Politics. On Point.

President Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 expanding educational opportunity for America’s students and families. Points of the legislation include larger pell grants , more stable funding for Pell Grants , increased support for Minority Serving Institutions to include Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).   These institutions are particularly hard hit. They account for nearly one-third of all degree-granting institutions and enroll nearly sixty percent of the 4.7 million minority undergraduates in our nation today. They do more with less and enroll higher proportions of low- and middle-income students. The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act provides $2.55 billion in mandatory funding for these institutions – dollars that can be used to renew, reform, and expand programming to ensure that students at these colleges and universities are given every chance to rise to their full potential. The bill also makes r...

And The Tries That Do Not Bind. The Repubs are at it again - trying to do everything they can to put a wedge between the plans of the President of the United States, Barack Obama, to move the country forward. They voted 'No' (almost holding up medical insurance for American people for over a year) on virtually all phases (and facets) of the newly passed Health Care Bill. They started the so-called Tea Party Movement , a group of angry US  mobsters citizens(across the nation) who have protested the Stimulus Package , continue to get weak minded people riled up in the name of Democracy, been allowed to shout vile (and foul) language to members of Congress , and really set a bad example for our children to follow regarding conflict resolution. The Republicans have even held up Senate nomimations from President Obama, such that badly needed vacancies have been unfilled for almost an entire year. “Most of the men and women whose appoint...

Members Of Congress Take To The Hill With NBFA For Resolution This week on the Hill members of Congress joined John Boyd , President of the National Black Farmers Association  to address the continuing saga of Black farmers who have been denied credit, funds, and their dignity by the United States Department of Agriculture . Congressman Bobby Scott (along with Congressman Danny Davis ) helped the organization introduce a bill that was passed into law in May of 2008 that would have allowed some 80,000 African American farmers have their cases heard based on its merit.   Since then, President Obama put into his budget $1.15b to compensate the farmers.  An agreement was entered into with African American farmers, the USDA , and the Department of Justice for Congress to make those funds available by March 31, 2010. Congressman Bobby Scott w. BFA's John Boyd. Photo: CD Brown "We're days away from the deadline, and the Obama administration (wh...

"On Behalf of My Mother" President Obama signs the historic health care bill and says the bill is on behalf of his mother who grappled with insurance companies during her illness with cancer. "She could have been focusing on getting well, not fighting with the insurance companies", said Obama. "So, yes, this has been a difficult two years. There will be difficult days ahead. But let us always remember the lesson of this day -- and the lesson of history -- that we, as a people, do not shrink from a challenge. We overcome it. We don’t shrink from our responsibilities. We embrace it. We don’t fear the future. We shape the future. That’s what we do. That’s who we are. That makes us the United States of America."   What The Health Care Reform Will Mean - As Told By The President "This year, tens of thousands of uninsured Americans with a preexisting condition and parents whose children have a preexisting condition will finally be able to purch...

It wouldn't be Spring in Washington without touring the White House. The grounds are perky and sprung with all types and colors of Spring flowers and foilage at Springtime, and even more beautiful in summer. You can see the White House gardens starting next month. The White House will open its gardens and grounds to visitors on Saturday, April 17th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and on Sunday, April 18th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Visitors can view the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden , Rose Garden , Children’s Garden and the South Lawn of the White House. The White House Kitchen Garden will also be viewable from the tour route and a visual explanation will be available to help inform tourists about the elements of the garden. The tours are open to the public; however, a ticket is required for all attendees, including small children. The National Park Service will distribute free, timed tickets at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion located at 15th and E Streets on each tour day begin...

Launches New Tax Saving Tools Vice President Joe Biden here with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner (left) and IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman yesterday in the EEOB (Eisenhower Executive Office Building).  [Photo:  CD Brown for Politics. On Point.]  Not to be left out of doing something good for the nation ( this guy did have a major accomplishment this week), Vice President Joe Biden introduced the new Whitehouse.gov Tax Saving tool to help taxpayers take advantage of Recovery Act Tax Credits. Under the plan taxpayers can claim up to $2,500 in college expenses, up to $8,000 for first time home buyers, $1,500 in energy efficiency and renewable energy incentives, and can also deduct state and local taxes on new car purchases.  The Earned Income Credit (EIC) with families with three or more children increases to $5,657. There will also be up to $800 ($400 for singles) tax savings credit under the Making Work Pay   system. "The big guys know all the cr...

From TransAfrica Forum Despite reports that the situation in Haiti is stable, many human rights organizations report a different story. While USAID and the U.S. Southern Command are now asserting that the demand for food and medical care is not exceeding the capacity on the ground, TransAfrica and its colleagues have found these reports wholly untrue. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians are going without food, shelter, sanitation and medical care, and the bureaucratic process to receive help is costing lives. Even though more than $1 billion has been collected for Haiti relief, tens of thousands of Haitians go without nourishment, basic medical assistance and adequate sanitation units. In response to these and other humanitarian and human right concerns, prominent human rights attorneys will testify before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on the morning of Tuesday, March 23, 2010. Representatives from the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, RFK Center for Justi...

Immigrants Are Hoping For Change, And A Little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. In the wake of the upcoming Immigration reform march near the White House this Sunday, we spoke to a Latina worker, (as we were getting our car washed) who was kind enough to share her thoughts on immigration, and living and working in America. "Everybody work hard.  That's just our people.", said the lady we'll refer to here in this article as "Esolina".  'Esolina' wants badly to attend the march this Sunday but tells us she has to work. POP :  So, you were saying you have to work seven days a week just so you can pay your bills. E :  "Yes." "Americans, they think we want to take jobs away from Americans, but that's just not true.  Nobody (Americans) want to work in the carwash and vacuum out the cars in the cold weather, in the sun, you know?  Look at my sunburn (pointing to the area under her eyes).  They say, Oh you been on vacation. No!...

Udall, Interior secretary in the 1960s, died Saturday morning at his home in Santa Fe, N.M. of natural causes.  He had fallen last week and was confined to bed for a time. President Obama issued the following statement, “For the better part of three decades, Stewart Udall served this nation honorably. Whether in the skies above Italy in World War II, in Congress or as Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall left an indelible mark on this nation and inspired countless Americans who will continue his fight for clean air, clean water and to maintain our many natural treasures. Michelle and I extend our condolences to the entire Udall family who continue his legacy of public service to this day.” Udall was passionate about preserving areas of land, particulary wilderness areas, national parks, and national monuments.

Pro-Life Supporters Say Bill Supports Abortion. To an almost packed Patriot Center (who knew the reason why Sections 109-114 were blocked off, and most of the audience viewed the president either from the side or rear?), President Obama made one last rally cry to plug his health care reform bill before the bill is to be passed this weekend. President Obama speaking at George Mason University's Patriot Center. Photo/CD Brown. Amid cheers from the crowd of "Yes, We Can!" and "Fired Up. Ready To Go!" (and a few I Love Yous) Mr. Obama explained to the audience, many of whom were students, that health care reform can't wait. "George Mason, the time for reform is right now. Not a year from now, not five years from now, not 10 years from now, not 20 years from now, it’s now", said president Obama. Many who attended the gathering liked what the president is proposing. Folks we talked to after the rally were particularly in favo...

New Transportation Projects Announced  (But We Just Want Our DC Area Potholes Fixed, Please!) Vice President Joe Biden today announced that 10,000 transportation projects are now under way in all 50 states and the District of Columbia thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Projects are considered under way when a contractor has been hired, the project has received official notice to proceed, and work has begun. This milestone comes just over a year after the Recovery Act was signed into law and as the spring construction season is getting into full swing. “The 10,000 transportation projects under way are already helping put us on the road to economic recovery, but there is even more to come,” said Vice President Biden. “This spring, Recovery Act projects will pick up the pace across the country, providing even more jobs improving America’s roads, highways and bridges.” Other major Recovery Act-funded projects under construction include I-4/Selmon Expres...

Health Care Reform Now, Please. What happens if we do nothing ? "We've come too far now to throw this bill out.  That's what the Republicans want us to do. Start all over", said John Conyers in a event during a   WPFW Raucus Caucus  radio discussion held this past Tuesday night at Ben's Next Door, a spin-off of the famous Ben's Chili Bowl. "We've been in this debate for over a year. Now, is the time.  Let's get it done." [Congressman John Conyers (middle) speaking during a radio sponsored event this past Tuesday on Health Care Reform. Photo by CD Brown for Politcs. On Point.] "All Democrats are voting for this bill", said Conyers.  "That's a sign of progress.  The fact that all Republicans are voting against it, doesn't mean that the government's broke.  It means we got to kick out the Republicans that are against it, or make some of them come over." Democratic Representative Dennis Kucinich , sayi...

Tax Breaks For Employees Who Hire. After tackling the massive health care reform bill, the President is now (and has been, in between tasks) trying to get America back to work. The president plans to sign the HIRE Act , a jobs bill that will encourage businesses to hire and help put Americans back to work and restore the economy. "Through the eyes of economists, you look at the different stages of recovery. You look at whether an economy has begun to grow. At whether businesses have begun to hire temporary workers or increase the hours of existing workers. At whether businesses, small and large, have begun to hire full-time employees again." While the economy has seen an uptick in the number of constructions jobs being filled and the number of temporary workers being hired, many cities still face unemployment. In a radio address on Tuesday, Congressman John Conyers stated his home town of Detroit has a 30% unemployment rate. To that point, the president says, ...

[Press Release] Task Force on Childhood Obesity Asks the Public for Ideas to Solve Obesity Challenge The U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Education and Health and Human Services are asking the public for ideas to help the Task Force on Childhood Obesity come up with recommendations for public and private sector actions to solve the problem of childhood obesity. The work of the Task Force will complement the efforts of First Lady Michelle Obama as she leads a national public awareness effort to tackle this critical public health issue. The First Lady participated in a Newsweek Q&A session titled the “ Challenges and Ways to Promote Health and Wellness in America’s Communities ” yesterday at the Newseum where she fielded questions on the subject from Newsweek's John Meacham. "The statistics are clear, you know. We’re seeing rates of childhood obesity go up like never before. And I think the country is also at a point where we’re ready. And I think that's one of...

The President is planning an overseas trip March 22-26th, 2010 to the Asia-Pacific areas of Guam, Australia, and Indonesia in an effort "to advance America's security and economic interests in a very vital part of the world". "America has been somewhat absent from the region over the last several years and we are committed to reestablishing that leadership in advance of our interests", said President Obama. Among the economic interests the president will focus on include doubling exports and achieving balanced and sustainable growth or fighting terrorism and combating climate change. The president is also planning visits to Bali, and Canberra, and then on to Australia where he'll have talks with Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. "We have very robust cooperation with the Australians on security issues, economic issues, environmental issues. They’re obviously a close partner of us in Afghanistan, where they’ve been steadfast in their supp...

Please note this video is NSFW (not safe for work).  Please use discretion while viewing. An anti-war rally is being planned this Saturday (3/20/2010) in front of the White House. The group 'The Answer Coalition' is spearheading this effort. Many political figures, local activists, along with Cindy Sheehan are expected to attend and, or participate. For more info go to answercoalition.org . Also, a new gallery called Images of War by Suzanne Opton is being placed on display at many of our area subway stations to include the Rosslyn, Farragut West, and Metro Center stations. View also http://www.soldiersface.com/ for more. [Photo: The above photo was taken earlier this year just outside the White House by CD Brown for Politics. On Point. This demonstrator was already stating his view on the war. Get out!]

The death toll is spiraling throughout Mexico as a war between the country's government and the drug cartels intensifies. A U.S. consulate employee and her husband were killed in a drive-by shooting in Ciudad Juarez, the Mexican border city wracked by drug violence.  The wife and husband were in a car near the international bridge crossing into El Paso, Texas, the newspaper said, and a infant, presumably their daughter, survived the shooting unscathed. US National Security Council Mike Hammer, in a statement earlier this morning said: "The President is deeply saddened and outraged by the news of the brutal murders of three people associated with the United States Consulate General in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, including a U.S. citizen employee, her U.S. citizen husband, and the husband of a Mexican citizen employee. He extends his condolences to the families and condemns these attacks on consular and diplomatic personnel serving at our foreign missions. In concer...

Vice President, Joe Biden returned early this morning from his trip to the Middle East. The Vice President, along with his wife Dr. Jill Biden, traveled to Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan to discuss a full range of bilateral and regional issues. During his visit the Vice President met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu where he called his friendship with Netanyahu ``real’. Vice President Biden called the proximity talks with the Palestinians ``a start.’’ Mr. Biden visited the region over twenty years ago when he was Senator of Delaware and said it was a "privilege to be back", during statements at Tel Aviv University earlier this week. The Vice President, also planning to visit Egypt during the trip, has postponed the visit, but expects the trip to be rescheduled at a future date.

Lady Michelle Obama will visit Mexico City, Mexico, April 13-15. Mrs. Obama’s international agenda will amplify the President’s commitment to advancing mutual interests, mutual respect and mutual responsibility between nations and peoples around the world. During this visit, Mrs. Obama will have the opportunity to engage the citizens of Mexico, particularly young people, and build on her recent conversation with Mexican First Lady Margarita Zavala de Calderon on the issues of education and economic advancement in both countries. Earlier this month president Zavala met with the First Lady during her visit to Washington in which the two discussed Mrs. Obama's campaign for childhood obesity, and undocumented Mexican minors in the U.S. Mrs. Obama's trip to Mexico will be her first solo official trip as First Lady. It is not known whether the First Lady speaks Spanish.  Meanwhile her husband, President Obama admitted to not speaking a foreign language , says Ame...

President Obama plans to donate a portion of the his Nobel Peace Prize award to various charities. The list of charities (and their amounts) include: Fisher House ($250,000), a national non-profit organization that provides housing for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers. College Summit ($125,000),  a national non-profit organization that partners with elementary and middle schools and school districts to strengthen college-going culture and increase college enrollment rates, so that all students graduate from high school career and college-ready. The Posse Foundation ($125,000), a national non-profit organization that identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes. Posse’s college and university partners award Posse Scholars four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships. The scholars graduate at a rate of ...

The president met with members of the Congressional Black Caucus to discuss the economy, job creation and the need to pass health care reform.  During the meeting with the CBC, congress woman Barbara Lee remarked on the impact of the economy in economically distressed communities and the need for additional assistance in these areas, Members presented their concerns and solutions for broadening the impact of the recovery effort. The office of the Press Secretary is reporting that the participants agreed on what can be done to impact unemployment immediately, and in the long term, including summer youth employment, job training tied to apprenticeships, a review of Recovery Act contracting to ensure access to these opportunities is fair and equitable, and an appreciation for the jobs that can be generated through weatherization programs, and the passage of health care reform." Earlier this month, the Reverend Al Sharpton and Tavis Smiley, both with national platforms that ...