The weekly report on US and World public policy
by Edwina Rogers
Surprise for North Korea
South Korean activists plan to drop 10,000 copies of the movie The Interview via balloon into North Korea.
United Nations
In recent remarks at the UN Human Rights Council, UN Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights Flavia Pansieri asserted that global warming violates economic, social, & cultural human rights such as “the rights to health, to food, to water and sanitation” and “to adequate housing.”
US Senate
The Senate has resumed consideration of S.178, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015. The Senate will go in recess next Thursday. There will be a vote-a-rama on Thursday since the Senate will recess for two weeks. This is a good time to secure a vote on a variety of measures.
Next weekÔÇÖs floor time is reserved for consideration of the FY 2016 budget resolution.
Looking Ahead
Legislative items that are possible during this work period include: Anti-Trafficking legislation, Nominations, and Budget Resolution.
US House
The House is working on a physician Medicare funding permanent fix in SGR. There have been 17 temporary corrections in the past. The Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) is a method currently used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the United States to control spending by Medicare on physician services.
Secretary of Interior
On Tuesday CSIS hosted Secretary Sally Jewell for a public address on the Department of the Interior’s energy priorities for the next two years. SPI staff were invited to participate in this event. The Department serves as a significant steward of the nation’s public lands, managing one-fifth of the landmass and 1.7 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf. Secretary Jewell was sworn in on April 12, 2013 as the 51st Secretary of the Interior. She is trained as a petroleum engineer with experience in the oil industry, finance sector, and most recently as CEO of the outdoor retailer REI.
Republican Lawyers Gather In DC
This Friday, the RNLA will have the Republican leader on the issues on the front page of the news on a daily basis, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker. From Iran to ISIS to the Ukraine, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is in the center of the action. The RNLA will also host Senator Rob Portman and Mike Carvin. Here is the full list of speakers for the 30th Anniversary Policy Conference. The Secular Policy Institute’s own Edwina Rogers will attend this event.
Openly Secular Day
On the fourth Thursday in April, atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers, secular Americans, and their supporters from all across the United States will gather at several locations nationwide for the first annual Openly Secular Day!
UK Royals Visiting DC
The British Government has announced Their Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will make a four-day visit to the United States March 17-20 that will include a visit to Mount Vernon. This will be Prince Charles’ second visit to the home of George Washington.
Edwina’s New Zealand Trip
Finally, scroll down for photos from my trip to New Zealand. Here I am with the New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists. The photo is just with some of their leadership. They own a nice property in Auckland and have a large membership. Of course they are members of the Secular Policy Institute coalition! And they are creating a coalition of their own for New Zealand.
