#state senator

[saywhat-politics]

Senator Scott Wiener: Right wing extremists are trying to block access to PrEP, which all but eliminates HIV risk.

It’s part of their Make America Sick Again agenda.

PrEP can end HIV infections globally. These zealots don’t want that. They want to go back to the 1950s. They want people to get HIV as punishment for sin.

[project2028]

BREAKING— New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has officially broken the Senate record for longest floor speech ever in United States history.

The last record was set in 1957 when Strom Thurmond spoke against the Civil Rights Act.

Senator Booker held the Senate floor in protest of the Trump administration laying off millions of federal workers, tarnishing USAID, planned Republican targets to end Social Security and Medicare, and allowing Elon Musk to illegally access federal government departments.

[duckprintspress]

I haven't seen this on Tumblr yet. Cory Booker has held the floor of the Senate for a 16 hour and counting filibuster and it's all streaming on YT. Currently almost 30k people are watching. You can become one of them without even moving from your screen. In the category of "the absolute least you can do" to support a democrat actually doing something... maybe give it a watch.

[destielmemenews]

"Booker began speaking on the Senate floor at 7 p.m. Monday evening to protest President Donald Trump's policies.

At 7:19 p.m. on Tuesday, Booker broke Thurmond's record of 24 hours and 18 minutes, which he made while speaking against the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first major civil rights bill since Reconstruction."

"Booker said that he decided to undertake the marathon speech because Democrats have a "responsibility" to "do something different" in the face of the unprecedented changes taking place in the first few months of Trump's second term as president.

"I've been hearing from people all over my state and indeed all over the nation calling upon folks in Congress to do more," Booker said in a video posted to X before taking to the floor. "To do things that recognize the urgency, the crisis of the moment."

Booker said he plans to speak for as long as he is "physically able to." He cannot sit or leave the Senate floor for a bathroom break; otherwise, he would lose his right to hold the floor. If he doesn't leave or sit down, no senator can stop him."

USA Today

Politico

The Philadelphia Tribune

[reasonsforhope]

Less than three months after U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and her colleagues launched an investigation into the four major American manufacturers of inhalers, three of the companies have relented, making commitments to cap costs for their inhalers at $35 for patients who now pay much more.

25 million Americans have asthma and 16 million Americans have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), meaning over 40 million Americans rely on inhalers to breathe.

Inhalers have been available since the 1950s, and most of the drugs they use have been on the market for more than 25 years.

According to a statement from the Wisconsin Senator’s office, inhaler manufacturers sell the exact same products at a much lower costs in other countries. One of AstraZeneca’s inhalers, Breztri Aerosphere, costs $645 in the U.S.—but just $49 in the UK. Inhalers made by Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, and Teva have similar disparities.

Baldwin and her Democratic colleagues—New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján, Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders—pressured the companies to lower their prices by writing letters to GSK, Boehringer Ingelheim, Teva, and AstraZeneca requesting a variety of documents that show why such higher prices are charged in America compared to Europe.

As a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Baldwin recently announced that as a result of the letters they had secured commitments from three of the four to lower the out-of-pocket costs of inhalers to a fixed $35.00 rate.

“For the millions of Americans who rely on inhalers to breathe, this news is a major step in the right direction as we work to lower costs and hold big drug companies accountable,” said Senator Baldwin.

A full list of the inhalers and associated drugs can be viewed here.

It’s the second time in the last year that pharmaceutical companies were forced to provide reasonable prices—after the cost of insulin was similarly capped successfully at $35 per month thanks to Congressional actions led by the White House.

-via Good News Network, March 25, 2024

[blueberry-ry]

Star Wars fans that try to compare the Jedi to the Catholic Church because they both "collaborate with the state" have no fucking idea of what the Catholic Church actually does and what the problem with it being in power actually is, and it drives me fucking insane

[saywhat-politics]

We passed a bill in committee yesterday that felonizes elected officials if they vote against Trump’s immigration policy. Let that sink in. Duly elected officials will go to jail- will have a criminal record- if they do not vote for and support Trump’s policies.

[political-us]

[morganbritton132]

Erica, like she does every year for pride, posts a collage of pictures of her queer friends and family. This includes a picture of her and Tina, picture of her and Steve (and Eddie half cut out of the shot), a picture of Nancy and Robin, a picture of Steve, Nancy, Max, Mike, and El repping bi colors at a pride parade, and a picture of her and Lucas.

Lucas, in the comments under this post: ??????

Lucas, still in the comments: I’m not gay????

Erica: Bisexual

Lucas: No?

Dustin: What about your crush on Steve?

Lucas: What about YOUR crush on Steve???

[reality-detective]

EPIC. I don't know who this man is nor have I ever even heard of this man until today. Whoever he is - he’s now on the map. 🤔

[project2028]

The United States Senate has voted last night 51-49 for a motion to proceed with the reconciliation “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act.

Reconciliation means the House versions and the Senate versions of the bill have been reconciled into one and is now on the Senate floor to be debated in preparation for a final vote.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act will:

Cut over $900 billion dollars from Medicaid pushing over 16 million Americans to lose health insurance coverage.

Increase the national debt by $1.1 trillion dollars due to skyrocketing tax cuts for the wealthy.

Massive funding cuts for programs such as food stamps, and head start

This bill will be the biggest transfer of wealth from the poor and middle class to the rich in American history.

[frogersonlydotcom]

PLEASE READ IF YOUR IN THE UNITED STATES

Please call (within office hours) and email your local senators and tell them not to vote for Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”, and any other concerns you may have. ESPECIALLY if you live in a RED or PURPLE state!

Senate republicans want this bill passed before the July 4th recess! So if you haven’t already, make your voice heard!

Today is Juneteenth so you may want to call tomorrow, Friday the 20th. Your messages don’t have to be long or intricate. Just say what you do or do not want, and have it on record a concern citizens that they represent called or messaged about an issue.

Please SPREAD THE WORD AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS! I don’t know if anyone will see this, let alone take action, but I feel like I must say something.

That is all. Thank you for taking time to read this.

[jstor]

Be all that you can be: read.

These timeless messages from Senator Claiborne Pell in 1968 resonate with us even today. His address on the importance of libraries and literacy programs highlights how these resources answer the millions of questions we have and why we should utilize them.

Explore the full video.

📽️ : Senator Claiborne Pell. Literacy and Libraries, 1968. University of Rhode Island.