2011Permaculture convergence nwpermaculture.com 

What if they gave a war and everybody came? What if US civilians arrived en masse in a war zone and stood arm and arm protecting soldiers from indigenous citizens and citizens from soldiers?

At about ten am this morning the House Armed Services Committee staff allowed seven members of the public to enter the ‘public’ hearing.  They can have it in any color they like as long as it’s black.  No signs, even in line in the hallway; they cannot hold up signs even before the gavel opens the hearing, and they cannot communicate anything during the hearing.

"We are here," said Leah Bolger, the Vice President of Veterans for Peace, "representing the vast majority of the American people who want the wars to end now and want our tax dollars to be spent on human needs instead of on the war machine."

Note that thus far 34 Congress Members have signed a letter urging the Super Committee to cut military spending, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee has set a deadline of noon today for adding more signatures.

Note that 70 Congress Members have already written to the Super Committee calling for ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, thereby "saving more than $1.8 trillion from current law spending levels over ten years."

You can’t Turn Your Back on these Vipers for a Moment…

kboo.fm/occupyportland

The House Convened at 9:30 today  and before going home by 7 will pass legislation barring federal money from being spent to subsidize any medical insurance plan that pays for abortion services. The measure — which will not be subject to any amendments — is the leading item on the GOP’s anti-abortion agenda and a central part of the party’s plan to pick apart the 2010 health care overhaul law. (Under that law, plans that cover abortion and receive federal funds must keep those funds segregated.)

Lawmakers will also pass the bill to ease EPA regulation of commercial boilers, which arrived on the floor a week ago.