics are from the State and Local Employee Retirement Systems Survey indicate that actual losses neared $633.4 billion in 2009. However, these losses were offset by increases in employee, federal and local contributions by 1.7 percent, 4.5 percent and 10 percent, respectively.

Hip Hop Caucus To March, Rally For Jobs And Justice

The Hip Hop Caucus, an organization best known for mobilizing the nation’s youngest generation of voters, is preparing to commemorate Washington’s newest memorial; the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

The group will organize at the Washington Monument Saturday morning for the March and Rally for Jobs and Justice in reaffirming the life’s work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Respect My Vote! will be registering attendants at the Saturday morning rally.

Click Here for more details…