Eden Prairie and Southern Minnetonka Democrats
Activating and organizing people to improve the well-being of our community by electing principled leaders with progressive values.

US House makes remarkable progress, passing 85 key measures — nearly 70 percent with significant bipartisan support

The Democratic-led House is listening to the American people and providing the New Direction the people voted for in November. The House has passed a wide range of measures to strengthen our military, restore accountability, grow our economy, strengthen our families, and achieve energy independence and reduce global warming.

The House has had a remarkable level of achievement over the first eight months, passing 85 key measures - with nearly 70 percent passing with significant bipartisan support.

The President has signed a number of major measures - including the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, the 9/11 Commission's Recommendations, critical Innovation Agenda legislation, Lobby and Ethic Reform, and the first Minimum Wage Increase in a decade.

However, unfortunately, on many other issues, the President has been a stubborn opponent of progress for the American people. He has vetoed two key measures so far this year and is threatening to veto 32 more, even bills with significant Republican support.

Furthermore, in many cases, the President is threatening to veto measures that have significant bipartisan support - such as threatening to veto the Defense Authorization bill, which 195 House Republicans voted for; threatening to veto the Energy-Water Appropriations bill, which 86 House Republicans voted for; and threatening to veto the Child Health Insurance Bill, which 45 House Republicans voted for.

The following shows how productive the House has been over the first eight months of the 110th Congress - summarizing 85 key bills that the House has passed organized by five key themes. It also shows that most of these key measures have passed the House with significant bipartisan support. Specifically, of the 85 bills summarized, 69 percent of them have passed with the support of more than 50 Republicans.

Defending Our Country

  • 9/11 Commission's Recommendations. Passed the conference report on H.R. 1, which implements the unfulfilled recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission, including improvements in border security, port security, and aviation security, by a bipartisan vote of 371-40, with 150 Republicans voting YEA. The President signed the bill on August 3 (PL 110-53).
  • FY 2008 Defense Authorization. Passed H.R. 1585, FY 2008 Defense Authorization, which contains numerous military readiness initiatives to strengthen our military, including establishing a Strategic Readiness Fund and providing needed military equipment and training for our stateside troops, and also contains a 3.5% military pay raise, larger than the President's, by a bipartisan vote of 397-27, with 195 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • FY 2008 Defense Appropriations. Passed H.R. 3222, FY 2008 Defense Appropriations, which provides funding for key military readiness initiatives, including providing the strained National Guard and Reserve with needed equipment; funds a 3.5% military pay raise, larger than the President's; upgrades military health care; and provides more support for military families, by a bipartisan vote of 395-13, with 187 Republicans voting YEA .
  • First Version of FY 2007 Supplemental. Passed the conference report on H.R. 1591, FY 2007 Supplemental, which would have fully funded our troops; honored our veterans by providing crucial health care and otherservices; held the Iraqi government accountable; provided a responsible timetable for the redeployment of U.S. troops; and strengthened ourmilitary, including adding $2 billion for a Strategic Reserve Readiness Fund, by a vote of 218-208. The measure also included a minimum wage increase, Gulf Coast recovery, children's health care, etc. The President vetoed on May 1.
  • Revised Version of FY 2007 Supplemental. Passed H.R. 2206, a revised version of the FY 2007 Supplemental, which fails to include thetough provisions holding the Iraqi government accountable and providing aresponsible timetable for the redeployment of U.S. troops contained in theearlier version. However, in this bill, the President was forced to abandon his threat to veto any bill containing accountability - agreeing to 18 benchmarks and a potential cut-off of reconstruction aid if progress is notmade toward meeting them. The measure also includes a minimum wageincrease, children's health care, etc. The President signed the bill on May 25 (PL 110-28).
  • Responsible Redeployment from Iraq. Passed H.R. 2956, Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act, which requires a responsible redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq beginning within 120 days of enactment and ending by April 1, 2008 and requires the President to publicly justify post-redeployment missions for the U.S. military, by a vote of 223-201. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Rebuilding Military Readiness. Passed H.R. 3159, Ensuring MilitaryReadiness Through Stable Deployment, which is based on Sen. Jim Webb's bill and enhances national security and supports our troops and their families by increasing the time troops are at home between deployments to Iraq, by a vote of 229-194. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Higher Education Relief for U.S. Troops. Passed H.R. 3625, HEROS Act, which makes permanent the Secretary of Education's authority to provide U.S. troops called to active duty with higher education relief, including providing them more leeway on repaying their student loans and calling for colleges and universities to provide full refunds of tuition and fees to students for the periods they are unable to complete studies because of their military service, by voice vote.
  • Homeland Security Authorization. Passed H.R. 1684, FY 2008 Department of Homeland Security Authorization, which authorizes $39.8 billion for the activities of the Department of Homeland Security in FY 2008 and includes strong accountability measures, by a bipartisan vote of 296-126, with 73 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Homeland Security Appropriations. Passed H.R. 2638, FY 2008 Homeland Security Appropriations, which funds 3,000 additional Border Patrol agents, provides first responders with the equipment and training they need, and provides tougher aviation and port security, by a vote of 268-150, with 45 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Rail & Transit Security. Passed H.R. 1401, Rail and Mass Transit
  • Security Act, which requires the Department of Homeland Security to develop plans to protect rail and mass transit and authorizes $6 billion over 4years in grants to protect these systems, by a bipartisan vote of 299-124, with 74 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • State-Foreign Operations Appropriations. Passed H.R. 2764, FY 2008 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations, which supports our allies inthe campaign against terrorism, including providing more than $1 billion in aid to Afghanistan; and promotes global stability by strengthening development assistance and addressing humanitarian crises such as the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and Darfur, by a vote of 241-178, with 31 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Military Construction/VA Appropriations. Passed H.R. 2642, FY 2008 Military Construction/Veterans' Affairs Appropriations, which provides the largest increase in veterans' funding in the 77-year history of the VA, targeted on ensuring that our veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan receive the quality health care that they deserve, by a bipartisan vote of 409 to 2, with 185 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Dubai Ports. Passed the Senate amendments to H.R. 556, National Security FIRST Act, clearing it for the President, which responds to the Dubai Ports World scandal of 2006, by working to prevent foreign investments in U.S. key infrastructure that would endanger our national security from being approved, by a bipartisan vote of 370-45, with 195 Republicans voting YEA. The President signed the bill on July 26 (PL 110-49).
  • Reducing Passport Backlog. Passed S. 966, Passport Backlog Reduction Act, which authorizes hiring retired passport processors in order to deal with the fact that the Bush Administration has created a crisis for American travelers by failing to provide the personnel needed to meet the new passport requirements for travel in the Western Hemisphere, which were recommended by the bipartisan 9/11 Commission, by voice vote. The President signed the bill on July 30 (PL 110-50).
  • Intelligence Authorization. Passed H.R. 2082, FY 2008 Intelligence Authorization, which authorizes "the largest amount for intelligence programs ever authorized," makes key investments to strengthen intelligence, and promotes efficiency and effectiveness in intelligence programs, by a vote of 225-197.
  • Darfur Accountability. Passed H.R. 180, Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act, which bars federal contracts with companies doing business with the Sudanese government, authorizes states to divest from Sudan, and establishes a list of companies doing business in Sudan, by a bipartisan vote of 418-1, with 191 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Wounded Warriors. Passed H.R. 1538, Wounded Warrior Assistance Act, which responds to the Walter Reed scandal by improving the care of injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, by a unanimous vote of 426-0, with 200 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Honoring Our Fallen. Passed H.R. 692, Federal Flag Code Amendment Act, which provides that all federal buildings in a state have to comply when the governor orders the American flag lowered to half-staff in honor of soldiers killed while serving, by a bipartisan vote of 408-4, with 183 Republicans voting YEA. The President signed the bill on June 29 (PL 110-41).

Restoring Accountability

  • Fiscally Responsible Budget. Passed conference report on S.Con.Res.21, FY 2008 Budget Resolution, which balances the budget over five years, re-imposes strict pay-as-you-go budget discipline to end new deficit spending, and reinvigorates efforts to eliminate wasteful spending and improve government efficiency, by a vote of 214 to 209. (In two of the last three years, the Republican-controlled Congress had failed to adopt a budget conference report.) No presidential signature required.
  • Congressional Ethics Reform. Passed H.Res. 6, Honest Leadership Package, which includes an ethics reform package, including banning gifts and travel from lobbyists and the organizations that employ them and ending the influence-for-hire K Street Project, by a bipartisan vote of 430-1, with 198 Republicans voting YEA. No presidential signature required.
  • Lobbying Reform. Passed the conference report on S. 1, Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which is the most sweeping lobbying reform measure in a generation and is designed to help end the tight-knit relationship between lobbyists and lawmakers, including increasing disclosure of lobbyists' contributions to lawmakers and establishing an online public database of lobbyist disclosure information, by a bipartisan vote of 411-8, with 190 Republicans voting YEA. The President signed the bill on September 14 (PL 110-81).
  • Pensions of Convicted Members. Passed H.R. 476, Congressional Pension Forfeiture Act, which requires Members convicted of certain federal offenses forfeit their congressional pension rights, by a unanimous vote of 431-0, with 198 Republicans voting YEA. Incorporated into S.1, Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which the President signed on September 14 (PL 110-81).
  • Reform of House Page Program. Passed H.R. 475, House Page Board Oversight, which improves oversight of the House Page Program by requiring regular meetings of the Page Board, making it fully bipartisan, and adding a former page and the parent of a page to the board, by a unanimous vote of 416-0, with 190 Republicans voting YEA. The President signed the bill on February 2 (PL 110-2).
  • U.S. Attorneys. Passed S. 214, Preserving Independence of U.S. Attorneys, thereby clearing the bill for the President, which better ensures the independence of U.S. attorneys, by repealing a 2006 provision allowing
  • the Attorney General to make indefinite interim appointments of U.S. attorneys, by a bipartisan vote of 306-114, with 80 Republicans voting YEA. The President signed the bill on June 14 (PL 110-34).
  • Barring Spouses from Campaign Payrolls. Passed H.R. 2630, Barring Spouses of Candidates from Being on Campaign Payrolls, which prohibits federal office holders and candidates from employing their spouses in their campaign and also requires the disclosure of all other immediate family members who are employed by the candidate's campaign, by voice vote.
  • Whistleblower Protections. Passed H.R. 985, Whistleblower Protections Act, which strengthens protections for federal whistleblowers to prevent retaliation against those who report federal waste, fraud and abuse, by a bipartisan vote of 331-94, with 102 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • D.C. Voting Rights. Passed H.R. 1905, D.C. Voting Rights Act, which provides a vote in Congress to the 600,000 residents of the District of Columbia and a new, at-large seat through the 112th Congress to the state next entitled to representation (which is Utah, according to the Census), by a vote of 241-177, with 22 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Disclosure of Presidential Records. Passed H.R. 1255, Disclosure of Presidential Records, which restores public access to former presidents' official papers, nullifying a 2001 executive order that gave current and former presidents (and their heirs) broad authority to withhold official presidential documents, by a bipartisan vote of 333-93, with 104 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Accountability in Contracting. Passed H.R. 1362, Accountability in Contracting Act, which cleans up government contracting abuses and "no bid" contracts that companies like Halliburton and KBR have made infamous, by a bipartisan vote of 347-73, with 119 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Strengthening Freedom of Information Act. Passed H.R. 1309, Freedom of Information Act Amendments, which strengthens the Freedom of Information Act to better protect the public's right to know and make the government more transparent, by a bipartisan vote of 308-117, with 80 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Corporate Accountability. Passed H.R. 1257, Shareholder Vote on Executive Compensation Act, which enhances the accountability of corporate management to shareholders, by allowing a non-binding vote by shareholders on executive compensation plans, by a bipartisan vote of 267-134, with 55 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Reforming SBA Disaster Aid Program. Passed H.R. 1361, SBA Disaster Aid Overhaul, which overhauls the SBA disaster assistance program in response to the SBA's disastrous performance after the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, by a vote of 267-158, with 40 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Preventing Voter Deception and Voter Intimidation. Passed H.R. 1281, Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act, which is designed to combat the numerous, documented efforts to deceive or intimidate voters to keep them away from the polls, by making voter deception a federal crime and increasing the penalties for voter intimidation, by voice vote.

Growing Our Economy

  • Minimum Wage. First passed H.R. 2, Increasing the Minimum Wage, which increases the minimum wage for the first time in 10 years - increasing it from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour over two years, by a bipartisan vote of 315-116, with 82 Republicans voting YEA. Incorporated into H.R. 2206, FY 2007 Supplemental, which the President signed on May 25 (PL 110-28).
  • Innovation Agenda/Math & Science Teachers. Passed H.R. 362, Science and Math Scholarship Act, which invests in 10,000 new science, math and technology teachers in the first year, totaling some 25,000 new teachers over 5 years, by a bipartisan vote of 389-22, with 168 Republicans voting YEA. Incorporated into H.R. 2272, America COMPETES Act, which the President signed on August 9 (PL 110-69).
  • Innovation Agenda/Technology Innovation. Passed H.R. 1868, Technology Innovation Act, which creates the Technology Innovation Program, to provide funds to small high-tech firms, and reauthorizes the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which stimulates investments in innovative technologies by small manufacturers, by a bipartisan vote of 385-23, with 164 Republicans voting YEA. Incorporated into H.R. 2272, America COMPETES Act, which the President signed on August 9 (PL 110-69).
  • Innovation Agenda/Basic Research Funding. Passed H.R. 1867, National Science Foundation Authorization, which puts us on a path to doubling funding for NSF basic research over the next 10 years, as recommended by the National Academy of Sciences, by a bipartisan vote of 399-17, with 175 Republicans voting YEA. Incorporated into H.R. 2272, America COMPETES Act, which the President signed on August 9 (PL 110-69).
  • Innovation Agenda/Science & Engineering Research. Passed H.R. 363, Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Research Act, which increases support for long-term scientific research and focuses on high-risk, high-reward early stage research, by a bipartisan vote of 380-45, with 172 Republicans voting YEA. Incorporated into H.R. 2272, America COMPETES Act, which the President signed on August 9 (PL 110-69).
  • Innovation Agenda/High-Performance Computing. Passed H.R. 1068, Maintaining U.S. Leadership in High-Performance Computing, which helps strengthen U.S. leadership in high-performance computing and provides support for cutting-edge research to drive information technology into the future, by voice vote. Incorporated into H.R. 2272, American COMPETES Act which the President signed on August 9 (PL 110-69).
  • Patent Reform. Passed H.R. 1908, Patent Reform Act, which strengthens the patent system and improves patent quality - critical to American inventors and American ingenuity in a global market, benefitsconsumers by bringing cutting-edge products to the market, and stimulates greater innovation, growth and competitiveness, by a bipartisan vote of 220-175, with 60 Republicans voting YEA.
  • FHA Reform/Responding to Subprime Mortgage Crisis. Passed H.R. 1852, Expanding American Homeownership Act, which revitalizes the Federal Housing Administration, thereby enabling it to serve more subprime borrowersat affordable rates and terms, to attract borrowers that have turned to predatory loans in recent years, and to offer refinancing to homeowners struggling to meet their mortgage payments in the midst of the current turbulent mortgage markets, by a bipartisan vote of 348 to 72, with 123 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Modernizing Federal Aviation Administration. Passed H.R. 2881, FAA Modernization Act, which modernizes the aging air traffic control system and strengthens airport infrastructure to reduce delays and improve safety; provides consumer protections for airline passengers; increases the number of safety inspectors; and includes environmental protections to reduce global warming, by a vote of 267-151, with 43 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Farm Bill. Passed H.R. 2419, the Farm Bill, which includes real reforms, such as cracking down on farm subsidies for those who do not need them and redirecting more than half a billion dollars to working family farmers and ranchers; and making substantial commitments to conservation, nutrition programs, and renewable energy, by a vote of 231 to 191, with 19 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Investing in Transportation Infrastructure and Affordable Housing. Passed H.R. 3074, FY 2008 Transportation-HUD Appropriations, which modernizes transportation, including providing $40.2 billion for highway infrastructure, creating 59,500 new jobs, and providing $9.7 billion for mass transit, creating 17,400 new jobs; and invests in expanding affordable housing opportunities for American families, by a vote of 268-153, with 43 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Investing in Small Business/Economic Development/Etc. Passed H.R. 2829, FY 2008 Financial Services-General Government Appropriations, which contains provisions to spur job creation and economic growth, including restoring the President's cut in small business loans and investing in greater efforts to expand availability to capital and financial services in rural communities, by a vote of 240-179, with 18 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Investing in Rural Development. Passed H.R. 3161, FY 2008 Agriculture Appropriations, which has numerous provisions to strengthen our rural communities, including reinvesting in affordable housing, clean water, broadband access, and community facilities in rural areas; improve nutrition programs; and promote renewable energy and conservation in rural America, by a vote of 237 to 18. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Free Choice for Employees. Passed H.R. 800, the Employee Free Choice Act, which helps all Americans share in our nation's economic growth by supporting the basic right of workers to choose their own representative, by a vote of 241-185. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Rights of Employees to Fair Pay. Passed H.R. 2831, the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which rectifies the recent Supreme Court decision of Ledbetter v. Goodyear, which had made it much more difficult for workers to pursue pay discrimination claims, by a vote of 225-199. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Investing in Innovation and Science. Passed H.R. 3093, FY 2008 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations, which makes major investments in U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness, including Manufacturing Extension Partnerships and the Advanced Technology Program, and in scientific research, putting the NSF on track to double in funding over next 10 years, by a bipartisan vote of 281-142, with 55 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Improving Small Business Lending. Passed H.R. 1332, Small Business Lending Improvements Act, which provides small businesses with tools to encourage entrepreneurial innovation, including making 7(a) loans more economical, by a bipartisan vote of 380-45, with 151 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Small Business Investment Expansion. Passed H.R. 3567, Small Business Investment Expansion, which reforms SBA programs to assist small business owners with obtaining investment capital necessary to start or grow their operations and improves access to venture capital and angel investments for these entrepreneurs, by a bipartisan vote of 325-72, with 112 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Small Business Contracting. Passed H.R. 1873, Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act, which strengthens small business by increasing the share of federal contracts going to small businesses and limiting the ability of federal agencies to bundle smaller projects into larger contracts, by a bipartisan vote of 409 to 13, with 187 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Modernizing Flood Insurance. Passed H.R. 3121, Flood Insurance Modernization Act, which provides overdue and much-needed reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), including phasing out unnecessary subsidies, encouraging broader participation, and providing a new optional multiple peril policy that allows property owners to purchase wind and flood coverage in a single policy, by a vote of 263-146, with 45 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Terrorism Risk Insurance. Passed H.R. 2761, Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) Extension, which extends TRIA, which provides a federal backstop to private terrorism insurance, for 15 years - thereby enhancing U.S. economic stability by enabling the real estate and construction industries to move forward with long-term, large-scale construction projects, by a bipartisan vote of 312-110, with 88 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Water Resources Development. Passed the conference report on H.R. 1495, Water Resources Development Act, which grows the economy by investing in a backlog of flood control, shoreline protection, inland navigation and environmental restoration projects that have stacked up because the GOP-led Congress failed to complete a water resources bill for six years, by a bipartisan vote of 381-40, with 155 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.

Strengthening Our Families

  • Making College More Affordable. Passed the conference report on H.R. 2669, College Cost Reduction Act and Access Act, which contains the single largest investment in college financial assistance since the 1944 GI Bill, including increasing the maximum Pell Grant by $1,090 -- to $5,400 -- by 2012, cutting interest rates in half on need-based college loans, providing tuition assistance for excellent undergraduate students who agree to teach in public schools, and providing loan repayment for those who enter public service careers, by a bipartisan vote of 292-97, with 77 Republicans voting YEA. The President signed the bill on September 27 (PL 110-84).
  • Providing Health Coverage for 10 Million Children. Passed H.R. 976, the House-Senate agreement on the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act, which renews and improves the Children's Health Insurance Program, providing coverage for 6 million children currently covered by CHIP and extending coverage to nearly 4 million uninsured children, according to the nonpartisan CBO. The bill also improves CHIP benefits - ensuring dental coverage and mental health parity, by a vote of 265-159, with 45 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Stem Cell Research. Passed S. 5, Promoting Stem Cell Research, clearing it for the President, which promotes life-saving embryonic stem cell research by increasing the number of stem cell lines that are eligible to be used in federally-funded research, by a vote of 247-176, with 37 Republicans voting YEA. The President vetoed on June 20.
  • Improving Drug Safety. Passed H.R. 3580, the final House-Senate agreement on FDA Reauthorization/Improving Drug Safety, which contains the most sweeping drug safety provisions in years, including creating a new FDA program to monitor the safety of drugs after they are on the market, increasing the penalties for drug companies that violate safety standards,\ and imposing stricter conflict-of-interest provisions, by a bipartisan vote of 405-7, with 183 Republicans voting YEA. The President signed the bill on September 27 (PL 110-85).
  • Re-Investing in America's Priorities. Passed H.R. 3043, FY 2008 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill, which makes college more affordable by increasing the maximum Pell Grant by $390, up to $4,700; invests $2 billion more in No Child Left Behind programs, giving an additional 161,000 low-income children help with reading and math; reverses the GOP disinvestment in life-saving medical research, investing an additional $750 million in NIH; and provides new access to health care to more than 2 million uninsured Americans, by a bipartisan vote of 276-140, with 53 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Medicare Drug Price Negotiation. Passed H.R. 4, Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act, which directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate with drug companies for lower drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries, by a vote of 255-170, with 24 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Sunshine in Student Loan Industry. Passed H.R. 890, Student Loan Sunshine Act, which cleans up the relationships between student lenders and colleges, in light of mounting evidence of conflicts of interest and other unethical practices in the student loan industry, by a bipartisan vote of 414 to 3, with 194 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Hate Crimes. Passed H.R. 1592, Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which gives state and local law enforcement the tools and resources they need to prevent and prosecute hate crimes, as well as closing gaps in current federal hate crimes law, by a vote of 237-180, with 25 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Head Start. Passed H.R. 1429, Improving Head Start Act, which expands and improves the successful Head Start early childhood education program, and includes strong accountability measures to ensure programs are succeeding, by a bipartisan vote of 365-48, with 142 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Collective Bargaining for Firefighters, Police Officers, Etc. Passed H.R. 980, Collective Bargaining for First Responders, which provides firefighters, police officers, and other public safety officers with basic\ collective bargaining rights, without undermining state authority or existing state laws - ensuring our first responders have the basic right to seek better wages and benefits, by a bipartisan vote of 314-97, with 98Republicans voting YEA.
  • Background Checks for Gun Purchases. Passed H.R. 2640, NICS Improvement Act, which is designed to improve the accuracy of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) by giving grants to states for automating and sharing with NICS the records of those barred from purchasing a firearm under the 1968 Gun Control Act, by voice vote.
  • Affordable Housing Fund. Passed H.R. 1427, Federal Housing Finance Reform/Affordable Housing Fund, which strengthens oversight of Fannie Mae\ and Freddie Mac and creates an Affordable Housing Fund that will provide about $500 million a year for five years to promote affordable housing for low-income homeowners and renters, by a bipartisan vote of 313-104, with 90 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Continuing Resolution for FY 2007. Passed H.J.Res. 20, Continuing Resolution for FY 2007, which kept within the FY 2007 budget ceiling created by Republicans but which invested in urgent domestic needs, including an increase of $3.6 billion for veterans' health care, $1.4 billion for affordable housing, and $615 million for increasing the maximum Pell Grant from $4,050 to $4,310, by a bipartisan vote of 286-140, with 57 Republicans voting YEA. The President signed the bill on February 15 (PL 110-5).
  • COPS Improvement Act. Passed H.R. 1700, COPS Improvement Act, which puts 50,000 additional police officers on the streets over the next six years, and also authorizes funds for COPS technology grants and for hiring community prosecutors, by a bipartisan vote of 381-34, with 157 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Reforming and Expanding Section 8 Housing Vouchers. Passed H.R. 1851, Section 8 Voucher Reform Act, which reforms the Section 8 housing vouchers to make their allocation targeted more on need, increases access for rural families, and expands the number of families receiving vouchers, by a bipartisan vote of 333-83, with 110 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Gulf Coast Housing. Passed H.R. 1227, Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act, which speeds up the repair and rebuilding of homes and affordable rental housing in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, by a bipartisan vote of 302-125, with 72 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Katrina Housing Tax Relief. Passed H.R. 1562, the Katrina Housing Tax Relief Act, which expands access to low-income financing for homeowners and strengthens tax incentives for building affordable rental housing in the areas of the Gulf Coast affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, by voice vote. Incorporated into H.R. 2206, FY 2007 Supplemental, which the President signed on May 25 (PL 110-28).
  • Minnesota Bridge Reconstruction. Passed H.R. 3311, Minnesota Bridge Reconstruction, which authorizes $250 million for a project to repair and reconstruct the Interstate 35W highway bridge in Minneapolis, which collapsed on August 1, killing at least 5 people, by a unanimous vote of 421-0, with 193 Republicans voting YEA. The President signed the bill on August 6 (PL 110-56).
  • Genetic Nondiscrimination. Passed H.R. 493, Genetic Nondiscrimination, which prohibits employers and insurance companies from using genetic information when making decisions about hiring, firing, or providing health coverage, by a bipartisan vote of 420-3, with 191 Republicans voting YEA.

Preserving Our Planet

  • Energy Independence Initiative. Passed H.R. 3221, New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act, which reduces our dependence on foreign oil with an historic investment in biofuels and other renewable energy sources; lowers energy costs with greater efficiency, cleaner energy, and smarter technology; creates new "green" jobs with new technologies; and reduces global warming, by a vote of 241-172, with 26 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act. Passed H.R. 2776, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act, which provides an innovative package of tax incentives to encourage the use and production of renewable energy and energy conservation and repeals excessive tax breaks for oil and gas companies, by a vote of 221-189. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Energy Independence/Global Warming. Passed H.Res. 202, Committee Funding Resolution, which includes provisions to establish a House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, to raise the visibility of these urgent issues, by a vote of 269-150, with 44 Republicans voting YEA. No presidential signature required.
  • Energy-Water Appropriations. Passed H.R. 2641, FY 2008 Energy-Water Appropriations, which invests $3 billion, $1 billion more than the President's request, to research global warming and take steps to reduce it, and includes a 50 percent increase over the President's request for energy efficiency and renewable energy, including solar, wind and biofuels, by a bipartisan vote of 312 to 112, with 86 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Interior-Environment Appropriations. Passed H.R. 2643, FY 2008 Interior-Environment Appropriations, which fully funds the Clean Water Fund that the President proposed cutting by 37 percent, makes improving our national parks, national wildlife refuges, and national forests a key priority, and boosts basic research on climate change by 53 percent, by a vote of 272 to 155, with 48 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Preventing OPEC Price Fixing. Passed H.R. 2264, No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act (NOPEC), which authorizes the Justice Department to take legal action against OPEC state-controlled entities that participate in conspiracies to limit the supply, or fix the price, of oil, by a bipartisan vote of 345-72, with 125 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Stopping Gasoline Price Gouging. Passed H.R. 1252, Price Gouging\ Prevention Act, which sets criminal penalties for price gouging of gasoline, and permits states to bring lawsuits against wholesalers or retailers who engage in such practices, by a bipartisan vote of 284-141, with 56 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Clean Water. Passed H.R. 720, Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which provides a recommitment to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, by authorizing $14 billion over the next four years, which helps local communities have clean lakes and streams, as well as safe drinking water, by a bipartisan vote of 303-108, with 79 Republicans voting YEA. The President has threatened to veto.
  • Sewer Overflow Controls. Passed H.R. 569, Sewer Overflow Control Grants, which responds to the growing public health hazard of sewer overflows by authorizing $1.8 billion for sewer overflow grants over the next five years, by a bipartisan vote of 367-58, with 139 Republicans voting YEA.
  • Usable Water Supply. Passed H.R. 700, Pilot Projects for Increasing Usable Water Supply, which authorizes pilot projects to increase an area's usable water supply - by encouraging innovation in water reclamation, reuse and conservation, by a bipartisan vote of 368-59, with 138 Republicans voting YEA.