Key Votes

[hortysir]

I subscribe to Mega-Vote, which regularly emails key Senate and House votes.
Here's a breakdown of what was in today's:
(tell me again how republicans only care about the uber-rich)

Small Business Tax Cut Act - Vote Passed (235-173, 1 Present, 22 Not Voting)

This House bill would give businesses with fewer than 500 employees a 20 percent tax deduction for the 2012 tax year. The bill is unlikely to advance in the Senate.

The House passed H.R. 9, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a deduction for domestic business income of qualified small businesses, by a yea-and-nay vote of 235 yeas to 173 nays with 1 answering "present", Roll No. 177.

Congress.org – Get informed, get involved


So, while republicans pass bills to bolster small businesses, democrats try to pass legislation meant to stunt growth:


Cloture Motion; Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012 - Vote Rejected (51-45, 4 Not Voting)

The Senate failed to reach the sixty vote threshold needed to move forward on this bill to raise tax rates on taxpayers earning more than $1 million.

By 51 yeas to 45 nays (Vote No. 65), three-fifths of those Senators duly chosen and sworn, not having voted in the affirmative, Senate rejected the motion to close further debate on the motion to proceed to consideration of the bill.

Congress.org – Get informed, get involved
Complete Vote Tally:
Congress.org – Get informed, get involved

 

[Mr. H.]

Republlicans are keen to business-minded folk.
Successful business-minded folk tend to accumulate wealth. Along the way, they employ folk that are willing to work.

Democrats are keen to... folk. The kind that don't tend to do nothin', and never will.
And that tends to take away their... will.

 

[hortysir]

**The bill is unlikely to advance in the Senate.**
^^^^^^^^^
That's what pisses me off

 

[Mr. H.]

**The bill is unlikely to advance in the Senate.**
^^^^^^^^^
That's what pisses me off

If this Bill were written to include only companies that employed less than 50, then yes it might stand a chance. 500? WTF.

 

[hortysir]

**The bill is unlikely to advance in the Senate.**
^^^^^^^^^
That's what pisses me off

If this Bill were written to include only companies that employed less than 50, then yes it might stand a chance. 500? WTF.

500 isn't that much, really.
A franchise owner with a half-dozen locations could easily reach that number.

Company I work for has almost 200,000

 

[hortysir]

Energy-Water Appropriations - Vote Passed (255-165, 11 Not Voting)

The House passed three FY 2013 appropriations bills last week, the first of which covered funding for the Department of Energy (DOE), Army Corps of Engineers and water development projects under the Interior Department, as well as various independent agencies including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This is typically a non-controversial measure, but that did not stop Members from forcing nearly three dozen amendment votes on the floor. Most of these involved either shifting funds from one program area to another or barring funding for an activity disliked by a particular Member. Very few amendments passed. The underlying bill would increase funding for DOE’s nuclear weapons programs by $298 million and cut the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) account within the Energy Department by $428 million. Several Democratic amendments attempted to restore EERE funding, but each was turned aside. The bill would also prohibit the closure of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste depository, a priority of President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. The President has issued a veto threat on the measure.

A $130 million net gain, but Veto looms????

Homeland Security Appropriations - Vote Passed (234-182, 15 Not Voting)

Second on the approps docket last week was funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Several provisions in the House measure have caused consternation among House Democrats and the Administration. These include a new limitation on the ability of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to provide abortions for detainees and cuts to a program that provides alternatives (such as electronic monitoring) to detention for individuals who are in deportation proceedings. Sure to cause additional heartburn for Democrats is an amendment offered by Steve King, R-Iowa to bar funding for the Administration’s "prosecutorial discretion" policy in targeting certain illegal immigrants for deportation. The policy, dating to June 2011, instructs ICE personnel to focus their resources on individuals with criminal records and to “consider relevant factors” before targeting certain others, including members of the armed forces, those who came to the United States as children, and high school and college graduates. Republicans have called this policy "administrative amnesty." King’s amendment passed, mostly along party lines (Roll Call #363). The president has threatened to veto the bill.

Starting to see a pattern?

Medical Device Tax Repeal - Vote Passed (270-146, 15 Not Voting)

House Republicans, with the help of 37 Democrats, passed a bill last week repealing the 2.3-percent tax on medical devices that was included as a pay-for in the 2010 health care overhaul. Bundled into the device tax repeal bill was a separate measure ending the overhaul’s restriction on using certain tax-preferred accounts to buy over-the-count drugs, and a third provision allowing individuals to recoup up to $500 remaining in their FSAs at the end of a plan year. The measure would be paid for by lifting caps on liability for overpayments of subsidized coverage under the overhaul. President Obama has threatened to veto the measure. Senator Scott P. Brown, R-Mass. and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah have introduced device tax repeal bills in the upper chamber, neither of which has attracted Democratic cosponsors.

Another Veto threat???


Legislative Branch Appropriations - Vote Passed (307-102, 22 Not Voting)

Last but not least (at least not for lawmakers), the House passed its measure funding FY 13 spending on legislative branch operations. The measure provides funding for Member and committee offices and operations of agencies such as the Library of Congress, Capitol Police, Congressional Research Service (CRS), and Government Accountability Office (GAO). The House bill would cut funding for House operations by one percent, hold CRS flat and give bumps of six, two, and one percent to the Capitol Police, GAO and the Congressional Budget Office respectively. A 10 percent cut to the Architect of the Capitol means that ongoing restoration of the Capitol dome would be placed on hold. Funding for Senate operations will be taken up by the Senate Appropriations committee.




And I'm supposed to believe that it's the (R)s "filibustering"?

 

[hortysir]

Intelligence Authorization - Vote Passed (386-28, 17 Not Voting)

The House passed legislation to authorize funding for the 16 intelligence agencies last week. Although total funding levels are classified, the bill would fund agencies such as the CIA and National Security Agency at a level above President Obama's request of $71.8 billion, according to Intelligence committee chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich. and ranking member C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md. A handful of amendments were adopted during debate, including one offered by Michigan Democrat John Conyers, Jr. to require a report from the director of national intelligence on the consequences of a military strike against Iran. The Senate has not yet moved on its authorization bill, but action is expected at the committee level sometime this summer.

Curious, indeed, that it's a Democrat is the one wanting more intel on an Iranian strike....



Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations - Vote Passed (407-12, 12 Not Voting)

The House passed its second FY13 appropriations bill last week, providing funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs and for military construction and housing. The bill would provide $71.7 billion in discretionary funds, including $60.6 billion for the VA and $10.6 billion for base construction and military family housing. A provision forbidding agencies from using project labor agreements (PLA) for construction projects was removed from the bill by an amendment from Michael G. Grimm, R-N.Y. (Roll Call #302). The PLA language was controversial among most Democrats and a handful of Republicans; its removal sped passage of what is usually a strongly bipartisan bill. President Obama threatened to veto the bill because the House GOP has set total FY13 appropriations levels below what had been agreed to in last year's debt-ceiling standoff. Because the House kept funding levels in this bill constant with last year, deeper cuts will be necessary in other appropriations bills, which the administration views as unacceptable.

Obama's upset because (R)s didn't want to cut military and VA monies.

 

[Wiseacre]

Too much politics, not enough statesmanship. Or leadership either. Or plain ol' guts and integrity.

 

[hortysir]

Too much politics, not enough statesmanship. Or leadership either. Or plain ol' guts and integrity.

Right????

The Repubs pass a bill they know full well the Dems won't pass, and vice-versa.

Meanwhile Obama sits back quietly, rather than telling BOTH sides to get their heads out of their asses and get shit done!

 

[Wiseacre]

Too much politics, not enough statesmanship. Or leadership either. Or plain ol' guts and integrity.

Right????

The Repubs pass a bill they know full well the Dems won't pass, and vice-versa.

Meanwhile Obama sits back quietly, rather than telling BOTH sides to get their heads out of their asses and get shit done!

Not sayin' both sides aren't at fault here, cuz they are. And IMHO Obama is not facilitating any cooperation/compromise either. Every president in my memory since Reagan has worked with the opposition to get things done. Up to now.

 

[hortysir]

Trying to find out when this will hit the House Floor.

Probably never get past Reid, Inc., but......

http://rooney.house.gov/images/stories/Rooney_Jobs_Bill_Text.pdf

 

[Claudette]

Too much politics, not enough statesmanship. Or leadership either. Or plain ol' guts and integrity.

Right????

The Repubs pass a bill they know full well the Dems won't pass, and vice-versa.

Meanwhile Obama sits back quietly, rather than telling BOTH sides to get their heads out of their asses and get shit done!

Not sayin' both sides aren't at fault here, cuz they are. And IMHO Obama is not facilitating any cooperation/compromise either. Every president in my memory since Reagan has worked with the opposition to get things done. Up to now.

Yup. Barry has no wish to work across the aisle.

AT the beginning of his reign he told the Reps that he won and they should get in the back of the bus and STFU.

He sure ain't going out of his way to cross that pesky aisle.

 

[grunt11b]

**The bill is unlikely to advance in the Senate.**
^^^^^^^^^
That's what pisses me off

If it did go to the senate and the senate voted on it two things would happen:
1) Obama could not run on a do nothing congress campaign.
2) The democrats would vote against it and it would put them on record.

Both of which would hurt the left.

It's all good though, November is rolling around quickly, and the senate will be dealt with accordingly.

 

[grunt11b]

**The bill is unlikely to advance in the Senate.**
^^^^^^^^^
That's what pisses me off

If this Bill were written to include only companies that employed less than 50, then yes it might stand a chance. 500? WTF.

All Big Business started as a small business at one point.

 

[hortysir]

**The bill is unlikely to advance in the Senate.**
^^^^^^^^^
That's what pisses me off

If it did go to the senate and the senate voted on it two things would happen:
1) Obama could not run on a do nothing congress campaign.
2) The democrats would vote against it and it would put them on record.

Both of which would hurt the left.

It's all good though, November is rolling around quickly, and the senate will be dealt with accordingly.

Fair analysis

 

[hortysir]

By an overwhelming vote of 414-12 on July 18, the House backed a measure that would pressure the Obama administration to detail how agencies would implement the cuts, known as a sequester, that are scheduled to hit on January 2, 2013. The sequester was mandated by the August 2011 debt limit deal (PL 112-25). The bill would require the White House to produce a report within 30 days with a detailed account of how the cuts would affect both domestic and defense programs.

Congress.org – Get informed, get involved