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High Resolution(Source: ummagumma-)
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Congressional Support for a National Day of Reason
(Washington, DC, April 30, 2013)—Two members of Congress are offering encouragement to those taking part in National Day of Reason events on May 2, an observance that promoters see as a more inclusive alternative to the religiously focused, government-sponsored National Day of Prayer.
“The National Day of Reason celebrates the application of reason and the positive impact it has had on humanity,” Rep. Michael Honda (CA) declared in the Congressional record. “It is also an opportunity to reaffirm the Constitutional separation of religion and government.”
“I encourage all citizens to join in observing this day and focusing upon the employment of reason, critical thought, the scientific method, and free inquiry to the resolution of human problems for the welfare of humanity,” Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC) said in a statement.
This support takes on a new meaning this year in light of the recent controversy over the refusal to include secular representation at the official memorial service honoring the victims of the recent Boston bombings. The National Day of Prayer Task Force openly admits that its purpose is to represent “a Judeo Christian expression of the national observance.” Supporters of the National Day of Reason find this practice exclusionary…
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![missbananafish:
thewordunheard:
raptoravatar:
theoreticalgirl:
valerieagotlib:
ryanoshea:
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, first Congressperson to officially describe her religion as “none,” is sworn in not on the Bible, but on the document she’s actually supposed to be protecting and upholding—the Constitution.
[Fun fact: James Madison remains the only president to take his oath of office on a book of laws, rather than the Bible.]
Love this.
Also, she is the first openly bisexual member of Congress!
She’s also dispelling stereotypes about Creatively-Spelled Americans!
This is so awesome.
I bet Boehner’s hand got all hot and tingly when he picked up that book.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/9b6d207f93f713ae83b241cad01ce0a4/tumblr_mgc1ancffa1qbxlcko1_1280.jpg)
High ResolutionRep. Kyrsten Sinema, first Congressperson to officially describe her religion as “none,” is sworn in not on the Bible, but on the document she’s actually supposed to be protecting and upholding—the Constitution.
[Fun fact: James Madison remains the only president to take his oath of office on a book of laws, rather than the Bible.]
Love this.
Also, she is the first openly bisexual member of Congress!
She’s also dispelling stereotypes about Creatively-Spelled Americans!
This is so awesome.
I bet Boehner’s hand got all hot and tingly when he picked up that book.
(via facesofatheists)
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When the Bible is a science book …
Students in this country are to be commended. Recent tests showed they ranked 17th out of 34 countries in science.
That is a remarkable feat when you consider the attitude of our legislators.
The latest news from the legislative-science front involves U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, a Republican from Georgia. He spoke at a church banquet last month. He denounced scientists and said the earth was about 9,000 years old.
The church posted his speech on its website.
“God’s word is true,” he said, “I’ve come to understand that. All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and Big Bang theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of hell. And it’s lies to try to keep me and all the folks who are taught that from understanding that they need a savior.”
Presumably, he was taught some of that stuff in medical school. He is a doctor.
More to the point, he is a member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.
(Source: azspot)
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High ResolutionCongressional Comparison: Bachman vs. Ryan
Result: 94% -
High ResolutionBritish crown, more popular in the American colonies during the Revolutionary War than Congress today.
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High ResolutionOur Tax Money™ going to deadbeats…
And after everything Democrats did to help re-elect George W. Bush! Man, what a bunch of ingrates! <wink>
You can’t tell me you can’t see the difference - the obstructionism shown by republicans in the past few years is unprecedented.
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High ResolutionUniversal healthcare for life*.
*only applies to congressmen.You’re welcome assholes
No. Just no. Congresspersons pay into the Federal Employee Health Plan just like every other goddamn Federal employee. This is just like the rumour that Congresspersons get a lifetime pension after one term. I just hate stupid shit like this. All it does is feed the partisan bickering. Hate them if you wish, but know what the fuck you’re talking about first.
I gladly stand corrected. This cartoon is not quite accurate and I jumped to conclusions. So I did some checking on the FEHP benefits:
“…Like other large employers, the government pays a large share of the cost of coverage. On average, the government pays 72 percent of the premiums for its workers, up to a maximum of 75 percent depending on the policy chosen. For example, the popular Blue Cross and Blue Shield standard fee-for-service family plan carries a total premium of $1,120.47 per month, of which the beneficiary pays $356.59. Washington, D.C.-based employees who prefer an HMO option might choose the Kaiser standard family plan. It carries a total premium of $629.46 per month, of which the employee pays only $157.36.
In addition, members of Congress also qualify for some medical benefits that ordinary federal workers do not. They (but not their families) are eligible to receive limited medical services from the Office of the Attending Physician of the U.S. Capitol, after payment of an annual fee ($491in 2007). But services don’t include surgery, dental care or eyeglasses, and any prescriptions must be filled at the member’s expense.
House and Senate members (but not their families) also are eligible to receive care at military hospitals. For outpatient care, there is no charge at the Washington, D.C., area hospitals (Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center). Inpatient care is billed at rates set by the Department of Defense…”
So, it should say 100% of the 249 congressmen voting to repeal health care have 72% of their healthcare paid for by those Americans.
While they don’t get free universal healthcare for life, they are trying to repeal (without a comparable replacement) a healthcare bill that makes employers provided healthcare and provides gov. subsidies for people to purchase their own insurance while they themselves get 72-75% of their premiums subsidized by their employer, the government. They sit on an island of secure healthcare provided to them by the government, most likely the result of federal employee unions, while trying to destroy both. Oh, and the salaries they use to pay their remaining costs is 100% tax payer money. There’s some irony in there somewhere.
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Three days for Congress to get its act together to prevent student loan rate hikes for over 7 million people. Give ‘em a nudge.
Please do something! I’m going to college soon and this will not help me.
(via skepticalavenger)
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"Congress hereby declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being."
- The Life at Conception Act, an amendment introduced by Sen. Rand Paul • Gumming up the works of an otherwise non-controversial bill about flood insurance. The amendment to the bill also “ensure[s] equal protection for right to life of each born and preborn human person.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stated he would not allow a vote on the amendment, and asked other GOP senators — who, incidentally, are the major supporters of this bill, even without Paul’s amendment — to deal with their colleague “on their side of the aisle.” An incredible hail mary for pro-life policy. source (via • follow)What the fuck republicans?! Attaching a personhood amendment to a Flood Insurance bill? Have you no dignity? If your ideas doesn’t stand on their own and require being obscured by unrelated legislation, you have shit ideas.
(via abaldwin360)
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Conservative Authors Blame The Republicans For Congressional Gridlock
[B]onafide conservatives Thomas Mann and Norm Ornstein published a new book out that blames Republicans for Washington’s legislative gridlock, saying that despite conventional media wisdom to the contrary, it’s “asymmetrical polarization.” Surprisingly enough (yeah, I’m being sarcastic), Chris Hayes is the only cable news person to date who’s had them on to talk about the book - this, despite them being past of a regular stable of Sunday TV guests. Wonder why? Via Raw Story:
The book describes the Republican Party as “an insurgent outlier … ideologically extreme; contemptuous of the inherited social and economic policy regime; scornful of compromise; unpersuaded by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.”
The authors of It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism, who have found themselves ostracized by the Sunday morning shows where they had always previously been welcome, appeared Sunday on MSNBC’s Up with Chris Hayes to discuss the book.
Mann explained that the separation of powers provided for by our Constitution deliberately creates a situation in which that Congressional majorities are unable to act without some degree of cooperation with the other party. Now that “one of those political parties has veered off the tracks” and become “aggressively oppositional,” it has many tools available to prevent legislation from being passed or enforced.
Ornstein singled out the filibuster as a large part of the problem, because it is being “used routinely,”even on non-controversial legislation. However, he also pointed to Republicans voting even against their own bills in order to avoid giving President Obama anything that would look like a victory.
“Problem-solving used to be the name of the game,” he continued. “But problem-solving now — partly it’s the era of the permanent campaign — has taken a back sea to short-term victories.”
Mann added that any Republicans who were interested in problem-solving have left the party over the years, while those who remain are “vehemently ideological” and consider themselves to be “engaged in a holy war.”
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High Resolution100,000 Strong For A Real Violence Against Women Act
Despite President Obama’s veto threat, Republicans just passed a bill that denies protections for victims of domestic violence if they are legal immigrants, Native Americans, or members of the LGBT community.
Republicans are calling it their “Violence Against Women Act.” The truth is any bill that discriminates against women because of their ethnic background or sexual orientation/identity, is not worthy of being called the Violence Against Women Act.
Will you stand with us for protecting all women in the Violence Against Women Act?
I’ll tell you, this GOP has a real knack for slipping terrible shit into bills with innocuous sounding names. Then when the president vetoes it or the senate refuses to vote on it, they can say “We’ve put forward 30 “jobs” bills or a “VIolence Against Women Act” and the Dems won’t even put them to a vote.” They get to deny being obstructive or against women. It’s a great strategy, if this were a game.
(Source: demnewswire, via tinfoilandtea)
Divine Irony
is a rich archive of religious delusions, scientific truths and political implications.
"Tell people there’s an invisible man in the sky who created the universe, and the vast majority believe you. Tell them the paint is wet, and they have to touch it to be sure."
-George Carlin
“If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed”.
-Albert Einstein
![missbananafish:
thewordunheard:
raptoravatar:
theoreticalgirl:
valerieagotlib:
ryanoshea:
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, first Congressperson to officially describe her religion as “none,” is sworn in not on the Bible, but on the document she’s actually supposed to be protecting and upholding—the Constitution.
[Fun fact: James Madison remains the only president to take his oath of office on a book of laws, rather than the Bible.]
Love this.
Also, she is the first openly bisexual member of Congress!
She’s also dispelling stereotypes about Creatively-Spelled Americans!
This is so awesome.
I bet Boehner’s hand got all hot and tingly when he picked up that book.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/9b6d207f93f713ae83b241cad01ce0a4/tumblr_mgc1ancffa1qbxlcko1_500.jpg)
