CAP Congress
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Dear constituents: In regards to the voting decisions I have made in the Senate in this session of Congress, I would like to present these points. On S1, a bill to increase the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) by 15%, which would decrease taxes for those below the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) by giving them tax returns on their income taxes. Though this bill does not provide a living wage for workers on minimum wage, the advocates of this bill said that raising the minimum wage would not aide the economy. Two amendments were proposed, I voted against both of them, and neither passed. I voted against S1 because I felt that it would not benefit my voters as much as raising the minimum wage would. I think raising both the minimum wage and the EITC would benefit almost everyone, which is why I voted against S1. In the Senate, there were five yays, twenty-five nays and six abstentions. The second bill presented before the Senate was HR 420, which declared marijuana legal and all other drugs illegal. An amendment was proposed, which I voted in favor of, though it was killed. I proposed an amendment to send those caught using or possessing drugs into rehabilitation centers instead of jails because I feel this would be a better way to improve our society and make it safer. This was killed, but I voted in favor of this bill because I feel that, like Prohibition, the complete outlawing of drugs creates a forbidden fruit in drugs and encourages unsafe and increased drug usage. I voted in favor of this bill, though only sixteen in total voted in favor, meaning that it did not receive a majority of the votes and did not pass in the Senate. Thirdly, H5 was introduced, which improved background checks for those people buying guns and increased taxes on guns. This would limit magazine sizes and improve background check to force applicants for guns to receive approval from a health care professional, which an
amendment was added to which required entire families with guns in the household to receive these background checks. This was passed in the Senate, with twenty-eight yays, five nays and three abstentions. I voted against this bill because I think guns should be banned outright because this would almost completely eliminate the risk of mass shootings. This bill went to committee and was amended and was then brought back to the House of Representatives and the Senate, which both passed it. In the Senate it was passed with thirty yays, two nays, which my vote was included in, and three abstentions. This means that it was passed onto the President which approved this bill. HR 42 was introduced next attempted to limit the National Security Agency (NSA) and eliminate all unconstitutional action taken by the NSA. This bill was almost immediately tabled. Similarly, S3 was introduced into the Senate, which also attempted to limit the NSA and eliminate all of its unconstitutional action; however this bill also included measures to ensure that the NSA did not keep the data collected for extended periods of time. They made the argument that by keeping this data without a warrant, the NSA is in violation of the people‟s civil liberties. This bill and these actions would change the way the NSA conducts surveillance and would require them to receive a warrant for their investigations of those whom are citizens of the United States of America. I voted in favor of this bill, along with twenty-nine others. Seven voted against the bill and it was passed onto a committee. When it came back, it was passed to the President with thirty-four yays, and two nays. Next, S4 was next introduced into the Senate and attempted to defund the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) and instead expand Medicaid to assist more people. I feel that ObamaCare is a step in the right direction to universal healthcare, which would assist all those in the United States of America. Though, I have some problems with how ObamaCare was
implemented, I agree that health care systems in the United States of America need to be expanded to universal health care. This bill was voted on, and received ten yays, ten nays and eight abstentions, which means it was not passed in the Senate. Afterwards, S5 was introduced as a bill to amend the right of natural born citizenship, which would require amending the Constitution. This bill wanted to prevent wealthy, pregnant women from foreign countries from coming to the United States of America with VISAs and giving birth in the United States of America to allow their children to be citizens of the United States of America. I am strongly against this since it has always been said that those people born in the United States of America are United States citizens. With this bill put in place, automatic citizenship would not be guaranteed. This bill was tabled. Lastly, HR 725 was introduced to the Senate and wanted to raise the minimum wage and the EITC by 8%. An amendment was passed to increase to minimum wage to $10.25/hour, indexed to inflation. Another amendment was passed to have a 5% tax increase for those making over $300,000/year. I was strongly in favor of this bill because the minimum wage needs to be raised and has not been in too long a time. If the minimum wage was raised to be equal as it was in the 1960s (accounting for inflation), it was be at least $2 higher than it is now. I think raising the minimum wage would help many people rise above the FPL and aid businesses. Twenty-six people, of whom I was one of, voted in favor of this bill, six voted against and there were two abstentions. I sincerely hope that the people I represent in the Senate will vote again for me and support my decisions in Senate. Sincerely, Senator Annalore Salemi
1) Banning NSA Eavesdropping -“But Michael Hayden, a former NSA director, said, „leadership intentions were a very high intelligence priority for the life of the National Security Agency. It's nothing special, and it's certainly nothing new‟” (Yeager). -“So programs grow or mutate past the point that they serve our national interest, but no one who understands that has the power to order the programs stopped, and the people with the power to stop them either don't want to, or don't understand what the programs have become (the NSA defense), or don't even know of their existence” (Meyerson). -“When our leaders are in the dark about our dark (or even semi-light) ops, that's when our national interests - such as keeping the trust of our allies - can be compromised” (Meyerson). -“Close to 60 percent of Americans oppose the NSA's collection of data on telephone and Internet usage” (Braun). -“As the ACLU's brief puts it: „Each time a resident of the United States makes a phone call, the [National Security Agency] records whom she called, when the call was placed and how long the conversation lasted. The NSA keeps track of when she called the doctor, and which doctor she called; which family members she called, and which she didn't; which pastor she called, and for how long she spoke to him. It keeps track of whether, how often and precisely when she called the abortion clinic, the support group for alcoholics, the psychiatrist, the exgirlfriend, the criminal defense lawyer, the fortune teller, the suicide hot-line, the child services agency and the shelter for victims of domestic violence‟” ( “A 21st Century”). -“The government collects this information under a broad reading of the Patriot Act, but without having to demonstrate to a court that there is probable cause that any individual subscriber is involved in terrorism” (“A 21st Century”). -“ Rather than individual warrants, the court can now approve vast, dragnet-style warrants, or orders, as they're called. For example, the first document released by the Guardian was a top-secret order from the court requiring Verizon to hand over the daily telephone records of all its customers, including local calls” (Bamford).
2) Defunding Obamacare -“Millions of low- and moderate-income Americans who make less than four times the federal poverty level-or about $46,000 for individuals and up to about $94,000 for a family of four-will qualify for government subsidies to help with their premiums” (Levey). -“The day has arrived when millions of uninsured Americans have their first chance to sign up for what the administration says will be high-quality, affordable health coverage. That achievement is something presidents of both parties sought unsuccessfully for more than 60 years” (Tumulty). -“The majority of these navigators are local, civic-minded people, many of whom are health professionals, who know how transformative it will be to have a near-universal healthcare system for the episodically employed and uninsured people they come in contact with daily. Although subsidized with some federal funding, the navigators face obstacles similar to the ones that confronted the civil rights activists and voter registration volunteers of half a century ago” (Lichtenstein). -“In a twist that wasn't intended by the authors of the federal Affordable Care Act, most of Missouri's poorest, working-age residents those under age 65 and below the poverty line of $11,490 for an individual and $15,510 for a couple aren't eligible for government help” (Young). -“Under the Affordable Care Act, those making less than 138 percent of poverty or about $32,500 for a family of four were supposed to be covered by an expansion of Medicaid, the public insurance program for the poor. But the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Medicaid expansion was optional for states. Missouri and 26 other states turned it down. As a result, a big swath of the uninsured will stay that way when new coverage options kick in Jan. 1” (Young). -“Beginning this month, the Affordable Care Act requires that most health insurance plans give women access to FDA-approved contraception methods, including birth control pills and the "morning after pill." The law is right to require this: The Institute of Medicine and common sense say contraception is basic health care for women…” (“Don‟t Exempt”). -“The new law's success depends on young, healthy people who are lower-risk signing up for health insurance to offset the costs of insuring individuals who are at higher risk. If predominantly high-risk individuals sign up, health insurance is going to be very expensive (Puzder).
3) Increasing Gun Control -“Most murders that take place with illegal guns do not make the headlines. Every day, 34 Americans are murdered with guns, and most of them are possessed illegally. Since 1968, more than 400,000 Americans have been killed with guns” (“An Updated Background”). -“...many of our state and federal gun laws are written in ways to make them ineffective and unenforceable” (Goddard). -“Purchasers who know they can't pass a background check are willing to pay a premium. One seller told me straight up, and I quote, „No paperwork, no tax, that's gotta be worth something‟” (Goddard). -“Thus, any reduction in gun violence must arise from a meaningful discussion about reforming gun culture and the glorification of violence in America. The problem is not with the gun, it is with the people who use guns irresponsibly” (Bowman). -“Guns are designed to kill. They have no other function. Throughout the United States, thousands of hunters legally use guns to kill animals. Likewise, throughout the United States, people use guns every day to kill other people. If a person can prove self-defense as a motive for killing another person, murder charges will generally not be brought against the killer (Bowman). -“Many gun owners who keep guns in their homes do so, they say, for self-defense. Yet research has shown that, statistically, guns kept in a house have killed family members or friends 43 times more frequently than they have killed intruders” (Parrish). -“Likewise, the responsibility of „we the people‟ to „promote the general welfare‟ as well as to „preserve the blessings of liberty‟ is also named (Parrish). -“The hard truth is that none of the proposals that politicians and commentators have made-about guns, mental health, broken homes, cultural failings, violence in mass media, and so on- could have prevented this awful crime or any other similar crime yet to take place. No law can make the murderously insane sane or remove the ability to destroy innocent life from the hands of every mentally ill American” (Domenech). -“Moving on from gun control, others argue that the problem lies with a national mentalhealth system that simply refuses to take proper care of the dangerously ill, either for their own
protection or for the protection of society at large. There may be steps that can be taken to keep guns out of the hands of the truly mentally ill” (Domenech). 4) Ending the War on Drugs
-Even important political leaders, like Rob Ford, mayor of Toronto, have admitted to using drugs and it had not impaired them from living successful lives (Alex). -“At the start of the twenty-first century, however, there were signs of a shift back towards the medical model of drug addiction. The state of California passed an act in 2000 that offered treatment instead of punishment for those convicted of minor drug offenses” (President Nixon). -“„We‟re allowing this message because it‟s political speech. It‟s designed to help change a law,‟ said Gregory Jordan, the general manager of the transit district. „It‟s not the promotion of a commercial product. … We don‟t have a position on the content of the advertising, just that it‟s a political message and by its very nature it‟s protected by the First Amendment‟” (Hotakainen). -“So far, 20 states and Washington, D.C., have approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The Marijuana Policy Project has targeted 10 states for full legalization by 2017. If the plans succeed, Alaska will vote next year, followed by Maine, California, Nevada, Hawaii, Maryland, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Arizona and Vermont” (Hotakainen). -“For practical and political reasons, our effort is limited to decriminalizing the use of marijuana in the federal district, though some believe that the same case can be easily made for other drugs in the whole country… Another reason for moving slowly, though firmly, is the impact this decision would have on the relationship between Mexico and the United States” (Mont). “State agencies have worked quickly to create new rules, licenses and taxes for hemp and recreational marijuana. Many towns have voted to ban the new retailers; others have decided to regulate them. Denver, for example, is proposing a 5 percent tax on recreational marijuana sales” (Healy). -“„Hemp is the redheaded stepchild of marijuana policy, and probably for good reason,‟ said Mr. Sabet, who is now the director of the Drug Policy Institute. „In a world with finite capacity to handle drug problems, my advice would be for people to think less about an insignificant issue like hemp and more about the very real issues of drug addiction, marijuana commercialization and glamorization, and how to make our policies work better‟” (Healy). 5) Raising the Minimum Wage
-“...would ensure once more that a family of four with a parent working full time at the minimum wage does not have to raise its children in poverty” (Furman). -“While an increase in the minimum wage would raise the earnings of many workers and lift some families above the poverty line, some minimum-wage workers would remain poor. This includes many workers who experience periods of joblessness during the year. Low-wage workers often are ineligible for unemployment insurance when they lose their jobs; even when they are eligible, they often receive low benefits” (Furman). -“While families with more children have larger needs—which is why the poverty line is set higher for larger families—wages (including the minimum wage) do not rise with family size (Furman). -“The bill passed by the United States Senate in February 2007, bringing the minimum wage up to $5.85 per hour, made provisions for a two-step increase in the minimum wage, to $7.25 in 2009. Even with these increases, a family of three earning the minimum wage still falls below the federal poverty level” (Driscoll). -“Many states and municipalities have set a higher minimum wage or have implemented a „living wage‟ that can be as high as $15.00 per hour depending on the cost of living in the region” (Driscoll). -“Republicans in the United States view minimum wage laws as an intrusion into the free marketplace or as another welfare program. They voice concerns that raising the wage would result in lower profits for businesses, layoffs of teenage workers, and increased costs for goods and services” (Driscoll). -“Organizations that represent restaurants, retailers, and small businesses usually lobby against minimum wage increases” (Driscoll). -“The minimum wage is not entirely what it seems. It serves as a „floor‟ for wages of many jobs, and raising it leads inevitably to raising wages for many other workers. This comprises unwarranted interference by government in the economy at precisely the time when the United States is struggling to compete in the international economy with other industrial countries. Labor unions and free markets effectively determine wage rates (Jacobs).
-“Sometimes an increase in the minimum wage rate, which low-skill workers typically earn, prompts pay raises for other employees” (Jacobs).
6) Banning Natural Born Citizenship -“In 2007, 24.0 million persons, or 15.7 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force age 16 and over, were foreign born. Their share of the labor force was up from 15.3 percent in 2006. The unemployment rate for the foreign born increased by 0.3 percentage point over the year to 4.3 percent in 2007. From 2003 to 2006, it had declined by 2.6 percentage points. The jobless rate of the native born, at 4.7 percent in 2007, was unchanged from the prior year” (“ForeignBorn”). -“Foreign born. The foreign born are persons residing in the United States who were not U.S. citizens at birth. That is, they were born outside the United States or one of its outlying areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam, to parents neither of whom was a U.S. citizen. The foreignborn population includes legally admitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents such as students and temporary workers, and undocumented immigrants. The survey data, however, do not separately identify the number of persons in these categories” (“Foreign-Born”). -“Native born. The native born are persons born in the United States or one of its outlying areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam or who were born abroad of at least one parent who was a U.S. citizen (“Foreign-Born”). -“It's important to note that having an „anchor baby‟ won't do much to help a Mexican mom become a U.S. citizen. Because citizen children cannot sponsor their parents for citizenship until they turn 21-and because if the parents were ever illegal, they would have to return home for 10 years before applying to come in-having a baby to secure citizenship for its parents is an extremely long-term, and uncertain, process” (PoltiFact). -“Weber also noted that she's treated wealthier patients who get the proper visas and fly to the United States to have a child. They come from such countries as China, Pakistan and India. Less affluent Filipinos have also come on tourist visas, she said, and some affluent Mexicans come to give birth as well” (PoltiFact). -“There's something else you don't see, Suro said. If having a baby was a significant driving factor in illegal immigration, you would expect to see a higher percentage of women of child-bearing age in the U.S. illegally compared to men of the same age. In fact, just the opposite is the case. Numbers from the Pew Hispanic Center show that in four separate age ranges
between 20 and 40, undocumented men significantly outnumber undocumented women” (PoltiFact).
Bill:
Bill Sponsor: Annalore Salemi Co-sponsors: A bill to legalize all drugs, exempting club drugs (roofies) and meth, heroin and crack cocaine. . Whereas, people will not need to be arrested. Whereas, police forces can focus on more important problems. Whereas, people will go to rehab instead of jail. Whereas, money will not be wasted on jailing innocent people. Whereas, people will recover and become more productive members of society.
Works Cited Yeager, Holly. "House, Senate intelligence chairs voice fresh concerns about NSA eavesdropping." Washington Post 3 Nov. 2013. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. Meyerson, Harold. "How to restrain the NSA?." Washington Post, The 10: Points of View Reference Center. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Braun, Stephen, and Jennifer Agiesta. "Poll: Public Doubts Rise on Surveillance, Privacy." Daily Citizen. 10 Sep 2013: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
"A 21st Century Right to Privacy." Los Angeles Times. 01 Sep 2013: A.25. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
Bamford, James. "5 Myths About the National Security Agency." Washington Post. 23 Jun 2013: B.3. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
Levey, Noam N., and Chad Terhune. "Health Law Debut Is Full of Surprises." Los Angeles Times. 06 Oct 2013: A.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
Tumulty, Karen. "Obamacare Is Here, with a Long Way to Go." Washington Post. 01 Oct 2013: A.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
Lichtenstein, Nelson. "Obamacare: New Fight, Old Tactics." Los Angeles Times. 08 Sep 2013: A.29. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
Young, Virginia. "For People in the Gap, Health Insurance Exchange Won't Help." St. Louis PostDispatch. 25 Aug 2013: A.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
"Don't Exempt Secular Business from Contraception Mandate." USA TODAY. 12 Aug 2013: A.8. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
Puzder, Andrew. "A CEO's-Eye View of ObamaCare." Wall Street Journal. 22 Jul 2013: A.17. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
"An Updated Background Check System Will Help Prevent Gun Violence." Guns and Crime. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from "A Plan to Prevent Future Tragedies." MayorsAgainstIllegalGuns.org. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Goddard, Colin. "The Background Check System Is Ineffective in Preventing Gun Violence." Guns and Crime. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from "Testimony before the Crime Sub-Committee of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee,July 14 2010." Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Bowman, JeffreyNewton, Heather. "Point: Controlling Gun Violence Is More Important Than Controlling Guns." Points Of View: Gun Control (2013): 2. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Parrish, Ann. "Counterpoint: Does Gun Control Destroy Freedom?." Points Of View: Gun Control (2013): 6. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. Domenech, Benjamin. "The Truth About Mass Shootings And Gun Control." Commentary 135.2 (2013): 25. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Alex, and Er Nazaryan. "We're All on Crack." Newsweek 8 Nov. 2013: 1. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
"President Nixon Declares 'War' on Drugs." Medicine, Health, and Bioethics: Essential Primary Sources. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 297-300. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Hotakainen, Rob. "Marijuana Ads Stir the Pot over Drug Safety, Free Speech." McClatchy Washington DC News Bureau. 30 Oct 2013: n.p.SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
Mont, Fernando Gomez, and Jorge G. Castaneda. "A Truce in the Pot War." Washington Post. 28 Jul 2013: A.13. SIRS Issues Researcher.Web. 11 Nov 2013.
Healy, Jack. "Groundwork Laid, Growers Turn to Hemp in Colorado." New York Times. 06 Aug 2013: A.9. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
Furman, Jason, and Sharon Parrot. "Raising the Minimum Wage Will Reduce Poverty." Poverty. Ed. Viqi Wagner. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "A $7.25 Minimum Wage Would Be a Useful Step in Helping Working Families Escape Poverty." www.cbpp.org. 2007. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
Driscoll, SallyGrant, Richard A. "Raising The Minimum Wage: An Overview." Points Of View: Raising The Minimum Wage (2013): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. Jacobs, W.E.Hoagland, Steve. "Counterpoint: Minimum Wages Are Unwarranted Economic Interference." Points Of View: Raising The Minimum Wage (2013): 2. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. "Foreign-Born Workers: Labor Force Characteristics in 2007." Bureau of Labor Statistics News. 26 Mar 2008: 1-14. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 12 Nov 2013. PolitiFact. Tampa Bay Times, n.d. Web. 12 Nov.2013 <http://www.politifact.com/truth-ometer/statements/2010/aug/06/lindsey-graham/illegal-immigrants-anchor-babies-birthright/>.
amendment was added to which required entire families with guns in the household to receive these background checks. This was passed in the Senate, with twenty-eight yays, five nays and three abstentions. I voted against this bill because I think guns should be banned outright because this would almost completely eliminate the risk of mass shootings. This bill went to committee and was amended and was then brought back to the House of Representatives and the Senate, which both passed it. In the Senate it was passed with thirty yays, two nays, which my vote was included in, and three abstentions. This means that it was passed onto the President which approved this bill. HR 42 was introduced next attempted to limit the National Security Agency (NSA) and eliminate all unconstitutional action taken by the NSA. This bill was almost immediately tabled. Similarly, S3 was introduced into the Senate, which also attempted to limit the NSA and eliminate all of its unconstitutional action; however this bill also included measures to ensure that the NSA did not keep the data collected for extended periods of time. They made the argument that by keeping this data without a warrant, the NSA is in violation of the people‟s civil liberties. This bill and these actions would change the way the NSA conducts surveillance and would require them to receive a warrant for their investigations of those whom are citizens of the United States of America. I voted in favor of this bill, along with twenty-nine others. Seven voted against the bill and it was passed onto a committee. When it came back, it was passed to the President with thirty-four yays, and two nays. Next, S4 was next introduced into the Senate and attempted to defund the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) and instead expand Medicaid to assist more people. I feel that ObamaCare is a step in the right direction to universal healthcare, which would assist all those in the United States of America. Though, I have some problems with how ObamaCare was
implemented, I agree that health care systems in the United States of America need to be expanded to universal health care. This bill was voted on, and received ten yays, ten nays and eight abstentions, which means it was not passed in the Senate. Afterwards, S5 was introduced as a bill to amend the right of natural born citizenship, which would require amending the Constitution. This bill wanted to prevent wealthy, pregnant women from foreign countries from coming to the United States of America with VISAs and giving birth in the United States of America to allow their children to be citizens of the United States of America. I am strongly against this since it has always been said that those people born in the United States of America are United States citizens. With this bill put in place, automatic citizenship would not be guaranteed. This bill was tabled. Lastly, HR 725 was introduced to the Senate and wanted to raise the minimum wage and the EITC by 8%. An amendment was passed to increase to minimum wage to $10.25/hour, indexed to inflation. Another amendment was passed to have a 5% tax increase for those making over $300,000/year. I was strongly in favor of this bill because the minimum wage needs to be raised and has not been in too long a time. If the minimum wage was raised to be equal as it was in the 1960s (accounting for inflation), it was be at least $2 higher than it is now. I think raising the minimum wage would help many people rise above the FPL and aid businesses. Twenty-six people, of whom I was one of, voted in favor of this bill, six voted against and there were two abstentions. I sincerely hope that the people I represent in the Senate will vote again for me and support my decisions in Senate. Sincerely, Senator Annalore Salemi
1) Banning NSA Eavesdropping -“But Michael Hayden, a former NSA director, said, „leadership intentions were a very high intelligence priority for the life of the National Security Agency. It's nothing special, and it's certainly nothing new‟” (Yeager). -“So programs grow or mutate past the point that they serve our national interest, but no one who understands that has the power to order the programs stopped, and the people with the power to stop them either don't want to, or don't understand what the programs have become (the NSA defense), or don't even know of their existence” (Meyerson). -“When our leaders are in the dark about our dark (or even semi-light) ops, that's when our national interests - such as keeping the trust of our allies - can be compromised” (Meyerson). -“Close to 60 percent of Americans oppose the NSA's collection of data on telephone and Internet usage” (Braun). -“As the ACLU's brief puts it: „Each time a resident of the United States makes a phone call, the [National Security Agency] records whom she called, when the call was placed and how long the conversation lasted. The NSA keeps track of when she called the doctor, and which doctor she called; which family members she called, and which she didn't; which pastor she called, and for how long she spoke to him. It keeps track of whether, how often and precisely when she called the abortion clinic, the support group for alcoholics, the psychiatrist, the exgirlfriend, the criminal defense lawyer, the fortune teller, the suicide hot-line, the child services agency and the shelter for victims of domestic violence‟” ( “A 21st Century”). -“The government collects this information under a broad reading of the Patriot Act, but without having to demonstrate to a court that there is probable cause that any individual subscriber is involved in terrorism” (“A 21st Century”). -“ Rather than individual warrants, the court can now approve vast, dragnet-style warrants, or orders, as they're called. For example, the first document released by the Guardian was a top-secret order from the court requiring Verizon to hand over the daily telephone records of all its customers, including local calls” (Bamford).
2) Defunding Obamacare -“Millions of low- and moderate-income Americans who make less than four times the federal poverty level-or about $46,000 for individuals and up to about $94,000 for a family of four-will qualify for government subsidies to help with their premiums” (Levey). -“The day has arrived when millions of uninsured Americans have their first chance to sign up for what the administration says will be high-quality, affordable health coverage. That achievement is something presidents of both parties sought unsuccessfully for more than 60 years” (Tumulty). -“The majority of these navigators are local, civic-minded people, many of whom are health professionals, who know how transformative it will be to have a near-universal healthcare system for the episodically employed and uninsured people they come in contact with daily. Although subsidized with some federal funding, the navigators face obstacles similar to the ones that confronted the civil rights activists and voter registration volunteers of half a century ago” (Lichtenstein). -“In a twist that wasn't intended by the authors of the federal Affordable Care Act, most of Missouri's poorest, working-age residents those under age 65 and below the poverty line of $11,490 for an individual and $15,510 for a couple aren't eligible for government help” (Young). -“Under the Affordable Care Act, those making less than 138 percent of poverty or about $32,500 for a family of four were supposed to be covered by an expansion of Medicaid, the public insurance program for the poor. But the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Medicaid expansion was optional for states. Missouri and 26 other states turned it down. As a result, a big swath of the uninsured will stay that way when new coverage options kick in Jan. 1” (Young). -“Beginning this month, the Affordable Care Act requires that most health insurance plans give women access to FDA-approved contraception methods, including birth control pills and the "morning after pill." The law is right to require this: The Institute of Medicine and common sense say contraception is basic health care for women…” (“Don‟t Exempt”). -“The new law's success depends on young, healthy people who are lower-risk signing up for health insurance to offset the costs of insuring individuals who are at higher risk. If predominantly high-risk individuals sign up, health insurance is going to be very expensive (Puzder).
3) Increasing Gun Control -“Most murders that take place with illegal guns do not make the headlines. Every day, 34 Americans are murdered with guns, and most of them are possessed illegally. Since 1968, more than 400,000 Americans have been killed with guns” (“An Updated Background”). -“...many of our state and federal gun laws are written in ways to make them ineffective and unenforceable” (Goddard). -“Purchasers who know they can't pass a background check are willing to pay a premium. One seller told me straight up, and I quote, „No paperwork, no tax, that's gotta be worth something‟” (Goddard). -“Thus, any reduction in gun violence must arise from a meaningful discussion about reforming gun culture and the glorification of violence in America. The problem is not with the gun, it is with the people who use guns irresponsibly” (Bowman). -“Guns are designed to kill. They have no other function. Throughout the United States, thousands of hunters legally use guns to kill animals. Likewise, throughout the United States, people use guns every day to kill other people. If a person can prove self-defense as a motive for killing another person, murder charges will generally not be brought against the killer (Bowman). -“Many gun owners who keep guns in their homes do so, they say, for self-defense. Yet research has shown that, statistically, guns kept in a house have killed family members or friends 43 times more frequently than they have killed intruders” (Parrish). -“Likewise, the responsibility of „we the people‟ to „promote the general welfare‟ as well as to „preserve the blessings of liberty‟ is also named (Parrish). -“The hard truth is that none of the proposals that politicians and commentators have made-about guns, mental health, broken homes, cultural failings, violence in mass media, and so on- could have prevented this awful crime or any other similar crime yet to take place. No law can make the murderously insane sane or remove the ability to destroy innocent life from the hands of every mentally ill American” (Domenech). -“Moving on from gun control, others argue that the problem lies with a national mentalhealth system that simply refuses to take proper care of the dangerously ill, either for their own
protection or for the protection of society at large. There may be steps that can be taken to keep guns out of the hands of the truly mentally ill” (Domenech). 4) Ending the War on Drugs
-Even important political leaders, like Rob Ford, mayor of Toronto, have admitted to using drugs and it had not impaired them from living successful lives (Alex). -“At the start of the twenty-first century, however, there were signs of a shift back towards the medical model of drug addiction. The state of California passed an act in 2000 that offered treatment instead of punishment for those convicted of minor drug offenses” (President Nixon). -“„We‟re allowing this message because it‟s political speech. It‟s designed to help change a law,‟ said Gregory Jordan, the general manager of the transit district. „It‟s not the promotion of a commercial product. … We don‟t have a position on the content of the advertising, just that it‟s a political message and by its very nature it‟s protected by the First Amendment‟” (Hotakainen). -“So far, 20 states and Washington, D.C., have approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The Marijuana Policy Project has targeted 10 states for full legalization by 2017. If the plans succeed, Alaska will vote next year, followed by Maine, California, Nevada, Hawaii, Maryland, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Arizona and Vermont” (Hotakainen). -“For practical and political reasons, our effort is limited to decriminalizing the use of marijuana in the federal district, though some believe that the same case can be easily made for other drugs in the whole country… Another reason for moving slowly, though firmly, is the impact this decision would have on the relationship between Mexico and the United States” (Mont). “State agencies have worked quickly to create new rules, licenses and taxes for hemp and recreational marijuana. Many towns have voted to ban the new retailers; others have decided to regulate them. Denver, for example, is proposing a 5 percent tax on recreational marijuana sales” (Healy). -“„Hemp is the redheaded stepchild of marijuana policy, and probably for good reason,‟ said Mr. Sabet, who is now the director of the Drug Policy Institute. „In a world with finite capacity to handle drug problems, my advice would be for people to think less about an insignificant issue like hemp and more about the very real issues of drug addiction, marijuana commercialization and glamorization, and how to make our policies work better‟” (Healy). 5) Raising the Minimum Wage
-“...would ensure once more that a family of four with a parent working full time at the minimum wage does not have to raise its children in poverty” (Furman). -“While an increase in the minimum wage would raise the earnings of many workers and lift some families above the poverty line, some minimum-wage workers would remain poor. This includes many workers who experience periods of joblessness during the year. Low-wage workers often are ineligible for unemployment insurance when they lose their jobs; even when they are eligible, they often receive low benefits” (Furman). -“While families with more children have larger needs—which is why the poverty line is set higher for larger families—wages (including the minimum wage) do not rise with family size (Furman). -“The bill passed by the United States Senate in February 2007, bringing the minimum wage up to $5.85 per hour, made provisions for a two-step increase in the minimum wage, to $7.25 in 2009. Even with these increases, a family of three earning the minimum wage still falls below the federal poverty level” (Driscoll). -“Many states and municipalities have set a higher minimum wage or have implemented a „living wage‟ that can be as high as $15.00 per hour depending on the cost of living in the region” (Driscoll). -“Republicans in the United States view minimum wage laws as an intrusion into the free marketplace or as another welfare program. They voice concerns that raising the wage would result in lower profits for businesses, layoffs of teenage workers, and increased costs for goods and services” (Driscoll). -“Organizations that represent restaurants, retailers, and small businesses usually lobby against minimum wage increases” (Driscoll). -“The minimum wage is not entirely what it seems. It serves as a „floor‟ for wages of many jobs, and raising it leads inevitably to raising wages for many other workers. This comprises unwarranted interference by government in the economy at precisely the time when the United States is struggling to compete in the international economy with other industrial countries. Labor unions and free markets effectively determine wage rates (Jacobs).
-“Sometimes an increase in the minimum wage rate, which low-skill workers typically earn, prompts pay raises for other employees” (Jacobs).
6) Banning Natural Born Citizenship -“In 2007, 24.0 million persons, or 15.7 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force age 16 and over, were foreign born. Their share of the labor force was up from 15.3 percent in 2006. The unemployment rate for the foreign born increased by 0.3 percentage point over the year to 4.3 percent in 2007. From 2003 to 2006, it had declined by 2.6 percentage points. The jobless rate of the native born, at 4.7 percent in 2007, was unchanged from the prior year” (“ForeignBorn”). -“Foreign born. The foreign born are persons residing in the United States who were not U.S. citizens at birth. That is, they were born outside the United States or one of its outlying areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam, to parents neither of whom was a U.S. citizen. The foreignborn population includes legally admitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents such as students and temporary workers, and undocumented immigrants. The survey data, however, do not separately identify the number of persons in these categories” (“Foreign-Born”). -“Native born. The native born are persons born in the United States or one of its outlying areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam or who were born abroad of at least one parent who was a U.S. citizen (“Foreign-Born”). -“It's important to note that having an „anchor baby‟ won't do much to help a Mexican mom become a U.S. citizen. Because citizen children cannot sponsor their parents for citizenship until they turn 21-and because if the parents were ever illegal, they would have to return home for 10 years before applying to come in-having a baby to secure citizenship for its parents is an extremely long-term, and uncertain, process” (PoltiFact). -“Weber also noted that she's treated wealthier patients who get the proper visas and fly to the United States to have a child. They come from such countries as China, Pakistan and India. Less affluent Filipinos have also come on tourist visas, she said, and some affluent Mexicans come to give birth as well” (PoltiFact). -“There's something else you don't see, Suro said. If having a baby was a significant driving factor in illegal immigration, you would expect to see a higher percentage of women of child-bearing age in the U.S. illegally compared to men of the same age. In fact, just the opposite is the case. Numbers from the Pew Hispanic Center show that in four separate age ranges
between 20 and 40, undocumented men significantly outnumber undocumented women” (PoltiFact).
Bill:
Bill Sponsor: Annalore Salemi Co-sponsors: A bill to legalize all drugs, exempting club drugs (roofies) and meth, heroin and crack cocaine. . Whereas, people will not need to be arrested. Whereas, police forces can focus on more important problems. Whereas, people will go to rehab instead of jail. Whereas, money will not be wasted on jailing innocent people. Whereas, people will recover and become more productive members of society.
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"An Updated Background Check System Will Help Prevent Gun Violence." Guns and Crime. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from "A Plan to Prevent Future Tragedies." MayorsAgainstIllegalGuns.org. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Goddard, Colin. "The Background Check System Is Ineffective in Preventing Gun Violence." Guns and Crime. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from "Testimony before the Crime Sub-Committee of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee,July 14 2010." Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
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