The POPVOX Blog

  1. Weekly Bill Round Up: Oct. 12

    by rachna on October 12, 2012

    See which bills and resolutions were the most popular among POPVOX users in our weekly round-up. Want to be a part of the POPVOXnation conversation? Please join us on Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for using POPVOX!

    Top Bills of the Week

    • S 3525#1 The Sportsmen's Act
    • NASA#2 Doubling Funding for NASA
    • HR 6079#3 The Repeal of Obamacare Act
    • HR 4089#4 The Sportsmen's Heritage Act
    • S 3609#5 The Internet Radio Fairness Act
    • HR 6388#6 Strengthening the Horse Protection Act
    • HR 6480#7 The Internet Radio Fairness Act
    • S 1549#8 The American Jobs Act
    • S 1370#9 The After School for America's Children Act
    • HR 6566#10 The Mass Fatality Planning and Religious Considerations Act
    • Budget#11 Sequestration
    • HR 2673#12 The Gulf Coast Oil and Gas Royalty Giveaway Repeal and Deficit Reduction Act
    • HR 3032#13 The Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act
    • S 3412#14 The Middle Class Tax Cut Act
    • HR 3035#15 The Mobile Informational Call Act
    • HR 4114#16 The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act
    • HJRes 17#17 Removing Presidential term limits.
    • HR 2672#18 The Preserving Access to Orphan Drugs Act
    • HR 3#19 The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act
    • HR 2306#20 The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act

    Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.

  2. POPVOX Tweets the VP Debate

    by marci on October 11, 2012

    POPVOX Tweets #VPDebate bills

    POPVOX live-tweeted the VP debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan, with links to bills either mentioned or related to the topics discussed.

    Storified by POPVOX · Thu, Oct 11 2012 20:28:18

    Getting ready to tweet bills mentioned in the #VPdebate. Expecting lots of policy, inclu bills sponsored by #PaulRyan http://bit.ly/W8RRXXPOPVOX
    #RyanBudgetmentioned. Read bill text & weigh in http://bit.ly/UGkxEh 41%+|59%-| #vpdebatePOPVOX
    Question on Iran: The #Iran Threat Reduction Act was enacted on 8/10/12 http://bit.ly/t2kleH On POPVOX 51%+|49%- #VPdebatePOPVOX
    Question on Iran: See #HR4173 Prevent #Iran from Acquiring Nuclear Weapons through Diplomacy Act http://bit.ly/W94RwX |81%+|19%- #VPdebatePOPVOX
    .@JoeBiden mentions Middle Class #Tax Cut Act || On POPVOX: 75%+|25%- http://bit.ly/Qgo3W8 #VPdebatePOPVOX
    .@PaulRyanVP mentions #Romney 5-pt #jobs plan || See related bills: http://bit.ly/ViJmL6 #VPdebatePOPVOX
    .@PaulRyanVP mentions Independent Payment Advisory Board #IPAB || See #HR5 PATH Act 64%+|36%- http://bit.ly/UGm2SY #VPdebatePOPVOX
    .@JoeBiden discussion of #Medicare #vouchers, #RyanBudget #HConRes112 |41%+|59%-| http://bit.ly/UGkxEh #VPdebatePOPVOX
    Again @JoeBiden mentions Middle Class #Tax Cut || On POPVOX: 75%+|25%- http://bit.ly/Qgo3W8 #VPdebatePOPVOX
    .@PaulRyanVP mntins comprehensive tax reform #HR8 Job Protection & Recession Prvntion Act On POPVOX: 97%|3%- http://bit.ly/ViHIJp #VPdebatePOPVOX
    .@JoeBiden mentions #CarriedInterest || See #HR4016 Carried Interest Fairness Act | On POPVOX: 64%+|36%-| http://bit.ly/QgpQux #VPdebatePOPVOX
    #Mortgage tax deduction mentioned, see #S3470 to permanently extend mortgage ins. tax deduction http://bit.ly/W9bFuu #VPdebatePOPVOX
    #VPdebate turns to #Sequestration. On POPVOX 26%+|74%- || WEIGH IN: http://bit.ly/UGf14wPOPVOX
    #VPdebate turns to #Afghanistan. See #HR780 Responsible End to War in Afghanistan | On POPVOX: 83%+|17%-| http://bit.ly/W9cdAvPOPVOX
    #VPdebate turns to #Afghanistan. See #HR1735 Afghanistan Exit and Accountability Act | On POPVOX: 87%+|13%-| http://bit.ly/W9crHWPOPVOX
    #VPdebate turns to #abortion. On POPVOX 1 of most active bills: #HR3 No Taxpayer funding for #Abortion. http://bit.ly/QgrrQQ 56%+|44%-POPVOX
    #VPdebate turns to #abortion. See #HR358 Protect Life Act | On POPVOX 32%+|68%- http://bit.ly/n6uv1vPOPVOX
    #VPdebate turns to #veterans || See #HR4114 Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act |On POPVOX: 98%+|2%-|http://bit.ly/PPHJOlPOPVOX
    #VPdebate turns to #veterans || See #S3457: Veterans #Jobs Corps Act | On POPVOX: 73%+|27%-| http://bit.ly/W9h1G9POPVOX
    .@PaulRyanVP mentions his budget #RyanBudget| On POPVOX: 41%+|59%-| http://bit.ly/UGkxEh #VPdebatePOPVOX

  3. PRESS CLIP: POPVOX Reconnects The Public And Congress

    by kentai on October 11, 2012

    POPVOX Reconnects The Public And Congress on KillerStartups

  4. PRESS CLIP: Tech To Keep You Up On Politics

    by kentai on October 8, 2012

    Tech To Keep You Up On Politics in Forbes

  5. Weekly Bill Round Up: Oct. 4

    by rachna on October 4, 2012

    See which bills were the most popular among POPVOX users in our weekly round-up. Want to be a part of the POPVOXnation conversation? Please join us on Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for using POPVOX!

    Top Bills of the Week

    • HR 6388#1 The Strengthening the Horse Protection Act
    • HR 4114#2 The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act
    • HR 6079#3 The Repeal of Obamacare Act
    • S 3609#4 The Internet Radio Fairness Act
    • NASA#5 Doubling Funding for NASA
    • HR 6480#6 The Internet Radio Fairness Act
    • Budget#7 Sequestration
    • HR 3432#8 The Rural Economic Vitalization Act
    • HR 2673#9 The Gulf Coast Oil and Gas Royalty Giveaway Repeal and Deficit Reduction Act
    • S 3412#10 The Middle Class Tax Cut Act
    • HR 2966#11 The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act
    • S 3448#12 The Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act
    • S 1281#13 The Horse Transportation Safety Act
    • S 1649#14 The American Jobs Act
    • HR 2672#15 The Preserving Access to Orphan Drugs Act
    • HR 6083#16 The Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act
    • HR 4103#17 The Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act
    • HRes 762#18 Expressing the sense of the House regarding community-based power generation.
    • HR 2657#19 The Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act
    • HR 668#20 The Secure High-voltage Infrastructure for Electricity from Lethal Damage (SHIELD) Act

    Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.

  6. New Supreme Court Session Begins Monday

    by marci on September 29, 2012

    While we at POPVOX focus primarily on the legislative branch, next week is a big week for the judicial branch.

    A new Supreme Court term starts on October 2; the Court always starts a new term on the first Monday in October. While in session, the Court will alternate between 2-week "sittings" and recesses, meeting from 10 AM - 3PM on Monday through Wednesday, with work and discussion days on Thursdays and Fridays. Decisions are announced in May, June, and sometimes into July. Source: SupremeCourt.gov 

    Do you think Congress should act to permit the video recording and broadcast of Supreme Court proceedings? Weigh in:

    As always, highlighting a bill on POPVOX does not indicate endorsement.

    Rachel Sachs at SCOTUS blog has a great round-up of articles that have been written about cases in the upcoming term, including:

    1. Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, in which the Court will consider whether the university’s use of race in undergraduate admissions violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
    2. Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, in which the Court will examine the extraterritorial application of the Alien Tort Statute.
    3. Lozman v. Riviera Beach, in which the Court will consider the appropriate definition of “vessel” for purposes of triggering federal maritime jurisdiction
    4. United States v. Bormes, in which the Court will consider whether the United States is immune from damages actions brought under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

     

    Tomorrow, a tradition known as the "Red Mass" will be held at St. Matthew's Cathedral. As Will Storey of the New York Times explained in an article about last year's mass:

     

    The Red Mass, a tradition that dates to Europe in the Middle Ages, usually coincides with the beginning of judicial calendars. It is designed as a blessing and a call for God to bestow wisdom upon judges and lawmakers for the coming year. It takes its name from red garments worn by attending clergymen, symbolizing the fire of the Holy Spirit. Similar ceremonies are held in Britain, France, Italy and across the United States.

    For more trivia and explanations about the Supreme Court, see the official FAQ.

  7. POPVOX Evening Update: September 28, 2012

    by marci on September 28, 2012

    According to our Hill Sources:

    Today, in a "pro forma" session, the House passed the following bills:

    • S3625 making changes to the STOCK Act regarding dates for release of certain information. This bill passed the Senate on September 22, 2012, and was signed by the President this afternoon.
    • S743 the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 This bill passed the Senate on May 8, 2012, and now goes to the President for his signature.
    • S3624 the Military Commercial Driver’s License Act of 2012 This bill passed the Senate on September 22, 2012, and now goes to the President for his signature.

      • Though the House is out for recess until after the election, it is holding pro forma sessions every few weeks and voting on some noncontroversial measures by unanimous consent. The House adjourned until 10:00 a.m on Tuesday, October 2, 2012.

  8. Issue Spotlight: Horses

    by rachna on September 28, 2012

    POPVOX is spotlighting bills related to horses. We hope you'll weigh in on POPVOX and link to this list to share with others.

    Issue Spotlight: Horses

    • HR 6388 Just Introduced! To amend the Horse Protection Act to designate additional unlawful acts under the Act, strengthen penalties for violations of the Act and improve Department of Agriculture enforcement of the Act.
    • HR 2966 The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act: To amend the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption.
    • S 1281 The Horse Transportation Safety Act: To prohibit the transportation of horses in interstate transportation in a motor vehicle containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another.
    • S 3448 The Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act: To direct the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement to provide for management of the free-roaming wild horses in and around the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge.
    • HRes 284 Honoring wild horses and burros as important to our national heritage.

    Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.

     

  9. PRESS CLIP: Obama vs Romney 2012: The Most Transparent Election Yet

    by kentai on September 27, 2012

    Obama vs Romney 2012: The Most Transparent Election Yet on PandoDaily

  10. PRESS CLIP: The Internet Savvy Appear To Agree On A Lot Of Policy Ideas

    by kentai on September 26, 2012

    The Internet Savvy Appear To Agree On A Lot Of Policy Ideas on TechDirt

  11. PRESS CLIP: POPVOX shares its Top 50 bills for the 112th Congress (#SOPA is #1)

    by kentai on September 25, 2012

    POPVOX shares its Top 50 bills for the 112th Congress (#SOPA is #1) on GovFresh

  12. Top 50 Bills of the 112th Congress

    by marci on September 25, 2012

    With Congress closing up shop for the election, we thought it was a great time to look back on what you had to say since the 112th Congress started back in January 2011. Below are the top 50 bills based on activity on POPVOX. As you can see, having the most activity does not by any means indicate that the bill has the most support.

    The top five bills for the 112th were:

    1. HR3261 (SOPA) Stop Online Piracy Act

    2. HR3035 Mobile Informational Call Act

    3. HR2306 Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act

    4. S3240 Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act

    5. S968 (PIPA) Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act

    Wonder how your Member voted? Check out CongressMatch to see if your Member shares your views.

    As always, when we list bills on POPVOX, it is for your information, and you may weigh in to support or oppose the bills -- we never endorse. Links follow if you would like to add your voice.

    POPVOX Top Bills of the 112th Congress

    Huge kudos and thanks to Shane Aday of SodiumHalogen Design for the great work on the infographic.

  13. Issue Spotlight: National Voter Registration Day

    by rachna on September 24, 2012

    It's National Voter Registration Day! Did you know that only 60% of the voting-age population in the US is actually registered to vote?

    Issue Spotlight: National Voter Registration Day

    The POPVOX team is always encouraging our users to weigh in on legislation. But it's just as important to vote! If you're not registered to vote, our friends at TurboVote have a great voter registration tool. It's simple and easy -- and they send you election day reminders via email or text message! We also hope you'll weigh in on these bills related to voter registration and share with your friends and networks!

    Not sure on who to vote for? Check out your CongressMatch page. It's a customized guide to show you just how well your Senators and Representative matches up with you on the issues you care about.

    Voting Rights and Registration Bills

    • HR 4126 The Voter ID Accessibility Act: To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require each voter registration agency in a State which requires an individual to present a government-issued photo identification as a condition of voting in an election for Federal office to provide such an identification without charge upon request to any such individual who does not otherwise possess one.
    • HR 3316 The Voter Access Protection Act: To prohibit election officials from requiring individuals to provide photo identification as a condition of obtaining or casting a ballot in an election for Federal office or registering to vote in elections for Federal office.
    • HR 3317 The Same Day Voter Registration Act: To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require States to provide for same day registration.
    • S 1994 The Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act: To prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections.
    • HR 6408 To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require each individual who desires to vote in an election for Federal office to provide the appropriate election official with a government-issued photo identification.
    • HR 5971 To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require each individual who desires to vote in an election for Federal office to provide the appropriate election official with a government-issued photo identification.
    • HR 5814 The Poll Tape Transparency Act: To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish standards for the publication of the poll tapes used in elections for Federal office.
    • HJRes 25 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States regarding presidential election voting rights for residents of all United States territories and commonwealths.
    • HR 597 The District of Columbia Voting Rights Restoration Act: To restore the Federal electoral rights of the residents of the District of Columbia.
    • HR 267 The District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act : To provide for the treatment of the District of Columbia as a State for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives.

    Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.

  14. POPVOX Evening (Morning) Update: September 22, 2012

    by marci on September 22, 2012

    From our Hill sources:

    On Friday, the House passed one bill before adjourning for the elections:

    • HR3409 the Stop the War on Coal Act To limit the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to issue regulations before December 31, 2013, under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act

    In a late Friday session that went into early Saturday morning, the Senate passed several bills in what is expected to be the last Senate session until the November elections:

  15. PRESS CLIP: On the Hill: Marci Harris

    by kentai on September 21, 2012

    On the Hill: Marci Harris in Campaigns and Elections

  16. Weekly Bill Round Up: Sept. 21

    by rachna on September 21, 2012

    See which bills, resolutions and treaties were the most popular among POPVOX users in our weekly round-up. Want to be a part of the POPVOXnation conversation? Please join us on Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for using POPVOX!

    Top Bills of the Week

    • HR 6388#1 The Increased Enforcement Under Horse Protection Act
    • S 3547#2 The Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act
    • HR 6429#3 The STEM Jobs Act
    • HR 6079#4 The Repeal of Obamacare Act
    • HR 3409#5 The Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act
    • NASA#6 Doubling Funding for NASA
    • HR 2657#7 The Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act
    • S 1454#8 The Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act
    • HR 4103#9 The Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act
    • HJRes 117#10 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013
    • HR 6412#11 The Attracting the Best and Brightest Act
    • HRes 762#12 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding community-based civil defense and power generation.
    • S 3457#13 The Veterans Jobs Corps Act
    • HR 668#14 The Secure High-voltage Infrastructure for Electricity from Lethal Damage (SHIELD) Act
    • HR 4212#15 The Contaminated Drywall Safety Act
    • HR 6213#16 The No More Solyndras Act
    • S 3185#17 The Securing the Talent America Requires for the 21st Century (STAR) Act
    • S 3412#18 The Middle Class Tax Cut Act
    • HJRes 118#19 Providing for congressional disapproval of the Obama Administration’s July 2012 waiver of welfare work requirements.
    • S 3192#20 The SMART Jobs Act

    Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.

  17. POPVOX Evening Update: September 20, 2012

    by marci on September 21, 2012

    From our Hill sources:

    On Thursday, September 20, 2012, the following bills were considered in the House:

    • HJRes 118 a resolution disapproving of an Obama administration rule allowing for state waivers regarding the temporary assistance to needy families (TANF) “welfare-to-work” requirements.

      The House approved this in a 250-164 vote. Under the Congressional Review Act, Congressional disapproval does not revoke the rule unless it passes both chambers and is signed by the President. The Senate is not expected to consider the measure.

    • HR 6249 the STEM Jobs Act This bill would take 55,000 annual diversity visas and make them available for foreign nationals with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

      The bill was brought under “suspension of the rules,” which requires a two-thirds majority to pass. The bill did not reach that threshold. With a 257-158 vote, the bill failed.

    • HR 5987 to creating a Manhattan Project national park. The bill was also brought under “suspension of the rules,” and also failed to meet the two-thirds threshold, with a vote of 237-180.

  18. PRESS CLIP: 15 Must-Watch Female-Run Start-ups

    by kentai on September 20, 2012

    15 Must-Watch Female-Run Start-ups on The Daily Muse

  19. PRESS CLIP: Rachna Choudhry: How We Got POPVOX into the House of Representatives

    by kentai on September 20, 2012

    Rachna Choudhry: How We Got POPVOX into the House of Representatives on Tech Cocktail

  20. POPVOX Evening Update: September 19, 2012

    by marci on September 19, 2012

    From our Hill sources:

    On Wednesday, September 19, 2012, the Senate failed to advance S. 3457, the Veterans Jobs Corps Act, after Republicans raised a budget point of order against the bill.

    Democrats needed 60 votes to overcome the point of order, which the GOP raised after arguing that the bill would fund the Veterans Administration at a level that exceeds the level agreed to last year by Congress and the White House. The Senate voted 58-40 to waive the point of order, falling short by just two votes.

    The Senate is expected to take up the six month spending resolution later in the week.

    The House approved several suspension bills, including many dealing with veterans benefits and disaster aid.

    Bills approved in the House were:

(For media inquiries, please contact Marci Harris, POPVOX’s CEO, at info@popvox.com.)

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