Vote Notes on Legislation
January 10, 2019
Setting aside the impasse over funding border security, this bill is ill-advised on its merits. It continues to drain $9.9 billion of motorists’ taxes paid at the pump away from highways in favor of mass transit subsidies, continues to fund absurdly wasteful programs such as subsidized air service ($155 million), money-losing Amtrak routes ($1.9 billion), local grant programs which have been used to fund such nonsense as “Doggy Day Care” centers ($3.4 billion), and massive housing subsidies to ameliorate the affordability crisis caused by government restrictions and mandates on home construction ($30+ billion). But they couldn’t find any money for a border wall. Worst of all, it continues the irresponsible spending trajectory established by the so-called BBA (formally the “Bi-Partisan Budget Act” but more accurately the “Budget Busting Act”) that is quickly leading us to trillion-dollar annual deficits despite increased tax revenues.
Issues:Fiscal and Economic
January 3, 2019
H. Res. 6 - House Rules: NO. This measure paves the way for a spending spree at a time the federal government is approaching $22 trillion of debt and trillion-dollar annual deficits. It takes the required 3/5 vote for tax increases to a simple majority, in effect declaring open season on American taxpayers. It automatically suspends the debt limit upon adoption of a budget, essentially removing any constraint on deficit spending. It modifies the current PAYGO rule to constrain the administration’s ability to administratively reduce spending. It makes a few improvements, such as requiring text of a bill to be available 72 hours prior to votes, but these are dwarfed by opening the floodgates on massive tax and spending increases.
Issues:Fiscal and Economic
January 3, 2019
H.R. 21 - Annual Appropriations: NO. This is an appropriation to continue spending for the departments, except Homeland Security, that are affected by the shutdown. The rate of spending keeps us on a collision course with trillion-dollar annual deficits. It also reauthorizes the TANF welfare program without reforms necessary to stop rampant fraud and it reauthorizes flood insurance subsidies that encourage development in flood plains.
Issues:Fiscal and Economic
January 3, 2019
H.J. Res 1 - No Border Wall: NO. This temporarily funds the Department of Homeland Security without the single most important feature of homeland security: a border wall to halt illegal immigration, human trafficking, gang and terrorist infiltration and the drug trade.
Issues:California
December 12, 2018
I opposed this nearly trillion dollar farm subsidy bill when it left the House and it comes back from conference committee even worse. The House version at least took a stab at providing work requirements for about 20 percent of single able-bodied SNAP recipients...
June 8, 2018
This is a combination of appropriations bills that funds the legislative branch, the Veteran’s Administration, energy, water and military construction. Like any large, omnibus bill it has good features, among them: it proceeds with the long overdue Yucca Mountain nuclear storage facility, repeals the Obama Administration’s WOTUS order (which was already struck down by the courts), shifts $1 billion of mandatory spending to discretionary and upgrades our nuclear arsenal. But it is a fiscal train wreck. It continues the Congress’ profligate spending that threatens...
Issues:Fiscal and Economic
May 18, 2018
This is an extensive omnibus bill costing a total of $900 billion over the next ten years (about $720 a year for an average household). It includes some good provisions on forest management and at least makes a half-hearted effort to introduce work requirements for about 20 percent of the ten million able-bodied adults receiving SNAP (commonly referred to as food stamps).
March 22, 2018
This is the $1.3 trillion “Omnibus” bill that increases discretionary spending a staggering 18 percent in a single year, puts us on course for a trillion dollar deficit next year and sets the stage for a sovereign debt crisis within the next few years.
Issues:Fiscal and Economic
February 9, 2018
This measure abandons any pretense of fiscal responsibility and increases federal spending caps by nearly $300 billion ($2,400 per household) over the next two years. It sets up a structure that will allow Congress to bypass its own budget rules...
Issues:Fiscal and Economic
December 21, 2017
I am disgusted that once natural disasters are being used as an excuse to load up an emergency relief bill with spending that could not stand scrutiny in the light of day. The long-standing test for emergency spending is that it must be for needs that are urgent, unforeseen, necessary and one-time. Using these criteria, the administration made a request for $44 billion for the damage from the recent hurricanes and wildfires...