National

Congressman Peter Welch: White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair to Join Rep. Welch at Efficiency Vermont 05/28/2013

Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and Congressman Peter Welch visit Efficiency Vermont, the nation’s first statewide energy efficiency utility, to participate in a roundtable discussion with energy leaders and local consumers. Chair Sutley highlights the Administration’s efforts to help businesses and households conserve energy, reduce pollution, and save money through efficiency measures, including the Green Button initiative that is empowering consumers by giving them easy and secure access to information about their energy usage. In his State of the Union address, President Obama set a new goal of cutting our economy’s energy waste in half over the next 20 years, and his proposed FY2014 budget includes a $200 million Energy Efficiency Race to the Top challenge to support state governments that implement effective policies to cut energy waste.

Senator Bernie Sanders: Older Americans Summit 05/23/2013

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and other senators are hosting a summit meeting with seniors’ organizations today. Sanders also plans to introduce legislation the same day to reauthorize and strengthen the landmark Older Americans Act which supports Meals on Wheels and other critical programs for seniors. Sanders is the chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, which has jurisdiction over the Older Americans Act. Harkin is chairman of the full Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. More information: www.sanders.senate.gov

Media Maven: Media Maven: Social Change Anytime Everywhere 05/23/2013

Nationally known blogger and social media pro, Amy Sample Ward offers tips and strategies for successful navigation through the high seas of social media and the internet.

Senator Patrick Leahy: Address to Albany College of Pharmacy Graduates 05/19/2013

Senator Patrick Leahy delivers commencement remarks and receives an honorary doctorate during ceremonies honoring the first class to graduate from the Albany College of Pharmacy’s Vermont campus.
Leahy, the Senate’s most senior member, and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, discusses the role of pharmacists in preventing prescription drug abuse and related crime, the problem of counterfeit medications, health care costs, and the growing importance of pharmacists in public health policy and delivery.

Senator Bernie Sanders: Town Hall Meeting with Danish Ambassador Peter Taksoe-Jensen 05/18/2013

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) holds a Town Hall meeting with Danish Ambassador Peter Taksoe-Jensen to discuss how the people of Denmark enjoy some of the best health care, education, and environmental protection in the world. The questins is posed: Are there lessons that the United States can learn from Denmark? More information: www.sanders.senate.gov

Congressman Peter Welch: Farm Bill Priorities 05/14/2013

Congressman Peter Welch is joined by representatives of Vermont’s dairy farmers, vegetable growers, and nutrition advocates discussing the prospects for a Farm Bill in this Congress, as well as his priorities for the bill. The House Agriculture Committee is scheduled to take up the bill May 15th, the Senate Agriculture Committee is taking up its version of the bill today, May 14th.

Congressman Welch outlined his priorities for the bill:

· Stabilize milk prices for dairy farmers;

· Disaster insurance for vegetable growers;

· Promote the use of local fruits and vegetables into school lunches;

· Protect nutrition programs from unreasonable cuts;

· Provide support for organic programs; and

· Grow Vermont’s maple industry through federal support for research and promotion.

Lurking in the Trees 05/13/2013

Worcester, MA could be almost anywhere in America. But when a foreign invasive pest - the Asian longhorned beetle - was discovered to be killing Worcester's maple trees, the city took decisive action to halt the spread of the beetle, protecting trees across New England from certain death.

Lurking in the Trees is a film production of The Hamburger Company. Its sponsors include The US Department of Agriculture - Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, The US Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, The Continental Dialogue on Non-Native Forest Insects and Diseases, and the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment. These organizations are united by their desire to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive forest pests. To learn more, please visit Vermont Invasives website.

Emerald Ash Borer: The Green Menace 05/13/2013

U.S. Department of Agriculture - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - This collaborative video tells the story of the perils of the Emerald Ash Borer and its impact on Ash trees. This program was funded by the USDA Forest Service and the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and produced by Detroit Public Television. To learn more, please visit Vermont Invasives website.

Congressman Peter Welch: Bipartisan Progress on Reforming Ethanol Mandate 05/10/2013

Rep. Peter Welch announces bipartisan effort to reform the federal ethanol mandate. He is joined by Alan Porter, Owner of Small Engine Co., and James Ehlers, Executive Director of Lake Champlain International.

Senator Bernie Sanders: Press Conference on Social Security 05/08/2013

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hosts a summit meeting on Capitol Hill with seniors, veterans and other grassroots groups united to protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and veterans from budget cuts proposed by congressional Republicans and some Democrats. More information: www.sanders.senate.gov

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Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger Offers City Resources in response to Covid 19 Pandemic

Burlington Resource & Recovery Center: On Monday, March 23, we launched the Burlington COVID-19 Resource & Recovery Center, or RRC. The RRC's function is to provide relief to the economic disruption of COVID-19. If you are a renter worried about housing security, a business owner seeking access to federal assistance, a person experiencing homelessness who needs shelter, a Burlingtonian looking for information about City taxes and fees during this time or the federal aid that is coming, or someone looking to volunteer safely, you can get a 1-1 (remote) consult at the RRC and find many resources on the website. For more information, call (802) 755-7239 or go to the City website: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/Resources