Legislative Accomplishments July to November 2012

In July, the U.S. Senate voted to allow the Bush tax cuts on households earning over $250,000 to expire yet the House has failed to pass the legislation. 

In late August, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted on the final rules necessary to implement the Cardin-Lugar Amendment, a vital move that allows citizens, especially in developing nations, access to information to hold their governments accountable and fight corruption.  This means that the SEC will be required to disclose any and all payments to the US and foreign governments, country-by-country, every year thus empowering citizens to greater services from their government. 

In late summer, Nicaragua bécame the 6th country to withdraw troops from the School of the America’s (SOA/WHINSEC).

In mid-September, CWA and IBEW members successfully reached a tentative agreement with Verizon after slashed health benefits, pension elimination, outsourcing of jobs and undermining collective bargaining for its workers. 

In late September, an SOA Watch delegation went to Ecuador and met with President Correa. In conjunction with granting Julian Asange asylum, Correa agreed to no longer send his troops to the SOA/ WHINSEC.

In late September, Damon Thibodeaux was exonerated in Louisiana and freed from death row. 

In late September, the International Monetary Fund Executive Board approved the final 2.7 billion dollars from gold sale profits to support the world's poorest - we have now moved the total gold sales windfall, nearly 4 billion dollars to benefit the most vulnerable.  Advocacy efforts pushed the IMF to approve the first 1.1 billion dollar distribution AND the second 2.7 billion dollar distribution to support concessional lending in the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) and extend a 0% interest rate that will make this trust available for future generations beyond 2014.

In early October, the EPA agreed to reconsider its polyvinyl chloride rule and put it out for public comment. 

In early October, Hershey announced that it would move its chocolate to 100% certification by 2020, though the company remains vague on which certifications, and on incremental benchmarks.

In early October, Chipotle agreed to join the Fair Food program and signed the agreement with members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.  The agreement will improve wages and working conditions for farmworkers in Florida who pick tomatoes. 

In mid-November, an SOA Watch delegation met with Denis McDonough, President Obama's Deputy National Security Advisor.  McDonough promised to look into the release of the names of those killed by graduates of the SOA.         

11 States, 24 Senators, and 73 US Representatives have called for an amendment to overturn Citizens United