g.k. butterfield

Did you know that Obama's deal with Republicans not only cuts taxes for the rich, but INCREASES taxes on the working poor?

More importantly, does your Congressman know? Will Brad Miller, G.K. Butterfield, or Mel Watt vote for this disgusting deal? David Price signed a letter opposing it, but what will he do when the vote actually comes?

Phone numbers for these Democrats are at the bottom of their web pages.

Contact Brad Miller here.
Contact G.K. Butterfield here.
Contact Mel Watt here.

The fix is already in for the US Senate to approve this travesty. Tell your Congressman that this deal should not be brought up for a vote. Just do nothing and the working poor will be better off than under this Obama-McConnell plan.

Our members of congress were busy with a rush of committee meetings and the push to begin repairing the damage to our economy wrought by the years of Republican mismanagement. They are working in-district this week, so there will not be a roundup this weekend.

Cosponsored - H.R.985 : To maintain the free flow of information to the public by providing conditions for the federally compelled disclosure of information by certain persons connected with the news media.
Cosponsored - H.R.1002 : To adjust the boundaries of Pisgah National Forest in McDowell County, North Carolina.

This week we saw the first floor speeches made by our two newest elected officials in Washington. Rep. Larry Kissell spoke in support of SCHIP and encouraged congress to consider optional funding for the program. Senator Kay Hagan spoke in support of the Lily Ledbetter Act. (Video coming later today.) There is also word that Congressman Brad Miller's bill, H.R. 225 - The Emergency HOME Protection Act, may have been included in President-elect Barack Obama's new stimulus package. The bill has been mirrored in the Senate by Senator Dick Durbin who introduced S. 61.

It is impossible to cover every meeting, phone call, hearing and interview our members of congress participate in and I'll do my best to give you a weekly rundown each weekend following the weeks they are in session. I'm covering Democrats. I'll let someone else take care of the Republicans.

Obama Incites Republicans With New North Carolina Black Voters

By Heidi Przybyla

Aug. 6 (Bloomberg) -- The North Carolina waterfront community of Elizabeth City witnessed an early skirmish in a high-stakes political battle over registering new black voters, which may help decide the outcome of the presidential election.

Can you believe it? I bet you can. I actually bet most people don't really mind it either. But the House of Representatives voted to officially recognize the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.

Update: Still no word from McIntyre or Etheridge. Please call them and see if we can get them to take a position on the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169.) Thanks!

The Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169) would reverse the Bush Administration’s 2002 decision that the toxic “waste” created by mountaintop removal could be defined as “fill material,” and recklessly dumped into our water ways. This practice has already destroyed over 1200 miles of American headwater streams, and eliminated access to safe, clean potable water for many communities. The CWPA (HR 2169) currently has 107 co-sponsors, and a lot of momentum. But we need more to get out of committee and onto the floor.

We have 5 of 7 Democrats from NC onboard, and we need to know if Bob Etheridge and Mike McIntyre are “wit’ us” or “ginst us” on HR 2169. Please ask.

If you have a moment, please see if your Congressman is a co-sponsor, and take a moment to call Etheridge (202-225-2731) and McIntyre (202-225-2731), politely but forcefully asking that they co-sponsor the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169), and take a stand against mountaintop removal.

A quick report on our NC Dems and mountaintop removal below…

Not sure how I missed posting this, but better late than never.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – The John Edwards for President campaign announced today that all seven members of North Carolina's Democratic Congressional delegation are endorsing Senator John Edwards for President.

The seven North Carolina congressmen endorsing Edwards are Congressman G.K Butterfield (D-1st), Congressman Bob Etheridge (D-2nd), Congressman David Price (D-4th), Congressman Mike McIntyre (D-7th), Congressman Heath Shuler (D-11th), Congressman Mel Watt (D-12th) and Congressman Brad Miller (D-13th).

"I am proud to have the support of these outstanding members of Congress," said Edwards. "They work each and every day to bring North Carolina common sense to Washington and to represent the people of our great state with dignity and honor. I value both their ideas and their friendship and thank them for their support."

Nancy Pelosi has appointed G.K. Butterfield to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has the largest mandate of any committee in the House. In taking this position Butterfield stepped down from his seat on the Armed Services Committee, which is considered a lesser post, but one made locally important by the large presence of the military in North Carolina.

According to a report in the Durham Herald-Sun "Butterfield said the new committee assignment means he'll be in a strong position to help farmers with energy issues and advocate the use of alternative fuels."

This ambition should tie in nicely with the pending appointments of Mike McIntrye and Bob Etheridge as subcommittee chairs on the House Agricultural Committee. Since the Agricultural Committee has jurisdiction over biofuels legislation this will give North Carolina significant influence over the development of alternative energy policy in the next Congress.