The Issues and Congressional Voting Records Shaping America's Future
Are your Senators and Representatives in Congress really working and voting for you?
Examine the issues and bills directing America's future. The Congressinal voting records expose the truth when the Politicians spin words to deceive.
Cross-check issues with Congressional Voting Records to see how your Representatives stack up against your personal test.
Issues List
- Honesty
Over the years, Congress has increased government control over the finances, security, commerce, and futures of American citizens.
- Refer to Government corruption to make sure your elected official is ethically solid enough to be trusted with such power.
- Earmarks. Taking from many (all American taxpayers) to give to a few (selected businesses and community organizers). List of Earmarkers
- Budget Responsibility
In our own households we go without luxuries and extras when we do not have the money coming in to cover them. Congress has failed to perform to such standards of budgeting for many years
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Stimulus bill). $780 Billion amounts to $6868 per household (Includes total taxpaying and non-taxpaying households per US census estimates) plus interest since this is borrowed money. Did your representatives in Congress sign onto this without reading it or considering the waste they forced you and your children to finance?
- Omnibus Bill of February 2009. Government was already budgeted at 2008 levels but Congress chose to add an additional 8.3% in times of deficit to fund wish lists.
- Balanced Budget Amendment Does your representative have any interest in limiting the National Debt? Bills for an Amendment requiring that Congress budget within projections for tax revenues are introduced every year.
- Government Expansion
Government has been growing at varying rates since inception. Recently however, the federal government power grab has increased speed and level of infringement upon the rights of citizens.
- Cap and Trade (Also called "Clean Energy Bill" or "Cap and Tax"). Government control over CO2 emissions is projected to increase the cost of everything produced in the US (food, electricity, clothing, etc) and encourage offshore business relocations. (Projected job loss by 2035: 2.5 Million, projected increase national debt/family of 4: $114,915, Projected loss in Gross Domestic Product in 2035: $663 Billion, Projected change in temperature by 2050: less than a few hundreths of a degree) Heritage Foundation analysis
- Health Care Industry Reform and Takeover
- Financial and Commerce Industry Reform and Takeover. Regulation and control of companies involved in financial transactions. Per theWall Street Journal, this would encompass all private and public business due to the broad definition in the legislation that would include any company that borrows, loans, or employs.
- CRC - The Convention on the Rights of a Child. Transfer of parental child-rearing decisions/arbitration to the UN
- Jobs
At the heart of improving the economy and increasing revenue is increasing employment. Has your representative been legislatively sabotaging the US job market?
- Corporate Income Tax. No recent votes found. High corporate income tax tends to stifle job market. Current US level 2nd highest in world.
- Illegal Immigration. Although many insist that illegal border crossers are only taking jobs that Americans will not do, the fact is that employers pay what is necessary to secure workers. Those jobs would pay enough to entice unemployed Americans off the government dole if there were not illegal immigrants ready, willing, and waiting to work for a pittance.
- Cap and Trade (Also called "Clean Energy Bill" or "Cap and Tax"). The emissions taxes in this bill are expected to increase the cost of everything produced in the US (food, electricity, clothing, etc) while encouraging businesses to relocate production jobs offshore. (Projected job loss by 2035: 2.5 Million, projected increase national debt/family of 4: $114,915, projected change in temperature by 2050: less than a few hundreths of a degree) Heritage Foundation analysis
- Bailouts
Did your employee in Washington borrow money from China in your name to bail out poorly managed private industry?
- Tort Reform
(Refers to curbing excessive payouts on lawsuits and discouraging frivolous lawsuits). Reform of this type is difficult because it is opposed by powerful trial attorneys who currently control Democrat voting. Three areas have been addressed recently.
- Reform for class action lawsuits, shifting the larger and multi-state suits to federal court and impeding suits where lawyers recieve millions in payouts while plaintiffs get negligible awards or coupons. This became law in 2005.
- Limitation on punitive damages in product liability suits to prevent awards that illogically dwarf compensatory damage awards. This bill passed both houses but was vetoed by President Clinton.
- Limitation on medical malpractice punitive damages to prevent awards that illogically dwarf compensatory damage awards. Never became law.
- Housing Crisis
Most of the blame goes to the banking and investment industry but this could not have happened without government involvement in the housing loan industry.
- Community Reinvestment Act 1977 and Executive Branch CRA strengthening in early-mid 90s. Most of current Congress cannot be held accountable here.
- Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992. Authorized HUD to mandate large CRA loan level increases for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. (Note: This was a part of very large bill "Housing and Community Development Act of 1992" which also covered extensive housing subsidy programs).
- US Oil Drilling
Does your representative block our opportunity to both decrease our trade deficit and become energy independent by preferring to buy oil from outside the United States?
- Block drilling in US: ANWR - Small section of northern Alaskan tundra.
- Block drilling in US: Coastal drilling (Senate bill is for VA offshore drilling and House bill is for general offshore drilling).
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