Below is the Rates Congress for 2009. Click here to download the full PDF version, which includes numeric scores for each Congressperson.
Key House Votes
Click here to view 2009 House Heros and Zeros
SCHIP/Veto Override
January 23, 2008 - Funding authorization for The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that provides health coverage for more than 6 million low-income children lapsed in 2007. The House and Senate compromised on a version that would expand coverage to an additional 4 million uninsured children. President Bush vetoed two compromise bills. The House of Representatives attempted to override the veto. The vote required a 2/3 majority to pass. The veto override failed by a 260-152 margin. (Y=R N=W) (Roll Call No. 22)
Budget Priorities
March 13, 2008 - The House approved a budget resolution for fiscal year 2009 that called for spending more than President Bush proposed for programs benefiting workers and their families. The White House had sought to apply a meat axe to federal spending for human needs programs. The proposed cuts included slashing spending for Medicare and Medicaid and eliminating funding for the Employment Service. The House rejected these proposals and by a narrow margin passed the budget blueprint, H. Con. Res. 312, 212-207. (Y=R N=W) (Roll Call No. 141)
Colombia Trade “Fast Track” Requirements
April 10, 2008 - The House voted to suspend Fast Track requirements for the Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This resolution, if passed, would make it much harder for Congress to pass the Colombia FTA. The FTA would be considered under regular order unlike the privileged rules that FTA’s considered under fast track procedures enjoy. Fair traders were victorious as the resolution passed 224-195. (Y=R N=W) (Roll Call No. 181)
Paycheck Fairness
July 31, 2008 - The House approved landmark legislation that would protect women workers from economic exploitation. The bill would require employers to show that lower wages they pay to women workers who are doing the same work as men are the product of factors other than gender. The bill, H.R. 1338, would amend the Equal Pay Act to provide the same remedies and right of class action litigation that are available for other civil rights claims. The House cleared the bill 247- 178. (Y=R N=W) (Roll Call No. 556)
Safety on the Jobsite
April 30, 2008 - In the aftermath of an explosion at the Imperial Sugar Refinery in Port Wentworth, GA that killed 23 workers, the House passed legislation requiring the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to adopt a standard to regulate industrial dust that can become combustible. Workplace safety and health experts had long urged the adoption of such a standard but OSHA had failed to act. The House passed the legislation, H.R 5522, by 247-165 (Y=R N=W) (Roll Call No. 233)
Prevention of Mortgage Foreclosures
May 8, 2008 - In the midst of the worst economic distress since the Great Depression, the House approved a housing relief bill designed to help families avoid foreclosure on their homes. H.R. 3221, the Foreclosure Prevention Act, would provide $300 billion in loan guarantees backed by the Federal Government to assist at-risk borrowers refinance their mortgages. The House approved the bill, 266-154. (Y=R N=W) (Roll Call No. 301)
Key Senate Votes
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Pay Discrimination
April 23, 2008 - The Senate failed to end a filibuster against legislation that would have restored protections against pay discrimination that were overturned by the Supreme Court in the case of Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber. The plaintiff, Lilly Ledbetter, a supervisor at Goodyear for nearly 20 years, did not learn that she was paid less than her male colleagues until after she retired. The Court ruled that she had not filed her suit until after the allotted time period had expired, although she did not know that she was victimized until after the time period expired. The Senate voted 56-42 to terminate a filibuster against the bill, H.R. 283Sixty (60) votes are required to end “extended debate.” (Y=R N=W) (Roll Call No. 110)
Budget Priorities
March 14, 2008 - By a vote of 51-44, the Senate approved budget legislation for fiscal year 2009 that added funds for human needs programs and rejected President Bush’s proposed cuts in programs such as employment training, education, Medicare and Medicaid. The legislation, S. Con. Res. 70, included funds for extended unemployment benefits and state fiscal relief. (Y=R N=W) (Roll Call No. 85)
Economic Stimulus
February 6, 2008 - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) offered an amendment to an economic stimulus bill to provide 13 weeks of extended unemployment insurance (UI) to workers who had exhausted their 26 weeks of unemployment benefits. The amendment would have provided an additional 26 weeks in states suffering from high unemployment. Opponents of the amendment mounted a filibuster. An effort to attain the 60 votes required to end “extended debate” failed by two votes, 58-41 (Y=R N=W) (Roll Call No. 8)
Medicare Improvements
June 26, 2008 - The Senate attempted to end a Republican filibuster of necessary changes to the Medicare program. Without these critical changes, many low-income seniors would continue to be denied access to the program, doctors who treated Medicare patients would have their fees cut resulting in fewer doctors treating Medicare patients and 26 would allow Medicare enrollees in fee for service programs to continue to see their own doctors. Other updates to the program would have included cost saving measures like preventative care and mental health services. The vote failed by a margin of 58-40 as the Senate was unable to end the Republican filibuster. (Y=R M=W) (Roll Call No. 160)
Note:
The Majority Leader, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), voted against CWA's position on votes 1, 3, and 4 because under Senate procedure a Senator must vote on the prevailing side in order to take action that could permit a re-vote on the legislation. His votes do not reflect his viewpoint on the merits of the legislation.
