Business May Soon be Allowed to Run Even Wilder – Today the Supreme Court heard arguments from AT&T that, if they adopt, would grant corporations the right to prevent consumers from joining class-action lawsuits. The case has so far flown under the radar, but the ramifications are enormous. AT&T wants the Court to adopt a ruling that would allow any business that issues a contract to consumers, including contracts for cellphones, cable TV, and even credit cards, from being barred as a matter of contract law, from joining in class-actions that allege, among other things, violations of consumer protection law.
And while AT&T doesn’t come right out and say so, the scope of the rule they are asking the Court to adopt would potentially also apply to employment agreements. This means those large class-action discrimination claims against retailers like WalMart and banking giants like Citigroup would become non-existent.
Republican Obstructionism Keeping Black Farmers From Getting Paid – For years, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) denied Black farmers loans and other aid easily approved for White farmers. Many Black farming families lost their land and livelihoods as a result. The farmers sued the government for damages and won — but only a fraction of them ever got paid.1
As a Senator, Barack Obama helped to secure a new settlement for the remaining Black farmers, but far-right Senate Republicans are committed to keeping the settlement from being paid out, and have repeatedly blocked funding for it over the last year.
It’s time for President Obama to bypass the Republican obstruction. The White House can directly address this injustice and pay these farmers what they’re owed out of administrative funds — and Congressional Black Caucus leaders have previously called for such a solution. 2
Please join us in calling on President Obama to do right by these farmers, and please ask your friends and family to do the same. It takes just a moment:
Co-Chairs of the Deficit Commission Out of Touch With Most Americans – The Co-Chairs of the Deficit Commission released their proposal. Here’s a quick sample of just some of what they’re calling for:
Cut Social Security benefits
Raise the retirement age
Cut funding to the National Park Service
Cut funding to PBS
When we say that the Deficit Commission doesn’t speak for the vast majority of Americans, we have the numbers to back it up.
On Election Day, Democracy for America polled voters nationwide and when asked about Social Security only four percent supported making cuts to Social Security. Over half support eliminating the Social Security tax cap for income over $106,000 a year and 31 percent said they wouldn’t change anything at all.
Let me say that again so Congress gets the message — We polled the exact same people who voted to put Republicans in charge of the House of Representatives and 85 percent of voters don’t want any cuts to Social Security.
This might be the only thing that 85 percent of Americans can agree on. Help make sure Congress gets the message.
Call on Congress to reject the Deficit Commission’s recommendations now.
And here’s another:
Shadowy Front Groups Will Make Passing New Transparency Laws Nearly Impossible Next Year – The “lame duck†session that starts next week is the last chance to pass the DISCLOSE Act before the new Congress arrives next year. Congress should be able to pass this bill no matter what party is in power – there are Democrats who benefited from secret money, and there are Republicans who support transparency. But the surge in new members of Congress who got elected because of money from shadowy front groups will make passing new transparency laws nearly impossible.
Regards,
Jim
Andy Hailey