Pending Bills

 

1. Official Summary

3/30/2011--Introduced.Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act - Amends the federal criminal code to increase (from 15 to 20 years) the term of imprisonment for economic espionage (i.e., stealing or obtaining, duplicating or conveying, or buying or possessing trade secrets without authorization intending or knowing that the offense will benefit any foreign government, foreign instrumentality, or foreign agent). Directs the United States Sentencing Commission to review its guidelines and policy relating to a two-level enhancement for economic espionage and consider amending the guidelines to:
(1) apply the two-level enhancement to the simple misappropriation of a trade secret;
(2) apply an additional two-level enhancement if the defendant transmits or attempts to transmit the stolen trade secret outside of the United States and an additional three-level enhancement if the defendant instead commits economic espionage; and
(3) provide that a defendant who transmits trade secrets outside of the United States or commits economic espionage should face a minimum offense level.

2.

S.1917 - A bill to create jobs by providing payroll tax relief for middle class families and businesses, and for other purposes. Sponsor Bob Casey

3.

H.R.3012 - Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the per-country numerical limitation for employment-based immigrants, to increase the per-country numerical limitation for family-sponsored immigrants, and for other purposes.

Political Cartoon

Questions:

1. By the U.S. is very willing to bail out big companies at the expense of the taxpayer, how does this help the economy?
2. Should America stop regulating the economy?
3. What would the worst consequence be of not regulating the economy?

Pennsylvania's 2008 Election

Facts:

1. Philadelphians marched to celebrate president Obamas election after his vitory.
2. With 96% of precincts reporting, Obama had 2,988,473 votes, or 55%, and McCain had 2,399,080, or 44%.
3.  Democrats added 600,000 voters to their rolls over the in 2007 and the Republicans lost ground.
4. Democrats outnumbered the Republicans by more than 1 million in a state that last chose a Republican for president when it supported George H. Bush in 1988.
5. Mccain spent three times as much time campaigning in Pennsylvania than Obama and lost.

Death Penalty Questions

1. Was the death penalty ever used nation wide?
2. When was the death penalty at its' peak?
3. How many states enforce the death penalty today?
4. How many executions happen every year in America?

PA'S Congressional Districts

Facts:

1. Pennsylvania has 7 Democratic districts the rest are Republican.
2. Montgomery and Philadelphia are both in the thirteenth district.
3. Mike Doyle is the Representative of the 14th Congressional district.
4. Delaware County is in the First congressional district.
5. The fifth congressional district is the district with the most counties in it at 15 counties. 
6. The fourteenth congressional district has the fewest number of counties only having Allegheny County. 
7. PA has decreased from 21 congressional districts to 19, to 18 after the 2010 census.
8. At one time Pennsylvania had 36 congressional districts.
9. The most congressional districts lost were 3 lost after the 1950 census and the 1960 census.
10. The nineteenth district will become obsolete in 2013.

How Washington Works

Questions:
1.

Facts:

1. Carter decided that Washington is an island isolated from the mainstream of mainstream of our nations life.

2. Congress works monday afternoon to friday morning to give congress more time with constituents. 

3. In midterm elections one or two dozen new congressmen and senators arrive in Washington. 

4. Congressmen live in there home state and in Washington between work and time off.

5. Many congressmen get caught up in Washington's internal politics.

6. Many congressmen become lawyers, lobbyists, or consultants after being replaced.

7. Lobbyists and congressmen tend to bump shoulders in downtown Washington where they have regular tables. 

8. Most politicians fraternize mainly with colleagues from their own party.

9. Almost every relationship made by a politician is to gain power.  

10. Trent Lott of Mississippi is the House Republican whip. 

Questions:

1.  How can the issue of greed for power be solved?
2. How do politicians become corrupted so easily?
3. Would America be better with a direct vote from the people on bills instead of Congress?
4. If politicians were not allowed to hold jobs in government after their term is up would this solve problems potentially?
5. Why is lobbying using money legal?
6. Should it be legal for lobbyists to congregate with congressmen so frequently?
7. Why did Carter say Washington is isolated from the rest of the nation if anything it is one of the more mainstream cities of the nation?
8. Does anyone do good to better the country in congress?
9. Should congressmen only be allowed to serve one term so they do not worry about their campaign so much?
10. Should congressmen's reelection be based on passed actions with lobbyists considering lobbying is legal? 

“How Birth Control And Abortion Became Politicized”

Facts:

1. The first birth control clinic was opened in the United States in 1916
2. It was opened and ran by Margret Sanger 
3. Sanger opened the clinic because she was outraged she could not give her female patients information about contraceptives 
4. It was illegal in the early 1900's to give information out about contraceptives 
5. The Comstock Law prohibited any distribution of information that was obscene
6. Sanger gave information to an undercover policemen and was put in jail for thirty days after that
7. The court found it legal for doctors to talk about contraception 
8. In 1930's American Medical Association ruled that doctors could give information on birth control to their patients 
9. 1936: Information on contraception was taking out of the obscene category 
10. Contraception was favored by Jewish and Protestant communities

Questions:

1. Did Sangers clinic get shut down when she was arrested?

2. Did she perform abortions?

3. What would she think of contraception today?

4. What would she think of abortion today?

5. Is Sanger thought of as a hero of medicine today?

6. How could information be banned doesn't that go against the 1st ammendment?

Lost in Translation

Facts

1. Obama cracked down on immigration, juicing up Bush Policies 
2. 1000 murderers 6000 sex offenders 45000 drug criminals out of 195,000 deported
3. Woman deported for having a broken tail light 
4. 400,000 Deportations a new record
5. Woman was deported without her family knowing  
6. Criminals are fingerprinted which gets the immigration and crime records 
7. Secure communities is the system finding and deporting the immigrants
8. Obamas top advisor on immigration believes that the collateral damage does not out weigh the good they are doing
9. It is ok to separate families via deportation 
10. Immigrants lose rights of due process and freedoms when taking into custody

Questions:

1. Why do the immigrants become legal citizens?

2. Why do immigrants lose due process rights when they are in custody?

3. Should immigrants have a right to an attorney?

4. What do families do that are broken up?

5. Can a deported immigrant become a legal citizen?

Committees

Robert Casey's committees that He Serves:

Joint Economic Committee »

• Chairman

Facts on Committee: 

1. Joint Economic Committee was established as part of the Employment Act of 1946
2. The (JEC) is repsonsible for reporting the current economic condition of the United States and suggesting ways to improve the economy. 

Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry »

• Chairman - Subcommittee on Nutrition Specialty Crops, Food and Agricultural Research
• Subcommittee on Jobs, Rural Economic Growth and Energy Innovation
• Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Marketing and Agriculture Security

Facts On Committee:

1. Committee has 21 members 11 in the Majority 10 in the Minority
2. The Committee was founded in 1825 in or to avoid the division of the commerce and manufacturing committee. 

Health, Education, Labor and Pensions »

• Subcommittee on Children and Families

Facts On Committee:

1. Cover Twenty different topics of jurisdiction everything from Aging to Loans, Work Hours, etc...
2. The committee began in 1869 as the Education Committee in 1884 it was known as the Education and Labor Committee and in 1999 it was renamed the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP).

Pat Toomey Serves On: 

1.Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine

2.Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Facts On Committee:

1. Established by Robert Owen in 1913 under the Federal Reserve Act 
2. The Committee is made up of 22 senators 

3. Super Committee 

Facts On Committee:

1. Created by the Budget Control Act August 2011
2. The committee is supposed to have a plan to cut 1.5 trillion dollars by November 23, 2011

West Wing

10 Facts

1. A senator fillibusters to kill a bill
2. A senator can talke about anything to filibuster it does not have to concern the bill
3. A different senator can give the filibustering senator a break by asking a question 
4. The longest filibuster was 24 hours and 18 minutes 
5. Filibustering only occurs in the senate 
6. The bill being filibustered in the show was about child healthcare 
7. Stackhouse wanted money in the bill to go towards Autism
8. Stackhouse had an autistic grandson 
9. The bill was a package a value of six billion dollars
10. Stackhouse read game rules, and from cook books

Questions 

1. Why does the matter of talking not have to relate to the bill?
2. Does the method of filibustering usually work?
3. What was the longest filibuster that failed to turn the decision?
4. Are there repeat filibusters?
5. How often do senators filibuster?

Questions on the Death Penalty?

1. What is the perferred sentence life in prison or automatic death penalty?
2. Is it cruel and unusual punishment to kill a killer who will most likely get off on parole?

1. The death penalty seems good in the interests of the community in some cases but also it seems good for the criminal at hand in some cases. A criminal who goes to jail is at risk of being killed, raped, and beaten when going into the American prison system. This is the the reality of jail the guards can not watch every part of the jail and if you do not belong to a gang you are most likely to get messed with. Sometimes it seems better for the inmate to be put to death than rather face a life sentence of getting beat up and raped. This is a harsh reality but a reality all the same. 
2. In 2008 24 people who committed first degree murder were granted parole. For the families of those killers victims it means a life of worry, always looking over your shoulder, and constant pain. 61% of all violent felons are repeat offenders. If these facts do not give good reason to install the death penalty into the prison system more I don't know what will. States complain about over crowded prisons, if all first degree murderers were put to death by firing squad it would save time, money, and many lives that fall victims to repeat offenders. 

http://www.wral.com/news/local/wral_investigates/story/4774027/
http://geekpolitics.com/one-reason-so-many-felons-are-repeat-offenders-and-how-to-fix-it/

Electoral College

1. Nebraska, and Maine have abandoned the winner take all system in the electoral college
2. Pennsylvania may abandon the winner takes all system
3. Nebraska republicans want to join the winner takes all system again
4. California has the most electoral votes 
5. Pennsylvania may move to a congressional district system for allocating electoral college votes
6. Corbett is for the reapportionment of college votes
7. Reapportionment would benefit Democrats
8. Republicans are strongly against reapportionment 
9. Republicans are lobbying and blocking the votes on reapportionment 
10. A congressional district win = 1 electoral vote

Questions

1. Does this wipe out the winner take all system?

2. Why doesn't each district have an equal number of Republicans and Democrat and each district holds one votes how many districts you win ='s the number of votes you would receive?

3. Do people have the power to redistrict for the sake of an election?

4. Is it fair to redistrict?

5. Are elections getting out of control/ have they already?

John Boehner Article

1. Boehner is Republican 
2. Speaker of the House
3. Passed Free Trade Agreements
4. No earmarks are included in bills Boehner has worked on
5. Has cut 1 Trillion dollars over the next decades budget 
6. Could not make deals with President Obama at first
7. Boehner is stubborn on comprimising
8. Boehner is against Obama
9. Boehner is for large cuts in spending 
10. He is a very for or against type of leader

Questions 

1. What is Boehners hardest obstacle being speaker?
2. What is the best part of being speaker?
3. Is it difficult passing Conservative views to a Liberal President?
4. Would Boehner agree Obama is willing to go against his party to compromise?
5. Who should be President?

Is the House of Representatives to small?

1. For the first 13 decades the house was an ever expanding institution
2. 65 members in 1789
3. In 1911 Districts had 200,000 people
4. Today DIstricts have 640,000 people
5. To be a fair house 669 should be representing America instead of 435

Questions:
1. Can America afford to pay salaries for all representatives due to knew budget cuts?
2. Is this a serious issue?
3. Is America fairly represented?
4. Would Senate increase as well?
5. Why not just have direct democracy to solve this issue?

I think there should be more Congressmen once America gets back on its feet. The economy should be considered before anything without money we can do nothing. More representatives would be nice to have a more diverse congress that would convey more views of the people.

Politician Financial History

Pat Meehans Financial Status Before and after one year of being in Congress.

Net Worth:

From $72,016 to $380,000 Rank: 316th in House

Robert Caseys Financial History

Net Worth:

From $160,020 to $578,000 Rank: 84th in Senate

This shows how almost overnight just from being in congress members can just accuire funds in the hundreds of thousands. I learned that members do not have to directly state where the money in the fund comes from they have a broad way of stating their financial situations.


I agree with the article I think it is very important to know the representatives financial history. I would say that the members on the political spectrum do not deserve financial privacy they are servants to the public and they agree to have their lives exposed by representing America. I would say that the richer members can not relate to the middle class financial status and maybe should not be in office if they only convey the views of the rich. I suspect this is where the idea of flat taxing comes from.

Illegal Immigration

1. Do we as a country made up of immigrants have a right to say who can come in and who cannot?             2. What is the worst consequence from letting in illegal immigrants?

1. As a country that has opened its' doors to all of our ancestors and showed us oppurtunity how can we reject illegal immigrants from coming into the country? This is the question asked today that makes many Americans wonder why are we deporting illegal immigrants. The main factor is that they were illegal plain and simple, most of the citizens of America today had ancestors who crossed through Ellis Island or gained legal citizenship. Today all it takes is obtaining a green card and waiting 7 years to be an official citizen. Why this is such a burden on people I do not understand. If a  person wants to be a U.S. citizen just do it the legal way and earn the citizenship with pride.
2. What are the consequences from letting in illegal immigrants? A worse economy- Immigrants are taking many of the lower end jobs lower class Americans could be doing for minimum wage. Also illegal immigrants are earning money and sending it home, thus the money is being taking from America but not spent in America which damages our economy. Also 2/3's of all felonies in Los Angeles are committed by illegal immigrants. 

Due Process

1. Balances Law of the land between national and state 
2. Judges may define liberty, fairness, and justice.
3. Ratified in 1868
4. 14th Amendment 
5. Jim McCloskey let 44 innocent people free in the last 30 years
6. Quincy Spruell served 24 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit
7. Eye witnesses are always not reliable, physical evidence is better
8. 8 People have used DNA evidence to be freed
9. Jury usually believe eyewitness accounts 
10. Provides and ensures equality for all 


Questions 
1. Is affirmative action fair?
2. Due process ensures freedom but still discriminates against religions sometimes how can this be?
3. Should terrorists have access to due process rights?
4. Do criminals proven guilty lose this right?
5. How much evidence is needed to base a case on?

3 Court Cases of Interest

1. Roe Vs Wade
This case has always stood out to me as the most backwards court decision, the most unconstitutional decision I have ever read about. In the preamble of the Constitution it calls for the Right to Life period. I don't know how that is mispercieved I know nothing is simple but that is directly stated how can it be mistaken. This is just another decision made to protect Americans who already have rights to protect those rights from troubling themself and living up to their responsibility.

2. Ten Commandment Case
This case was interesting because the supreme court ruled that it was okay for the ten commandments to be put up in Texas Court Houses. However the Ten Commandments may not be allowed in Kentucky court houses under seperation of church and state. Why is Texas allowed to if Kentucky may not? Should this be a federal ruling or state by state?

3.Gonzalves VS Raich
This case interested me because it criminilizes the use of homegrown marijuana, even in states where it is legal for medical purpose. Marijuana is more affective, has no physical side effects unless it is smoked, over all better than perscription pain killers. It is also non addictive unlike pain killers, over all better for patients in need. I don't know why states legalize it if feral law will come in and wipe it out.

Ford Vs Mann Case

1. Case was based on a county that everyone had cancer in, due to Ford dumpling sludge, paint waste, and other chemicals.
2. Many people in the county where the Ford plant were died from cancer the youngest was around eight years old.
3. EPA was called to clean up but did not get half of the sludge and were called out again years later.
4. Wayne Mann was the plantiff of the case
5. The case took five years to settle
6. The county was put on the Super Fund list
7. John Corzine got involved in the cleanup and made the epa stay to get everything cleaned up
8. Mann and several other families settled out of court.
9. There were 650 families affected in all
10. Settlement was 12 million dollars each family got 8000-10000 Dollars really nothing for Ford

Questions:
Why did Mann settle out of court?
What has occurred since after the case?
Does Ford care about what happened?
Does Mann regret settling out of court?
Whats a fair amount Ford should pay?

Casey Second Post

Robert P. Casey Jr. rejects free trade agreements because he believes that they will lead to loss in PA jobs. Certain firms will benifit but it leaves the American firms unprotected. It opens up trade with Columbia, and South Korea, free trade that has more negative affects than good ones for America. This is part of Obamas Jobs Bill, Casey is strongly against this free trade agreement. Casey also believes that it would harm unions and currency manipulation by South Korea. This is interesting to me because Bob Casey is a Democrat and I always thought no one disagrees with President Obama. From what I have seen on Meet The Press and other political shows, most Democrats on the show praise Obama so it was nice to since Casey as a Democrat go against the tide.


11/3/11 Casey released this statement on Rebuild America Jobs Acts. “Pennsylvania roads and bridges are in need of repair and new construction jobs will put Pennsylvanians back to work.  Two different approaches to rebuilding infrastructure were defeated today in the Senate.  I am encouraged that bipartisan talks are ongoing to find additional solutions to repair roads and bridges in Pennsylvania and across the country.  I hope that the Senate can come together soon to create jobs and rebuild our infrastructure.”

Roe Vs Wade Paper

1. The court believes that aborting a child is less mentally damaging than letting the child be born
2. Court believes a pregnant woman's baby is harmful to the pregnant woman's health.
3. Mental and physical health may be taxed by child care.
4. Women have the right to privacy in abortion
5. The right to privacy can be derived from the ninth ammendmant
6. Viability could occur as early as 24 weeks
7. Abortion may be performed in the first trimester
8. Article 1196 of Texas Penal Code restricts legal abortions
9. For an abortion to be performed a consultation with a doctor must happen.
10. Paper only focuses on the harm caused to the women having abortions.

Questions
How would allowing abortions protect potential life?
What percent of Americans believe life begins at conception?
How does this not violate unalienable rights?
Can a state outlaw abortion?
Do any states outlaw abortion?

West Wing

1. Presidents administration really picks the new justice he just approves.
2. Presidents makes the choice then his choice is approved by senate. 
3. President choses someone who has the same views as him and will vote the way he/she would.
4. Sometimes justices retire to leave the new appointment to a president he favors. 
5. Ways new appointments are made: If justice steps down, if one dies. 
6. Circuit court is the state level judicial branch. 
7. Due Process is mentioned: 14th ammendment equal oppurtunity act.
8. Right to chose and privacy in that choice was decided in Roe V.S. Wade

Questions: 

1.  Should president make appointment to justices?

2. Should justices serve for life?

3. Why aren't justices appointed by popular vote?

4. How many justices have died in office?

5. Who was the most popular justice and why?