FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2018
CONTACT: Lee Lonsberry
c - 801 698 7349
Bishop Votes to Avert Shutdown
WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives voted on a measure to extend government funding and avert a shutdown. Following his vote for the measure, Rep. Rob Bishop (UT-01) issued this statement:
“A government shutdown is never a desirable option. My vote today was cast to keep the government open and to secure the borders of our country. Once we answer the questions of border security, we will be free to address the many countless matters facing our nation’s immigration policies. This work can only be done with an open and funded government. This vote was a no-brainer.”
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U.S. Border Announcement Continues Systematic Degradation of Legal Routes to Protection
The “Remain in Mexico” Plan will increase dangers for vulnerable asylum-seekers, and real dangers for the region
Today’s announcement from the U.S. Administration on asylum is as irresponsible as it is dangerous for families in need of urgent safety. The move comes on the heels of previous attacks on asylum being struck down by a U.S. federal judge.
Forcing asylum-seekers to remain in Mexico while they wait to have their cases heard in the United States will create needless chaos at the border, and expose asylum-seekers to unnecessary health and security risks, including the possibility of further persecution or violence.
Said Jenn Piatt, Senior Director, Refugee Resettlement and Asylum Policy and Advocacy ---
“Today’s attack on asylum is yet another ill-conceived and constitutionally suspect action by the Administration that will undoubtedly endanger the lives of thousands of children and families and spur unprecedented chaos at the nation’s southern border.
“Thousands of asylum-seekers will now be in legal and physical jeopardy, and could even result in the creation of ad hoc refugee camps along the border in Mexico. Moreover, the policy will drastically undermine the due process rights of asylum-seekers by making it extremely difficult to access legal counsel.
“This move is another clear abdication of American tradition and values. The IRC urges the U.S. Administration to abandon this cruel approach and allow asylum seekers to remain safely in the United States while their protection claims are considered, in line with long-standing practice and U.S. law.”
Asylum-seekers have the right to apply for protection by international law and should not be returned to situations where they could face persecution or torture. The U.S. administration has systematically eliminated safe and legal pathways to protection for Central Americans facing persecution, terminating the Central American Minors (CAM) program for children and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 250,000 Central Americans already in the U.S.
Based on the IRC's experience in the region, fear of persecution among those fleeing Central America’s Northern Triangle are very real. Current levels of violence and targeted persecution there are akin to those in the world’s deadliest war zones.
The IRC calls on the Administration to focus on real solutions that address the root causes of the humanitarian crisis in Central America instead of manufacturing chaos at the United States border.
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For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact communications@rescue.org
ABOUT THE IRC
The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and 28 offices across the U.S. helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future, and strengthen their communities. Learn more at www.rescue.org and follow the IRC on Twitter & Facebook.
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Wherever you may be this Holiday Season, we wish you a Happy New Year filled with health, happiness, peace, prosperity and, most of all, lower lap times!
Your UMC family.
Give the gift of SPEED this Holiday Season. Get your UMC gift card today!
Jump in your sleigh (ride) and join us for the first WinterX of the season this Saturday, December 22nd! Register today!
The racing season may be over for all intents and purposes, but our friends at Rodizio Grill will be open Friday and Saturday nights every weekend, serving up that amazing Brazilian food. We can’t imagine there’s anyone left who hasn’t tried Rodizio Grill, but if there is, you need to get out here soon. You can thank us later!
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In honor of Episode 10 of the Nine Rails Arts Podcast, our house band The Proper Way gifted us with a new opening ditty, which revealed an uncensored glimpse into 9R … MORE
ART/CREATIVE CALENDAR
Decr 29: The Greatest Showman Singalong
Dec 31: NYE at Union Station
Jan 4: Hard Hat Tours
Jan 9: Jazz At The Station with Standards & Substandards
Jan 11: Oops I Arted!
Homeschool Edition
Jan 16: Artist Talk- Darrly Erdmann
Shop unique local and curated art and outdoorsy gifts at GEAR:30's seasonal Roots Boutique featuring Ogden artists. Now through the Holidays. In-store only at GEAR:30, 1931 S. Washington Blvd. Or, shop gearthirty.com
O1ARTS INITIATIVES
Ogden First is a non-profit (501c3) corporation established to create and deliver arts programming, in all forms, in the context of adaptive reuse of historic or iconic spaces, organizing venues where artists can create, learn, perform and exhibit, amplified by our city’s architectural legacy.
PLATFORMS
Formerly a vacant lot, now a vibrant, community-oriented performance and exhibition venue
... MORE
PANES
Converting vacant storefronts into temporary galleries, revitalizing pedestrian thoroughfares into vibrant cultural hubs ... MORE
WALLS
Uniting artists and neighborhoods through a collaborative process of creating art that transforms public spaces and lives. ... MORE
XIBIT
Coming Spring 2019, a 4000+ square foot “flexhibition” space for contemporary visual and performing art... MORE
(Washington, D.C., December 20, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today celebrated President Trump’s signing of the 2018 Farm Bill and issued the following statement:
“This is a great day for our farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers, as President Trump’s signature on this bill is a Christmas present to American agriculture. Farmers take financial risks every year as a matter of doing business, so having a Farm Bill in place gives them peace of mind to make their decisions for the future. Since early talks on this Farm Bill began back in 2017, I’ve always believed it would be more evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, and that has borne out to be true.
“The bill bolsters farm safety net programs, protects federal crop insurance, and maintains strong rural development and research initiatives. The legislation reinvents the Margin Protection Program for dairy producers, providing a boost to coverage levels and a reduction in premiums after the program fell short in the 2014 Farm Bill. The bill also includes a new Animal Disease Prevention and Management program, providing annual funding for three animal health programs. This includes a new vaccine bank focused on foot-and-mouth disease and extended funding of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network to protect our borders and improve food safety.
“While we would have liked more progress on forest management reforms and work requirements for certain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients, we look forward to using our authorities to make improvements in those areas. All told, this is a Farm Bill that should be welcomed by producers, and at USDA we will eagerly implement its provisions. At USDA, we were pleased to provide a tremendous amount of technical assistance to Congress as legislators wrote the bill. I thank the President for his leadership on this legislation, and commend the Senate and House Agriculture Committees for their many months of hard work.”
