Monday, May 19, 2014

Take action on climate change

OceansPAC

Join us May 21 to sound the alarm on climate change.
In March, I stayed up all night with thirty other senators to urge Congress to take immediate action on climate change.

Last week, the National Climate Assessment confirmed that climate change is real, it's already altering our daily lives, and we have the power to slow it down. And now, we're bringing the wake-up call right to Congress' front door.

As co-chairs of the Climate Action Task Force, Senator Barbara Boxer and I invite you to join us on Ma‌y 2‌1, 2‌014 when we kick off the Capitol Hill Climate Action Rally to wake up Congress to climate change. Other climate champions in the House and Senate will join us to show public support for action on climate change.


Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Help working families!

Take action now to give a tax cut to hardworking Americans

Hardworking American families deserve a raise.

That's why the three of us are going to keep fighting, every day, to raise the minimum wage. And it's why we're joining together to urge passage of our 21st Century Worker Tax Cut Act.

Our new legislation would modernize the tax code to help working families keep more of what they earn -- and pay for it by closing tax loopholes that allow the wealthiest Americans and big corporations to avoid paying their fair share.

Together, we can give American workers and their families a better chance to get ahead in today's economy. But we need your help to show that our new plan has broad grassroots support.



Saturday, May 10, 2014

It's time for action on climate change!

Stand with President Obama and me to lead the fight against climate change.
OceansPAC

Urge Congress to take action to fight climate change today.
Four years of work. Over 4,000 public comments. Thirteen federal agencies and more than 250 researchers and scientists. 

And we now have the third National Climate Assessment (NCA) -- the most comprehensive study of its kind confirming that climate change is real, it's already altering our daily lives, and we have the power to slow it down.

On Tuesday, President Obama unveiled the NCA, highlighting these key findings. It provides a grim outlook of what our future will look like if we fail to drastically cut carbon pollution.


Friday, May 9, 2014

Rep. Langevin announces openings at Job Corps

Program Open to Twenty-Four Additional Students


Washington, D.C. – Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) today announced that the Exeter Job Corps program is now eligible to increase their on-board strength (OBS) by an additional 24 students. Exeter was selected for this increase by the Employment and Training Administration Office of Job Corps.

“Sustainable job creation requires an increased focus on training our workforce and closing the skills gap in the sectors of the economy with the most growth potential,” said Langevin, who co-chairs the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus. 

“The Exeter Job Corps continues to successfully identify those sectors and empowers its young members to learn those job skills that will make them competitive candidates in the workforce. From health IT to manufacturing, construction to culinary arts, Exeter Job Corps programs produce highly-capable, hardworking young people who go on to become leaders in their chosen fields.”

Sunday, May 4, 2014

House Democrats Introduce the Green Bank Act of 2014

Washington, D.C. – Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen introduced the Green Bank Act of 2014 with cosponsors Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Congressman Jim Himes (D-CT), and Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (D-CT).

Green Bank legislation was embraced on a bipartisan basis in both the House and Senate in 2009, and eventually included as the Clean Energy Deployment Administration in the House-passed American Clean Energy and Security Act later that year. Since that time, the Green Bank movement has moved to the states.  

Four states – Connecticut, New York, Vermont, and Hawaii – have now established their own state green banks, and 10 more are at various stages of exploring this forward-looking, cost-effective public policy tool.  In addition to authorizing direct financing support for priority clean energy and energy efficiency projects across the United States, this legislation also recognizes and reflects the growing Green Bank movement occurring in our states by authorizing the Green Bank to partner with and provide seed funding to state clean energy financing institutions.