Ten Democratic Accomplishments You May Not Have Known About

[MrScorpio]

Posted by Josh Cohen on Friday, December 31, 2010 at 2:30 PM
In the final edition of our week-long wrap up of the 111th Congress, today’s post details 10 Democratic accomplishments during the past two years that you may not have known about. Despite near constant Republican obstruction, Congress passed hundreds of bills and President Obama has issued numerous measures during the past 24 months that improve the lives of millions of people, and move our country forward.

The list below is far from comprehensive – instead, it’s a sampling of the many Democratic initiatives enacted and set in motion during the 111th Congress. These items are listed in no particular order.

1. Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
Protects public health and prohibits tobacco companies from targeting children

2. Creation of ‘Solar Energy Zones’
The Interior and Energy Departments identified suitable 'solar energy zones' on public lands to help move America toward greater energy innovation and independence

3. Veterans’ Benefits Act of 2010:
Improves employment opportunities for veterans, prevents homelessness, ensures the well-being of veterans and their families, honors fallen service members, and more

4. Food Safety Modernization Act
Overhauls America’s food safety system to helps ensure consumers are not at risk

5. Small Business Jobs Act
Promotes job creation and spurs private-sector growth

6. Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act
Expands national service programs and encourages more Americans to get involved in their communities

7. Human Rights Enforcement Act
Helps enforce human rights laws and improves existing laws regarding genocide and child soldier recruitment

8. Race to the Top Education Reform
Raises education and achievement standards though local and inter-state competition, improves teacher accountability, encourages “best practices,” supports innovative data systems, and more

9. Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
Improves standards for meal nutrition in schools and aims to reduce child obesity and hunger

10. Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act
Cut taxes for companies that hired employees who have been job hunting for 60 days or more

http://www.democrats.org/news/blog/ten_democratic_accomplishments_you_may_not_have_known_about

[MH1]

1. Great and rec - but how many of these are paid for?

edit to add: I mean as in, have funds allocated in the budget.

[MineralMan]

2. You'd think most of these never happened if you only read

DU. Thanks for posting the list.

[texshelters]

3. Race to the Top is NOT an accomplishment, neither is the food security act

1. Race to the Top is welfare for test making companies and enforces high stakes testing to the exclusion of more valid assessment techniques. It's expensive and won't improve a thing.

2. The food security act makes it illegal in many cases to grow your own food and eat it. It give more power to huge agribus companies in the guise of "security".

It's great to have solar zones, but that list looks pretty meager to me.

Some of it's good though.

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[pinto]

4. iirc, The bill was amended to exempt small growers and food grown w/in 250 miles.

I assume that includes "home growers". :hi:

[texshelters]

5. Well I'll be, I missed that

I will have to read up on that. There was little if any fanfare for those changes.

Praise be, be it true.

Thanks.

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[pinto]

6. You're welcome. Lots of issues wrapped up in this bill, yet I think local growers / sales, etc. are

protected by exemption from most of the requirements - which are targeted at large operations. :hi:

[texshelters]

8. On the exemption

"Advocates of the local-food movement in the United States won an exemption from the new regulations for smaller growers who sell to local markets. "
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/US-Passes-Sweeping-Food-Safety-Law-112317799.html

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/health/food-safety-bill-passes-senate-small-producers-would-1086214.html

Did someone read the letters we sent to exempt local growers? Amazing.

Thanks again.

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[PeaceNikki]

7. Your #2 is a total RW myth