July 29, 2008
Categories: Progress Reports, Downsizer-Dispatch
Quote of the Day:"We can have justice whenever those who have not been injured by injustice are as outraged by it as those who have been."
-- Solon (594 B.C.)
Subject: Another Victory!
We just won another victory (our 13th victory since 2006). The Senate killed S. 3297 yesterday. This massive bill, called the "Advancing America's Priorities Act," contained 36 completely unrelated measures. Sixty votes were needed to close debate and bring the bill to a final vote. It received only 52 votes -- there were 40 votes against.
This shows us something: There are many ways to defeat bad bills.
Senators can place holds on bills. This is what Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma did on many of the bills that were included in this package. That's why the Senate leadership decided to bundle them together to try to pass them as a group. We could win more fights by convincing more Senators to place holds on bad bills.
We could also win more often if we could cause more bills to fall short of the 60 votes needed in the Senate to permit a final vote.
We could win by getting the vote we want in one chamber of Congress, even if we lose the vote in the other chamber.
In many cases, we could win if we could just convince Democrats to vote like liberals on civil liberties, and Republicans to vote like conservatives on fiscal issues.
There are many different ways to win as we grow larger and stronger. In this case, by helping to defeat S. 3297 we saved taxpayers $10 billion!
We need to thank those Senators who voted against S. 3297, and spank those who voted for it. A complete roster of how the Senate voted is listed beneath my signature, in alphabetical order, by state. Check how your Senators voted, and then send them a message either thanking them or spanking them. You can send your message here.
Remember, if you get a white page, please hit Refresh, or Back and try again.
My Senators voted different ways, so here's what I sent: "I'm glad S. 3297 failed. We don't need to spend $10 billion on questionable new programs at a time when the federal deficit is so large, and taxpayers are having trouble making ends meet. Thank you to Senator Voinovich for voting against this monstrosity. And I want to encourage Senator Brown to stop voting for bloated spending bills, especially when they contain multiple unrelated proposals."
Please send your "thank/spank" message now. Remember to hit your refresh button if you get a white screen.
Please also consider making a contribution to our emergency fundraising drive. We started out needing more than $5,000, but now we're down to less than $1,500. There are just three days until the deadline, so we need your help now. You can contribute here.
Don't forget to check how your Senators voted below my signature, and send your message.
Thank you for being a part of the growing and increasingly victorious Downsize DC army,
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
Here's how the Senate voted, in state alphabetical order:
Sessions (R-AL), Nay
Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Murkowski (R-AK), Nay
Stevens (R-AK), Nay
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Kyl (R-AZ), Nay
McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting
Boxer (D-CA), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Allard (R-CO), Not Voting
Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Dodd (D-CT), Yea
Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea
Biden (D-DE), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Martinez (R-FL), Nay
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Nay
Isakson (R-GA), Nay
Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Grassley (R-IA), Nay
Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Craig (R-ID), Nay
Crapo (R-ID), Nay
Durbin (D-IL), Yea
Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
Bayh (D-IN), Yea
Lugar (R-IN), Nay
Brownback (R-KS), Nay
Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Bunning (R-KY), Nay
McConnell (R-KY), Nay
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Vitter (R-LA), Nay
Kennedy (D-MA), Not Voting
Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Cardin (D-MD), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Collins (R-ME), Nay
Snowe (R-ME), Nay
Levin (D-MI), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Coleman (R-MN), Yea
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Bond (R-MO), Nay
McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
Cochran (R-MS), Nay
Wicker (R-MS), Nay
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Tester (D-MT), Yea
Burr (R-NC), Nay
Dole (R-NC), Not Voting
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Hagel (R-NE), Not Voting
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Gregg (R-NH), Nay
Sununu (R-NH), Not Voting
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Domenici (R-NM), Nay
Ensign (R-NV), Not Voting
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Clinton (D-NY), Yea
Schumer (D-NY), Yea
Brown (D-OH), Yea
Voinovich (R-OH), Nay
Coburn (R-OK), Nay
Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Smith (R-OR), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Yea
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Nay
Reed (D-RI), Yea
Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
DeMint (R-SC), Nay
Graham (R-SC), Nay
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Thune (R-SD), Nay
Alexander (R-TN), Nay
Corker (R-TN), Nay
Cornyn (R-TX), Nay
Hutchison (R-TX), Nay
Bennett (R-UT), Nay
Hatch (R-UT), Nay
Warner (R-VA), Yea
Webb (D-VA), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Sanders (I-VT), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Feingold (D-WI), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Yea
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Barrasso (R-WY), Nay
Enzi (R-WY), Nay
Technorati Tags: Congress Coburn Reid Omnibus Bill
Posted by Jim Babka at July 29, 2008 - 01:30 PM |
Progress Reports | Downsizer-Dispatch
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